Hello ladies! After doing some lurking for a bit I have finally decided to take the plunge and start on SB! I am 35 and 5;3". I lost 40lbs on WW about 5 years ago, going from 160 to 120lbs. I went from a size 12/14 to a 0/2. Starting about 2.5 years ago 25lbs found their way back Then I got pregnant last February, and when my son was born I was up to 175 My son was born 9 months ago and I have pretty much been stuck at 155 and am in size 12's again. I went to a WW meeting in January and wasn't crazy about their new system. I have been researching different diets on and off and have finally settled on SB. It seems like it is something I can adapt as a new way of eating. I am hoping I have some success with it!!
Today is my first day on Phase 1. I have been doing well so far, but am definitely going to have to sit down and plan out a few meals in advance. I also need to figure out a way to start fitting exercise back in. I was always very active in the past, and since my LO came along it has been hard to find the time. Now I need to MAKE the time!!
Sorry for babbling, guess I needed to get that all out
This seems like a great group, and I can't wait to be a part of it!!

to The Beach, Rachele! I hope Day 1 is going well for you, and just think how good you'll feel when you go to bed tonight, knowing you are on your way! You are absolutely correct that planning in advance is the key to making this plan successful. Knowing in advance exactly what you are going to eat for each meal and snack will go a long ways towards keeping you from straying. Be sure to browse our recipe section here on the forum for some wonderful recipes to keep you satisfied and motivated.

Good luck, and we look forward to getting to know you.

Welcome and Good Luck! Meal planning has been so helpful to me. That and having a variety of SBD foods in the house.

Unlike WW, SBD allows me to feel fulfilled and not constantly crave and think about food.

Welcome I did WW many years ago; reached lifetime and stopped going... so gained it all back plus some. I returned in January just to check out the new program and could not commit to counting points again. And you are right - this is an awesome group. You'll find great support, wisdom, laughter...

Our stories are pretty similar. I have lost weight doing WW very successfully in the past. I had a son about a year and a half ago and shot up to 175 and now I am down to 152. I am starting SB tomorrow. I have tried SB before and have had success and I know it works!! And I am also 5'3"!! I would like to get down to 130 and then see how I feel. Good luck to both of us!!

Hello Rachele, I hope this plan works out for you .

I also lost 20-30 pounds one summer on WW. I was home from college for the summer and went to meetings with my mom. I felt great, bought a bunch of new clothes and put the weight right back on once I returned to school. On that plan I found myself trying to eat as much junk as I could get away with, ie I remember a lean cusine mac and cheese was 5 points, I could eat a high fiber chocolate muffin (cake really) for 1 point. I ate a ton of carbs and my diet probably wasn't very healthy. With SB I feel I'm eating very healthy and learning to find healthy foods I enjoy.

I've done SB before and have had the most success with it. Unfortunately life got crazy and I fell off the wagon. I'm now back on .

I get unbelievable sugar cravings so it's the only thing that makes me feel somewhat sane. Plus I have PCOS and this is the best diet for that condition.

I restarted and lost 20 pounds, very loosly following the program. I ate a few "illegal" foods but mostly stayed OP.

Then, my weight loss stalled and cravings were starting to drive me crazy. I decided to go on phase 1 and get fully back on the beach. Today is day 2.

Thanks for the welcome ladies! It's great to hear your success stories and words of encouragement! Day 1 went well, let's hope the next 13 of Phase 1 are the same Sounds like a few of us are just starting or re-starting Phase 1 - it'll be great to have some buddies!

Make sure to search the recipe threads and plan out the first week! also do a search of the threads for the SBD staples - good to have on hand!

Hello to everyone,
I just started South Beach lifestyle today after much research. I contributed a bio on the SBD bios page, but I'll reiterate a little about my diet past. I began on Ideal Protein in October 2010 and lost 50 pounds by March 2011. Then, I just couldn't do it anymore, so I tried a variety of diets and finally decided on SB. I too have PCOS, Scarlett, so I understand carb and sugar cravings are brutal and persistent, but I know this is a great lifestyle that I can embrace and I am excited to share the journey with this support group.

I just moved to Denver, so I am job searching and trying to take advantage of this free time I have to focus on solidifying my healthy habits (food choices, cooking and regular exercise).

I feel like this will be a breeze compared to Ideal Protein and I am super motivated to get this weight off to improve fertility chances. I am planning on reaching my goal by February 2012. Is it possible to lose 50-60 pounds in 6 months on SB if I exercise 5-7 days a week and follow it exactly?

Also, question for all you seasoned SBD'ers: how long can you stay on phase 1? Ideal protein was intensively restrictive and their phase 1 was meant to be on until you were within 10-15 pounds of your goal weight. I did buy the book yesterday, but have only read the first 40 pages and looked at menus and food lists, grocery shopped and started.

I'm happy to be here with all of you!

OK, I'm on day 3. Doing well and haven't caved. This morning after 2 days, I'm down 3 pounds. 197.8, which is solidly in ONEderland The cravings are starting to subside. I don't know if the weight loss is motivating me or it's my blood sugar, but I'll take it.

WorldTravelerOnIP - I'm job searching too. It REALLY sucks. I keep telling myself that if I lose 30 pounds this summer it will be a success no matter what happens with my career. I started the summer at 216.4 so I'm on my way.

I think it's possible to lose 50-60 pounds in 6 months. I would just take it a day or week at a time and do the best you can. You don't want to go too crazy then come off the diet hard. That’s one thing I've found about SB, you go off it HARD.

When I first did SB a few years ago, I had just learned about my PCOS, and was terrified. I stayed on phase 1 for a month or 2. I thought the super low GI would be better for my condition. I also was living alone. Since then I haven't been able to do a clean 2 weeks of phase 1. Hopefully this time.

The book says sometimes people do well staying on phase 1 and other times people go off it hard for a week, then are even more reluctant to do phase 1 again and end up falling off the wagon. A lot of people here do "phase 1.5" long term, where they eat mostly phase 1 foods but allow for a few very limited phase 2 foods. Feeling that going fully on phase 2 would be too much for them to handle. It's really about knowing yourself and finding what works.

So my "homework" while my LO is napping is to scour the recipe thread and plan out some meals and snacks. Day 2 today and I have been hungry this morning. For breakfast I had some egg beaters scrambled with spinach, some deli turkey breast and a sprinkle of low fat shredded cheese, along with a glass of skim milk. For my am snack I had 1/2cup of 1% cottage cheese. I am planning on a salad w/chicken, hard-boiled egg, onions, & some bell pepper. Any ideas for an afternoon snack?

My go to snack is cucumbers and hummus...yummy in my tummy!

Thank you so much, Scarlett, that was helpful info. CONGRATULATIONS on your 3 pound loss! Keep going. I was fine yesterday but of course today, I am having terrible cravings. I have not cheated, but I m struggling motivating myself out to exercise as I feel exhausted and like I am missing something (well, yeah, carbs). Anyway, persevere on with me and everyone else here

Rachele-I adore the roll up snacks: I buy red and green leaf lettuce and clean it and dry it in a salad spinner as soon as I get it home. Then I put it in plastic bags in the fridge. I grab a lettuce leaf and some turkey breast and some fat free shredded cheese and top it with some mustard and roll it up. It's savory and satisfying for an afternoon snack. Good luck!

World Traveler - the exhaustion is part your body adjusting to the lower carbs and also potassium loss from your body letting go of retained fluids. I've struggled myself with the exhaustion for a longer period of time. Searching on the internet I read about the low potassium possibility so I started eating potassium rich foods that are SBD okay. V8 juice, avocados etc have lots of potassium and I truly feel much better when I started adding those to my diet. They say to moderate excercise until your body adjusts.

I was a major sugar addict before SBD, it truly goes away after several days on SBD. Coworkers are always bringing in candy to work and I am amazed that I am able to turn it away.

Day 4 of phase 1 is comming to a close. I haven't caved yet. This is alot harder than I remember it being. Survived a BBQ party at the house...but there is a crapload of delicious delicious macaroni salad sitting in the fridge...

I've been feeling super sluggish too. I haven't moved much all day. I forced myself to go for a bike ride. I struggled with what should have been an easy ride. I'm scared to think of whats going to happen once I start running again, but hey at least I'm losing.