...even though I've lost weight. Hello to everyone! I started SBD in earnest on Jan. 16, though I dieted since Jan. 1 (had one **** of a binge on Dec. 31, then resolved to be good). I've lost between 16 and 20 pounds since then (not sure if my starting weight was actually 275 or 270, but 275 was my highest recent weight). Now, I'm at 253.5. Still can't fit in the trunk of a Maserati (no, I don't really want to), but I'm feeling very good.

But...I can't imagine that all this eating is productive in the long-term. The SBD book makes reference to short-term weight loss and all the testimonials are from people that needed to lose 30 pounds or so. I need to lose three times that.

I don't like a lot of the "add ins" on the diets. I like food plain-tasting (which explains my lifelong fondness for white rice and white potatoes). So, I'm eating what's on the menu, but ignoring things like vegetable juice, salad dressings and weird seasoning on chicken or fish. I'm also not doing any of the high-fat recipes in the book, although I did try the Almond Ricotta Creme and found it disturbingly delicious. Am I undermining the point of the diet by not including the fattier stuff or flavoring?

This is what I had yesterday:
I didn't eat breakfast, I had tea, because I was at a work event and they didn't have anything I could eat.

Lunch was a tossed salad with grilled chicken and sugar-free balsamic viniagrette (Walden Farms, calorie-free also. It rocks my planet). The salad had broccoli, cucumbers, mushrooms, celery, two types of lettuce and crumbled up 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese (just a little). I had a sugar-free Jell-O with a dollop of Cool Whip Free.

Snack was 25 or so Pistachios. They were salty and delicious.

Dinner (which I ate rather late, between 8 and 9 p.m.) was fish in a foil pocket, steamed asparagus and Surprise SB "Mashed Potatoes" (Surprise, it's still cauliflower!)

Then I ate the Almond Ricotta Creme, which I was prepared to hate and did not. But all that fat later at night seems bad to me.

Today, I've had breakfast -- Better'N Eggs omelet with mushrooms and two slices Canadian bacon (which I totally loved, thank you Canada). A midmorning cheese snack (I don't even like cheese, but these light strings are good). Lunch was a replica of yesterday's salad (I also don't require much variety). Dinner is as yet a mystery, but it will probably involve steamed zucchini and summer squash.

I guess I would just like a little input as to how free I can be to be me on this diet. I don't mind eating the foods on the list, but it's unlikely I'd even try many of those recipes. But I wonder, is there any trick to the combinations in one day? Can I have nuts in the same day I plan to down a bunch of reduced-fat ricotta? How can Suprise Potatoes servings have 6 grams of fat when everything in it's fat-free? My days are consumed by food questions. They always have been, but the questions were more like, Should I have a big bowl of ice cream or just get a spoon and the carton?

Thanks to anyone who read my post this far. I did try to make it entertaining for you, in hopes of responses. Now, I have to get back to work.

Hey SunLit,

I started on the 17th so we should be SB buddies together! I'm like you cause I'm avoiding the high calorie recipes in the book. I've been noticing that I've been having more energy and it's easier to keep my abs "engaged" constantly... I think according to the book you can have any combination of the foods as long as you don't go out of control?
I think the key with south beach is that it gets you into a healthy eating lifestyle... the first 2 weeks I think are water weight and just an initial couple of pounds I think... I've tried Atkins before and what I liked about South Beach was that they DO let you have healthy carbs (eventually) and there's an emphasis on lean meats and low fat cheeses...
I don't think I answered ANY of your questions but it's nice to chat with a fellow south beacher...

Sarah

Hi Sunlit!

I am far from an expert or anything but I do have a couple of things I'd like to say to you.

1st of all, congrats on the weight loss!!!!

2nd, you have got to eat breakfast - everyday! One high in protein - it gives you energy to start your day and keeps you from binging later on.

I've discovered that the most important about this way of eating is PREPARATION. Plan your meals ahead of time and get up early, if you have to. Don't set yourself up for failure.

Don't ever feel like you have to stuff yourself. When you're full stop, when you're feeling hungry eat (the approved foods of course!).

Eat your snacks!!!!

Are you exercising? We all know we should!

I want to see you do well and these are the lessons I've learned, so far. Maybe you already do all of these things or maybe you have to learn the hard way but good luck. I'm cheering for you.

I hope I helped at least a little bit!

The reason for the seasonings is that so people won't get bored with their foods. As long as you are happy with the way it tastes, that is all that matters. The seasonings don't really serve any purpose other than adding some variety. So long as you are eating enough veggies (and a variety of them), avoiding refined sugars and starches and other high GI foods, and drinking enough water, that should suffice, I would think.

Congratulations on your loss! That's very exciting!

I can answer your question on whether South Beach works for long term weight loss. I may not be at goal yet but I have lost over 70 pounds and kept it off for quite awhile. I started SB in May of 2004. My family prefers the food spiced up but there is no reason that you have to.

There are people here (Is Laurie around?) who have lost more than I have and kept it off for quite awhile.

Cool! I have no idea what Buddies are meant to do. Cheer one another on? Sounds good!

I also have more energy (it's busting into my heavy sitting schedule). I've been taking long walks at lunch (as far as I can get from my downtown Boston office and back in an hour) and doing an exercise video. It seems to help, although I almost passed out the first time I did the cardio workout. Instead of a cool-down, I had to take a lie-down.

Yeah, some of those recipes just seem abnormally high in fat. I know it's good fat, but I'm concerned I don't really need it.

Thanks for your reply!

Thank you for your kind words. I am exercising, I could do more, but I'm working up to it. I'm a cereal girl at heart, but I am trying to eat breakfasts of some sort of egg daily. I could also drink more water -- I like the flavored Nestle Splash drinks, sweetened with Splenda.

Thanks again for the response. And I quite like your glittery name thing.

Heather and Barbara -- I'm glad to hear that I'm not shorting anything but my taste buds with the no seasonings. I may come to enjoy some of them; for right now, I'm okay. I'm more concerned that I'm not following the diet correctly by avoiding high-fat (even good fat) dishes.

I'm also pleased that long-term weight loss is possible!

As long as you get enough calories and they are in a healthful distribution (not, for example, 75% from protein and the remainder split between fat and carbs), you should be fine. Your body does need some fat in your daily diet to function properly. When I take the time to track my eating on fitday.com, I try to aim for roughly 30% of calories from each fat and carbs, and roughly 40% from protein (give or take a bit). Which recipes seem high in fat to you? I'm just curious, as I can't think of any off hand - maybe they were ones that didn't interest me or that I haven't seen yet.

I guess I just consider any dish with more than 12 grams of fat to be high in fat. I saw at least one recipe with over 30 grams of fat. Without the book in front of me, though, it's hard to recall which one. It seemed excessive to me.