My view point is a little different. Once I got to phase two, I limited the snacking and only ate during a 6 hour window of time each day (kind of like adding a Paleo principle to South Beach!) This reduces the number of times your body has to make insulin and this alone put me in control of my appetite. It's not for everyone, I realize, but it was what empowered me to have real self control. I was never a breakfast eater so skipping that but consuming all of my calories within a 6 hour window put me in the weight loss zone, along with the South Beach menu and exercising.

I agree with Judy 100% about wheat and sugar. If I ever ate either of these things, the insulin spike would make me have a crazy and insatiable appetite (you know....like the way you feel after eating Chinese food!) If you have any metabolic issues (underlying) this can easily put you out of the weight loss zone and into the overeating zone. So - yes - we do believe calories count over here....especially the smaller you get. It only makes sense. Smaller animals consume smaller meals. Look at nature!

Good reminder to me Judy about the nuts and cheese being very calorie dense. I was on Atkin's for many years so I tend to have a problem with nuts. Think I will skip them for a while myself.....(sniff, sniff!) but bathing suit season IS around the corner.

Also - Liquori - what are you doing for exercise? (sorry if you may have told me before! I belong to several forums and tend to forget!)

Keep posting! Judy will help you solve the puzzle. Believe me, it IS a puzzle too. It's not always the same for everyone either. For me, I am battling a thyroid disorder plus approaching menopause. I made the decision - these few extra pounds are coming off this year. I picked a food list I thought I could live with and am trying hard to stay within 1600 to 1700 calories a day. Do log your foods if you haven't already as this by itself will help to guide you. Also, get a food scale and weigh your protein portions for a while. This helped me a whole lot too since excess protein is converted to glucose (and the end result is the same as eating wheat or sugar in that it will turn to fat!)

I had an idea for you last night.
How about if you keep eating according to your CALP as above and when you get to your reward meal, you keep your carb to ones that are whole only...nothing processed. Meaning, if you want to eat grain, it has to be whole as in a serving of quinoa. or a serving of brown rice. Or a starchy veggie like sweet potato which to me is a prime choice for a carb.

I realize that this may seem restrictive to you but I believe that you'll see loss this way. In my experience, it is best and most logical to have your starchy carb in whole form for weight loss as processing(flour) does change the way that we metabolize them.

Hello!

Aeroangie, I walk 5 days a week, with power/interval walking as part of it. You're right, this is a puzzle! Any plan, to me, is a puzzle. We all have to put up with trial and error to see what does and what doesn't work for us, as individuals. Thanks for your input!

Judy, yes, I had made more changes to my CALP menus, prior to starting SB, which translated into adding better carb choices into the carb portion of the RM. It only makes sense, but I do love the fact that the option is there if I want a special treat, and it doesn't de-rail the plan itself. The scale may not appreciate that piece of cake or scoop of mashed potatoes, but like I said, it's nice knowing I CAN have it! And unfortunately, I do have to watch my portions/calories -- I can't eat the quantity of food like I used to. Oh, I mean I'd like to, as I have a big appetite, but I have to watch. This is where I can use the principles of the Volumetrics plan -- filling up on veggies and less calorie dense foods (that are lower in carbs).

Charran, that's what I like about a plan that's not strict --- I don't want to be a short order cook for meal times with my family. It's nice to incorporate my meals with their meals. South Beach fits nicely, as does my beloved CALP.

Ladies, I appreciate all of your input!

Yup....I did and still do the same as knowing that I can have something makes it more mentally and emotionally tolerable for me. What I did though was limit the refined carb foods(flour) to once a month only....years later, its way longer than that.
In the SBD book it talks about the "3 bite rule"...which I've used on my occassions. If there is some yummy dessert that I want to have, I can have 3 bites of it....big bites too!!
The book also talks about learning to eat slowly and wait 20 minutes after the food is gone before we decide if we need more food to feel full. That was a very big thing for me to learn to do as I had always eaten until all the food was gone....and was then way overstuffed!

THIS IS A VERY GOOD IDEA IN MY OPINION!!!