South Beach Dieters Group Meet Here!

[WeirdEyes]

Hi Juli! I'm glad you're back! I guess we posted at the same time. Can't wait to hear from you. :D

[cruiserforlife]

Morning all,

Welcome back Juli,how was the cruise?

Just had my fake eggs and a slice of bacon...Yummy.
Finished off the bacon and probably won't be buying anymore but it sure tastes good.

My wife and I had a reall hankering for chocolate chip cookies last night while watching a cookie commercial (isn't that the worst,showing us melted gooey chocolate when we're all trying to be good?) and while we gave it a good thought (it would have meant going to the store since we don't keep that kind of stuff in the house),we thought the better of it and just went to bed.

I came to realize I haven't any sweets of any kind in about 6 weeks and that was throught the holidays as well.

Shouldn't I get some kind of medal or something?

10 days until we cruise.I will try to continue to do well on the cruise but Princess does have that killer pizza and calzones...will be hard to resist and frankly,I won't at least a few times!

[WeirdEyes]

John, congrats on passing on those chocolate chip cookies. ;)

[AIMS312]

cruiserforlife, thank goodness our tv's aren't "smellavision!" :)

[cruiserforlife]

You mean like Emeril Lagasse says?

[Cindyrella]

Oh my gosh, congrats to John for his willpower especially during the holidays!!! Do you still crave sweets?


A friend gave me this suggestion and it's really good! Take a can of white chicken, mix pesto sauce, a couple teaspoons or tablespoons--whichever is to your taste and instead of putting on chips, put on sliced cucumbers. I'm going to use this for lunch tomorrow. See what you think.

P.S. I bought the pesto at teh grocery store.

[adoptmom]

Amy- Try to find some chocolate extract for your ricotta creme. My favorite combo is a dash of chocolate extract, a dash of almond and some chopped pistachios. It tastes just like the cream in canolis. Yum!

John- No sweets for 6 weeks. You deserve a BIG medal!

Juli- Welcome home!

Shelia- I'll post the hummus recipe in a minute. I mess around with mine alot adding roasted red peppers or using lime juice instead of lemon and adding chili powder and sriracha hot sauce. Sun dried tomatoes are good too!

Tami

[adoptmom]

1-15 oz. can chick peas--drained
1/3 cup chick pea liquid
1 TBS olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon (3 TBS)
1/4 cup raw tahini
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, except the chick peas in food processor & mix until smooth. Gradually add chick peas & enough of the reserved liqid to get the consistency you want. Refrigerate for at least an hour to give the flavors time to blend.

[WeirdEyes]

Tami, thanks for the recipe! Also, good idea about the ricotta. Sounds yummy!

[AIMS312]

The first week of SBD, I lost some weight. I don't know how much (don't own any scales), but my clothes were fitting a lot better.
I decided to extend Phase 1 another week because I was eating some sugar free chocolate (3-4 pieces a day) and realized I shouldn't be.
I can tell that I haven't lost anything in almost a week and a half.
Now, before I started the diet I wasn't used used to eating three meals a day.
I am definitely eating more, but healthier. Why am I not losing? It's frustrating.

[cruiserforlife]

AIMS312,

If it makes you feel any better, I haven't really lost anything significant since I dropped the initial 15 lbs. either.

I just keep plugging away and know that I am doing the right thing by eating right and exercising daily.

In reality,the only thing I've given up though is starches and an occasional desert or two.We always have eaten healthy and will continue to.I've also cut back on my alcohol intake but I've come to realize that with all I've sacrificed,this may be it for me and maybe this diet doesn't work for all people.

If I continue to eat correctly and watch my bad carb intake and exercise daily,It'll be what it'll be and as long as I'm on this planet,that will just have to be good enough.

Make any sense?

[WeirdEyes]

Amy, are you exercising? I don't lose much or anything if I don't exercise. The first time I went on South Beach, I stalled for 6 weeks after Phase 1. It was very frustrating. I started exercising and the weight just fell off. Good luck!

[AIMS312]

I guess that would be the obvious answer.....to exercise. I haven't started that yet, but I guess I need to.
I have also decided to cut down the amount I eat. I had been having a 2 to 3 egg omelet every morning with turkey bacon. Then a snack, a big salad for lunch. Then chicken breast and veggies for dinner, then another snack.
I would never eat that much before.
There are some things that just sneak up and whack me over the head ;)......but I was trying to follow what the diet was telling me. I am 135, so I guess it is geared for someone who weighs a little more, therefore needs more calories.

[WeirdEyes]

Amy, yes at 135, you don't need to eat as much. Watch your portions and start exercising and the weight will come off. :D Also, my goal is 135. ;)

[FlorenceItaly]

I have been Somersizing for about a week. Sheila, I noticed in an earlier post, you were on Somersize for awhile. I am considering switching to SBD. Will you please give me some of the pros and cons. They are very similar I noticed, except Somersize incorporates food combining, which I do believe there is alot of truth in. I belong to TOPS(take off pounds sensibly), and lost 3 pounds this week(my first week on Somersize). I also workout M-F, and meet with a personal trainer on T and TH. I have been doing this since around Dec 20. I have a long way to go, as I have about 60 pounds to lose, maybe a bit more. I spent yesterday reading this WHOLE thread :).

Marie

[irislady]

Hi, Everybody, and welcome, Cindy, Amy and Marie. (I hope I didn't leave out any newbies... I just sort of skimmed over the new postings.) Welcome home, Juli. I hope you had a great time.

We missed our connecting flight in Cinci, so didn't get home til late last night. We had an absolute ball on the cruise. I skipped the bread, and soft drinks, but other than that ate anything I felt like, but in moderation. I didn't use the stairs quite as much as previous cruises because the others often didn't want to. I also didn't stick with just white wine. The rest really enjoy their cocktails, so DH and I probably had 2-3 mixed drinks a day. I still only had a 1 1/2 pound weight gain. We're back on SB, Phase 1 for a few days til the cravings go away, then back to our Phase 2-3.

'Got a bunch of laundry still piled up, so I'll be check back tomorrow.
Shae

[FlorenceItaly]

Thank you for the warm welcome :). Glad to hear you had a ball on your cruise. Isn't cruising just the BEST??? And, congrats on only gaining a pound and a half....that is awesome. You will have that off in no time, plus more.

I hope y'all don't mind that even though I am currently Somersizing, I am posting on the South Beach thread. I DO want to learn more about the SBD, and perhaps change when I start wanting a little change.

Marie

[ColoradoJuli]

OK - I have a little more time. The cruise was great the ship just sucked! I do not recommend NCL's Dream. The food was awful. Consequently I didn't eat real well. I found 3 things that weren't too bad. Hot Dogs, bacon, and buttered pecan ice cream. The rest of the food was really bad. I ended up eating rolls at dinner just so I could fill up on something that tasted pretty good. Everything had a sauce on it and most of it was over cooked and very bland. I haven't stepped on the scales yet, but know that I haven't put on any weight because my clothes all fit the same. Anyway - it is back to Phase 1 for the next two weeks. I need to detox and get my weight loss started again so I will be at my ideal weight in May for the big 4-0 cruise! The current challenge I am having is no food in the house. I ended up eating a bag of microwave popcorn for lunch because there was nothing else in the house. I will go to the grocery store tomorrow and stock up on legal foods. In the meantime, I have pork tenderloin and salad for dinner tonight. Now I just need to have enough will power to do Phase 1 correctly. I know I can do it.

[FlorenceItaly]

Juli - Sorry to hear the food was a great disappointment. I guess the only positive it that you didn't gain weight, but what a bummer all week. I see you are going on the Z in May. I will anxiously be waiting your review, as we sail her in Dec(long way off).

Go to the store today, and get all your yummy foods :). I went yesterday, and broke down and paid $5 for strawberries, $5 for blackberries, $4 for raspberries, and $3 for blueberries...that was EACH, and all small containers!
I still can't believe I paid that much because I am very thrifty, but need the variety in my plan.

Is anyone on magnesium for regularity....have heard this is very good. If so, how many MG are you taking per day? THanks.

Marie

[WeirdEyes]

Marie, welcome!!!! You are correct; I used to do Somersizing. The reason I stopped was because I read a lot of threads on the Somersizing message boards about people's bad cholesterol going up due to the diet. I also felt that I was eating way too much fat. Oh and the food combining was just to difficult to follow. I did lose weight on it though. A big plus was that the recipes are YUMMY! I switched back to South Beach last Spring and got to the lowest weight I've been in 8 years. I still need to lose about 23 lbs to reach my goal though. Good luck!!!!

Shae, I'm so glad you are back and had a great cruise. Good news about only gaining 1.5 lbs! :D If I hadn't taken the stairs so much when I was on my cruise, I would've gained 10 lbs due to all of the foo-foo drinks and desserts. The Cafe Promenade about killed me! They had these delicious desserts every day! LOL

Juli, I'm sorry to hear that the food was so bad on your cruise. I read your mini review on the Countdown thread. I look forward to eating good food on a cruise so I'm sure it was a big disappointment. Thank goodness you have another cruise planned and can looked forward to it. ;)

[SheilaInAL]

Hi Y'all,
I haven't posted in quite a long while as the holidays, planning for my next cruise and working on losing weight among other things have kept me extremely busy.
I had strayed from the diet and exercise routine for awhile and began to feel tired and generally not too good. When the New Year came in, I resolved to go back to dieting and exercising and I'm feeling really good now. Have lost 6 lbs since and plan to lose more.
I set up an exercise routine I can live with and since I stay at home, I do the exercises twice a day. I must say, I haven't felt this energetic in years! LOL!
Anyway, I just wanted to say hi to everyone and hopefully I will get back into a regular routine of posting here.
Have a great day all!

[WeirdEyes]

Hi Sheila!! Nice to "see" you again. :D

[ColoradoJuli]

Why was it so easy to get started on SB and it is so hard to return. I really want to do Phase 1 for 2 weeks, but I am struggling. I need to get physched up and do it. I did great when I first started on SB and lost 30 pounds. Now I have put 10 back on and am struggling with being good. HELP! I just need to keep my next vacation in mind and remember that I want to be thinner and at my goal weight. I now need to lose 40 pounds before the middle of May. Do you think that is realistic? Is is about 16 weeks. If I lose 2 pounds a week, that would put me at 38. I think that is do able. Now to just do it!

[irislady]

Sheila, welcome back. I know exactly what you mean about feeling better when you're on SB. Even with the sunshine and warmth my joints started aching when I ate "bad carbs", and the insomnia came back.

Juli, I was so sorry to hear how bad the food was on your cruise. I had heard from our TA and other sources that this was often the case on NCL. One of the couples we were with had their one previous cruise on one of the NCL ships. They said they had no complaints, but they seemed to be quite surprised about how good the food was on Carnival in comparison to NCL.

John, way to go avoiding the cookies. DH and I also avoid those kinds of temptations by not having that kind of junk in the house. I have no doubt that you'll be able to enjoy what you're eating on your cruise without going overboard. At dinner I always asked the waiter for no bread... it made it so much easier not to be tempted. DH forgot to ask a couple of times and winded up eating his rolls before the first course arrived. Remember, too, that you can ask for you meals without any of the fattening sauces. Our waiter started calling me "The Plain Lady" since I asked for my dishes with no sauce, and I've always eaten my salads without dressing. (Just don't like it).

Shelia, only 23 pounds to go? Good for you! Remember, slow and steady keeps the weight off! If you find yourself slipping start back with the food journal.

Tami, thanks again for more recipes. Will you be glad when this cold snap ends?

Amy, exercise really is important not only for weight loss, but for your overall health. Once you get into a routine I think you'll be amazed at how much better you'll look and feel. Even moderately fast walking when done regularly and for 30 mins. or more will make a difference.

Cindy, DH and I found that when we stick to Phase 1 very strictly for a few days the sweet cravings really do disappear. For us it takes a little bit longer, maybe a week, for the "salty snack" cravings to go, but we substitute nuts and whole-grain crackers for those (limited amounts).

Marie, you are most welcome on this board, I'm sure. I don't know anything about Somerizing other than what I've heard on TV. That was the same thing Shelia has mentioned. It may not be the best for your heart, and their is just no scientific evidence to show that the theory of eating in groups actually works. DH and I chose SBD because it was designed by a cardiologist. Our first goal was to become more heart healthy. Weight loss was secondary. We both only wanted to lose 10 pounds. We've done that plus 4-5 more. Now we need to tone up a bit so have added regular exercise, mostly aerobic so far, but will add weights now that the new Y fitness center is open. I do take magnesium supplements periodically. I don't think you need to add them every day. Magnesium can be found naturally in a lot of vegetables, but many were veggies I don't like. The magnesium does seem to help when I start getting leg cramps. I've read and heard on TV that Calcium is the most important supplement to take for both weight loss and bone health.

I guess the pound and a half I gained was mostly water-retention because I'm back down already. I did have that Auntie Annie's pretzel at the airport while waiting for our flight home, and all they had on the plane were pretzels, too. DH said it was our last shot at cheating for awhile, so we might as well enjoy it.
Shae

[WeirdEyes]

Shae, I also started SB because it was started by a cardiologist. When my grandmother died of a heart attack, I decided I needed to get my weight off as I carry it in the "dangerous" zone in the middle.

Juli, it is really hard for me to get started also. You just have to take that plunge! Come on....you can do it!