Starting the Diet on Day One - Phase I

On Phase I, your goal is twofold: First, purge your system of carbs and sugars; and secondly, learn to keep your metabolism working by eating steadily throughout the day. I NEVER used to eat breakfast and rarely ate lunch. It was difficult to learn to eat 3 full meals each day as well as snacks throughout. I only did it because I figured I would do as Dr. Agatston suggested as fully as possible.

Following Phase 1 for two weeks kick-starts your weight loss. You'll eat normal-size portions of lean meat, fish, eggs, reduced-fat cheese, nonfat yogurt, nuts, and plenty of vegetables. Snacks and desserts are part of the plan, but they must be "friendly" foods. We are no longer eating candies and pastries.

Keep in mind that fruits have sugar in them. They are off-limits for the first two weeks. The same goes for fruit juices. Some vegetables - potatoes, carrots and corn for instance are high in carbohydrates and are also off-limits for this first phase.

I found that I was eating more on this diet than before the diet. How the heck am I going to lose weight with all this food, I wondered. I just followed the diet and noticed almost immediate results. The results those first two weeks were so dramatic, in fact, that I wanted to stay on Phase I longer. Reading blog sites, this seems to be a common theme with people on this diet. Resisting the temptation, I moved on to the second phase.

A little note on water; drinking water won't make you retain water. We humans are just like camels. When our body receives plenty of water, it actually flushes itself of the water it has already retained. When it doesn't get enough water, it retains what water it gets. If you drink plenty of water, it gets used to the constant supply coming in and assumes there will be more so it doesn't have to retain any. Don't ask me why, it just works. Throughout Phase I and Phase II, I kept a 20oz bottle of water nearby at all times and refilled it at least 6/8 times per day. This was in addition to my usual coffee, soda and milk - which brings up another point: I used to drink whole milk and went to 2%, then to 1% and now I drink skim only. I weaned myself off the milk fat as I progressed.

There are some issues that have happened to people at the outset of Phase I. Some experience headaches - primarily this is a problem for women, don't ask me why. The headaches appear to be due to withdrawal from sugars and usually go away in a few days when your body adjusts to the lack of the sugar.

Another common problem is feeling constipated - especially in the early stages. Try a little bit of a fiber substitute such as Benefiber powder, mixed into your water at each meal. Also go heavy on the veggies and light on the fats.

Some people mention getting REALLY hungry. Eat some more veggies if you need to. They are pretty much free anyway. Later on, in Phase II, hunger is usually a sign that you have re-introduced a carb that you aren't ready for yet. That's why it's so important to add the carbs one at a time so you can monitor your body.

I can't stress the importance of eating all three meals and all three snacks EVERY day. Keep in mind that you are retraining your body. If your body feels that it is not getting food regularly, it will store more fat. If it knows food is coming every few hours, it won't store the fat as readily. That's why those of us that used to eat only one meal a day see immediate, dramatic results when we go to this program.