I'm 55, petite and pear shaped at 5' 3". I was a skinny kid and slim adult & didn't have weight problems until my mid 40's. I've been trying lots of diets since. I'll lose about 4 lbs. on most and then move on.

I did the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet (CAD) for 2 1/2 years so that was a success - but I got too tired of it. I did WW for a total of about 2 years & reached success but got so tired of journaling and counting points.

My highest weight was 153 and my last efforts were just eating 5-6 mini meals a day and trying to eat as much fiber as possible and whole wheat products. I was doing good but then went on a vacation to Arizona over New Year's and lost it. Came back binging like crazy on candy and chips (candy is a big weakness). I knew I had to get back on track.

I have never been interested in SBD because of my experience with CAD. I tried doing that again without success. But I recently read something about SBD & thought, hmmmm, that's one I never tried.

I'm almost done with my 1st week of Phase I and doing very well. Unfortunately, I didn't weigh myself before starting because I was too afraid of the damage I did on and after my vacation (after was worse than during my time away). But I think I've already lost 4 lbs. and am close to where I was before I left.

My plans are to stay on Phase I until I reach a goal I've had a difficult time attaining, reaching my mini-goal of 135. I get so close but can't seem to get there. Maybe this will do it. I plan to remain on Phase I up to 3 weeks or until I get to 135, whichever comes first (I'll stay on Phase I at least a full 2 weeks).

I got the book from the library plus a cookbook & I thought, hey, I should check out 3fatchicks again. Last time I was here I was doing a version of Johnson's Up Day Down Day Diet. That did help me but I fell off that one, too.

Since this is close to how I've been eating (before falling off the wagon), I really think I can do this and keep it up long-term. So I hope to be posting here as it helps me stay on track. Sorry this is so long!

Hi Judy! Welcome and good luck! I've been doing the SBD for about 4-5 months, did calorie counting for the year before that, and about every diet out there (including SB) for the decade before that ! SB is the one that works for me...I hope it works for you too!!!

Angela

Thanks Angela. I'm still wary of my calorie intake. I can lose a little on about 1400 calories a day and the nice thing about SB is that I'm not feeling hungry and my days have normally been lower than 1400.

Welcome to SB.... Good luck!

Judy, your beginning stats are almost identical to mine. I'm 52. My experience is that SB is a godsend.

I did WW & calorie counting for years and it was a constant struggle to maintain without lots of exercise and eventually went back to my old ways of eating. I wish you luck. SB has changed my life. My cholesterol became elevated with menopause and is now back to normal. My heartburn is gone. I don't think about food all the time. I'm cooking healthy food for my family.

You can do this. You just have to make the commitment that this is a lifetime way of eating healthier. I actually continued to lose past my goal weight and now stay between 112-115 most of the time. I eat about 1500-1800 calories on maintenance and I know I eat more food than on WW, but I metabolize it so much better. Getting rid of white flour and sugar in my diet was the best thing I have ever done for my health.

Thanks for the welcome Rebecca.

Anne - Wow! I didn't set my goals so low although I'd love to get there. However, the lowest I got on WW was 117 and I was in a size 4 pants - and I'm pear shaped. After I gained some back people told me I was looking too thin before (I don't agree, but it was very difficult to maintain).

My goal of 129 is a "let's see how I feel" goal and I'm thinking I'll want to go for 125. You're giving me hope that I can accomplish it.

When I'd gain before I could lose it pretty quickly. Now that menopause hit it isn't so quick & easy anymore. I don't know why I didn't investigate SB in more detail before, but I'm glad I found it now.

My original goal on WW was 130#, mostly so I could safely maintain and quit paying the weekly fee after maintenance. I maintained about 125# for several years until the dreaded menopause, then started to gain. When I went back to counting points, it just wasn't working anymore plus my cholesterol had shot up. I never dreamed SB would work so well. I was, in fact, fearful of it, since you didn't have to count calories or points. I just knew I couldn't do it. A friend talked me into it and now I love it. I haven't weighed this since 7th grade, so I'm loving it. I've been maintaining since last spring, so coming up on a year now.

, Judyyo! Glad to have you back! Love your avatar! What a cutie--is it your dog?

Congrats on all the work you've done to increase your health over the years! I think a lot of us have similar stories in regards to trying lots of plans with varying success. What I think works best in finding a plan that helps you figure out why the diets haven't worked for you. What makes you fall off plan? Are you picking things that are too restrictive for you? Have you dealt with the food but not with the emotions that may be driving your eating? What can you do this time around to make things work more effectively? You may also find help and great advice in our maintainers' group.

Please do yourself a major favor and don't stay on Phase 1 any longer than 2 weeks. It's not safe for your health and it certainly isn't a good way to help you lose weight. Not only will it be likely to stop working as time goes on, but (IMHO) it doesn't help you learn to eat normally, which is what you need if you're going to stick to something for the long-term. Worst of all, if you go back and forth between restrictive plans and unrestricted binges, you can really, really mess up your metabolism (not to mention your overall health). I have a dear friend who got to the point where her basic metabolism was down to around 400 cals. a day. No matter what she did, she just couldn't lose. It took years of work with a nutritionist and very, very carefully planned eating and exercise to try to get her metabolism up and running again. Phase 1 is meant to help you get rid of the cravings. Since you've done this style of eating before, you could easily just do a week of Phase 1 and jump into Phase 2, but if you feel the structure will help you get SBD under your belt, go for 2 weeks. But please don't go longer.

As for being "pear shaped," I'd like to share with you some amazing facts I learned at a workshop I attended last December. I feel much better about my big hips and thighs, though I've come to wish I had more of a pear shape than the hourglass I actually possess!

From "Living Outloud: Fueling the Body for Life,"
a presentation by Carolyn Hodges Chaffee, MS, RD
December 2008

Studies that show being “Pear Shaped” is a good thing:

So, are you feeling better about being pear-shaped? I would! :

I like big butts and I can-not lie....

LOL Chelby! I love that song!!!!!!!

Thanks so much Anne - that really helps me out.

Laurie - it's good to be back. That's my dog Gizmo's Xmas pic. I have to admit that I get bored with a lot of plans, especially if they're restrictive. I have stuck to a couple for the long term and my last woe was counting calories in my head with 5-6 mini meals at around 1400 calories a day. It was slow going but good, but I let go on my holiday vacation and came back with carb cravings and started binging again.

But you've convinced me, I will only stay on Phase I for the 2 weeks. I have a feeling I'll reach my mini-goal before it's over, anyway.

And I do know about my body type being good for heart disease, diabetes and more (although I have a prolapsed mitral valve). Gotta look at the positives! Of course, when I lose the weight and work out the "pear" isn't quite as prominent.

to The Beach, judyo!

Welcome Judy! I also did the Carb addicts. In fact, I recently went back to some of their ideas, like cutting down on carbs. But my reasons were not that I'm tired of SBD. Rather due to excruciating pains and not being able to work out or walk the dogs. So, I cut down on carbs. But still going more with SB than CAD. I've chosen breakfast as my "reward:" meal (that is CAD, not SBD) meaning that's when I allow myself my bread, I LoVE a good BLT in the am!

Anyway, I am sure you will find this diet liveable without getting bored!

Thanks for the welcome Cottage

Loriann - I've got some funny CAD stories! In the beginning of CAD I ate whatever I wanted at my RM (usually lunch). But after 2 1/2 years on it I wanted oatmeal so bad for breakfast but didn't want to "waste" my RM on breakfast just to have oatmeal. It kept bugging me until I finally gave in and gave up (after 2 1/2 years - so I stuck with it a long time).

But I do best with my binge control eating somewhat lc. And I also do best eating 5-6 mini meals a day vs. the 3 "squares" with CAD.

Well, thankfully you can have oatmeal for breakfast on SBD! I've been having Kara's crockpot steel-cut oats recipe (in the recipe forum) this week. It's SO good.

So glad you aren't doing an extra week of P1. I think you'll really enjoy P2...it's not very restrictive. Other than corn and caramelizing sugar (like on the top of creme brulee), there really isn't anything I can think of that you can't use an alternative for (i.e. whole wheat [ww] pasta for white, brown rice for white rice) or make your own version of (i.e. homemade ww/sf brownies). I find that it's really something I can do for life.

Chelby!!! I love that song too...and now it'll be stuck in my head all day...

For those who enjoy reading as much as I do, you'll appreciate this button I recently bought from zazzle.com: "I like big BOOKS and I cannot lie..."