3 weeks ago, 2 people mentioned the South Beach Diet in conversation. A friend of mine mentioned that her brother had lost 70lbs on it and a blogger friend mentioned she was losing weight on it and that it was easy and she never felt hungry.
That got me thinking…
I have lost over 40lbs in the last year on Weight Watchers but frankly I found that when push came to shove, so long as I didn’t go over my “points” I was making some bad food choices such as processed meals and high sugar snacks. So as much as I was successful on Weight Watchers, I still have some weight I want to lose and was open to switching things up a bit.
So I borrowed the South Beach Diet book from the library and read it cover to cover in 2 hours while I sat at my son’s football practice. I think I was hooked after the first chapter.
The basic gist of the program:
How The South Beach Diet Works
3 Phases to Success
The South Beach Diet is truly a food lover’s diet. It’s about living well and loving what you eat. But it’s also practical, flexible, easy, and effective. The South Beach Diet plan is divided into three Phases. Phase 1 lasts two weeks and is designed to eliminate cravings and kick-start weight loss. Phase 2 is intended to produce long-term, steady weight loss. You’ll stay in Phase 2 until you reach a healthy weight. Then you’ll move to Phase 3, the lifestyle Phase. This is how you’ll eat and live 365 days a year — and it’s the key to maintaining your new, healthy weight.
To learn more about how it works, visit the South Beach Diet website.
Willpower is not necessarily a problem for me. What is a problem is that I tend to be a picky eater so finding foods that I will eat on the list of acceptable food choices can be a challenge, but I persevered.
Phase 1 was really very easy for me. It is basically no-carb and I honestly had no cravings and only felt hungry first thing in the morning when I got up. I felt really good, did not feel tired and LOVED that I could eat almonds and peanut butter every day a lose weight. Week 2 of Phase 1 was a little more difficult for me because I started to get bloated for some reason. I took some OTC stuff though and it has resolved itself. Hopefully the introduction of some carbs this week will keep it at bay.
I lost 6.4 lbs on Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. The first week I lost 4.4 lbs, the second week I lost 2 lbs.
I really think this is a lifestyle rather than a diet. I can eat REAL foods and not really have to worry about portion control. I’ve found that my body has been telling me I’m full much quicker than it used to eating this way and I’m not hungry throughout the day so long as I eat my 3 meals and 3 snacks. And I don’t have cravings! Plus on Phase 2 I can add some dark chocolate and wine. Hello? What kind of diet is this?
Oh and the mocha ricotta recipe alone is worth trying this diet lifestyle. Trust me.
If you are interested, check out your local library and see if they have the book. It’s a fairly quick read, the program is simple and the basis for it is sound. Or, you can buy the paperback on Amazon for $7.99. I also bought The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less from Amazon. I haven’t made any of the recipes yet but I’ve got some earmarked, most of them sound great and are perfect for the novice cook (which is what I am).
Visit Mommy 2 3 Monkeys for more Fat Flinging Friday stories!
About Kim
You really are amazing. I figured if you could stick to that Cabbage Soup Diet, this one would be a cinch!!
I have tried something like this – it may even have been this one, but I get migraines if I don’t eat carbs.
I’m so proud of you for sticking to your plan to reach your target weight.
Morgan and I are doing this. I lost 5 ad she lost 10! She is way more active than me though. Try the Mocha Frappe recipe! YUM!
Great that you had so much success with South Beach. You’re right when you say it’s great for novice cooks. I love all the tasty but really simple recipes you can rustle up with this diet.
very cool! southbeach is similar to atkins which works for me everytime..the elimination of sugar is key – keep up the good work!
Well, I’m thinking I might have to try this now. It sounds like it is really working for you. Go Kim!
And I laughed when I saw my little scale on here…lol thanks for playing along with me :)
It was funny because I was writing the post, about to publish, then I saw your Tweet about YOUR post, so I added the bit at the end. Cool the way things work out sometimes!
Rhea, also I use this website http://www.fatsecret.com and track EVERYTHING I eat. It allows you to set your activity level ,how much weight you want to lose and then calculates a safe kcal level for you to lose 1-2 lbs a week (which is considered ideal for long-term, keep-it-off loss). Then as you enter your food and exercise you can see exactly what you are eating each day and how much of it your body burns.
It’s free
I tried South Beach once…I lost 5lbs the first week and then my strong connection to mexican food and tortillas took over and I crashed and burned! LOL
hah, yeah…some sacrifices. But if I make it at home with whole wheat tortillas and low-fat sour cream, I can do ok and still enjoy mexican food. i’m even going to try and make a pizza with whole wheat tortillas.