As of tommorrow I will be trying out South Beach for the first time. Homecoming is on October 1, 2005 and I'm looking to be 20lbs lighter by then. I'm concerned with habits I have though. I am by no means obese, but I have some excess pudge I wear a size 10, and am looking to be a five. When I get really upset or angry I head for the nearest Publix and I get ice cream, doughnuts, whatever. It's rediculous. Is there any tips or tricks that you guys have for me that may help with my emotional eating? Any comments or support is greatly appreciated!! Thanks! -Ashley

Oh Xoa... (can't deal with the rest of your name) We all here are emotional eaters..name an emotion and I'll name you a food for it!
There are many threads on the 3FC site dealing with how tos. Ya gotta be ready for changing your WOE.. You gotta stop and think WHY you are shoveling that HoHo in your mouth - and KNOW there are healthier choices to "sooth" you.. The next step is to replace dealing with Celebrations, Disappointments, Frustrations, Depression, Apathy and Laziness with other healthy alternatives.
Before you grab your towel to come lay with us on the beach..Please review the Emergency handbook Sticky thread..Shop for Ph1 items, Plan your meals, use Fitday.com or other tool, drink your water... and come share your daily doings on the daily thread.. We are here to support you! and share in your slip slides and triumphs! YOU CAN DO THIS !!!!

Thank you so much for your support! I know that I stumbled on the right forum to be in! I'm looking forward to this and I have a very positive outlook on my diet. Congrats on your success so far!!! Thank for your reply- Ashley!

Hi Ashley!! Welcome to the Beach!! The only other thing I would add to Schatzi's advice is to check out the recipe section and the FAQ section for the updated P1 food list. Good Luck we are all here to listen and help if we can.

welcome

Ashley, welcome to the Beach!
Yes, there's lots of great info in the FAQ.

Hi Ashley, welcome to the Beach! You'll get lots of support and help here, I promise.

And now here is the stupid question from the Brit (the language differences between this side of the Atlantic and the other side astound me sometimes!) - can someone please tell me what Homecoming is? I've heard it used before eg Homecoming Queen, but I dont know what it means.
Its just not a word that we use here.

Thanks!

Thanks for all the support guys! Homecoming is a dance that celebrates a football game once a year. It's like prom but more low key. It's a pretty big deal. And I'm a senior so this is my last chance!!!! : )

Thanks Ashley - sometimes it seems like we live in two different planets!!

Good luck!

I completely understand. I have a question though. I have school all day and needless to say the low carb options are slim to none. So this morning I woke up and had some eggs for breakfast but by lunch all I had was a water. I know I need to be eating lots of mimi meals, but I have no clue what's easy and affordable to bring. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!!! -Ashley

Celery... nuts, like almonds or picstachios..LF Mozarella Sticks, grape tomatoes, ..put em in a ziplock, and away you go!!

Hi Ashley! I think we all are emotional eaters, and I'm an emotional drinker, too. That's the hardest part of SB for me. I'm used to, if I have a bad day, going home and having a beer with dinner to unwind. (I also like to have a few at karaoke on Friday nights, too.....no karaoke for me for awhile.)

So you'll find ways around the emotional eating. I always have a SF fudgesicle as my last snack of the day because chocolate is my biggest "comfort food." Just don't eat 10 of them.

Welcome, this forum is a great place for support.

Wow. I'm really at a loss for all of the overwhelming support. I did come home and have some eggs with low fat cheese. I'll hit the grocery store tonight for some SB friendly foods. Once again, thanks guys!! -Ashley

Ashley, think about using SBD as a way to grow in healthy habits, not a quick way to lose weight by homecoming, okay? A lot of times when we set unreasonable goals (and only you know if 20 pounds in 2 months or dropping several sizes is unreasonable for you) we only set ourselves up to fail.

If you are using food to cope, you may need some help to learn better, healthier ways to cope. Try using exercise (not overdoing it...just a healthy walk, or 20 mins on a treadmill/elliptical/stationary bike), writing in a journal, talking with relatives or friends, taking a long bubble bath while reading a fun book or magazine, etc. If you really can't pull yourself away from the food, consider seeing a counselor or going to Overeaters Anonymous (great resource!!!)...you can find out more about them, including 24/7 online meetings, at www.oa.org

I wish you much luck as you begin to eat and act more healthy. SBD is a wonderful way of eating (woe)!