Congratulations on quitting the cigarettes to both you and your husband. I sure hope he doesn't start again. It's really difficult at first but eventually it gets easier. Hang in there. You will both be grateful in the end.

Great first move, clearing out the carbs from the pantry. Did you feel a little guilty giving it to the food bank? It's better than throwing the food in the trash because you know people will be grateful for it but still when I did this I felt a little bad because if it's not healthy for me, why should I think it's ok for anyone else?!! So I threw a few cans of tuna in with the carbs and felt a little bit better.

Because I was low-carbing before I discovered SB, I decided to skip Phase 1 and go straight to Phase 2. It's worked for me. I've lost 6.5 lbs since I started 3 weeks ago. The only tip I have for you is to whip the ricotta creme in the food processor or mixer. It makes a big difference in the texture. That ricotta creme is a life-saver when you're craving sweets. I try to have some ricotta on hand at all times. We've tried all the flavors. Vanilla and chocolate are our favorites but lemon is pretty good too.

Happy Beaching!!!