I lost 30 lbs last year on the SB diet and then proceeded to put it all back on by backsliding. Well, I started the diet again today and I'm excited. It just feels healthy to be eating whole, natural foods that didn't come in a can, frozen box, or a drive through bag.

I'm excited and will be posting my weight loss and it occurs on here. If anyone's interested just ask me and I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have.

It's basically a three phase diet, Phase 1 is very similar to Atkins, but it only last for two weeks, then Phase two allows you to start to add carbs back into your diet while you get to your goal weight, and then Phase 3 is your mainitenance stage. I really believe in this diet, I just couldn't stay on it last year because I was homeless for a time and had to eat whatever was presented to me, you know. So I hope to have better success this time and make a real lifestyle change.

Here's to success!

And what's up with this new kitty smilie?? Angry cat? Yeah right.

You GO boy!!!

My aunt and uncle have been SB-er's for over a year now and really like it. It fit both their lifestyles/daily routines/etc. well.

Go get 'em, tiger.

one of my co-workers lost 60 pounds doing the south beach.

go mark! we're cheering you on!

and so is this guy->

i don't know who invited him.

Yay! I feel the positivity in this place! Thanks for the encouragement.

I hate to speak too quickly, but the scale said I lost 1.5 lbs this morning.

I know you're not supposed to weigh daily, but I just coudn't help it.

I think the entirety of the orchard upgrade is related to "Cat Power."

~fff

And censorship!

cats and censorship...Somehow that doesn't surprise me....


So, do you plan to work out, too, or is this plan purely food based? All the poplular diets out there are not vegetarian friendly, so I'm curious how it goes...

~m

Marg,

The Southbeach Diet is not designed per se for vegetarians, but there is a way to modify it. I read the book last year and haven't gotten to that part yet this time around. I'm sure that being a seasoned vegetarian, yourself, you could take the principles contained in the book and give it a strong go.

The most important principles IMHO are the elimiation of the sugars, flours, potatoes, pastas, etc. (although not completely) with the inclusion of a fat, fiber, a protien and something acidic in every meal. That combination seems to really tax the metabolic system so that the things you're eating take more to digest and therefore raise your meatbolic rate. It also helps the absorption of sugars that you are eating. I hope I'm quoting this all correctly. It has been a year since I've read most of this.

And I'm not exercising for Phase 1 (the first two weeks are hard enough as it is), but plan to pick up aerobic activity and weight lifting after that. The diet itself is not dependant on any exercise to lose weight (and I didn't exercise last year when I lost the 30 lbs) but as you prolly know, it sure does help. Plus, I don't think it's really possible to change the shape of our bodies without it. Otherwise I'll just be a skinnier me. I would like to eventually have the tapered look, you know, broad shoulders, thin waist?

BTW, my wife is doing the diet along with me, and although she doesn't really need to lose much weight, she is still going to benefit from the healthier lifestyle change and the chemical change that the diet puts your blood through as it alters your cholesterol and other factors that I'm not all that versed in at the momemt.

If you have a local Sam's Club, the book is on sale for $15 hardback. I'd highly recommend it. I think it's a great resource, and it's opened my eyes a lot.

I'm weighing in the mornings, before breakfast and unclothed (sorry for the visual) but today is day three and I've lost 2 lbs!

It's probably 99% psycho-somatic, but I feel great!

you could do Weight Watchers vegetarian style I think. My wife lost about 100 lbs before I met her doing WW and excercise. She still does it and I think the most important thing about diets is portion control.

Yeah, there's no question that Weight Watchers can be done as a vegetarian. I just joined up with WW myself about a week and a half ago and am pleased with it so far (though it's obviously still early in the game). It didn't hurt that I dropped 7.4 pounds in week one.

I haven't tried South Beach, but I did do Atkins briefly about 2 years ago. In the first week I lost approx. 10 pounds, but I felt miserable and wound up going off it.

You've just got to be careful with all of the 'fad' diets that call for you to cut out one thing or another. The Atkins and South Beach are particularly dangerous for women because the tend to take out the calcium requirements.

I also have a friend who did WW and lost 60 lbs over a year. It doesn't make you drop any one type of food or anything. It allows you to eat whatever you want as long as you work within the proper portions. I like to call it the "Put the FORK Down" diet plan!

I did WW for a while, and I learned a lot. I ultimately stopped doing it when I started a pretty regimented workout plan. It requires a lot more intake than than WW really allows for, but I'm still using the WW principles.

Everything in moderation!

You know, the name "South Beach Diet" turned me off too when I first heard it. It does sound like a "fad" diet. I ridiculed several friends who mentioned they were on it. But then I acutally read the book.

It's written by a doctor. And not a PH d or some other "Dr. Phil" type of silliness. He's a respected and published heart physician who just happens to live in South Beach, Florida.

To each his own, but the South Beach Diet has been medically tested and is not dangerous. Of course everyone should consult their physician before starting any new habits or routines. The thing I really like about SB is that it's a healty lifestyle change that embraces all the food groups and teaches its readers the basics of a healthy lifestyle free from being overweight, having high cholesterol, and the "secrets" to eating the right kinds and combinations of foods so you don't starve to death or become malnourished while trying to lose weight.

I don't know much about the ohter diets, but I do know about WW now. If you want any WW recipes I'm sure I could get them to ya. Crab Enchiladas and her Lasagna are my favorites right now...

Day four: lost 4.5 lbs!!

Mark...this is really awesome! I know how hard my wife works at maintaining and it never ceases to put me in a state of awe. I am one of these people who eat to live and have been the same weight for probably 15 years w/o thinking about what I eat, or really excersising until this past October.

It's truly hard for some people. I know that no one is fully satisifed with their body, but some people have to struggle daily with gaining weight. You're lucky.

My parents didn't really model a healthy diet as I grew up, so I have a lifetime of unhealthy habits to fight off. Plus I HATE exercise so there's that...

OK Dusty - I am taking your word! I was doing weight watchers then had a lot of stress in my life from late summer on last year. I am a complete stress eater. I had lost about 58 lbs on WW, but gained about 40-45 pounds back. I hate that about me! Anyway, I was at Border's today and picked up the book. I plan on starting Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for the info on it and I, too, will post my weight lost here, in the orchard, for all the world to see.

Rock on.

That's awesome Russ!!!!!!! I've lost 5.5 lbs to date, and my wife's lost 4. We're in our fifth day of Phase 1.

I wish you the BEST! Make sure and don't cheat in the first two weeks and you'll reap mondo rewards. Plus, both times, I've experienced dizziness and a little fatigue in day one because I didn't eat enough. Don't make the same mistake I made and let your blood sugar drop too low--and if you do, don't feel bad about drinking some OJ or something else to get it back up.

Congratulations on taking that first step! You rock on!

And remember, you can do it, but even if you fail at first, you've got another opportunity to improve and be even better because of it.

Peace

good luck, gentlemen!


i like you both sooo much!

Thanks G!

Well, it would appear that I'm addicted to weighing everyday (a bad sign for sure) but so far in day 7, I've lost 6.5 lbs!

YAY!!

Well, on Monday I ended my second week on WW and so far I'm down an even 10 pounds. So far, so good. I know the losses are going to be a bit slower from here on out as WW's intended to provide a more gradual weight loss than the Atkins/South Beach type plans, so I've got to try and keep myself from becoming impatient. On the whole though, I'm fairly optomistic about this whole process.

I delayed starting South Beach this week after I looked in my pantry and fridge and realized I had a lot of WW type food left. I lost 2.8 last week and have been good so far this week. Once I need to shop, I will start South Beach. Losing is losing is losing and for once, it feels great to be a loser.

I mistakenly thought fat free (yet not sugar free) pudding was on the list for phase one. It is not. I am at seven pounds lost. Which is still great!

Day 13 and I've lost 9.5 lbs so far.

way to go, mark!!!

you'll be at the canal street shows, right? you can show off the new figure then.

That's right. Based on my weight loss so far, I should have dropped a full 30 lbs by then. Let's see how close I get!

I just got in from the store - lots of chicken breast, jell-o, pistacios, popsicles, canadian bacon --- Will keep you kids posted.

Yesterday was the end of my third week with WW. So far I'm down 13.2 lbs.

i did the south beach diet for a bit... it was REALLY hard for me to give up caffeine though... i don't think i can do that easily... ever. ; )

but i do agree that it changes your metabolism for the better - i used to be a bread addict and i definitely still don't crave bread the way i did before the phase 1/2 effort.... *that was 5 or 6 months ago! and i see the benefits of lower carb intake...

i want to get back on a bit of a modified sb diet... i think that for me this means - less coffee! ; ) mainly cause i like it with cream and sugar... and limiting my carbs to the breakfast and lunch meal - and then trying to keep it multi-grain/whole grains, brown rice, quinoa etc. and trying to cut back on sugar after lunch. which really amounts to the diet recommended in this book my mom got called : no white at night... it advocates for 3 rules: no carbs after lunch or afternoon, protein at every meal, and lots of water... which i think can really make a difference.

atkins = dangerous... but i think that cutting back on carbs, especially before the inactive night-time hours and focusing on lean healthy protein, whole grains, lots of green veggies - and little or no processed foods is a really good plan.

protein is SUPER important, especially if you are cutting back on carbs... but you can get good protein in a veggie diet... though i have decided that i do better if i don't cut meat out of my diet completely.

sorry to ramble...

rock on Mr. SoCal! I like this thread - it is quite encouraging for those of us needing to lose those unwanted pounds. Accountability is a good thing.

rock the heck on!

I know just what you mean, Russ. Go with your south beach groceries! BTW, if you can find a way to do it inexpensively, please share. My bank account never suffered so much from food--even when I ate out every single day! And if you can find that "Laughing Cow" light cheese in the cubes---GET IT! You forget you're eating light!

So far 10lbs gone on the official 14th day of the diet--great, but less than I lost the first time I finished my first two weeks (13.5 then). I'm gonna try to hold out on Phase 1 for another week and if that works, I'll try for the fourth week (you lose more weight in Phase 1).

One absolutely great aside, we went to my in-laws house tonight, and my M-I-L told my wife that I looked thinner since the last time she'd seen me! Yeah!

Oh, and I'm gonna start exercising this week... This will be where I need the most motivation. I HATE exercising.


Power to the "losers"

word

12 pounds!!!!!!!

Excellent-A - I don't have a scale here so I will not weigh until Monday so right now I have no idea.
Rock on Mark!

Hey - you go! Good luck with the SB Diet!! Sounds like you're doing so great!

OK, I tried this. I really did. I hated it! I did it for 5 days and was miserable! I had to stop the diet Saturday night and return to my WW regimine. Hats off to those of you that can do this, but I need my oatmeal pancakes and kashi cereals, etc. I did lose 2 pounds over the week, so I am at 7.2 so far since starting back to WW and doing SBD for less than a week.

Rock on.

Russ, congrats on trying the diet. It's not for everyone, and now you know it's not for you. That's a success. You eliminated an unknown variable. Good for you.

Now let's hear those WW progress reports!

Still at 12 lbs. I guess that cheating I did at Outback wasn't too great an idea...

Well, last night marked the end of my 5th week doing the WW thing. So far I've lost 20.4 pounds. I just wish I didn't have so much further still to go...

Cheer up Steve. You incredible shrinking man! You're 20 lbs closer to SVELTE!

I've lost 14.5 lbs to date and still haven't even breathed like I was exercising. maybe next week.

Okay, I've been slacking. I've only lost a half pound since my last post. I'm down a total of 15 so far and tomorrow is my (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) 6th week!

That's not too bad... 2.5 lbs per week... at this rate, I could be at my goal weight around August/September.

This of course barring any future slack attacks, or (gasp) exercise!

smokin',

I didn't post to this thread last week because I was unhappy with my results - a mere 0.4 pounds lost. Yesterday, however, marked the end of a much better week for me, as I lost 5.2 pounds.

So after 7 weeks of WW, I've lost an even 26 pounds. My clothes are fitting better and I'm feeling better and I'm looking forward to that day way off in the future when I hit my target.

3.6 additional pounds gone this week.

And I got lectured last night for losing my weight too quickly. Yeehaw...

Wow, I didn't realize it'd been nearly a month since my last update to this thread.

As of last night, I've now lost a grand total of 39.6 pounds.

How're the rest of y'all doing?

wow!!! way to go!

Thanks!

I'm still a bit of a behemoth, I'm afraid, but at least I'm a little less of one than I was 3 months ago!

South Beach is the best diet ... no - make that life style change - I have ever tried. My husband and I started it right after the holiday binge and I have lost 30 pounds so far ... still working on more and still able to stick to the plan. Someone else posted that they feel so good to be eating healthy foods and one of the side benefits that I have gained is that I no longer have back and hip pain. I don't attribute that so much to the 30 pound loss as I do to getting all the bad stuff - aka sugars and starches out of my system.

Keep up the good work! It's worth it to feel better.

I'm so proud of all of you guys for taking control of your health and your lifestyle. I'm on WW, and I'm always amazed by the number of people I keep meetin that are on it as well..

Congrats to everyone on WW and SB diet.!!

It appears I'm the only one still providing updates. Then again, maybe I'm the only one who hasn't already reached his goal.

Anyway, I'm at 44.8 pounds lost so far.

steve!
you're doing so awesome!
the picture of you from the show is dramatically different than the one in the "i have a request" thread.

way to go!!