I've actually been lurking for a while (I hate that word, it sounds so creepy! LOL) and I've posted an intro in the South Beach forum but I thought I should introduce myself over here too. Hi!

I'm 32 and I have been thin all my life until the past 6 or 7 years. I weighed 130 lbs when I got married (not my thinnest, but I was in great shape and felt awesome at that size) and a year later I got in a car accident and injured my back. The pounds started accumulating slowly because of my decreased physical activity, about 10 lbs in a year. My husband and I went through fertility treatments, and I put on about 10 lbs during that stressful process. Then I gained 30 lbs during the pregnancy. Lost 10 lbs of baby weight in the first couple of weeks after delivery, and then nothing after that. It's been almost 5 years now, and I am so embarrassed to still have "baby weight" when my baby is getting ready to go to kindergarten! I'm also sick of feeling like I'm not myself and carrying this extra baggage around.

I have tried lots of different plans - I did Weight Watchers faithfully for 6 months and only lost 4 lbs. SO discouraging! Lost about 10 lbs following Dr. Oz's plan, but gained it back quickly because I didn't stick to it. I've settled on the South Beach Diet this time - the LAST time! - because it's something I think I can do forever, and also because I struggle most of all with sugar and I want to kick that habit once and for all.

Sorry if I'm rambling - I'm excited to be here! There's so much wonderful information and I can already tell it's a very supportive place to be.

Welcome Chelsea!

WW didn't work for me either for some reason. Good luck on your lifestyle change! Congrats for taking the first step!

Welcome! I'm also a newbie and am curious about your experiences with Dr. Oz's plan. I feel so motivated watching the Dr. Oz Show, especially the Rocco episodes. Why did you not "stick with it"? I personally think that sometimes his plans for individual's weight loss are a bit extreme. The whole 28 days without (fill in the blank) are not for me. I'd LOVE to hear about your experiences with the South Beach Diet.

Congratulations on your choice to become healthier!! You have that sparkle in your face in your avatar. I know you'll succeed.

Thanks for the welcome everyone, and the encouragement!

MikoMarcia, So interesting that WW didn't work for you either, it seems like everyone I know has been really successful on it. It's frustrating when you're doing everything right and it still doesn't work! I was nursing my son at the time and I think the extra points allowance was too much. I know they say breastfeeding helps you lose weight, but it didn't really seem to for me.

redsox33, Nice to meet another newbie! I really liked the Dr. Oz plan at the beginning, I'm not sure why I didn't stick with it. I think it was partly because I got bored with the food choices, and partly because my loss slowed WAY down after the first couple of weeks and I got discouraged. I do love his show though, it always motivates me too.

I'm only on day 4 of South Beach, but so far so good - I'm down 3 lbs! I NEVER lose this quickly, so I'm excited about that. I haven't felt hungry and the cravings haven't been bad at all. Phase 1 is very restrictive (not really in portion sizes, but in what types of foods you can eat) but it only lasts 2 weeks, which for me is totally doable. The one issue I've had is some stomach upset from the diet changes (gas and bloating, ugh) but I'm told that will go away as my system adjusts to the way I'm eating now.

Hi Chelsea! I'm new too. I'm trying to lose my baby weight too. Hopefully, we'll be encouraging to each other. Best of luck to you!

Thanks Caro, amazing what having babies puts our bodies through, isn't it? Good luck to you too!