A Brief Overview...

First off, Blogger is all wonky today, so I'm going to avoid using the "bold" or "italic" functions or anything else like that. If it goes back to normal, I'll go back and bold stuff later.

A few people had asked me for thoughts and information so far on the SBD. I'm going to write a little new stuff and also pull some info out of an email I sent a friend, so, friend, ignore the repetition:

The jist of it is for the first 2 weeks (phase one) you basically cut out ALL carbs & sugars, which, sadly, includes fruit.

This is the official SBD site site, but unless you're a member, you can't access that much. I find this site to be much better and it's fPhase One is v. low on carbs and sugars. And that includes anything that's high on the glycemic index, some of which might surprise you. Also, it's v. important that you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Honestly, there have been very few times when I've been overly hungry, and most (not all - check my blog) of the food is pretty good!

Here is a list of ok foods for Phase One. After 2 weeks, you move onto Phase 2 and start introducing more carbs (whole grains, some fruit, etc.) back into your diet.

WHO SHOULD TRY THE SBD (If they want to!)
People who:
- like to cook
- like cheese
- people with blood sugar problems

WHO SHOULD NOT TRY THE SBD:
People who:
- refuse to eat breakfast (you really have to)
- absolutely hate or are allergic to eggs
- rely on pre-made, pre-packaged foods
- are not willing to put some time into food preparation and menu planning. (I think overall, with the menu planning and once-per-week shopping trip, it actually saves time, but there is some time involved in the cooking. But don't let that stop you!)

I'm not gonna lie; it HAS to be easier to do the SBD when your S.O./roommate/whoever is living with you is on it too. There have been a few times (like the glorious rice incident) when I almost pounced on J b/c he was eating something I wanted. Last night he was eating my fat-free pringles that I made him take away from me. I was sitting next to him, listening to him crunch them as we watched "Romancing the Stone" and I realized that not only was my mouth watering, but I was also grinding my teeth.

It has helped to go on the SBD with my mom/co-worker, but in a way it's a total pain. As I've said, the deal is that she makes breakfast, I make lunch. But she won't let me just take my breakfast up to my desk and get to work. Noooo, she wants to sit downstairs and EAT TOGETHER. Which is great, except my dad/boss is starting to bug me to come in a half hour earlier so that we can do this breakfast thing. And he is not being very supportive in other ways, for example, every time I put the box of donuts away, I come back to the kitchen (home office) and they're sitting out again. Ditto the cookies, bread, etc. AND he's been coming down to lunch JUST LATE ENOUGH that my mom makes him a sandwich - folks, this woman does NOT need to be making anyone toast! I do love my father but he's always been sort of a bastard when it comes to supporting (my mom) during diets. But he's always good at criticizing her weight!

Some other things I've found to help:

- I personally have found that although you're not required to follow the menu given for Phase One in the book, it has helped me to do so. The changes I've made have been for ease of leftovers, ie., scheduling the steak salad the day after the steak dinner. I've also modified a few recipes so that I am eating, for example, the same dish but with a fish that I prefer to the one given. No biggie.

- Wash and cut all your celery into sticks and put them in a tupperware full of water in the fridge. They'll last a week, easy! I also chop just a few peppers and stick them in a baggie - they don't stay good quite as long. Ditto on the lettuce - wash the whole head when you get it. They make these green stay-fresh bags that are great for keeping food fresh; I'll try to find a link.

- Explain to your S.O./roommate/etc. that the diet food is for the people on the diet. That Laughing Cow cheese is expensive and is not for your man.

- Go over the week's menu w/your S.O./roommate/etc., particularly the dinners, and ask them what they'd like to add to their meal to make it good for them. I bought a bag of heat-n-serve whole wheat dinner rolls for J; he can just stick one in the oven to accompany his meal. Potatoes are also a safe bet and can be bought singly and microwaved (make sure to poke them!)

- When you feel the craving for something naughty, eat something else. Even if you've already had a snack. Have something, a few pieces of celery, a string cheese, along with a big glass of water, to subside that craving before it grows too great to handle. Better to eat an extra SBD snack than to eat something totally not on your diet.

- Experiment with the ricotta cremes. Artificial flavorings (the ones they sell in the spice aisle, by the vanilla extract?) are my BEST FRIENDS. They make all different kinds.

- Make sure you eat ALL your meals and snacks whenever possible. Apparently, that's how the diet works!

More later.... comments welcome!