Mix raw spinich in your salad greens and you'll hardly notice it with some good dressing and other veggies! I didn't like spinich either but now I buy it in the organic prewashed tubs and mix it in.
If you lose momentum and hit a plateau, you can kick up exercise and delete 100-200 calories. You don't have to go all out South Beach if you are working out hard, most "experts" these days say we need carbs, especially those of us working out! But for a short time, not evening following South Beach you could cut back - do only 1/2 of a bun, or 1 piece of bread on sandwiches. Eat carbs only for breakfast and lunch or dinner, but not both. Better to do carbs (bread, cereal, rice - high quiality) at lunch then dinner so you work them off! Eat lots of veggies, and watch the high glycemmic fruits, etc. There's a lot to be learned from the South Beach diet, it and Atkins did teach us what foods are lowest in sugars so our blood sugar doesn't spike and about foods that don't turn as quickly to fat. From what you are saying, you've been losing weight, maybe you could just cut calories down to 1300 or so and calorie count, watching when and how many carbs you have.
i'm on South beach i eat grains daily
oatmeal
sweet potato
quonia
brown rice
whole wheat
i think that 20 pounds in 4 weeks is awesome and some patience is all that's needed.
The author of the South Beach diet says some can skip the first phase if they have less to lose, with me the first phase was the problem with lots of exercise, I was exhausted and couldn't get energy to work out when I tried phase 1 again while exercising hard. I think we are all different, we all need different mixes of protein/fats/carbs. It takes playing around with foods and programs it seems. For me I need more protein then most, I eat and get hungry quick. If I eat too many carbs I bloat, even with whole wheat. So I've really cut back without a formal plan and I did get a few lbs off without even calorie counting. For me I have to mix carbs and protein, carbs alone and I'm hungry, moody, etc.
You know...so much of everything that everyone is saying makes sense!
I think maybe I will skip on to phase 2 of the SBD so I can have fruit and some whole grains....but what I don't get.....I was at walmart the other day comparing pastas....white pasta 2 oz 220 cal and 41 grams of carbs...the whole wheat pastas ...2 oz...220 cal (same) and 38 grams of carbs...net carbs that is....so what is the big difference???
I was at least happy before and I guess I didn't really hit a plateau like everyone says....my problem is I started out at 260 and wanted to get down to 120 in a year...thats probably highly unlikely....I wanted to be 130 by next May cause we are going to the beach for the first time and I wanted to look good in a bathing suit and feel sexy! I guess I could still look good in a bathing suit and feel sexy at 150....maybe I should shoot for 150 by May?
Thats 90 lbs in about 43 weeks so that is more like 2 pounds a week?
I have the problem of setting unrealistic goals and killing myself to try to get them and then getting discouraged and looking for the next best thing or way out
You know...so much of everything that everyone is saying makes sense!
I think maybe I will skip on to phase 2 of the SBD so I can have fruit and some whole grains....but what I don't get.....I was at walmart the other day comparing pastas....white pasta 2 oz 220 cal and 41 grams of carbs...the whole wheat pastas ...2 oz...220 cal (same) and 38 grams of carbs...net carbs that is....so what is the big difference???
I was at least happy before and I guess I didn't really hit a plateau like everyone says....my problem is I started out at 260 and wanted to get down to 120 in a year...thats probably highly unlikely....I wanted to be 130 by next May cause we are going to the beach for the first time and I wanted to look good in a bathing suit and feel sexy! I guess I could still look good in a bathing suit and feel sexy at 150....maybe I should shoot for 150 by May?
Thats 90 lbs in about 43 weeks so that is more like 2 pounds a week?
I have the problem of setting unrealistic goals and killing myself to try to get them and then getting discouraged and looking for the next best thing or way out
set a goal to eat well and move every day and the weight will take care of itself
we don't count carbs on SBD
we don't count calories
WW pasta is better for you because it takes longer to digest
to be honest I RARELY have pasta or bread. I prefer sweet potato quiona or brown rice (in that order) as my dinner grain, I Have oatmeal every morning as my morning grain.
i personally as a middle aged woman tend to only have 2 grains per day not the 3-4 allowed
I wanted to be 130 by next May cause we are going to the beach for the first time and I wanted to look good in a bathing suit and feel sexy! I guess I could still look good in a bathing suit and feel sexy at 150....maybe I should shoot for 150 by May?
If I were you, I would not worry about May. I'd worry about getting through a week on plan. Maybe even just a day on plan!
From the things you've posted, it doesn't sound like you have a very clear idea of what's on South Beach Phase I. Maybe you should check that forum.
Quote:
I have the problem of setting unrealistic goals and killing myself to try to get them and then getting discouraged and looking for the next best thing or way out
It sounds like that's what you're doing at the moment, doesn't it? Settle down, girl!
You are probably going to have to try new foods and new ways of eating to lose weight... You're already down 20 pounds, so don't give up now!
If you don't like spinach...don't eat spinach. Did you think you HAD to eat spinach? And, if SBD isn't working for you, try WW or Atkins, or any other diet that you feel you can stick with for the long run.
I like to do SBD with calorie counting "at times". I occasionally will track my calories in FitDay. For the most part, I don't count anything. But...on occasion my obsessive side wants to see some numbers.
The key for me to do phase 1 is to NOT count anything. I eat on plan foods, but don't worry about portions or calories. I do avoid nuts unless portioned out to me because I can and will sit and eat a whole bag of nuts. I also don't use much oil of any kind. The weight loss becomes secondary to getting my carb cravings under control during phase 1.
Phase 1 isn't about huge weight loss, it is to get those carb cravings under control.
I have heard the 1st Phase is the hardest. But don't do a diet you hate... there is no point. Maybe just skip straight to Phase 2. The point of Phase 1 is to stop your cravings.
Maybe if you just limit your carbs to the good kind until 3pm or so and then in the evenings only have veg and lean proteins. That's what I do. And since I do my exercise in the morning or early afternoon it works perfectly for me.
