HELP PLEASE!! Gained 4 lbs only a week in!! HOW???

[skooter1818]

Someone please help me!!! I am devastated. I just weighed in after 1 week on SB phase 1 and I have gained! My heart just sunk! I have done everything I thought I was supposed to do. I haven't watched calories as close as I used to at 1200 and have allowed myself 1400 in order to get all the protein in. I have stayed around 40-70 carbs a day and 100 grams of protein. Under 15 sugar. Drinking lots of water. I am 31, 5'2 female weighing 153 now...I was 149 when I started. How is this possible? I stopped my nightly glass of wine and snacking and haven't had a cheat on bad carbs like bread or pasta at all! Not one bite! I feel like throwing in the towel on all diets. NOTHING is working for me and I thought a lower carb type lifestyle change would be the one last thing that would help me. I am so sad right now.

[Kimboroni]

Can you post the foods that you've been eating, including types and amounts? It sounds like you may have some misconceptions about this plan, since it doesn't call for staying under a certain number of grams of carbs or sugar, or counting grams of protein. It's not a high protein/low carb plan, but more balanced than the out of whack typical American diet.

[Magna]

Also, 40-70 grams of carbs is pretty low for SBD so maybe you're skipping some good foods like beans, milk, and yogurt. Posting a typical menu (including amounts plus anything you're adding, such as sauces or condiments) would help people give more specific suggestions.

[skooter1818]

Thanks for your reply. I hope you can shed some light...Here is what I logged on my fit pal the other day:

Meal 1 - Fat free half & half - 2 tbsp
coffee
3 hard boiled eggs

Snack - Jamie Eason Cinnamon Swirl protein bread - which I make from scratch (this has 50 cals, 5 carbs, 1 fat, 1 gram sugar and 8 proteins per square)

Meal 2 - Romaine leaves (2) to make 2 lettuce wraps
Oscar Meyer turkey slices (3) fat free
Oscar Meyer ham slices (3) fat free
Avocado slices - 1/4 of a large avocado
1 roma tomato sliced
2% chedder shredded cheese 1/4 cup

snack 2 - 2 tbsp low sodium peanut butter

Meal 3 - Grilled chicken breast - 6oz
broccoli 1/2 cup
small salad with lemon juice, oil & vinegar dressing (ken's light)
spices, cilantro, pepper
1/4 cup cottage cheese

So, how does this look? Am I way off base here?? I used to do low cal and i'd have a sandwich almost daily for lunch. I haven't had bread in 7 days and I thought that alone would start to show in my waist. Thanks in advance for any help!!!!

[Magna]

My first impressions (someone else can probably chime in), but it looks much too low on veggies, and the veggies that you are including are not the best sources of good carbs. You should be eating at least 1/2 cup of vegetables at breakfast, at least 2 cups at lunch, and at least another 2 cups at dinner. Maybe because you're under-eating vegetables, you're over-eating protein. (There's technically not a limit on protein foods, but if you eat enough vegetables you aren't likely to want to eat triple servings of protein foods, which is what you did at dinner.)

I don't see any dairy (which means milk or yogurt) at all, even though that's recommended. Beans, split peas, lentils, or other legumes are also recommended as part of your veggies. Both of those would add some good carbs and probably help your energy levels. One reason you might be experiencing problems is that if you don't eat enough good carbs, your energy levels may suffer. (The protein bread you ate - although not on the menu for phase 1 - would help with that some, but even that is not particularly high in good carbs.)

I looked up the recipe for the protein bread - it has fruit and grain in it, neither of which is on the menu in phase 1. (No bread of any kind, really.) It would probably be fine in phase 2, though.

Peanut butter should be the kind with just peanuts and salt as the only ingredients (or just peanuts if you're eating the no-salt kind). I don't know whether your low-sodium peanut butter fits the bill.

Have a look at the phase 1 FAQ page - there are links to the phase 1 "foods to enjoy" list and the "how to adapt your meal plan" template, both of which should be helpful.

[shannypoo]

Hi. I know your dissapointment. Im sorry. However, to help shed soem light. You need to eat WAAAAAAYYYY MORE VEGGIES!!! You really arent doing SB diet. Eat veggies with EVERY meal, that should help:)

[Kimboroni]

For a 5'2" female, a 6 oz chicken breast plus the cottage cheese sounds like it's likely way more protein than your body can use at one time. I agree with the others-- this doesn't look much like an SB day. You have probably broken the bad carb craving cycle by eating like this (although I'm not sure about the "protein bread"), which is the main point of p2, but you probably won't be able to go on to lose weight until you bring your foods into the proper proportions. You're basically overeating protein to make up for the lack of bread and other starches, and you can't lose weight that way either. But with some reworking of your meal plan, you should start heading the right direction again.

[bporter1613]

My BFF, Shari and I are on day 10 of Phase 1. We follow the menu plan in the book to a "T"...the first week, Shari lost 7 lbs, and I lost 10 lbs. Maybe you need to stick more close to what the plan recommends. The menus are great, and neither one of us have felt deprived or had cravings since starting. Just sayin'....

[Magna]

The menus in the book are there if you want to follow them. But if you don't, you can still benefit by looking them over. They give a good idea of what a phase 1 menu should look like.

[Kimboroni]

My BFF, Shari and I are on day 10 of Phase 1. We follow the menu plan in the book to a "T"...the first week, Shari lost 7 lbs, and I lost 10 lbs. Maybe you need to stick more close to what the plan recommends. The menus are great, and neither one of us have felt deprived or had cravings since starting. Just sayin'....

It depends on which book you are following, though-- the original SB book's menus are outdated as far as what the plan recommends now, so they are missing some food groups.

The Supercharged version is up to date, so that's okay to follow. But it's not required. A lot of those recipes are more work and/or fancier than what a lot of people like or can cook-- they are just suggestions. One can also follow SB by sticking to the more general concepts laid out in the meal templates and food lists in the FAQ.