South Beach Dieters Group Meet Here!

[dbmiller1956]

Yes, we are just beginning Phase 1. Up until my husband went for his followup checkup after his last heart cath, the doctor didn't want him doing anything drastic. So, we started on Monday and I must say I am finding it extremely difficult. I have always been a HUGE pasta and bread eater and to give up completely is really hard. I got a copy of the phases off of the internet so I know what to eat and what not to eat. The funny thing was I didn't realize some of the things I thought had carbs were relatively low. My hardest time of the day appears to be late afternoon. I am at work and usually get a craving for something. In the past I would eat a granola bar or oatmeal bar...oops..that is now out. So any help with snacks would be greatly appreciated.

As for exercise, that is not an issue at this time. I have been walking on a treadmill since January and purchased a Gazelle for dh and I to start using several weeks ago. I am currently using it 4 times a week for about 45 minutes. I find that it is very relaxing.

I definitely will take any encouraging words or advice to get through the rough times. I am hoping to avoid any type of surgery to help with the loss. My gf had gastric by-pass surgery last October and has lost 100 lbs, but I don't want to have to resort to something like that. I am 5'6" and currently weigh 235. (I would like to get to 175.) The funny thing is that when I tell people I weigh that much they are shocked, I don't appear that heavy.

So, am glad I found this board so thanks for the words...

Deena

[WeirdEyes]

Deena, there are so many great snacks that you can have on Phase 1. My favorite is the Ricotta Creme. Very filling. You can also have nuts, string cheese, etc. Any type of low-fat protein is great! Remember, you only have to stay away from the carbs for 14 days. Surely, you can do that. ;) Good luck and great job on the exercise!

[patti2297]

Deena - Hang in there! Phase I is hard in the beginning, but once you get to phase II you get to broaden what you eat a bit more. My favorite snack in both phase I and phase II are the pistacio nuts. You can have 30 of these (once a day). I think since you have to take the time to get the nut out of the shell, the snack lasts much longer. Myself, I didn't care for the ricotta cream. Once you get to phase II, the Southbeach cereal bars are good and similar to your granola bar you use to have. Pasta & bread won't be banished forever, though you may not be able to have it as often. For phase II you can have whole wheat pasta & whole wheat breads.

Sheila - Are you getting your water in? I know if I slack off on that, I always feel a bit bloated the next day. Weird no, drink water to not retain water.

Tami - What is an elliptical machine and what does it do? I don't mind the treadmill once i get into a routine. I am very routine oriented. Mine is loud too, as it was a cheapie purchased at Wal-Mart, but I am home by myself when I use it normally and so I just crank up the TV. Been watching those stupid court TV shows while i work out, and the time passes by real quick.

The book says we can have air popped popcorn, but I do not have an air popper. I bought some popcorn in the jar and have tried making it on the stove using 1 tablespoon of olive oil, but the popcorn is coming out tough so I don't know what the problem is. I think i could tolerate it this way without any butter, etc., if it just was not tough. Anyone good at making popcorn without using the microwave kind, which I have read are a no-no because of trans. fat?

Patti

[WeirdEyes]

Patti ~ Yes, I drink TONS of water! I have a water cooler right in front of my desk at work...it is spring mountain water and so good. I keep my glass full all day. :D

[ColoradoJuli]

Hey All ~

Took a break yesterday from the boards and you all fill up two pages!;)

Deanna ~ Welcome to our little group. You will find great support here. I would suggest going ahead and buying the SB book. It can give you all sorts of helpful hints and snack ideas. I also have the SB cookbook, but then I am a cookbook addict. I think it is so cool that your Dr put you on SB. It just helps me to know that I made the right decision.

Shelia ~ Lucky girl! No more TOM. My is SO irregular with menopause coming on. I never know what is going to happen. Drives me nuts. I just hope it doesn't show up while I am in Jamaica.

I am going to make this short. My neighbors on both sides of me are using electric saws and hammering today and wouldn't you know it, I have a headache!:eek:

I did make my final payment for my Jamaica trip today. I am so excited. Can't wait to lay on the sandy beach and be waited on hand and foot!

[patti2297]

Juli - I am a medical transcriptionist and the reason I decided to try South Beach because I have repeatedly transcripted reports where the doctor recommended to the patient South Beach. I figured it had to be good, if so many are recommending it.

Sheila - What about salt? Could you be eating anything that is higher in sodium? I haven't had my TOM since right before my cruise in October. I have noticed one thing, I am losing soooo slow and that is driving me nuts. I am hoping to have lost on Monday when I weigh since I have started using the treadmill. I am also hungrier now that I am using the treadmill.

Patti

[01 Cobra]

[quote name='WeirdEyes']

Ann, are you feeling any lighter today?
[/QUOTE]

Shelia,
I haven't weighed myself again yet but I do feel less bloated and a little lighter. I did do a 30 min Tae Bo video tape this morning before work and I have drank at least 6-8oz glasses of water today. I actually feel a little less stressed today and I have more energy. :) Amazing what a little exercise and an improved attitude can do!!
Thanks for asking.
Ann

[01 Cobra]

[quote name='patti2297']
The book says we can have air popped popcorn, but I do not have an air popper. I bought some popcorn in the jar and have tried making it on the stove using 1 tablespoon of olive oil, but the popcorn is coming out tough so I don't know what the problem is. I think i could tolerate it this way without any butter, etc., if it just was not tough. Anyone good at making popcorn without using the microwave kind, which I have read are a no-no because of trans. fat?

Patti[/QUOTE]

Hi Patti,
I'm no pop corn popping expert ;) but I remember when I was little and my nana made popcorn...she would get out one of her huge stew pots and pour a couple tablespoons of oil in the bottom and then put in just enough kernals to cover the bottom of the pot. She would stand there and let it get HOT and as soon as the first kernal popped she would begin to shake the pot back and forth over the heat for a few seconds at a time until it was all popped. I remember it being soooo good. But then, my nana made it!!


Be Back soon.
Ann

[WeirdEyes]

Good morning. I'm bummed again today. I checked my calendar and I've only lost two pounds during March. This is getting very old. I sometimes wonder what is the point of it all if I can't lose any weight. I haven't hardly lost any inches either. Y'all will just have to excuse me because I get down like this sometimes regarding my weight.

Patti, I don't eat hardly any processed foods, TV dinners, or add salt to anything so it is probably not salt.

Juli, I had a partial hysterectomy when I was 27. Haven't had TOM since. I love it! However, 6 years ago I had the ovaries out and that's when everything started changing as far as my body goes. That's one reason why I lose so slowly. I hope your headache gets better soon.

Ann, I'm glad you are feeling lighter. It really makes a difference. ;)

[patti2297]

Sheila - I feel your pain! In 4 weeks on SB, I have lost 6 pounds. I only lost 5-1/2 pounds on phase 1, when the books says 8-13. The 2 weeks I have been on phase 2, I have lost a whole 1/2 pound. However, in my case - I am hoping it is because I have been sitting on my butt too much with not enough exercise. It is extremely frustrating and I know exactly how you feel, but don't give up! Maybe others here have more positive suggestions. I don't remember, are you fairly close to your target?

Ann - Thanks for the popcorn tip. Hubby said you had to let the oil get really hot first before putting in the pocorn, so that is what I did last time. I will do your suggestion next time I attempt popcorn. I read in another forum that you can get plain small paper bags and put so much popcorn in them, close them, and microwave for 2 minutes. I think I will try that as well. Less of a mess, and no oil!

I feel good about exercising everyday this week. My capris that I had tried on last week and definitely felt too tight to wear are wearable this week. However, down side is, I am hungrier at snack time and do not want to stop with 15 cashews/almonds.

Use to enjoy an occasional trip to our local chinese restaurant that has an awesome buffet prior to beginning this WOE, and I miss that. Wondering if I went and ate only veggies, chicken & beef dishes, as well as the seafood how bad it would hurt me. I am sure the sauces they are cooked in is bad though. :mad: We did go to Ruby Tuesday for dinner last Thursday, and I had looked forward to it all day. Knew exactly what I was going to get (Sirloin/brocolli/sauteed mushrooms with salad, of course), and soooo looked forward to it. It tasted just like another diet meal! Drooling over thoughts of the food on cruise. :D

[WeirdEyes]

Patti ~ Thank you! I have approximately 15 more lbs to lose....maybe more. I really don't know until I get there. Depends on how I look and feel. I've been on SB for over 2 years now so maybe it is time for me to find something else to "shake things up." I don't know. :rolleyes:

[patti2297]

Sheila - Think of your success! How much have you lost with this WOE? Maybe for these last 15 pounds, you just need to increase your exercise? I know the last few pounds are probably going to be the hardest to lose, and try not to get discouraged and think of the success you have had this far!

[WeirdEyes]

Patti, I've only lost 10 lbs on SB. The other 40 lbs was on my own plan...close to Weight Watchers. I've been watching what I eat for 3 years now. There's no way I can exercise more......I exercise at least 1.5 hours 6 days a week now. Thanks for your suggestions. I do appreciate them. :D

[patti2297]

Sheila,

I don't know if this will help you, but I have found lots of useful SB information at this website: [url]http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/[/url]

Maybe there would be some insight as to your slow loss there? Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

[ColoradoJuli]

Just a quick check in.

DH has decided that I need to try another diet for a few weeks and see if that boost my weight loss. I have no idea if it will work. It scares me because the first 3 days they have you eating 60 carbs per day!!! I agreed to do it to get him off of my back. I'll let you all know how it goes.

[WeirdEyes]

Patti, thanks for the link. I will check it out.

Juli, let me know how it goes. I might be joining you. ;)

[01 Cobra]

Hi, just checking in. I changed my avatar to a picture of me and my son (age 6) in front of the Christmas tree this past Dec. Ha Ha...Well, people in my roll call were asking to see a picture of me and that's the first one I found.

So, I got up and ran on my treadmill for a while this morning. Feeling much better about myself now. Thanks for all the encouragement!

Patti..I asked my mom about that popcorn thing and I told her what your DH told you to do and she just giggled. As I said though...I however, claim to be no expert.:)

Sheila, You are so lucky to have time to get in a decent work out...I'm happy to just get in 30-45 minutes. You probably have low body fat and a lot of muscle. A constant slow weight loss has better chances of staying LOST. I've heard over and over again how people who experience a rapid weight loss tend to regain and then some. Just stick with whatever you decide to do. Sometimes when we modify a diet to fit our needs they just work better. :) Just don't quit ...good luck!

Ann

[adoptmom]

Patti- I'm wondering if you need to use a different oil when you make popcorn. Olive oil has a low smoke point. You might get better results with canola. I'm no expert though as I can't eat popcorn. I remember my mom buying this nasty yellow grease stuff (mostly hydrogenated palm oil) to make popcorn when I was a kid. Bleh, it's a wonder I have arteries left.

Also the elliptical machine simulates running. You move your legs in kind of an oval pattern. You just don't get all the jarring of running. I love to run but my knee does not. I goofed it up in mile 3 of a half marathon and decided it wasn't that bad so I ran the other 10 miles. That was in 97 and I still have to be careful, though not so much now.

Hi all- I thought I posted to this board last night but apparently not. Hello everyone!

[irislady]

Hi, everybody. I've been babysitting my granddaughter this week while school is out, so haven't had much time to use the computer. We've had beautiful weather during the day (had a storm last night, tho) so we've been spending a lot of time outside. Today we played her version of "2 Square", then took all the dogs on a walk down to the lake, and then played with the ball again. I'll sleep good tonight.

Shelia and Julie, I'm not sure even the medical experts know why we stop responding to a particular WOE, but it does seem to happen to a lot of people. I don't think it would hurt to look at other approaches. I do believe that to be healthy we all need to eat very few "bad" carbs and fats, but there do seem to be other factors that determine our weight loss or gain. Sometimes it does help to switch to a different healthy WOE.
Shae

[WeirdEyes]

Ann & Shae, thanks for your encouragement. I've decided to stick with SB because it is a WOE I can stick with. I really don't want to do any sort of "fad" diet to get the weight off fast and then have it come back on even quicker. My doctor doesn't seem to think me losing only 2 lbs a month is a big deal because he says it will stay off that way. However, it is still very frustrating. I've just come to the conclusion that I probably won't be a perfect size 10 by my cruise and should just be happy that I no longer wear a size 20 plus. So, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. I mean the weight has to go sometime, right?

Ann, I do have a lot of fat on my body. My mid-section is awful! BTW, the picture of you and your DS is great. You are so pretty. Are you sure you even need to lose weight?

Tami, I've tried using an elliptical machine at the gym and boy does it give you a good workout. I don't have any room for more workout equipment, but if I did, I'd like to have one.

[adoptmom]

Shelia- I can't remember if I posted on this group or not but I read the best book this weekend about low carbing. I borrowed it from my SIL and then had to go buy my own copy. It's called How I Quit my Low Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds by Dana Carpender. She's got several cookbooks out and I've seen her on low carb and lovin' it too. She doesn't address Southbeach specifically but her "carb careful" plan is basically the same. I figure the SB people wouldn't let her use their name in her book. It covers 6 other plans from basic low carb to the Paleo diet, Zone and the GO diet. The GO is very intriguing and I plan to read up some more on it. She even has a plan for a low carb liquid diet (homemade slim fast without the carbs.) I've made the shakes the last 3 days in a row. I miss having something sweet for breakfast and in my pre-SB days I used to have a fruit, juice and yogurt smoothie at least 3 days a week. This one has non-fat powdered milk, protein powder, flax seed, green tea extract (my own addition) and a little bit of xanathan gum just to thicken it.

Anyway, even after reading various Atkins and SB books there were still 4-5 things that I was doing that are probably what is contributing to my stall. We're invited to a pizza party tomorrow night so Sunday I'm going to incorporate those changes into my WOE and see what happens.

Tami

[WeirdEyes]

Tami, thanks for the info on the book. I'm definitely going to check it out. Let me know how you're doing. Good luck at the pizza party!

[Linda in KY]

Hello everyone,

I have been on Atkins for about a year and a half now. I did really well for about a year but have stalled in the last 5 or 6 months or so. I have read the SB book and am thinking about switching to this and see if it will jump start my loss again. So far I have lost around 85 pounds which I am pleased with, but almost none of that has been since before the holidays. My Dr. is very pleased with me but he says he woul rather I do SB so I am considering it. Would love to lose a good bit more before my next cruise (Sept).

Looking forward to talking to you here.

[WeirdEyes]

Linda ~ hello and a BIG congratulations on losing 85 lbs. That is so great!! :D You might want to go back and read this whole thread. There is a lot of good info posted. We're here for you.

[Linda in KY]

Thanks for the welcome. I intend to go back and read the full thread. I read the last 2 pages before posting but do intend to read the rest of it. I am at work now so haven't read it all...yet.