I posted a couple of days ago about how I had 60% fat in my diet on Monday. Well, I thought I was doing way better, but I'm NOT!! I just entered today's stuff into FitDay (including what will be my dinner and dessert), and I'm coming up with still 47% fat, a fair portion of which is saturated -- I know a lot of this is from the ground beef we're having for dinner in taco salad (no tortilla).

It just makes me cringe to think about what I must've been doing before -- I'm eating 100% better than I was two weeks ago!!

I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record. This lifestyle is getting too complicated and too expensive for me, but I really don't want to give up!!

Here's today's FitDay in case anyone's interested:
http://fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJourn...wner=mathewssd

Hi Shelby,
I had the same problem being single and young with everything being too expensive. I buy a lot of chicken and make a lot of salads. Ofcourse I love salad so it doesn't get old for me! I also eat a lot of veggies and string cheese as a snack. Don't give up. It's a small price to pay for being healthy and feeling better!

I just looked at your fitday. I'm not on the SBD, so maybe you want to hear from those who are. To me that looks like a totally healthy day of food. I think the fat is coming from the cheese and obviously the ground beef. But you chose the lean kinds, and its not empty calories as you are getting protein and calcium from the cheese (so not like chips/crisps which are fatty AND void of other nutrients). Note also that you are consuming almost double the mono and polyunsaturated fats as compared to the saturated fat. I believe these good fats (the mono and poly) counteract the bad fat and are very healthy for your heart. I think you will stay nicely full from that amount of fat, you managed to keep your calories very low, and all the stuff is fairly nutritious, so I wouldn't worry about it (but then again, I'm calorie counting and trying to eat healthy rather than following a strict nutrient ratio plan like SBD).

There really is no nutrient ratio for South Beach. RidiculouslyAddicted was just shocked that she had eaten 60% of her calories from fat.

Great points, Mami!

RA, I'm sorry you're feeling frustrated! One of the things I've noticed about Fitday and SBD is that with only three categories (Fat, Protein and Carbs) for things to fit in, and with our carb counts being fairly low, you end up with a lot of percentage of protein and fat. I'm not a nutritionist, so I'm not sure, but it makes me wonder about things like fiber. Where does that end up in the three categories? I think there may be more there that we're not seeing; perhaps fitday is a little simplistic? Either way, you're going to have slightly higher than 30% fat and 30% protein, especially on Phase 1.

I know it's REALLY hard to shake of the 'fat free' mentality, but as Mami said, Good fats are actually going to help you get healthier...and as long as your overall calorie count is okay, they won't make you gain. They will make you feel more full, though. To get rid of more of the saturated fat, try using 95% fat free ground beef, or even less fat, if you can find it. My grocery store sells a lot of the 95% fat free and it's not much more expensive than the regular stuff.

What you might want to do to reduce cost is to make double batches of things and then freeze what you can. You can get meat for much cheaper if you buy in bulk. Depending on how much room you have at home, you can even invest in a cheap stand-alone freezer (you can usually find one in the pennysaver or other publications that list used things for sale for pretty cheap!) to help you have more room for food.

Tell us more about why this is feeling complicated. I know we'd be glad to help you stay on this plan if you really like it!

Thanks guys, the support is really encouraging!

I do buy my meat in bulk -- I buy BS chicken breasts at Costco - 10 to a package and freeze them in packages of 2. I also buy ground beef from Costco - 5 pounds to a package and freeze it in 1 pound packages. Problem is, Costco only has lean ground beef, not extra-lean ground beef. And buying it at the grocery store is more than double!!!

I can't even bring myself to admit how much I've spent on groceries so far this month in one trip to Costco and two trips to the grocery store. Let's just say my food budget is more than 150% what it normally is.

That's part of the problem. I would have almost no problem with SB if it wasn't for the prep time and cost involved (I know, there has to be some sacrifice). I feel like I'm ALWAYS making food! And we're a single income couple living off of $15 an hour (and no benefits, sick days, etc.), which is not easy to begin with. Add a super high cost of food lately and unexpected dentists' bills (whole other story) and you have one chicka who is in a constant state of anxiety!

I have been trying to shake free of the fat free mentality and recognize which fats are good and which aren't, but at the same time, 47% DOES seem like an AWFUL lot (although a 13% reduction from Monday!). Plus, I thought I was doing SO well, eating veggies and all, that I was disappointed to see I'm really not. I guess I'll see how it goes after I'm on Phase 2. That should give me more options, and it's only 4 days away.

I guess the reason it feels complicated is because I can't just chill and focus on being healthy -- I have to focus on keeping us out of debt, too! And it seems really difficult to eat cheaply on SBD. Maybe that's just me, though, but processed carbs seem a LOT cheaper! LOL

Sorry for the pity party, I really needed to vent about this - it's been building up for a couple of weeks now (yes, before I even started).

RA ~ I don't eat red meat, but I've heard that you can cut the fat and calories even more in ground beef by rinsing it well with hot water (in a collander) after cooking it. I always substitute 99% lean ground turkey breast for hamburger, and instead of using olive or vegetable oil, I usually just use a spray. That will cut your fat intake even more. I'm also buying more frozen veggies, rather than fresh. It's a lot cheaper, and the nutritional benefits are just about the same.

I wouldn't necessarily focus on how much fat you are eating, I think some bodies just NEED more fat, especially good fats. Are you still losing weight?

I've been buying lean ground beef, and beef stripes, which have been on sale lately. I buy tons and freeze them! I am suprised at how much shopping i've been doing at costco, chicken breasts are cheaper there, and you can get a HUGE bag of broccoli.. which I am addicted to.

You CAN do this, and are doing it, things will get cheaper and easier in the next phase. Just make it to there!

-Aimee

Addicted: Hang in there. We can do this together.

Hey there RA, I'm sorry you're struggling with the fat amount and the financial end of things. There's nothing I can add as far as the fat goes, I'm still pretty new myself to all of this. I sure do understand the financial end of things. I've been spreading my meals out with frozen veggies and beans. I read in one of your earlier posts that you hate beans, but if you could find a way to embrace your inner beanness you'd need less of the expensive stuff like meat and still get lots of good protein. I started small, by adding black beans to my taco salad and have gradually worked my way up to some primarily bean dishes. It does save a chunk of change, ha!

Don't give up! You're almost to phase 2 and whole world of options and combinations are coming your way!