Anyone starting or restarting phase one around Sept 27, 2010?
 

Hi fellow phase 1ers,

I just started SB for the first time on Monday and I love it. I never thought I'd say that about a diet, but I really do. It's only day 3, so perhaps I'm too optimistic too quickly, but I just really feel great. I'm just looking for fellow newbies to the beach, or those restarting phase 1 again, to share this experience with, swap recipes and give each other general support. So if you're looking for someone else on the phase 1 path, come join me---I'd love to have you!

Here's my story...I've always struggled with my weight (I'm 31). I started at 199 on Monday and am looking to be somewhere around 152 eventually. A little over a year ago, I was at 168 and feeling great. Then life happened and I gained a bunch of weight. I now better understand how I used food as a coping mechanism (how carbs can literally work eerily similar to anti-depressant or anti-anxiety meds). So I've been working using exercise to help balance out the stresses of life and difficult times and just being more mindful of my eating habits to make sure I'm eating for the right reasons and not because I'm depressed, anxious or just bored. This was a big turning point for me.

Unfortunately, even I figured out how to stop the upward climb and be more in control of my eating habits, I was still really struggling to take off the weight I had put on. It seemed like I was putting huge effort in and getting very little results. That's when a friend mentioned South Beach and I read the book over the weekend and it made a lot of sense to me (I was hesitant initially because I was afraid it was going to be too much of some short term fad diet thing where you lose weight but most of it is muscle and you just yo-yo--something I definitely wanted to avoid). But it gave me better perspective and a little structure to really make the changes I've known I need to make (eating more vegetables being a big one!). So here I am...

It's only day 3 for me, but I can already start to feel the effects. I've never eaten so many veggies in life, but I like the way I feel. I can also already start to feel the diuretic effect from the low bad carbs --- and I'm drinking tons of water. Right now, it hasn't been a struggle at all. I'm not a big fan of breads, but I do have a sweet tooth but I'm not dying for cookies or anything (let's hope it stays that way!).

Generally, the biggest challenge I have is taking the time to shop and prepare. I've tried some of the recipes and already really dig the quiche cups and the moroccan chicken. So I'm excited to try some more. Unfortunately I lost my job recently, so that's super stressful, but the silver lining is that I have the time to do all the grocery shopping, preparation and exercise that I don't think I would have if I were still working. Perhaps this bout of unemployment will have some good things with it too as I can start my next job lighter and healthier!

Please feel free to jump in and share your story---we can do this together!:carrot:

I'm re-starting Phase 1. This is my 3rd time. Not sure why I ever stop in the first place, because I always have great results and feel great when I eat SB style. So here we go. I've struggled with my weight ever since having my son 13 years ago. The breaking point was when I weighed more than I did when I was 9 months pregnant, over 200 lbs! What a shocker!! I swore I'd never let myself get that big...then there I was.

So, first time around with SB I lost about 20 lbs. That was a couple of years ago and I gained back all the weight after falling of the wagon and just plain not caring for a while. Then the beginning of this year I started SB again, this time with a friend. I lost 25 lbs in about 3 months and was feeling great...then slowly starting slipping into old habits...and you know what they say about that slope...it's VERY slippery! Now, the friend I started with in January has lost over 50lbs and is only 1 lb from her goal. And here I am having gained back 7 of those 25 lbs.

The last 5 months or so I've been gaining and losing the same 5-7 lbs. I'm sick and tired of it. I kept thinking, I'll get back to SB, then find a reason not too. Then seeing how HOT my friend looks, I thought....there is NO reason that can't be ME!

So, here I am. Starting over on SB, Phase 1. I pretty much started on Monday, the 27th. Although I didn't remember all of the "rules" and I had some flavored yogurt...oops :)

So far so good though, haven't had a problem staying away from the icky carbs. Wish I could have fruit, but that will come soon enough. I feel like it's easier for me because I've already done this a few times...I know the ropes, so to speak, so I already know some of my favorite recipes, snacks, etc. So, hopefully Phase 1 will be a breeze this time around.

Good luck Lindsey and nice to meet you! Planning is definitely a big downfall for me...so that will be my mantra....plan, plan and plan some more!

First timer
 

Here I am, not sure what i'm doing as of yet but today is my third day on the plan. So far it's going good. I have a little headache but going good. I have always had a weight problem I go up and down all the time. I hope this will keep me on track and having someone to share with that understands will help so much. Thanks for listening and I plan to check in everyday. :hug:

Opps I forgot I started the plan Monday the 27th My weigh in was 161.2 my goal is 135 so hoping for a good loss this week.

Congrats on starting the beach! I'm currently living in phase 2, but I love it. I really feel like many of the people on the board will agree, that's it's a lifestyle change. I try not to touch any white carbs, ever. I have come to the conclusion that they are the devil :-P Every once in a while if I slip up, I just get right back on the swing of things the next day. If I have a bad couple of days, so what. Many people start Phase 1 over again to rid themselves of the cravings. I also try to stick to a Phase 1 dinner since I eat very late at night, but now that I've discovered quinoa and whole wheat bread & pasta, it makes the options endless.

I get such great advice from this board, so stick around!

Hi Lindsey!

I restarted Phase 1 on Monday myself after I detoured off of the plan when I was on vacation last week. I didn't do too much damage on my trip but I figured the best way to get back on track was to get on Phase 1 all over again and clean the slate.

I have tried all sorts of things to lose weight (at my heaviest I was 294) and all of the things I have tried have worked but SB has been the best out of everything.

I get many good recipes on this website and on sparkpeople.com. The best thing I have discovered is the Peanut Butter Cup that is in the menu section under South Beach Desserts-Phase 1. If you have a sweet tooth this dessert will make you smile :)

Good luck!

Oh my goodness, Lindsay I LOVE the peanut butter cup!! It is utter decadence. It satisifes my sweet tooth, no problemo! And...my son loves 'em too. Yum, Yum!!

Hi Everyone! This is so great -- I'm so glad to see so many people at the same place I am (I was afraid I was the only one!), and we can take this journey together.

I totally agree with you, Jewels, about being a lifestyle change. I'm lucky in that I don't crave a lot of white flour stuff--breads and whatnot---though I think I make up for it in sweet tooth! Getting used to eating more veggies is a challenge for me, but so far, I think it's going well. I'll definitely be happy when we can start eating fruit in 2 weeks though---that's what I miss more than anything.

I've seen the peanut butter cup raved about on other threads, so I'm definitely going to check that out (I don't have any fudsicles at the moment---gotta go to the store). Thanks for the tip, Jyoyo and Lindsay! As for sweet stuff, I've also tried the flourless peanutbutter cookie (recipe below). I'm still tweaking the recipe, but even at this point it's pretty good. If you want the cookies flatter and less cake like, remove the baking soda. My bf also made some wonderful chocolate meringues--just egg whites, unsweetened cocoa powder and sweetner (we used splenda again) and then he threw in some pecans for extra goodness. They're super airy, but do quite well for a quick chocolate fix.

As for me, I've had a slight headache sometimes on day 2 and 3--not much, but I notice it. It feels like a dehydration headache to me. I'm drinking tons of water, but I know phase 1 is also a pretty strong diuretic. I'm already down near 3 lbs, and although I know the vast majority of it is water weight, I'm still thrilled (and it feels good not to feel so bloated)! I totally agree that the positive reinforcement in the first two weeks from the high rate of weight loss, even most of the weight loss is water weight, is a great thing! But other than that, I'm feeling pretty darn good. Not tired or crabby or anything and I thought I might be that for the first few days. I feel totally satisfied and not hungry at all, which is also a surprise for me. I guess a lot of the carbs I'd been eating beforehand were mostly fruit so the "detox" isn't as drastic as if I'd been eating bread and cookies.

SouthernJudy, I also plan to check in on a daily basis, give you the goods on how I'm doing, good and bad. I also plan on this to help with accountability, and support me through supporting each other on this journey. I know we can do it!!!


Flourless peanut butter cookies: 1 cup peanut butter (I used Jiff), 1 egg, 3/4 sugar substitute equivalent (for me that's 18 splenda packets), 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda. Bake for 10 mins at 350 degrees. I prefer to use parchment paper--the cookies peel off with no mess. Makes approx. 18 cookies. I need to try it with natural peanut butter as well, that may require more splenda as I think the Jiff has some sweetening already in it. If you want the cookies flatter and less cake like, remove the baking soda. As for nutritional info, it's 89 calories per cookie (if you make 18 cookies like I did), 7 grams fat, 3 carbs and 3 protein. I think 1 cookie is the equivalent of 1 tsp peanut butter for your daily nut allowance, so you shouldn't eat more than 2 a day.

yes, I've had those cookies too...love 'em! Thanks for reminding me about them...now I'm gonna have to make some! Not sure if that's good or bad :) he he

Opps sorry I messed up on the day I started the plan, I started on Monday so today is day three for me. Sorry about that.

Hi everyone,
This is my 2nd time starting Phase 1, also started on Monday. I love the lifestyle, but becuase of lack of exercise my last time around, I stopped losing, got frustrated, had a little of this and before I knew it, I was off the plan!

I am doing this again and sticking with it this time!

Going to look up the peanut butter cup recipe now.....

Welcome back Boo Boo!

I do find it difficult to get enough exercise in but I do the best that I can do. I have a puppy that I try to walk as often as possible and a new bike that I like to take to the lake nearby.

The peanut butter cup is AWESOME! But buy the regular peanut butter, the all natural and the reduced fat make for a funny texture and taste. The differences in the amounts of fat and carbs is not much and I have continued to lose lots of weight just using the regular peanut butter. (I eat one of the cups every night!)

By the way: How are all of you doing?

I have a hard time with the texture of the natural PB too. But since everyone says the regular PB is a no, no...I don't eat it. Maybe since it's such a small amount of PB it won't trigger any cravings or whatever. It's not like it's the worst thing I could do! lol

Did really well on plan yesterday. Made the chicken and taco seasoning recipe I found on here....oh YUM! Just what I needed...and hubs loved it too...only he put his on a tortilla...jerk! lol

Hey guys! Great job all! I am jumping back in too! South beach is my fave and most effective way to stay healthy and lose weight. I was gone for a while, and now I am back! I also restarted on monday, and I am feeling good! How are y'all doing?

Welcome Boo Boo -- glad to have you!

As for the great peanut butter debate, I agree with Jyoyo and Lindsay. I looked at the differences between Jiff and the natural stuff I get at Trader Joe's and the nutrition is very similar. Jiff has 1 more carb per 2 tbls and 1 less gram of fat (the sat fat is the same). Perhaps there are other non-natural brands that are a lot different, but I think Jiff is close enough for me. I know it is sweetened with sugar so perhaps if someone is really sensitive to cravings, it may not be a good idea. But I'm doing okay with it, so I'm sticking with Jiff when peanut butter is the main ingredient. I don't care for the natural stuff when you're mixing it with other things, like the peanut butter cup (I'm so going to the store right away to pick up fudgsicles to make one tonight!), but I like it on bread. So when we go to phase 2 I might opt for natural peanut or almond butter if I want a piece of toast with it.

Boo Boo -- I have the same issue with exercise. I find that when I exercise on a given day, I'm much more likely to eat better. I'm not sure if this is just a mental thing where I'm saying, "oh heck no...I just murdered myself doing X, I'm so not interested in eating the piece of junk food now and undoing some/all of it" or it's partly a physical thing too. Like the endorphins released during exercise help calm food cravings too (I know it helps with mood swings and anxiety/depression for sure) and I just naturally am not as interested in the junky food and reach for the healthy food more easily. Since I've come to realize how much exercise, like healthy food, can really affect my mood, I've started looking at exercise as a sort of drug --- something that must be done everyday like taking an anti-biotic. I'm not perfect with keeping with it, but this shift in perspective has helped me to stick with it more rather than rationalize away not doing it when I'm not feeling it---that and the thought that I remind myself, especially when I'm really not feeling like exercise, that I never regret the exercise afterwards, I only feel good, and that helps to motivate me to get the energy to start on those hard days.

As for exercise, I've too been thinking about this. Right now, I'm walking the dog in the morning for 2 miles -- only 35 mins or so, though I get a little bit of a sweat going. I'd learned this from a sports med doc -- to exercise for 30 mins or so first thing in the morning and wait on breakfast for 30 mins afterwards. The key is the exercise has to be cardio and in the less strenous "fat burning zone" (I think it's 60-70% max heart rate which is something like 117-138 for me). The idea is that you haven't eaten anything, so you no/little blood sugar from food and you're able to burn fat right off the bat instead of having to burn through your food first before reaching the fat. Apparently, if you exercise more strenuously (in the "cardio zone" or higher) or longer than 30 mins or so, it actually works against you because your body will start to break down muscle instead of fat to supply the energy for your exercise (this only applies when exercising first thing in the morning--after you've eaten later in the day, you're best off to push it as hard as you can to burn the max amount of calories period). But keeping it in the lower zone allows your liver to breakdown fat. I'm sure there is a better explanation out there, but I think that's the gist.

As for my exercise, aside from the dog walking, I'd been doing Bikram yoga, which I love but really kicks my behind. But I didn't want to do it the first few days of Phase 1 because I wasn't sure if I'd been able to handle it -- I wanted to give my body a little time to adjust in case the beginning of Phase 1 hit me hard. I've felt fine so far, so perhaps this precaution wasn't necessary for me after all --- oh well. I plan to go back to my first class tomorrow, at which point it will be a week since my last class. That much time in between means my first class back will probably be brutal -- not looking forward to that. Also, I'm hoping to add some lifting into my routine soon--perhaps the first week of phase 2 I'll join the bf in the free weight room and lift with him. He really knows what he's doing, so that helps me a lot.

As a random aside, I had the Moroccan chicken again yesterday and it's amazing. Oftentimes, I get so bored with chicken breast, but this recipe is a real keeper. Not sure if it's in the original book or web pages, but I got it from the supercharged version. If anyone wants the recipe, I'll definitely share it. The spice mixture is just sooo yummy and makes boring chicken really tasty.

Sounds like I'll have to try the Moroccan chicken. I have the supercharged book, so I'll have to look it up. I'm like you Lindsey, I get bored with the same old chicken....plus, it's hard for me to eat re-heated chicken unless it has lots of flavor. I can't stand the taste of plain old reheated chicked....makes me want to vomit...lol sorry

About the exercise thing...thanks for the workout in the morning tip! I had never heard that before...about the body breaking down fat and blah, de, blah. Just one more reason for me to get up early...ugh! Same here though, I feel so much better when I exercise and I'm much more inclined to eat healthier when I've exercise :)

I need to break out my Jillian Michael 30-day shred...I love/hate doing it!! lol Then once I'm on to Phase 2 maybe I'll start up my Insanity routine again...ugh...just the thought of that makes me sweat!

Checking in
 

Hi everyone , well I got thru day four so far, lol

It's funny how I have noticed already that I have a little more energy than normal. I guess all that sugar slows ya down. I'm glad to see y'all are doing good too.

Hi Lindsey,

Thank you for all of your insight and tips...

I can totally relate to the first paragraph above. You have given me good food for thought as well.

Tip from the sports med doc has motivated me to do what I have been planning for my mornings, however, after Phase 1 is over. I have read exercise is discouraged during Phase 1.

Can someone point me in the direction of the Moroccan chicken recipe, can't find it. I made the Baked Chicken Pesto the other night, it was great and used the leftover in a great veggie salad last night.

Thanks again. Have a great day!

Here's the Moroccan chicken recipe:

Prep time: 20 mins; cook time: 25

Ingredients:
4 (6 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 lemon
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3/4 summer squash, thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup pitted green olives
2 Tbls water
2 Tbls chopped parsley

Directions: Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch think. In a small bowl, mix together cumin, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, allspice, salt and cayenne. Finely grate zest from lemon into spice mixture Squeeze 1 Tablespoon juice from lemon and add to spice mixture. Add 3 teaspoons (=1 Tablespoon) of the oil to the spice mixture and stir to combine. Spread mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning until blackened on the outside and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add reserved onion slices and cook, stirring constantly with wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits, 3 minutes. Add squash, olives and 2 Tablespoons water. Season lightly with additional salt and pepper; stir well Cover and cook until squash is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Squeeze a little more lemon juice over chicken and vegetables, sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition: per serving, 264 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 41 g protein, 6 gram carb, 2 g fiber, 314 mg sodium.

Personally, I don't care for olives, so I omitted those and I thought it was great. Also, note that the oil is in teaspoons, not tablespoons. When I saw 3 teaspoons, I misread it and thought it was tablespoons because you never see 3 teaspoons, but rather 1 Tablespoon. I see that they did because there is a total of 4 teaspoons of oil used, 3 in one part and 1 in another. I screwed this up the first time with too much oil.

I also find that I double the spice mixture because I didn't think there was enough of it as written. With double the mixture, you can fully coat all the chicken breasts.

I just saw this thread. Hope you don't mind if I join a little late. I started this Monday. I had did SB last year and dropped 10lbs in a month and then it was Christmas and I gained it all back and then some. I really liked it when I did it and never felt deprived.

I was always slim when I was growing up. Before my 30th birthday I found out that I had an underactive thyroid which explains why I gained 20 lbs since I had gotten married (my eating and exercise habits hadn't changed that much). It makes it hard for me to lose weight but I think SB will do it for me. I do Zumba once a week and yoga twice. I wish I could do Zumba more often but right now I cannot make it to the other classes.

The Moroccan Chicken looks yummy. I'll have to try it.

My goal is 118 lbs. I am 142 right now. Mini goal is to get under 140.

Looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Hi Ladies (and welcome to Mescelestus)! How is everyone doing?

So, day 5 and still going strong. I too, Judy, am starting to notice a change in energy levels. I'm not sure if it's I feel that I have more energy exactly, but I feel like it's consistent. I'm not having any of the lows or feeling sluggish, especially in mid/late afternoon which used to be the most challenging time of the day for me. Now, I'm just chugging along and feeling really good. I feel really clear headed and better able to focus. I never would have guessed changing my diet would have such an effect, but it really does.

OMG--I tried the peanut butter cup last night and it blew my mind. It was incredibly decadent. I can't believe that would be allowed on any diet plan. It's so yummy!!! It's like my brain knows all the ingredients and how they're all okay on SB, but the combination is just so good, that it's hard to believe. So thank you so much for that. I'll be having that as my dessert option often!

I'm down 3.5 lbs..woohoo!!! I know 95% of it's water weight, but it's still exciting to see the numbers go down, especially because I feel so good and am not hungry or feeling deprived at all.

How is everyone else doing? I'd love to hear it.

Welcome redautumn! Glad to have you.

If you have an underactive thyroid, are you on medication to help that? If not, I thought that may help with the weight loss. I had an ex that didn't have a thyroid (had thyroid cancer when he was younger) and adjusting his thyroid medication always had big effects like that. He'd start putting on weight mysteriously, and yep, the medication was too low. His doc would adjust it and the weight would come off pretty easily. So I thought such a thing may apply to you too. Either way, welcome and we're glad to have you on this journey with us!

I know Lindsey...doesn't that PB cup seem totally sinful!!! lol

I'm down 3.5 since Monday...hoping to hang onto that over the weekend. I did indulge in one glass of white wine last night....sigh. Oh well. I'm also feeling more energy and less sluggish. I was actually 45 minutes early for work today because I woke up early and didn't even feel the need to sleep more...which is VERY unusual for me :)

I even took a 30 minute walk at lunch break today...go me!!! I gotta get off my butt and get movin' more. I really need to do the morning exercise thing too...hopefully that'll help burn more of this fat off my tooshy ;)

Thanks for the welcome Lindsey!

I am on medication right now. They discovered back in March that my dose was too low and needed to be adjusted. Right now we are trying to find the right dose. Since they have increased it I have felt so much better. It explained a lot of what was going on. I have also not gained any weight but haven't lost any either since March. I hope eating healthier and keeping up my exercising will do the trick. I notice I feel better and more energetic when I do exercise.

redautumn, I am 5' 3" also and went from 140" January of '08 to 115# by May of '08 and have been able to maintain my loss over 2 years now. SB is the only way of eating that I have been able to get that low and maintain without feeling like I'm on a "diet". I love SB! :)

Anne~That is encouraging! I hope I can stick with it.

I have been looking into different breakfast options. I am getting tired of eggs. I usually save my leftovers from supper for my lunch the next day. The lunch today will probably be salad since we went out for supper last night. I had a really good taco salad. I don't ever eat the shell.

Chicken tonight but not sure what recipe I will use. Usually it ends up being Parmesan Chicken but I need to try something different. I think my family wants something different. I may have to try the Moroccan Chicken recipe.

Redautumn -- I do the dinner, next day's lunch thing too (you'll have to let me know how the Moroccan chicken goes over). My diet ends up not being as varied as the one in the books, but most of the time, I'm only cooking for one (just me and the bf, sometimes he eats the same dinner, but he's one of those folks with a naturally high metabolism and can eat anything he wants to). But I find it's a good balance to me because if I had to cook everyday, 3x a day, something that was new, I think I'd get really frustrated with all the effort.

Sorry I don't have any suggestions on the eggs. Plain eggs can get boring pretty quickly, so I usually end up having an omelette with low fat cheese and ham. Then I make up the vegetable hash from the book and have that four days with eggs as my breakfast most of the time. I've been eating broccoli like it's going out of style, so I think I need to mix up the veggies, though I am going to try the creamy broccoli soup that's in the supercharged book. I'll let you know how it goes...

Otherwise, feeling pretty good. No mad cravings or anything, though I'll definitely be looking forward to my first piece of whole fruit in 9 days. I think that's the thing I miss the most---I'm a huge fruit fan. I have some lovely nectarines that I bought before deciding to do the beach, and they're perfectly ripe right now but there is no way they're going to last until I'm allowed to eat them. Meh...

Jyoyo, I too need to really get my tush into an exercise routine. Aside from the dog walks, not much else going on thus far. Baby steps, but I look forward to the time when the food will be more second nature so I can start focusing on a good exercise regime next. I really need to get back to Bikram--perhaps tomorrow!

Okay, the bf and I are off to the store to go and buy some Halloween decorations. After Christmas, it's my favorite holiday to decorate for.

Hi everyone! I'm new to the site, but am hoping that this will be my saving grace this time around with my diet!

I've done SB in the past and have really great success with it, but life got a bit difficult in the past year and I really let myself go (gaining 20 lbs in a year!) I'm starting Ph. 1 tomorrow and am really motivated, but just need some support. I think we all know how hard it is :/

Part of my struggle is that I have to eat out for the most part. I'm out and about most of the day, so I can't take anything substantial with me (no refrigeration during the day). Also, I don't get home until 9:30 or later, so unless I eat something out earlier for dinner, I'll be ravenous by the time I get home and eat whatever I can get my hands on.

My plan this time around is figure out a few places nearby where I can tailor salads to meet my Ph. 1 needs.

I'd really appreciate any help/suggestions from you girls! Any favorite salads/etc?

You can carry nuts and sandwich meats w/u.

Hi, I hope you don't mind if I reply here, also. I'm starting phase one today and absolutely determined to do it! I have been such a slacker. It's amazing how when you slack just one day, that paves the way for every other day! I lost 30 lbs on SBD at the beginning of the year and have gained almost 15 of that back. And I can sure tell! I feel awful. I've been trying to get started again for while, but have fallen off the wagon. So, today is day one:)

Welcome both lavcalla and lyssas! Absolutely, you should both join us! The more support, the better. I can totally relate with losing weight and gaining it back. I think we've all been there---I know I have. I gained over 30 lbs last year when life got rough, so lavcalla, I can totally relate.

One of the things that helped me was changing my perspective. After this recent weight gain, I came to realize how much I had been using food as a coping mechanism. And strangely, how much the mental aspect of being thin really affected me. I know it may sound counter-intuitive, but I realized that I had some unresolved fears about being thinner. When I lost the 30 lbs 2 years ago, I was conflicted. On one hand, I loved fitting into my clothes again and getting compliments from friends and family, but I realized it also scared me too. I was getting a lot more attention from men and it sort of freaked me out. I think that contributed to the weight gain far more than I realized---I felt much "safer" fatter---kind of crazy, huh? My doctor suggested a book that dealt with some of the psychological aspects of dieting and losing weight and it was really eye-opening for me. It's called Diets Don't Work (by Bob Schwartz), and I highly recommend it to anyone that may want to look at some of these issues within themselves as well.

I saw some of the childhood eating patterns and my own fears that led to a lot of my self-sabotage. Looking back on it, I think it had far less to do with lack of will power, than these other hidden enemies within myself that I was totally unaware of. Just something to think about for those that like to read up on such things.

Lavcalla -- do you have any ability to bring a small cooler with you (perhaps store it in your office or your car if you're traveling a lot)? Then you could take some refridgerated-needed items in that. Put some cold packs in it, and you can carry your cheese, coldcuts, etc. with you so you have snacks on hand as necessary. And eating out salads can probably work well, especially if you can have chicken added to them. Just get the dressing on the side and opt for things like vinaigrettes, and I bet you can be pretty south beach friendly.

As for me, going pretty good. I cheated a little yesterday, but not too badly I think. I was at a music festival all day (the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco). I packed a lot of SB-friendly fare, though I did have a couple handfulls of kettle corn and two bites of someone's brownie. Considering the vast majority of the time, I opted for my shrimp, tomatoes or asparagus (and was even able to get a steamed artichoke from one of the food vendors), I'm considering the whole day a success even if not perfect.

That's another thing I struggle with -- the perfection thing. I cheat a little, and in the past, I'd turn those two bites of a brownie into a whole wasted day, figuring if I couldn't be perfect may as well just cheat the whole day. I'm proud that I resisted that temptation and just was able to stay on track for the rest of the day. Every once in a while, you'll take a step backwards or sideways, but I'm not letting those missteps throw off my whole new SB outlook anymore. That is a small victory in and off itself for me!

As for the weight, it's been pretty consistent at 195 for the last few days. I'm going to throw in some serious exercise this week (Bikram today!!) and see if that further fuels some weight loss. I feel like I'm generally doing pretty good with the food, so putting a real exercise regime together is my next goal.

Did well eating on plan all weekend....Kudos to me!! I did have a small cheat at grandma's house yesterday. I had a small piece of this pudding pie stuff she made...was like 4 bites total...so good!! But SO not SB friendly ;o)

I weighed in this morning...down 5.6 lbs from last Monday! Woot, woot!

Had a dream on Saturday night that I was stressing out about having a piece of chocolate and feeling all guilty, thinking if I had that one piece of chocolate it would lead to 2 pieces of chocolate...then lead to the whole day of eating Off Plan...lol Don't ya love it when you can't even get away from food guilt in your dreams!! lol ha ha PS...I did NOT eat the chocolate in my dream ;)

Thanks for the book recommendation...I'll have to check that one out. I've heard from others that the Beck Diet Solution is also a good one...haven't read it myself though.

Have a great Monday everyone!!

Yahoo! i did good the first week i'm down 4lbs. Now marching on into week two phase one. I'm having a hard time getting enough protein so need to work on that and drinking more water. Glad to see you all are doing great too. We can do it ladies.:cheer2:

Jyoyo---5.5 lbs. That's fantastic! And Judy, 4 lbs --- also awesome! Congrats to you both! I'm only down 3.5 lbs, which has been holding steady for the past 3 days, so hopefully a little more will be peeling off soon. Hopefully your great results can be inspiration to the newcomers that are just starting today.

One more week until the return of fruit---yippee!!!

Bummer, it looks like we've lost a lot of folks. I'm hoping that they're still with us, just been quiet or too busy to post.

As for me, I seem to be stuck at 195. So frustrating---I've been here for almost a week now, fluctuating in the 195s. Eating has been pretty good for me, though not that terribly varied --- lots of broccoli and asparagus. I did have a little icing last night while decorating a haunted cookie house (pretty much a gingerbread house but for Halloween and made out of more chocolate-like cookies than gingerbread). But it had to have been a pretty small amount overall---no more than a tablespoon or two.

I haven't really been exercising aside from some walks with the dog and I know I need to do that. It's so strange because I know I need to do it, yet haven't quite brought myself to really jump in. I'm so frustrated with myself but can't quite figure out the stumbling block I'm caught up on. At least, I'm keeping good with the eating, so I'm happy with that.

Judy -- I bet you when you up the protein, you'll find that the water comes naturally. I haven't been struggling with drinking water at all. It seems that with meat, veggies and good fats being the diet, I'm just naturally thirsty and water seems great.

Anyway, happy Wednesday everyone and if there are any silent SBers out there, drop in and tell us how you're doing. The more, the merrier!

Hi Ladies!

I have been busy lately. I have had and do have something going on every night and day this week, except for Friday. I have Zumba tonight. This is the last class she is doing on Wednesdays so I will have to switch it to Monday nights. I also have Church Choir tonight. I just started that and really like it. Tomorrow I have my first parent teacher conference. I hope we have a good report on dd. Sometimes I feel like I am running nonstop.

My eating wasn't too good this weekend so I plan to do a couple extra days on Phase 1. I am excited about adding fruit back into my diet. Not until nextTuesday. I have already decided on strawberry smoothies (SB friendly)! I can hardly wait! The scale finally budged a pound. But that is it. I won't weigh again until Sunday morning.

For the last three days I have limited myself to one caffeine free diet coke a day. Last night I didn't even drink it all. I have been drinking lots of water instead. I just keep reminding myself baby steps. I will get there.

Keep your head up Lindsey...eventually the scale will move. Haven't you only been doing SB for a little over a week? Just stick to it girl! That's what I'm gonna do cause I know it works. It's always ME that doesn't work...lol

And I'm the same as you. I KNOW I need to start exercising...so what's my problem!! I'm just simply being lazy. I've only exercised twice this month...and I told myself I would do something at least 20 minutes a day...I have some making up to do. lol

MMMMM.....a strawberry smoothie sound delish :)

Hey all, I'd like to join in if that's OK. I also started on Sept. 27.

I don't consider myself too big but poor eating habits and minimal exercise have me at my all-time heaviest (132). My BMI was just on the cusp of being overweight for my height so I figured it was time for a change.

My fiance and I did South Beach just over one year ago and both lost weight. He lost almost 20 pounds and I lost 9. After a while we went away from it. He was lucky to keep more than half of it off while I gained it all back (plus a couple pounds).

What really got me back on South Beach was realizing I had to put on a bathing suit at the end of November. Not only that, but I'll be surrounded by fit athletes in bathing suits. This time around I'm trying to view it more as a lifestyle change than a diet.

So far I've lost 2.4 pounds. I'm positive about that number so far since I really don't have THAT much to lose.

Welcome, Kate---yes definitely join us. I think it's great that you only have 15 lbs or so to lose---I'd love to be in that position (mine is closer to 40-50--and I have no idea how it got so high! I blame it partly on my height as I didn't realize I'd gained THAT much weight).

Thanks for the words of encouragement, ladies. Still no change for me---hanging out at 195.2. Arghhh! I'm looking at is a genuine weightloss rather than just water weight as it undoubtably was in the beginning, or at least that's the story I'm sticking with!

I finally did get some exercise yesterday -- walked 5.6 miles -- and I plan to repeat that again tonight with the dog. Not quite where I want to get with a heart thumping, big ol' sweaty workout. But baby steps...and hopefully the scale will start to change a little bit. But I'll keep with it!

Hi Ladies!

I really need to get to the grocery store and get some SB legal food. I was reading a book on some of the different Low Carb diets out there. I know SBD works for me. I lost 10 pounds a year ago, so I know I can do it again. There is no Zumba next week since the instructor is in Jamiaca so I need to find something else to do. It is nice here today so I thought I a might go for a long walk or bike ride.

Tonight is an annual chili supper with a cake walk. Cake walk is a bad thing because my dd loves to do it and then usually picks out the cupcakes. I think she can eat one and the rest has to go. My nephew's birthday party is tomorrow so I need to stay away from the pizza and cake. I plan to eat a big salad before we go. I really need to go to the store to get some lettuce. This has been a busy week and now I get to start the busy weekend.

Hi Ladies,

1 more day to go on phase 1---so excited. I went to the store and bought nectarines and cantaloupes---I can't wait to bite into one on Mon. And then the bf had butternut squash ravioli in sage brown sugar beurre blance sauce and I was just dying. Not so much cravings, but will be so happy to reintroduce certain things in small doses, like the fruit. I'm pretty sick of broccoli and asparagus now. I still like them, but am looking forward to a little more variety from the fruit sector.

Still holding strong at 195.2---it's been a week now and never dipped below that. I'll be so thrilled to see the numbers start to slide downward again. With the inclusion of fruit again, I think I'll be able to tackle some more serious (and consistent) exercise again.

I hope you're all having a great weekend and here's to phase 2 (almost)!!!!