...and DH and I have decided to roll up our towels and leave the Beach for now.

The thing is, college is getting increasingly hectic. I'll have some quarters where I'm taking nothing but calculus, physics, chemistry, or engineering classes, which while interesting, will be a lot of work. And that's just my lower division classes! Add to that the fact that money is not plentiful, and that the SBD is somewhat more expensive than non-OP eating, and we've decided that it would just be best to step away for now. We'll still incorporate many of the basic ideas (whole grains over refined foods, for example), but I really need meals I can make ahead and freeze, or throw in a crockpot, or toss together quickly - not foods that take a ton of prep work or other time-consumers - and meals that are not terribly expensive.

I won't have much leisure time in the near future, but can I still pop by and say hi now and then? I've grown so fond of all of you over the past six months (nearly), and I'd like to stop by for a quick chat now and then in between homework assignments and see how everyone is doing, if I may? Someday we'll be done with college, and then hopefully our circumstances will change enough that we can dig out our towels once again.

oh no, I've only been here a couple weeks but you seem so helpful I hate to see you go!

I can certainly understand the finances and time crunch thing but like you said just do your best to live "near" the beach. I look forward to your pop-ins

Oh Heather. It'll be ok. We still want you to chat! You don't have to go anywhere because you're not Beaching. I'm not Beaching and you can't get rid of me that easily! Stick around. We still want to know what's going on in your life. Just keep taking care of yourself ok?

Don't you dare disappear! You and DH can live in that little cabana that's over there behind the palm grov and wander back to The Beach when you have time.
Otherwise, we'll be in H-Ko withdrawal!

h-ko.....we all understand & I think we are all frustrated with the prep work & the expenses. No one knows you better than you. We will save a spot and towel for you & DH.

H-ko- You keep right on posting!!!! I completely understand your decision- I tend to strictly follow SBD during the summer when I have more free time to cook and less daycare expense to grocery shop. WW is much easier and realistic for me to follow when I am working.

Just take care of you and keep on posting.

I'm not a south beach person, but I wanted to offer a little advice.

I was trying to lose weight and go to school too. Keep up with your fitday so that you can see what you are doing. Even if you don't follow a program religiously, you can still eat balanced meals and watch your intake of the bad stuff, fat, calories, too many carbs, not enough protein, etc. You can remember to eat throughout the day. If you do it in your head, you are likely to slowly start incorporating the bad stuff again. You don't have to spend a lot of time on it, you just have to be aware.

I had a tendency at college to start eating out, etc. When I learned I could eat at subway and another similar place on campus, I made it a habit to only eat those places if I'm eating out.

Also still buy some meal replacement bars (money permitting) for when you are just too hectic and rushed and you'll eat something bad if you don't eat something.

P.S. Take your books to the gym, open up your notes and put them on the treadmill platform and walk and study at the same time. Jump on the bike and hold your notes and study. Or just just this time for meditation and restoration that is so badly needed. I adopted the wherever and whenever approach when I was in college. If I was at the doc office, I took my notes with me. When I was on the bus, I studied. During cooking dinner, I studied. I did all of these things in order to try to have more free time when I wasn't doing all the chores that had to be done anyway. I was raising a family of 3 kids and a husband so I had to do something. Go on study dates with a group. This is time away and you get so much studying done in half the time (especially if you already studied some).


Just because you are going to school and money is tight doesn't mean you have to abandon everything. Just find a balance that works for you. You'll be upset with yourself if you backslide too much and your hard work was for nothing.

Sitting down and organizing your grocery list every week will save you time and money. Come home and write on your list everything you can make/take for every meal. You don't have to stick to it religiously but if you take the time to do this, then all week long, you don't have to think about it. Build in "easy" dinners.

Heather, don't leave us completely! Please feel free to stop in to chat and keep us up-to-date on what's happening in your life. You are very knowledgeable on good nutrition, and I believe you and your DH will be just fine. Good luck on school this next semester.

Thanks everyone! I'll stop by when I can, time permitting - which means sometimes I'll get to post a lot, and other times I'll be mighty scarce But I'll still be thinking of all of you even when I can't get time to post!

Oh Woe! H-KO, I can totally understand with your school load and being a mom, your life is gonna get more hectic.. like the chicks have said, you are so very knowledgeable about nutrition..even if you dont stay 100% on plan, you will do fine! Just D O N T L E A V E US!!!!! We love you HKO and want to know hoe your life is going!

You can also look at the freezer thread in the recipe section. When you do cook, make a double batch and free the other one-either in single serving containers or enough for the family. It comes in handy when there is a good sale on meat and stuff.

You sound like you have it under control, you know the basics of low GI eating. Try to stick with it as much as possible. Still try to get your veggies in everyday.

Good luck (or should I say happy planning?)
Sarah

Heather, I am in the same boat as you right now....Please keep posting!! I know I don't post as much as I used to, and I sure don't follow the beach as strictly as I used to...School, plus job, plus family is very hard....I will look forward to hearing about you....Take care of You.
Kathy

Heather, I'm sorry to hear it but it sounds like you and DH made a carefully considered decision. It can be so hard to balance all this stuff...I nearly went crazy just doing school, SBD, work, and marriage, and I can't imagine throwing a child on top of that! I admire you for doing all this!

Just do stay as close to the beach as you can. Try to keep away from sugar, keep exercising, and do what you can. Remember what Suzanne and Jennifer say--any plan works as long as you stick to it...figure out what plan will work for you and hubby and stick to that! Don't let your need to save time keep you from staying healthy, okay? BTW, don't forget to lean on that DH, okay? I'm sure he has a lot going on too, but he can be an awesome support as you get through school!

hko - ofcourse you can. I just had a financial crisis myself that made me have to OP for a while. It happens to the best of us. This is not just a SB community, we are a COMMUNITY, I hope to hear from you from time to time, just to catch up.