New to Southbeach Diet-Help!

[Merdise]

Hi! I am new to this site. I just began the Southbeach Diet. Atkins just didntwork for me. Could someone who is on Southbeach write to me and let me know how they are doing or did on this diet? I guess I just need some encouragement. Also are there any before and after pictures? thanks! Merdise :

[Merdise]

Hi! I am new to the site. I have just began the Southbeach Diet and would appreciate anyone replying to this message. Please let me know how you are doing on the diet and what success you have had on it. I guess I just need some encouraement. I sure would appreciate any replies. thanks! Merdise

[Ruthxxx]

Welcome to 3FC! I am going to move this post to the South Beach Forum. There's lots of support and information there.
Welcome to The Beach!

[Barb0522]

Welcome to the Beach! South Beach has been great to me. I am down 42.5 pounds from my highest weight. It does require quite a bit of planning to make sure you have the right kinds of foods available. I've also found that exercise helps me alot.

I don't have any before and after pictures but I did see a picture of me from before and it was horrifying. I have dropped from a size 20 to a 16 and my 16s are getting loose. Take a look around the forums and read as many prior posts as you have time for. Especially read the Frequently Asked Questions. There are some wonderful recipes here too.

[Airmans Angel]

Welcome to the beach! I am new here as well but I was doing semi south beach prior to joining this board and have had a lot of sucess with this diet! I love it! The hardest part will be the first 2 weeks but after that its great. Everyone has already told you that it takes a lot of planning, and having the right foods around. Other than that this diet is amazing and I would go as far to say that I would'nt even classify this as a diet just a healthy way of eating because it doest feel like a diet to me at all. I am sure you will feel the same, if you have any questions the ladies here are the greatest with answering them! My name is Vickie by the way and I hope you find this diet works out for you.

[sweet tooth]

I have been on SBD since May of this year. It is the perfect eating plan for me. I am not crazy about starches (with the exception of pasta), so omitting them from my diet has not been a huge sacrifice.

Since May, I have planned a few small detours from the program (minor indulgences during vacation and 1 piece of cake at a birthday party 2 weeks ago). I also planned these in advance so that I could incorporate them into my eating plan and also indulge without the feelings of guilt or weakness. Other than those, I have stayed faithful to the program and reaped the rewards that I set out to gain. So far, I have lost 27 pounds and can see the light at the end of the weight loss tunnel.

At the end of June, I started to walk on my lunch breaks. Since I had surgery in June, I started off very slowly - I think once or twice per week for 1/2 hour. I am now power walking (4 miles) on my lunch break 5 days per week. This is a feat in itself because I hate all forms of exercise, including cleaning the house. But I think that it has also aided the weight loss and brought me to a more healthy state physically.

Welcome to SBD. Hope to hear more from you soon. Take care.

[beachgal]

Merdise, I love this plan! Like Peggy, I exercise, and I feel this has helped my weight loss. I lost 26 pounds during Phase 1 and have lost 66 pounds to date (four months).

This is the longest I have ever been on a diet, and I plan on staying on it for life. This really is a new Way Of Eating (WOE) for me. I hope you'll join us!

[LaurieX]

Yeah! Welcome to the Beach! I've been here since June 9 and lost 28 pounds (as of last week) and shrunk from a size 20 to a size 14! I am a TOTAL carb addict, but I have chosen to cut the unhealthy carbs from my diet completely. Okay, okay, not COMPLETELY completely...I splurge for a slice of pizza on Friday nights. Cutting the nutritionless carbs and adding healthy carbs has really helped me and I don't miss them at all. And exercising (during Phase 2) is a great boost, too. The first few days of Phase 1 were tough, but it does get easier.

Glad to have you here! Good luck!

[Oregon Leigh]

Hi Merdise, I just started SBD 8-7 and like Laurie said, the first few days are tough cuz you tend to think about what you 'can't have' rather than the good you are doing for your body by not eating the bad carbs. I've lost 11 pounds todate and think it is pretty simple to stay on as long as you keep the right foods in the house. It really is a healthy way to eat rather than just 'another diet' good luck and hang in there

Leigh

SW 170
CW 159
GW 138

[chick_on_the_beach]

Hi Merdise and welcome to the beach. I have found this diet great. I have been on SB since February and lost 46.2 pounds and dropped two dress sizes. I see it more as a healthy lifestyle than I diet so have found it relatively easy to stick to. The first few days were pretty tough because I was a total carbo addict and I really missed my carbs. Now I don't even miss them. I have the odd cheat but it is mostly l/f icecream and dark chocolate.

[ZanyJane]

Welcome.....wonderful helpful people here

[Heidi]

Hi Merdise, I've been on SB since the beginning of July and have lost 25 pounds. Better than that is how much better I feel. Somehow serene which is an odd reaction for me to any change of eating. I usually feel panicked and restricted, but with this woe none of those feelings have emerged.

I haven't been exercising, apart from walking the dog, but plan to structure that better once my kids are back in school in a week.

Perhaps the hardest two things have been (1) days 3-5 on Phase I - felt like I had the flu, and (2) overindulging with On Program foods - pistachios were a real problem for me until someone on another board wrote about finding worms in them - no longer a problem

Good luck. These forums are a lifeline.