Let me just tell you a story...

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who just needed to lose a little weight...like 100 pounds. Well in the year of our lord two thousand and five (it was February 15 to be exact) she embarked on a marvelous journey and began the South Beach Diet. She read the book that Dr. A. wrote with grand enthusiasm; it made such brilliant sense.

She began phase 1 and was shocked at how easy her little carb addicted heart was able to release the bad sugar and flour cravings. She reached the end of 2 weeks and was terrified to make her journey into phase 2. So she waited another week because she knew it wouldn't hurt her and so after the third week she slowly dipped her toe into the healthy carb waters. She did really well for a couple of months and then summer came and the seductive picnics and family gatherings lurred her away from her wonderful eutopia. She had lost 50 pounds and felt so great!

In late August she noticed that her clothes started feeling a little snug and so she decided to try weight watchers. This worked--sort of--but she still didn't feel that great--not like on South Beach.

So in 2006 she started a long road back to eating like a non-South Beacher. In July she started her period and it never stopped--so by October she was completely at wits end. Her Dr. performed a D&C and told her that she had a metabolic and hormonal syndrome that would require medication due to insulin resistence. She was put on metformin and started weight watchers. She lost weight, but still didn't feel well at all.

In March 2007 she went back on the beach and again felt wonderful and with the help of the diet and the medication she began dropping weight and exercising. She felt awesome and then summer came again

In September 2007 she went back on Phase 1 and lost 11 pounds and then moved into phase 2--with a vengeance!

Mistake!!! I have come to a huge realization...bread makes me feel really bad! As do waffles...I can eat fruit and yogurt, but not bread. I told my husband this morning, "Why do I continue to eat things that make me feel bad?" "Why do I eat things that taste good knowing that they will make me feel bad for hours or days?"

Whole wheat just doesn't agree with me. I need to not eat it at all! I think I have allergies or something.

I know this was long, but does anyone else ever have this happen?

Iam certinly no doctor but you sound just like my dad. Talk
to your doctor maybe you have a Gluten resistance? Just a
thought!

Good Luck to you-things will come around!

Sunny, there are many, many people who cannot tolerate wheat, even though they're not allergic to it. The good news is that there are more and more products available that are wheat-free, and they are good! I've had great results substituting spelt flour for ww flour in recipes. I hope you can find a substitute that agrees with you. Good luck!

Yes!!! I'm on the same page as you. Try Health Meadow Health Seed Spelt Bread (sold at fine healthfood stores...not trader joes). It is yeast free, salt free, sugar free, wheat and gluten free...and oh so good!!!! They have bagels, rolls, and bread....I think waffles, too!!!

Sunny - You just wrote my biography (except for the medical parts). I too feel horrible when I eat wheat products, except in the smallest amounts. I developed IBS-like symptoms this summer and once I started on the Beach, they went away. I've learned to stay far away from processed flour products, and to only eat whole wheat in small amounts. Weight watchers didn't work well for me either, I lost some weight but I felt tired and sick all the time. Truly the Beach isn't a diet for me at all, it's just the reality of how I need to eat in order to maintain my health and sanity.

Kristen,
I wish that we had that here in rural WV...but I will look for something comperable.

Thanks

Sunny...you can order from the company online...they have a minimum, but it should keep you stocked up for months.

Hey Sunny,
You may have Celiac Disease...pretty much intolerance to gluten stuff (I have a slight reaciton including bloating, gas and even dry skin). See how brown rices work for you - there is even brown rice pasta with no wheat or gluten. Potatoes should be good. Just all the bread-there is gluten free but it is very different. Good luck to you. I, like you, realized that it upset my stomach when I was on a low carb diet! HA!

Kristen, there are tons of reasons why wheat might not agree with you. You're not alone in that! (nor in eating things you know will make you sick. I'm right there with you... )

Some things to consider:

• Have you tried sprouted wheat? Ezekiel 7:9 (or some set of numbers... ) makes a ton of products from sprouted grains. Basically the grains are set in water until they sprout, then are used to make things. No flour is used. However, if you do have a gluten problem, these products will probably still make you sick. If you love wheat, though, it's worth trying, just to find out. You can find their products in health food stores and online. I love their cereal (high in protein, kind of like grape nuts) and their bread/rolls.
• If wheat itself is the problem, you can try other grains. Kamut (an ancient form of wheat?), spelt, quinoa, etc are great choices--you can find pasta, bread, crackers, and many other products made from these. I live in rural NY (WAY way upstate...) and have access to tons of these, so I bet you can find them somewhere near you, even if you have to make a long journey once every couple months and stash stuff in your freezer.
• If you decide that you have a gluten sensitivity, talk with your doctor/nutritionist to plan a diet that will help you heal. There are more and more gluten-free products out there every day and you don't need to go without the things you love.

Good luck, hon! SBD is all about figuring out what you, personally, can eat and be healthy/lose weight. Each person is different!

On another topic, since you've noticed that the summers are a problem for you, why not plan ahead for next summer. Think about what problems caused you to go off plan last time, and plan for ways to keep them from sabotaging you this time. You can do it!