Hi guys!

I'm new to Southbeach, bought the book over the weekend, and plan on starting tomorrow.

I have a few questions about your progress though:

When did you start SD?
How much have you lost?
Are you exercising?
Any helpful tips that have kept you on track?

Thanks!

Hey Love2C135! Welcome to the sand. I'll let some of the chicks that have been a lil more faithful answer your questions! lol I do not exercise due to a knee injury but alot of the chicks do and I will when I am able.

Welcome to The Beach.
Starting dates and losses vary. Check out the tickers at the bottom of each post.
Some of us are exercising. Check out the Exercise sticky in this Forum.
There is lots of information and tips in the Frequently Asked Questions Forum. Please note that the Revised Phase I Food List is there too and do not follow the one in the book unless the book is a revised edition.
Good luck but rely on education and planning.

Hi and welcome!! I started on 4/1/05 and have lost 18 pounds so far. As far as exercise, no, honestly not really. I had back surgery a year ago and am still limited on the type and amount of exercise I can do...I'm also still on some medications for that that have weight gain side effects. I find I'm a fairly active person anyways, I love to clean! go figure.... but all in all I couldn't be happier with the progress I am making since switching over to the SB lifestyle. I will say that once you get past the first week of detox, you have SO much more energy and feel much better, so just DOING more period is easier and you'll probably find that's the case.

Make sure you get enough water! if you stumble and eat something off plan, give yourself one swift kick (not a continuing beating, ) and hop right back on! you have to think of this as something life long...a life long goal to be healthier (and smaller ) instead of something that has to be done within a set amount of time. The way I try to look at it is, I'm 'x' amount of pounds down each month than I would have been had I NOT started! and take a good look at one pound of hamburger meat and imagine that no longer on your bottom! Seriously, I think what makes the difference between success and failing is one main thing...you have to be ready yourself, that no matter what, you will stick to this and will succeed! Good luck!!

I started Jan/04 becouse my doctor told me I had high blood pressure and the pain in my knees and feet was arthritis.
I've lost 37 pounds
Yes, I do exercise. Started with just walking and increasing my daily activities-parking in the farthest parking spot and walking fast inside, carrying all my groceries out to the car in one trip, taking the stairs instead of the elevator if only going a flight or two, walking the escalators.

I've hit a plateau, now I'm greatly increasing my physical activities. Joined a running club, started lifting weights, walking days not running, pilates and yoga.

My blood pressure is normal now, my knees and feet don't hurt, my allergies are much better then they have been in years. (I think that is a side effect of cutting out all the processed foods, not an official sbd claim )

Think of this as a permenant change in your eating habits. Not a diet, not something that you will lose weight and then return to your previous way of eating.

Not every one loses 13 pounds in phase 1

Drink your water, eat all your vegetables.

You don't have to follow the menus in the book. Use the foods to enjoy list and plan your own meals. It's much more cost effective. (Not that I'm cheap or anything. )

Sarah

I started May 22, 2004 so it was almost a year ago. I've lost 53 on South Beach plus more just before I started officially by making some of the changes without formally starting.

My goal for exercise is 1200 minutes a month. You can see my progress on the exercise thread. I go to the gym when I can and take classes like PowerFlex, Pain in the Butt, Pilates and I've done a couple of step classes. I will also do elliptical, stationary bike, and treadmill and the weight machines. I started slowly though with lots of walking and swimming and then rejoined the gym later.

What has really helped me is to plan all of my meals for the week. There are lots of good recipes here and I have also converted a lot of our family favorites to South Beach.

Hi, Love2!

I must say that the best way to succeed on SBD (or any new plan), IMHO, is to give yourself a week to read the book, read our FAQs, clean your house of bad food and fill it with OP (on plan) food. This sets you up for success. If I had a dollar for every person who cheated on Phase 1 because they didn't have the right food in the house or hadn't planned their meals, I'd be a rich woman. Truly, it helps to do all this planning beforehand.

Ruth, I checked out the SBD paperback, and it is updated with the new info. But you would want to check the updated lists here, Love2, okay?

Best of luck!

When did you start SD?
January 1st, 2005

How much have you lost?
68lbs!

Are you exercising?
Not yet, but I really need to start (gotta build some muscle)

Any helpful tips that have kept you on track?
1. Find a partner.
2. Allow yourself some 'wiggle room'. If you really don't like a particular thing on the menu (mine was the ricotta creme desserts) find a replacement (we did the sugar free popsicles/creamsicles). If you don't like the food you are eating, that will make it much harder to stay on.
3. STICK WITH IT! The diet is difficult to start, but once you get rolling, it's equally difficult to stop.
4. Reward yourself. It doesn't have to be a food thing. Get new clothes, go out to dinner, etc. etc. Be careful with the clothes though, don't want to buy too much at the beginning of the diet, wait a couple months
5. Let your weight loss motivate you. When you are facing that box of donuts, or that basket of breadsticks, remember that it is worth it to push them aside. Find the HEALTHY foods that fill you up.
6. Eat your veggies first. Especially fibrous ones like broccolli. Order salads instead of appetizers at restaurants. By the time you get around to eating your entree, you'll be full, and satisfied.
7. Find a way to drink alot of water. It keeps you from bloating up and also makes you feel better.
8. Find a few restaurants that have 'safe' menus you can order from, and go out once a week if you can. This will give you a day to rest a little. The extensive meal preparation takes getting used to, but after a while you don't mind it.

I'm sure there's more advice, but I can't think of it right now.

I don't exercise. Well, unless you call parenting an energetic 4 yr old exercise. I do however drink lots of water.

Lydia

Hi Love 2

When did you start SD?08/03/03


How much have you lost?12 lbs. first time around the second time 8lbs.

Are you exercising?YES,Walk,Ride my Bike & Step on my Stepper


Any helpful tips that have kept you on track?Add carbs back slowly,eat lots of veggies, watch the white flour productsand drink lots of water

Hope that helps Hugs BB

Thanks guys, that does help!

I was losing weight running and doing another low-carb plan, but found myself getting sick of my food choices. I need a broader range if I'm going to keep the weight off for life. I also hurt my knee and started gaining weight back. I have a doctor's appt. this week to see what I can do to get it taken care of. I hate not being able to run. It's torture! It's also torture for my waistline!

My official start day is tomorrow because I need to shop, but so far today I've been OP. Who knows, today may actually be my start date.

Oh, one more question, how often do you guys weigh in? I'm going to try to stick with a once a week plan, but I'm an every day weigher now... Some habits are hard to break!

Thanks again!

Love, I hope the knee gets better soon! My friend who's a runner would go nuts if she couldn't run! I weigh in every day as I find it helps me stay on track and be aware of the effects of what I do, but I think weighing weekly is admirable!