So, this past week, I was asked by a friend how I am managing to lose weight here in the almost mid-forties. I explained that I follow the principles of South Beach, and I go running, and I play Ultimate.

She says, "But don't you MISS eating stuff?"

So, I got to thinking: What do I actually miss, and what do I NOT miss at all??

I miss french fries. Truly, deeply, I do. However, I make sweet potato fries, and even Chick-Fil-A's serves a sweet potato option now - not that they are healthy of course, but if I am going to have fries, I go with that.

I miss bologna on white bread. It is the only sandwich I just do NOT find appealing on ANY other bread. So, once in a blue moon, I go ahead and have it. I just make sure every other piece of bread is whole wheat/whole grain. It works.

I miss pancakes. The real ones. But as I only ever had those about once a month, it is really not a huge loss. I do not like the various replacement options, so I learned to have ww french toast instead. Totally do-able.

I thought I missed pizza, but then I got a pizza stone and made my own ww crust. No missing pizza anymore!


What do I NOT miss??

I do not miss waking up in the morning feeling worse than the night before due to my eating habits.

I do not miss having to do leg strengthening exercises to help my knees support my weight.

I do not miss finishing a meal and wondering when the next one was coming.

I do not miss being unable to demonstrate drills while coaching because I could not talk and run at the same time.

I do not miss feeling sore for three days every time I played a game of Ultimate or ran a mile - heck, half a mile.

I do not miss getting up every day hoping I would still fit into a size 16 skirt, cause I was not gonna buy a new wardrobe.

I do not miss thinking that I was on a first name basis with the take-out window people at McDonald's.

I do not miss being hospitalized for a suspected stroke at the age of 40.

I do not miss getting winded going up my own stairs.


So - anyone else?

Be well -

Great thread! Hmmm...let's see....

What I miss:


-Eating in a carefree way....no counting, no measuring, no wondering...
-Feeling very full....not too full like after a binge, but that feeling that I'm super full. I do get it sometimes, but not like before.
-French bread with Nutella (I still binge on that sometimes though...not proud of it, but it happens)
-ice cream eaten from the tub....what's wrong with me?
-toasted bagel w/ cream cheese
-PB & J sandwiches
-cake! cupcakes! donuts! (used to eat those until I felt ill)
-pizza, french fries, burgers, etc.

What I don't miss:
-not being able to wear boots because my calves are too large
-my thighs rubbing together when I walk
-not being able to wear a dress because of the thigh rubbing situation
-wearing what fits rather than what's cute
-heartburn to the point where I wanna vomit
-humiliation when I'd see people who have watched me gain almost 70 lbs. in a short period of time
-feeling stuffed into an airline seat
-sweating too much from very little exertion
-low energy
-going shopping with friends and knowing I can't buy anything except makeup, shoes/accessories and feeling like there's no point
-feeling like a blob....this one is hard to explain but I just felt like an asexual it

so....this really puts it into perspective. those things I "miss" are so not worth how I feel for an entire day when their pleasures are so momentary.

I agree, this was a great thread idea!

I miss:
- eating cookies, any kind that i made really
- bread and butter with soup,
- baked potatoes (but i like baked sweet potatoes now),
- ice cream oh how i miss the ice cream!,
- eating without thinking about it (not exactly a good thing, but grabbing something out of the fridge was way easier than planning ahead
- fruit! (i'm on phase one for another couple days!)

I don't miss:
- the feeling i got when i tried to squeeze into jeans
- feeling out of breath walking around campus
- not being able to see muscle in my legs
- feeling like a whale
- dreading wearing anything but jeans because i couldn't stand looking at my thighs
- eating like a pig
- how i felt after eating crappy food
- feeling like crap after eating bread, rice, etc.
- not being able to fit into my VS sweatshirt

I definitely like having more don't misses than misses

Great thread

I miss

* steak and creamy mash
* fudge ice cream
* soft white bread and butter
* chips

I don't miss

* avoiding mirrors
* missing nights out because I have nothing to wear
* getting cross when people take my picture
* being out if breath after five minutes of playing with my niece
* being embarrassed if I bump into people who saw me thirty pounds ago

I agree! Great thread!

Miss:
- chips!!!
- pastries
- going out to eat without giving it a thought to what I was putting in my body.

Don't/won't miss:
- muffin top
- jiggly legs
- being embarrassed about my fat arms when I wear a tank top/sleeveless shirt
- feeling sick to my stomach after eating bad for me foods
- being winded at any amount of physical exertion
- feeling embarrassed when I run into people who last saw me when I was 50-60 lbs lighter
- not being able to cross my legs
- not being able to kneel all the way because my fat makes it so that my butt won't even go all the way to my feet when I sit that way
- rolling over at night and rolling on top of my FAT
- wearing a size with a 1 or 2 in front of the number (unless it's a 10...I'd be okay with that)
- being embarrassed about wearing a swimming suit
- not wanting to be "seen" by my own husband!


Wow...just lovely how all of the things I miss are about FOOD....and all of the things I won't miss relate to how I see or feel about myself. Real eye opener!

I am not on the SBD but this is a really good thread so...

I do miss:
Being able to eat lots of desserts
Eating at any time
Not having to schedule in exercise

I do not miss:
Feeling like a misfit in my skinny family
Feeling so full you want to vomit
The guilt of overeating
People thinking that I was pregnant
Not having ANY cute tops to wear because the only thing that flattered my obese apple shaped body were t-shirts
Wearing clothing that is just inappropriate for the season because I lacked clothing
Knee pain
Being embarrassed to eat in front of people other than my family
Chaffing during long walks
Not being able to wear a watch
Having a double boob in my bra


I could go on for days.

Ah yes, the chaffing and the double boob....how could I have forgotten those!

Not on SBD but I'm lurving this thread!

What I miss:

Sodas
cookies
french fries
pizza
Ice cream
Cheese cake
white bread and butter



What I don't miss:
My unbelievably huge jeans
Being bigger than women who've had kids and are still slim
Taking a bus and risking paying for two seats
Being called names on the street (in my country, it's just so)
Cakes (I still eat a little for tasting, I'm a professional Baker and sugar artist
Feeling self conscious in a figure hugging dress
Sweating profusely as I try on uncountable pairs of jeans
Having people ask me what I eat lol

I miss:
~my nachos at our favorite Mexican restaurant
~driving through for french fries

I don't miss:
~the constant cravings for sugar and bad carbs
~searching through the closet wondering if the outfit that "barely" fit two months ago will now "not fit at all".
~when little kids (who don't know better) would stare at me
~making sure I was in the back row when I DID have to get my picture taken
~the agony of looking at those pictures post event
~being agonizingly uncomfortable in the heat of summer
~not being able to get back up off the floor
~being constantly exhausted

What I love the most is being able to ride a bike. 1-1/2 years ago I bought a really nice one. It wasn't in the budget but I knew I needed it. When I'm in town people will comment, "wow what a nice bike". When I say thanks it just feels so wonderful to be able to ride with relative ease now. The sense of accomplishment I feel can't be put into words.

Great thread!

I only just started and haven't lost enough to really have physical changes but I'll try anyhow!

What I MISS:

- Coca Cola (though I have one can a week still - no light/diet stuff ack!)
- Redbull
- Being able to just eat without having to think hard and read labels
- Chips

Well, that's it really. I just basically had to cut out the chips, cola and cookies. Other than that I was already eating reasonably healthy.

What I don't miss:
- Eating monotone - I barely paid attention to my food so I was lazy. I'd eat the same soup for dinner a week in a row. Now I cook so much! And eat so many different things
- Headaches! I didn't realize this untill I started this post and sat to think about physical differences
- Sneaking around with bags of chips and other junk every other evening
- Feeling like the reason I got so tired on my bike is because I'm a lazy person (now I know it's cus my bike is actually really broken :P hahahaha)
- Thinking I can't ever in the world be an active/sporty kind of person

I'm not on SB either but I love this thread!

What I miss:
Sweet tea (and I'm not even southern)
Eating at italian places without even thinking about it
Grabbing fast food anytime
Not thinking about what I eat.

What I don't miss:
Looking around and knowing that I am the fattest person in the room
Being the "invisible" genderless fat person
My arms sticking out because there is too much fat at my sides
Being unable to walk very far
Choosing to avoid activities because I "can't"
Choosing clothes because they can cover me up.

Actually, you can make a South Beach (Phase One) friendly version of mashed potatoes. Just steam a head of cauliflower then throw it in the food processor with a little bit of skim (or soy) milk and spices. Voila, creamy mashed fauxtatoes!

I've just started the SBD but...

I miss: OREOS, Dr. Pepper, pizza, toast in the morning, fried foods, McDonalds French Fries, mexican food, pasta & probably a million other things...

I WILL NOT MISS

My size 16 jeans
My thighs rubbing together (that started last month)
My muffin top
Feeling tired ALL THE TIME

There's a lot of different ways you can make those phase one friendly.
For example: you can make a chickpea thin crust for pizza; you can enjoy beans and lean meat done up like Mexican food; and you can get your spaghetti fix by using spaghetti squash.

What I miss:

French fries- the saltier the better!
Baked potatoes
Pasta (I have yet to find an OP kind that doesn't taste blech)
Coldstone! (someone please tell them that their sugar free ice cream is disgusting)


What I don't miss:
How I felt after eating a bad meal
Lack of energy
Feeling like a slave to food
being too embarrassed to meet up with old friends since I gained weight
Going shopping and not finding anything that fits at all.
Constantly hiding from cameras