I keep switching diets. I am having a very difficult time finding a home, and peace with one. I am a compulsive overeater. I like the low carb life style. I want to weight and measure. I feel depressed a lot, and don't like to cook. I relly too much on bars and shakes, I think. I have about 30+ lbs.to loose, and have yo-yo dieting for a looooong time. I am 53 yrs. old. I was successful for a short time on South Beach, but really missed my half and half with coffee.
Just taking a chance here to get some help from you guys....thanks
Happy Sunday to you.

MarthaJeanne, I'm also 53..will be 54 next month. I swear I don't feel any older than 20. Before SB, I was tired all time, everything ached, I felt like I was starting to look like an old lady, circles under my eyes etc. Then I watched my Daddy die from diabetes, heart disease and finally kidney cancer. He was dying before the cancer hit. I didn't want to die like him from something that could be prevented. I really kind of hit a "what use is it?" point around that time...A year later I spent a week doing research and found that SB was the way I wanted to eat.

Now I feel so "new"...I can do anything I want, shop for adorable clothes and feel great when I leave my house. I just feel happier all the time now that all those poisons are out of my body. My outlook has completely changed and I feel like I am "me" again.

South Beach really saved my body and in essence my "soul".
Have your coffee and 1/2 and 1/2! Just use the no fat 1/2 and 1/2. (I'd kill if I had to give up coffee!)
Don't feel like you are giving up anything....you are just gaining a new healthy life.

I lost WAY more than 30lbs on SB. But, don't rush it. You don't want globs of skin hanging everywhere! It makes sence and is a healthy way to eat for the rest of your life...DON'T THINK OF THIS AS A "DIET" but rather a rebirth to the rest of your healthy life. A "diet" is something you go on to lose weight and then probably just gain it all right back.

Along with reading the SB book from cover to cover and putting it in practice, I've recently read "The Gabriel Method" which tackles why your body holds on to weight as a safety method...either emotional or physical.
The 2 go hand in hand perfectly.

Whatever way you go, just PLEASE do it slowly with healthy nutritious foods,
You don't have to cook with SB (but hey, I LOVE to cook, so it's fun for me...I get to work with my favorite hobby!) There are zillions of easy recipes out there that don't require any or little cooking.

Hope you decide on SB, but if not, I'm wishing you a wonderful healthy future.

I'm 52 years old and have lost about 35#, 25 of it on SB. You can't live on bars and shakes. Our bodies need real food to nourish it and be healthy. I second Cat. This is the best I've felt in years and I think SB deserves the credit. I used to laugh to myself when I would hear the recommendations for fruit and veggie servings a day. Nine servings of produce a day!. Well I eat that much most days now and I've never been healthier. My cholesterol has plummeted, my heartburn is gone and my joints don't hurt anymore. My weight is stable and I feel satisfied. The food prep is worth it to feel this good! This is the best way to eat!

I've only been doing SB for a week (I'm on day 7 of phase 1, actually) and have also struggled with compulsive eating. The problem with all those shakes and bars (for me, at least) is that the refined carbs in them increased my cravings and my desire to eat. Then, when my blood sugar plummeted, I would get sweaty and shaky and frantically search for the nearest sugary baked good to stuff myself with until I was full.

I can honestly say in the last week, I have not had one such episode. Are there some cravings? Yes. Are the overwhelming? No. Are there times when I'd like to feel a little fuller? Yes. That usually means I didn't get enough veggies because I got lazy with preparation.

South Beach is working for me, and I can actually see myself following this way of life for the rest of my life. Oh, and I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do love my diet Coke. If you want to give it a try, give it an honest chance for 2 weeks and see how you feel. You can still have your coffee with fat free half and half.

-Jasmine

I do SouthBeach but my coffee creamer is something I am not ready to give up so I understand about the 1/2 and 1/2.

If you are not going to try South Beach because of the creamer
why don't you try the plan except having your creamer and see if you
are losing.

The Weight Watchers Core plan is a list of okay foods but they build in
a certain number of points per week for foods that are off the plan.
It teaches you that really no foods are 100% forbidden
if (big IF) you can pay attention to the calories and control that.
For me just knowing if I was craving something that I could have a very small amount made me stick with the plan.

Whatever you try MarthaJeanne I wish you great success. I too, am somewhat of a compulsive overeater and have tried most diets over the years (I'm 57) South Beach is easy to follow, uses foods readily available, and you can find easy things to fix & eat in the book (make hummus- lasts several days and you can dip all sorts of veges in it). The biggest plus for SB is the 3FC site. The support is amazing!
My personal AH-HA moment came this Spring after my father died. Now I'm seeing how much care my mother needs, especially with her personal care -if I don't do something NOW, I'll be there with someone helping me in the bathroom in 20 years.
Again, Good Luck and Great Success on your journey. Remember these gals will help support you on the way.

MarthaJeanne - Smart of you to do your research ahead of time! The most important thing is finding a plan you can stick with and one you can live with. We've all lost weight then returned to "normal" eating and gained it all back.

I love this plan and can tell you why it worked for me but it's more important to figure out what will work for you. I'm a big fan of Thin for Life and the research is clear - it doesn't matter how they lost the weight successful maintainers made permanent lifestyle changes. Figure out what changes you can make for your health, what types of food choices and exercise are you able to commit to. Yeah, I love this plan but it fits my lifestyle perfectly. I already ate mostly whole foods and I love to cook. At this point in your life you know yourself enough to know whether the cooking and emphasis on fresh whole foods will work for you. Be as honest as you can and be realistic. What's the most you are willing/able to do today? You an always tweak and change or even add plans as you go.

The one thing I will say about SBD is that it will almost definitely help with the depression. I spent years on antidepressants and have always been a bit *ahem* moody. I've been so much more even and upbeat since getting the processed carbs out of my diet. No matter what you choose I'd suggest looking at moving away from that stuff as much as you possibly can.

Good luck whatever you choose!

Dear, dear friends who answered my call for help. Wow! What a gift you all are. Thank-you sooo much. I feel inspired, educated, helped, and supported.
I hope to start SB tomorrow. I have the book, and will read over help on this forum. I will keep in touch. Is there a way to recieve responses on my e-mail, or do I just check this forum daily? Thanks for your help.
God bless you all,
Martha

I'm glad you settled on the SBD, MarthaJeanne, and I think you'll find it's pretty easy to follow, especially after the first few days. The book will really help you understand the concept behind this plan, and will give you good guidelines to follow. Please check out our FAQ section to find lots of answers to questions you may have, too, and don't hesitate to ask about anything you're not sure of. Everyone here is friendly and eager to help.

You may want to hop on the current Phase 1 thread, but feel free to join in wherever you'd like. Good luck!

Hi MarthaJeanne

I'm 51 and have been following SB very seriously, just finishing week 13. I lost alot of weight on my own thru sheer willpower and I endured 5 years of agony dropping my weight.

After gaining back 20 pounds last winter I was frustrated and knew I needed a plan. I also did research, and realized what had gone wrong last winter. I decided I was going to "count calories" and started adding in 100 cal snack packs which I didn't really think about until much later. They were full of white flour and white sugar. My cravings increased and before long I was off on a tear, not really caring what I ate because nothing satisfied me.

I started reading numerous articles about losing belly fat-I have alot of it. The consensus seemed to be to cut out white sugar and white flour and eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. It was a light bulb moment for me. 100 cal snack packs were not my friend. I understood why I had gained my weight back.

What I learned here right away is how important it is to have a totally clean 2 weeks on P1. It was hard, I won't deny it. I checked in here many times a day and did everything I could to get through the two weeks. Post Post Post is my motto. I posted instead of eating. I made it through and came out on the other side with a totally new perspective on life-amazing but true.

Phase 2 is a breeze for me because I don't crave anymore. My opinion is that part of my craving had to do with my body being in a state of malnutrition. Today I eat healthy and love it. 3 weeks into my SB journey I was able to get off my Blood Pressure meds that I had been taking for over 3 years! My blood sugar has stabilized.

I read a SB success story where the woman said her weight came off very fast because she didn't stray off plan for 8 or 9 months. I have decided that is what I want. I want all this excess weight that I have been dragging around with me to be gone. I don't put even one bite of food in my mouth that isn't on plan-and I don't miss it.

Oh, the other day my DH commented in passing that my moods are much more stable now. Hmm...

These 13 weeks have been the easiest of my life because I jumped right in and the beachers here are fun and helpful. I knew I needed support to lose my weight. I have it and I'm doing it. If you need any help getting into the swing of things just ask. And...don't get hungry...if you are hungry say something and the gals will help you modify.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/sout...b-success.html Here are some other SB success stories that helped me

Best wishes!

100 calorie packs remind me of Snack Wells. I blew a 50 lb weight loss with those years ago

Welcome Martha!

Welcome Martha!

I love SBD!! It is just such a healthy way of eating, and you will feel sooooo great. I'm new, just finished P1, and I'm already such a huge fan!!

I agree with the other posts, and encourage you to spend some time on this forum, checking out the FAQ's, and the recipes. So much support and info here, a true gift indeed.

I too used to be a half and half coffee fan. I switched to fat free half and half, and really have not noticed the difference. Just buy a small one and try it.

Good luck, and I think you've made the best choice!!

I have no advice to give, since I'm an inveterate plan hopper But I really think I've found what I need -- I'm just posting to thank everyone for your comments. There are a lot of excellent tips on this thread!

Good luck, Martha!

One thing I am noticing over and over is that a lot of people
mention how good they feel on this diet.

I have joint issues and when I am strictly eating SB I feel
so much better!!!