Welcome Mindy & O2B!!

02B - South Beach has been so great at controlling my health problems. In March of last year, I was 214 pounds. My doctor put me on a diuretic in addition to the ACE inhibitor and Beta blocker I was already on for my blood pressure. My cholesterol was high and she gave me three months to lower it or else go on cholesterol drugs. I'm only 42. I didn't want to take any more medicine. The diuretic helped me get down to 197 and then I started on South Beach. I've been losing at a gradual pace. You can tell from my signature. Some months I stall, some I lose slowly but I am getting there.

My cholesterol is now great. It started at 246 and was 171 at my last checkup. My trigycerides are great. My good cholesterol is up at the proper level and the bad had decreased to the proper levels. My doc retested it in January to see if the holidays would cause a problem. They didn't.

As for my blood pressure, it was high when she put me on the diuretic. That brought it to a controlled level but as I lost weight, she gradually reduced dosages and then eliminated medicines altogether. The beta blocker was actually causing me problems because it was lowering my heart rate too low(42). Right now I am on a half dosage of lisinopril. My doctor indicated she will probably take me totally off it at my next visit. My pressure now run around 100-120 over 60-70 all the time.

It is very important as you lose weight to work with your doctor. Monitor your own blood pressure daily. Visit the doctor regularly if you are on medicine so the dosage can be reduced as needed.

I really enjoy the variety of food that you can eat on South Beach. I eat vegetables now in ways I never would have imagine. I use lots of garlic and ginger and soy sauce (low sodium). The cookbook has great recipes and so do the forums here. My son now eats more vegetables than he ever used to. I've been on phase 2 for quite awhile and I eat lots of fruit and several starches a day. The only thing I really have to watch is the whole wheat pasta. I can eat it just fine but I have to watch my portion size - and I include lots of veggies with my pasta. If you stick with South Beach, I'm sure you will be as successful as I have been.

Thanks for posting your story again, Barb. You are AMAZING, and such an inspiration! :hat:

Thanks for the warm welcome! I am looking forward to starting this new way of eating. I won't call it a diet. I am open to any and all tips. And Barb? Where are you? I want to hear your success story!!! I am getting myself ready. Trying to get the motivation flowing. I decided to wait till Monday to start this. Easter eveyone is coming over and well, you know the story. Just figured Monday sounded great. Fresh week, fresh start.
Thanks!
Kim

Ummm... Kim? Look two posts above your last. There's Barb's success story. :rofl:

Hey Ya'll!!!!

Betcha thought I got lost huh! Well, I didn't, I think Barb reached through her computer and gave me whatever it was she had when she was sick for a couple of weeks!! Thanks BARB :lol: I have been out of touch for a couple weeks now and I have gained back 5 pounds. So I figured I better get back on the Fat Chicks Wagon before I'm too large to fit on it :lol:

Well, better jet for now - alot to do between now and 5:00pm

Missed ya'll - it's good to be back

Sorry about that. For some reason it didn't show up! I had been watching for it.
I don't know what happened.
Anyway, Thanks Barb for sharing that. I am looking forward to getting healthy and getting off the meds too. I hate taking them. That was quite an inspiration. Keep up the great work cause it sure is paying off.
I went today and got all my food to start on the SBD Monday. I am ready and motivated. Barbs story helped.
The friend that I thought was going to do the diet said she wasn't going to. Said the doctor wouldn't like it. And she needed to find a balanced diet. WHATEVER! Anyway, my next door neighbor said she wanted to do it. We are going to start walking together too. YEA!
Again, Barb thanks for sharing. That is awesome!!!!
Kim

O2b said...The friend that I thought was going to do the diet said she wasn't going to. Said the doctor wouldn't like it. And she needed to find a balanced diet. WHATEVER!

Yeah you are right on that one WHATEVER! People wear me out! If her doc does not think this is balanced either he has not looked at it or he is a QUACK! lol Glad you found someone else and a walkin partner to boot!

Bamiegurl Yep, it ticked me off. She said those things WITHOUT even asking her doctor. She said there is too much fat. He would never go for it. I don't know where she got that info. I tried to explain that this program teaches you to eat the RIGHT fat! WE need fat, but the good ones. Same with carbs. I personally think her doctor would be happy with anything reasonable that would allow her to lose weight. I begged her to ask, but oh well. I figure that when me and my neighbor (she is a friend of hers too) lose weight and she sees us in a few months she will wish to heavens that she had done it too. I can't wait!! 8-) I love her to death, but what she said was just so silly!
Anyway, Like I said..........WHATEVER!!!!! I have to focus on me!

o2bskinny...You Go Girl! That's the spirit!

o2b, I've found that if people don't really want to diet, they find lots of reasons why a plan won't work for them. ;)

SBD was actually recommended to me by my doctor, who said it was healthy and safe. I've seen a nutritionist as well who also verified what I'm doing as safe and healthy. I do feel this is the best I've eaten in my life since I was a baby! :D

Thanks Bamiegurl! She will see!!!
And Laurie, thanks for sharing that. I just don't see an UNhealthy side to it. AT ALL.
She will be so jealous!! HEHE!

:wave: Welcome!

Hi,
My name is Lisa. I began South Beaching it 4 weeks ago. I'd gotten on the scale and saw how much I weighed and nearly fainted. You see, I am now 41 and became widowed 3 yrs ago at age 38, my husband was 39. I think I just stopped caring about what I looked like since I don't have a husband anymore. (plus I have 3 children and it became to easy to feed us all fast food for awhile.) In the last three years, I have developed some health problems (heart palps, headaches,depression,tendonitis of the elbow and recently a tumor (non cancerous) on my ovary) I went to a seminar by Joan Borysenko who spoke of SB highly. So far so good and I have been the same weight now for over a week, which is a teensy bit frustrating. I am really awful about drinking the water...mostly because I teach and do not have an assistant in my classroom to allow me to run to the bathroom!
The warmer weather is finally coming (I hope!) and I do have a yellow lab who loves to take walks.

Thats about it....don't know what else to say.

Lisa

Welcome LisaBee! So sorry about your loss! We will be here to help you any way we can.