South Beach Dieters Group Meet Here!

[WeirdEyes]

Juli, glad your headache is finally gone. What did we do without wonder drugs? ;) Thanks for the encouragement! I talked to DH last night and he said some things that helped. He told me that he could tell I was losing inches and toning even though the scale is not moving in the right direction. So, I'll continue to plug away and the weight has to start falling off eventually. If I remember correctly, I was on a plateau for over 6 weeks last year at this time. I ended up finally getting a good bit of weight off so I guess I'll stick it out.

Tami, I'm glad your GM doesn't require surgery. It is very hard on older people. Take care!

[Cindyrella]

Juli: so glad your headache is finally gone, I know how debilitating they can be.

Tami: I sincerely hope your GM doesn't need surgery. We are facing for my 84 yr. old mom right now and I'm a bit worried, she can hardly do anything as it is now. She has so many physical problems we have to try to attack them one by one. The doctor says he can't guarantee that her pain won't go away after the surgery! The next few months are filled with doctors, labs and hospitals.
I know people probably tell you this all the time, but take care of yourself. I am facing some physical ailments right now because I've been so busy taking care of everyone else, I've been neglecting myself and it's catching up with me. I am my mothres primary caregiver and I know how hard that is.

Sheila: Soemtimes it takes awhile for the exercise to catch up. I finally lost the 4 lbs I gained back a few weeks ago. It took 2-3 weeks though. I'm finally feeling better and have started exercising again, even bought a new exercise DVD I plan to try. I bet in a week or so you'll see the scale move.

[WeirdEyes]

Ciny, I hope you're right! Thanks. :D

[ColoradoJuli]

Bad, bad day yesterday. Lunch was alright, but then dinner came!:eek: I had nothing in the house to eat except for spaghetti! So I made that. If that wasn't bad enough, I had 8 truffels!:eek: Stress eating!!!!

I have no choice today, but to go to the grocery store and get some food. I will be good and buy only legal stuff.

Does anyone have some good recipes of side dishes. I fix the roasted squash & zuccinni, asparghas, and green beans. I really need some more side dishes and ideas what to do with meat other than grill it. I am having a hard time staying on track because I am 'sick' of the food and need new recipes. All help is greatly appreciated.

Have a good day!

[irislady]

Hi everybody.

Things were busy really busy around here this week, so I didn't have much of a chance to use the computer. I did peek in a few times to see how it was going.

Shelia, put your scale in a closet and don't get on it again for a long while. It's not giving you an accurate picture of your weight loss. The tape meaure and how your clothes fit are much truer gauges of your success.

The only absolute way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you burn. That means adding more exercise or less food. For some it really does seem to make a difference whether those calories come from fat, protein or carbs, although technically I don't think there is scientific proof of that yet. There are studies showing that lowering your carb intake by eating only the complex carbs will improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Juli, I truly hope that the new medication will keep your migraines in check. I got them often when I was in my 30's. They're so debilitating. DD and D-I-L still suffer from them regularly (several times a month despite medication), but at least they aren't as severe as they used to be. Stress is often a major trigger, along with food additives.

George Stella has a low carb cookbook out. You might want to check it out for some new ideas. IMHO George uses too much fat, or the wrong kind of fat, in many of his recipes, but that's easy to substitute. I tend to make simple meals with grilled, broiled or baked meats and a couple of veggies rather than very "exciting" recipes, but it works well for us. For me shopping is the key to staying legal. If I don't buy the stuff that I know isn't good for us then I can't make it.

I know you've heard this piece advice before... but never go grocery shopping when you're hungry! It sounds like a cliche, but it's so true. I even keep a little bag of almonds, sunflower seeds or other nuts in my car so I can eat a few before going into the store. Or chew really minty sugarless gum. That tends to supress the appetite the same way brushing your teeth does.

Cindy, being a caregiver, especially long term, is extremely stressful. You've got to remember to take care of yourself, too, though, even if it seems like there is no time.

Tami, I hope your GM keeps improving. I know it's been hard on you.

John, welcome back. Glad you had such a great time.
Shae

[adoptmom]

Grandma ended up having surgery after all. Her abdominal cavity kept
fillling up when they'd clamp the NG tube so he really felt it was
necessary. Turns out that she had scar tissue from an earlier surgery
wrapped completely around the small bowel and with was causing the SB to
twist on itself. The "north" end of the blockage was large and distended
and the "south" end was very small so very littl had been getting through
for a long time. He couldn't believe that she hadn't been having problems
before, but as I told him, she wasn't one to go to the doctor unless someone
dragged her kicking and screaming all the way. He said it was fortunate
that it didn't perforate years ago and kill her.

She did really well during and after surgery and I left her sleeping with
her morphine pump button gripped tightly.

[WeirdEyes]

Tami, glad to hear your GM is doing well after surgery. Hopefully her recovery will be quick.

Shae, I think that I really haven't been eating enough variety. So, I started back on Phase 2 on Friday night and wouldn't you know it, I dropped a pound as of this morning. Go figure! I'm going to concentrate on eating healthy and exercising. The weight should come off eventually. Trying to keep a positive attitude here!

Juli, I'm sick of eating the same things also. Good luck with your search and if you find any good recipes, please share them.

[irislady]

Tami, I'm so glad your GM made it through the surgery safely. You may start to see a tremendous improvement in her health and attitude now that a huge medical problem has been cured.

Shelia, it sounds like you are on the right track again. Good for you. Variety should keep you from getting bored with the SB WOE. Just monitor your portion size and calorie load, and I'm sure you'll see continued weight loss.

I took advantage of another gorgeous Saturday and got 3 more iris beds all spiffied up. My second iris catalog of the year arrived yesterday, too, so spring can't be too far off, can it? I've got some naturalized daffodils blooming in the woods in the front of the house. We have no idea how they got there. We discovered them the first spring after we bought our acreage. I really did a double take when I saw 1,000+ bright yellow daffs nodding in the sunlight. They multiply like crazy, so over the years I've moved hundreds of them all over the property, but the original ones still are always the first to bloom.

I made DH a big, homemade cherry pie this morning as an early Valentine's "bonus". It's one of his favorites.... and one I don't like at all so I don't have to worry about cheating! I will have to bring some of it to DS and D-I-L since it's too big for one person to eat.

Happy Valentine's Day to everybody. Shae

[ColoradoJuli]

Tami - Sounds like GM is finally going to be able to start feeling better. Sounds like it was a very good thing that they went ahead with the surgury.

Shelia - Maybe I need to just go commit to Phase 2 and get off of this Phase 1.5. I haven't dropped any weight for about a month. I think I should follow your lead.

[WeirdEyes]

Shae, thanks for the advice. I am watching my portions. Since I've added more good carbs, I've cut back on the protein portion so I should be getting too many more calories. I do think that staying on Phase 1 was not good. You should see my nails. They look awful! I've been reading a lot from [i]Body for Life[/i] and what it says makes since and it is very closely related to SB.

Juli, try going on Phase 2 for a while and see how you do. Good luck!

[adoptmom]

Hi all- I didn't get up to see grandma yesterday due to a stomach bug that DS and I got. Yuck! At least it only lasted 12 hours. When I talked to the nurses they said that she was doing well, Considering... Whatever that means.

Physically she is doing ok, but she's really ticked off that she can't die. She says she really wants to at this point. But, she's not that bad. I'm hoping she pulls out of this funk as she starts feeling better and that they get her back on her antidepressants ASAP. This is sucking me dry, which is probably why I caught the bug that was going around. I don't usually.

Tami

[WeirdEyes]

Tami, all I can say is good luck with your GM. I know you are in a hard situation. Get better soon!

[Cindyrella]

Gosh, Tami you're GM's attitude has got to be hard to take. Anti-depressants do help though, my sister is on them and wow can I tell a difference when she runs outs for awhile.

Take care of yourself and good luck with GM, when she's felling better she might just pull out of it.

[adoptmom]

Cindy- GM was on a large dose of effexor before all this happened. She had been on valium for years before but my aunt (an addiction nurse) was going through her meds because she was having blood pressure issues and flipped out because the dr. had her on such a high dose. The bigger issue though is that she spent the last 60 years being a preacher's wife, the past 20 taking care of my grandpa (alzheimers) her older son (hodgkins) and my dad (alcohol) , and she has macular degeneration so any sewing like she used to enjoy is out of the question. She literally has no hobbies, interests or any umph to get out and learn something new. This was a big issue BEFORe the hip fracture and everything that has come since. I think she's also terribly afraid that she'll start outliving her grandchildren too.

How was everyone's valentine's day? DH got me a gift cert for a massage and I bought myself one candy bar. It was fair but now I have a headache from the sugar. I'm glad to find out though, that these things don't taste as good as I once thought they did. That, to me, is as much progress as losing weight.

Tami

[WeirdEyes]

Tami, boy I can understand where you're coming from with your GM. Mine is the same way. However, I'm lucky...my mom, dad, and aunt take care of my GM. It is really sad when you are old and lonely. Your kids/grandkids can do as much as they can for you and then you're still not happy. Very sad!

Sounds like your DH got you a great gift for V'day. :) I like what I got also...very unique.

[irislady]

Shelia, I sure hope I didn't come across sounding like I thought YOU needed to control your portions. If it sounded that way I sincerely apologize. It's just that I've read a lot lately how most Americans are simply not aware of their portion/serving sizes because we've become such a nation of "super-size" meals. So many of the low carb magazines I've read lately put such emphasis on portion size because it is an issue for many people. Also, when I was at the club one of the most common things I'd hear would be "I don't know why I'm not losing weight, I eat all the right things", but many times those people were eating too much of "the right things".

As you've mentioned before Phase 1 is really only intended to "detox" the body and not as a diet plan.

Tami, it's probably a very difficult situation for your GM's doctors, too. Not all the anti-depressants, even the ones in the same "family" like the SSRIs have the same effect on each patient. Also, in many cases medication alone isn't the answer. Often, though, the right medication is a step in the right direction. Enjoy your massage. You certainly could use the break!
Shae

[WeirdEyes]

Shae, I'm sorry you feel the need to apologize. I didn't take offense to your post in any way. We are all friends here. :) I hope my post didn't sound bad. I totally understand about the portion control issue with Americans. That is why I've really been watching my portions. I remember when the "fat-free" foods came out and everyone was eating them like crazy. What they didn't realize is that you couldn't eat a whole box of "fat-free" cookies and lose weight. I truly value all of your advice.

[ColoradoJuli]

Did not eat real well yesterday. I really need to go shopping today and get some food in the house. I think that I need to pull out the book again and see what foods Phase 2 allows and go get some of those in the house. It appears to be a slow day at work so I think that I will go do that.

[WeirdEyes]

Juli, good luck getting the correct foods for Phase 2. ;)

[irislady]

Shelia, no, your response was as sweet and considerate as always. It was re-reading mine that made me wonder if it came across too preachy. I didn't want to take the chance that it had, so apologized just in case.

Juli, Phase 2 can be a little tricky. I think it's probably safest to stick with foods that are the most natural or least processed, like adding back in fruits and some of the veggies that were restricted before. I also added whole wheat bread with extra fiber, and occasionally some Breton brand crackers, either the whole wheat or sesame. Whole wheat pasta or reduced carb pasta, but small portions, and dishes like meat loaf, but with whole wheat cracker crumbs or wheat germ rather than regular bread crumbs added. I think you can add the slow cooked oatmeal in Phase 2, too, if you like that. Brown rice... the slow cooked kind. Cooked bulgar. It has kind of a nutty flavor, but it's not real exciting. (DS substitutes it for her pasta, rice and potatoes. I wasn't too crazy about it.)

It was another absolutely gorgeous day here, around 70 degrees. I spent the afternoon in the gardens instead of quilting since I didn't have to go get GD today. It's supposed to start raining again tonight, so I felt I'd better take advantage of the weather. It will be spring before I get my son's quilt finished since I keep getting sidetracked by gardening projects. (I'm NOT complaining, but he might start complaining soon.) I hope you all got to enjoy some warm temperatures and sunshine, too.
Shae

[ColoradoJuli]

I looked over Phase 2 and was surprised at some of the stuff that is legal like couscous. I even looked at the brand specifically talked about in the book. It has 42 carbs! And then whole wheat pasta also has 42 carbs! That seems like a lot of carbs. I have been eating less than 20 carbs a day. It kind of scares me to add so many carbs to my diet. I ended up buying some low-carb tortillas instead of bread. It is really hard for me to purchase things with such high carb count. I really don't want to start putting weight on now that I am moving onto Phase 2. Guess I just wait and see what happens.

[WeirdEyes]

Shae, great advice about Phase 2. You and I eat probably the same stuff. Are you losing or are you at your goal? I'm still ticked off that I'm not losing.

Juli, listen to Shae; she knows her stuff. Also, remember that SB is NOT a low carb diet, but a smart carb diet. Are you going to be able to live without carbs? Eventually you'll get tired of it and binge. I promise I'm not trying to preach, just help you out. ;)

[ColoradoJuli]

Shelia - I looked at the book and went grocery shopping last night. I am going to try Phase 2. I am frustrated because I haven't lost any weight in several weeks. At least I haven't gained anything, but on the other hand, I am not losing anything. I am hoping that going to Phase 2 will start things back up. I bought some stuff that was completely legal yesterday, but blew my mind on how many carbs there were. I will do this for 2 weeks and see what happens. I need to be more faithful to my water and exercise. I would be grateful to lose just one pound a week.

1 glass of water down, 7 to go!

[WeirdEyes]

Juli, I'm in the same boat...no weight loss for weeks. I'm sticking with it though. :)

[ColoradoJuli]

Shelia - I won't give up. I want to lose this weight too much to give up. I have lost about 30 pounds so far (found some of those) and know that if I drink my water, exercise and eat right that I will lose the weight. It is just a matter of doing those three things.

Off to figure out dinner.