I have been following the food plan of the South Beach "Diet" (which it's not a diet in the way we used to think of diets) since January 1st of this year.
What I have learned is that in order for this to work for you you have to first realize that it is a food plan that we
all should be eating if we want to have optimal health. I do not cook a different meal for my DH than I do myself. That means that there isn't a clear line between "my diet foods" and the rest of my family (of two).
I have lost more inches with this food plan than any other "diet" I have followed before. I haven't consistently been working out in the past six months because of some persistent injuries but I did begin (again) doing the Interval Walking Program from Supercharged. It is so easy compared to the way I used to beat my body up when I worked out. You will definitely like it. Again, that works too! (PS---that goes to show you that you don't
have to exercise to lose weight although this walking program was developed for those of us who do stall---not because we aren't following the Plan but because we are and still haven't trouble losing)
Like you, I recognized that although I was staying within my former diet's outline, my food choices were awful, at times. I have read and re-read the books, including the latest, over and over. Each time I find something else that I may have glossed over before.
I disagree (somewhat) with others that there is no measuring or weighing involved in this food plan. There is and where you can "see" that for yourself is the actual food list itself. Again, I think, the "good doctor"
assumes that all of us know what a single serving is for some foods. I don't feel he stresses enough the importance of knowing what a "normal" portion and serving size is. This is particularly important if you have a lot to lose and you have been accustomed to a
two-plate meal (and for those of us who have been used to eating a lot then you know what I mean by that).
I think that assumption, which is passed onto some of us by lack of clarity, causes us to stall in our weight lose efforts. I "discovered" six months into this food plan that I should have been more careful, as I was the first six weeks, in how much of a specific food I was eating. One cup of milk is 8 oz. not 12 or 16 oz. That may sound so "obvious" but I do know that I need that specific measurement or I will "overdo".
You
do have to be aware of food exchanges and some portion/serving amount. For example, you can't have the full servings of both milk and yogurt (2 c milk and 1/2 c yogurt) within the same day, which I didn't realize when I read the food list before. I was having my 3 c skim milk and a ff plain yogurt smoothie (which used both 1 c ff plain yogurt and 1/2 c skim milk) within the same day. Not every day but some days. I should have chosen one of the other or less of each. yes, I was eating very healthy and I had the rosy cheeks to prove it but I was still "overeating". That may sound simple but I do believe it can make the difference between having a weight lose one week vs another.
Also, if your weight stalls,
now Dr. A recommends that you cut back on your cheese consumption. I don't feel that I was overdoing it--maybe two red fat cheese sticks per day but, again, you can (
over)eat healthy foods and still
remain fat.
Since you asked for advice, my advice is be aware of the portions and serving sizes when you follow this food plan. I have had the best weight lose results when I kept to the portions as described on the food list.
Another example that I discovered is that you still have to measure your fruit. On the food list, it seems the standard measurement for fruit is 3/4 c for berries and a medium or 4 oz banana. I hate to admit this but I got sloppy with this too. I would grab a banana and not look at its size with too much discrimination. However, if you are one of those people who needs to eat less fruit in order to realize weight lose then you may have inadvertently (like I did) be eating 1 1/2-2x more of a fruit and yet counting it as one serving.
Those are the only "pitfalls" that I feel necessary to caution you about. I feel it has been a blessing for me to find this food plan. A lot of it is common sense way of eating but then how much common sense did we exercise when we gained all of that extra weight, right? I know I didn't.The way that I look on the way I used to eat is this "It was good (?) while it lasted. Now, I have seen the light and
I know better!"
Try a lot of the recipes here and I encourage you to listen to what has worked for others. I know I have and I am always amazed at how smart our ladies (and guys) are here. We are all practically walking encyclopedias at times.
My last little bit of advice: post and post often. I get such energy from all of these great people here. I have learned so much!
Good luck and welcome again
audreymonroe
New to SBD, but not to 3FC!
to the Beach!
...but i can definately make it through phase 1.....but i really can't wait for phase 2 
Welcome AudreyMonroe to the beach
to the Beach. 
