South Beach Dieters Group Meet Here!

[WeirdEyes]

Tami ~ Great job!! Oh, I forgot about medications messing you up. That happened to me also. I was taking a new HRT and I couldn't lose anything for months and months. I got my doc to switch me back to the one I was taking and the weight starting falling off even when I wasn't exercising.

[ColoradoJuli]

Had a crazy day yesterday and couldn't post.

Also ate really bad yesterday, so today is a new day and I will do better. I just don't have anything in the house for lunch. I guess I get to go down the mountain. I do have a brisket in the crockpot. We cut off all the fat and then a dry rub. I think that it is legal (Shae?)

Gearing up for July 5th when I start back on Phase 1. I'm actually looking forward to it and I know that I will do so good with the anticipation.

[MermaidDenise]

Hi All! I am new to the CC and just wanted to stop in and encourage all of you to stick with South Beach. I have lost a total of 152 lbs. It took almost 2 years, but it has been so worth it. Went from a size 26 to a size 8. YAHOO!!! Now it's just a matter of having the extra skin removed and I will probably be a 2 or a 4. What a difference this has made. Now, rather than being an observer of life I am a participant. Took up motorcycle riding and scuba diving. Flying coach in a plane, now feels like first class. So, all of you out there on the beach keep it up!!! I wish you much sucess.:)

[irislady]

Hi, Tami, we missed you. I hope you have good baby news soon! I found that logging every morsel I put in my mouth during Phase 1, and later Phase 1+ really helped me realized exactly what I was eating. It helped not only with watching the carbs, but showed me when I was lacking enough protein or leafy veggies, dairy products, etc. I usually go back to using a food diary when I go back to a more restricted WOE.

Jacquelyn, yes, you can lose 10 lbs. by July 24th in SBD if you have more than 10 lbs. to lose. If you only need to lose the 10 it could take a bit longer. Just stick with the plan and concentrate on eating healthy-carb foods that you enjoy, watch the portion sizes and your fat intake and don't dwell on what the scale says. Usually the first "weight loss" we see with SBD is water weight since carbs are often very bloating. The real weight loss will continue fairly slowly yet gradually if you stay with the plan. A tape measure is a much more accurate guage of your true progress. With the scale you're going to see a lot more fluctuation due to factors other than your WOE.

QT, great response to Stanfordgirl's question about the possibility of gaining weight on SBD Phase 1. Regarding your question about the poor woman who is missing from the Carn. cruise ship, if she did commit suicide it may have been something she had planned to do all along and not due to a comment about her weight that she overheard. I don't think the CC posters meant anything cruel by commenting that she was a "larger" woman. Most of my friends are considerably overweight, and often refer to themselves and others of the same size as "larger". I think the reference to her size was made only because it probably would be more difficult for a person over a certain weight to climb up and over a railing than it would a thin person if the 2 were about the same age. I do know that disparaging remarks are often made within earshot of someone who's quite overweight, and I think it's a horrible thing to do. It almost seems like some people think it's okay to be rude to someone just because they weigh a lot. Sad.

Standfordgirl, Over-doing the nuts, and cheeses, sour cream, etc. is probably the most typical reason for a noticeable weight gain in Phase 1. Dr. A. does talk about the importance of portion-sizes, but perhaps does not stress it enough or clarify what a good "portion" is. Since I don't think you could gain 5 lbs of muscle in just 2 weeks (unless you're a teenage boy doing serious weight lifting along with lots protein drinks) I would guess that your weight increase was due to having your calorie intake too high for your activity level and/or probably due to your body reacting to the change in your eating habits. My friend who has failed to stick with SBD now twice quit both times because she gets too constipated on the carb-restricted Phase 1. Rather than using a good fiber supplement she just quits. Again, I'd say to not watch the scale but use a tape measure as your guide.

Julie, the brisket not only sounds "legal" it sounds delicious!

Sheila, you're so right about how medications can affect your weight gain and loss. Some of the more notorious ones are HRTs, cortisones, most anti-anxiety meds and some of the anti-depressants. Trouble, too, is that they can have an accumulative effect, and the weight doesn't just disappear right away when you stop the medication.
Shae

[ColoradoJuli]

Since the brisket it legal, I'll post the recipe.


4 lb Brisket
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoon paparika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder

Trim all excess fat from brisket. Combine seasonings until well blended, rub into brisket. Place meat in crock-pot with fat side up, cutting to fit if necessary Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours.

Remove brisket from liquid and cut across the grain into thin slices Serve au jus.

6 to 8 servings (about 3 quarts)

For just the two of us, I use a 2 pound brisket and cut the ingredients in half. Before SB, I would take the left over meat and cook it the next day in the crock with Bar-B-Que sauce. Haven't seen any LC sauces, so that option is out this time.

[cruisinqt]

MermaidDenise your story is amazing and so inspiring!:D I don't have as much to lose as you do, I would be happy to lose about 40 lbs. If you can lose that much weight surely I can lose just 40 lbs. Thanks for the encouragement.

Stanford's girl, I think after reading your comment you may have done the same thing I did when I first started SBD. I never ate one cheese stick at a time, it was always 2 or 3. And when I had nuts it was more like a cup at a time, not a quarter of a cup. One thing that's really helped is making a lettuce wrap. It's very filling and tastes a lot like a sandwich. I get a large lettuce leaf like romaine or something. Then I spread on real mayonnaise or ranch dressing. Then I put on low fat sliced ham, low fat sliced cheese, fresh tomato slices, pickles, olives, and avocado slices and then I roll it up into a wrap. It's very filling and perfect for phase 1.`My sister-in-law is on SBD and likes to put shrimp in her lettuce wraps. I also make deviled eggs and keep them on hand for snacking. They're okay on phase 1 since you can have real mayo. You can have pinto beans on phase 1 which I didn't realize in the beginning. So I make big pots of homemade pinto beans regularly, which really helps to curb my appetite. I hope these snack ideas help, maybe some of the others here have some snack ideas for you too.;)

[quilts4cb]

Thanks for the recipe!

My husband and I started SB last year and he lost 30 pounds & I lost 25. Then my daughter had a baby, moved in with us, and we now babysit most evenings and weekends so she can work. There went our workout time. So...about a month and a half ago when we decided to start again, we hadn't worked out in about 8 months! I had gained 18 pounds back. We now have a little over 2 weeks left before we cruise, and I am desperately trying to lose as much as possible before then. I won't be where I want to be, but I will feel better than I do now!

[WeirdEyes]

MermaidDenise ~ Congratulations!! Fantastic job! Thanks for the support and encouragement. :D

Shae ~ I gained 30 lbs taking an anti-deppressant for migraines. Now my doc has me on Cymbalta for nerve pain. He said it wouldn't make me gain weight. So far, it has decreased my appetite instead of increasing it. I've only taken it two days though. I'm feeling very groggy, but I'm not sleeping well at all. I hope it improves. We're just doing a six weeks trial to see if it helps my pain.

quilts4cb ~ I've been in your shoes. We can't let that happen again, can we? ;) Good luck!!

Juli ~ The recipe sounds good. Thanks!

QT ~ I snack on hard-boiled eggs a lot while on Phase 1. It is such an "easy to grab and go" snack.

[ColoradoJuli]

Didn't eat the brisket last night. When I got hungry it wasn't done. I put it on low instead of high. Guess I learned my lesson. There was nothing else left in the house so I made a pizza. I have a lunch meeting today so I have plans to go shopping afterwards. I really shouldn't let the food get so low especially living in the mountains. I will have to make sure that I have plenty of stocked food when it comes to the fall & winter!

[Jacquelyn11]

On my 3rd PH1 day, and things are going well. (I'm peeing like a race horse!) My first round with SBD I lost 14 lbs the first two weeks, followed by nothing for 3 wks, and that no loss is better than a gain! I lost 35 lbs over all in a 5 month strict SBD following and pretty much kept it off. It's when my life gets stressed to the point the Lexapro just can't handle it all that the "stress" eating starts!! :o

Then it's time for a serious talk from "me to me" and behavior modification! :)

BTW, how are ya'll incorporating the New SBD line of frozen dinners, friged wraps, bars and cereal? I was hoping the web site would updated their menu choices to include these, but now I see they are advertising a "news letter" to subscribe to. They already get my $$ for the web site subscription!!

MermaidDenise, what a encouraging testimony! I've got 40-50lbs to lose to my goal, and I'm putting off any plastic surgery till then. Gonna get the "female' surgery at the same time!

I like to keep the grape tomatos handy as a reach for snack. They sell the Santa Sweets at Sam's and they are the best I have found!

Shelia, noticed you are on Cymbalta. BTW, I've been a pharmacist for 23 years!

From my drug into web site:

.3.4 ENDOCRINE/METABOLIC
A. METABOLIC EFFECTS
1. [B][[COLOR=Blue]Patients treated with duloxetine for 9 weeks in clinical trials showed an average WEIGHT LOSS of 0.5 kilogram (kg),[/COLOR][/B] while placebo-treated patients showed a weight gain of 0.2 kg (Prod Info Cymbalto(R), 2004).
3.3.5 GASTROINTESTINAL
A. GASTROINTESTINAL EFFECTS
1. NAUSEA (up to 20% of patients), DIARRHEA (8%) or CONSTIPATION (11%), and DRY MOUTH (15%) have been relatively common adverse effects in the treatment of depression in open studies; less frequently, ANOREXIA and TASTE CHANGES have been described (Johnson et al, 1995; Berk et al, 1997; Ishigooka et al, 1996; Goodnick, 1999). In the absence of control groups, the true incidence of these effects is unknown.
3.3.6 KIDNEY/GENITOURINARY
A. GENITOURINARY EFFECTS
1. Urinary hesitation may be attributable to duloxetine treatment (Prod Info Cymbalta(R), 2004).
2. DYSURIA was reported in some depressed patients during therapy in an open study (Ishigooka et al, 1995). Causality is uncertain.
B. SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION
1. Duloxetine caused more sexual dysfunction in males, such as ejaculatory dysfunction, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation, and particularly the ability to reach orgasm, than did placebo. [COLOR=Magenta][B]Female sexual function was not affected by duloxetine (Prod Info Cymbalta(R), 2004).[/B] [/COLOR] Isn't that good to know!!

Good luck on SBD all!

Jacquelyn :D

[WeirdEyes]

Jacquelyn ~ Thanks so much for the info on Cymbalta. I've already noticed the nausea (just a tad) and the dry mouth. I'm also having a heck of a time staying asleep. The first night I took it, I was wide awake at 2:30 AM. This morning, I was wide awake at 3:15 AM! :eek: Something's gotta give. I need my sleep..LOL!

About the SB products.... I eat the small cereal bars as snacks. I eat the cookies as dessert. I haven't had the cereal or crackers. I've eaten one of the friged wraps and it was very good. The serving was small so it made me realize that I've been eating too big of portions.

Good luck continuing with Phase 1. I'll be joining you on July 12th. :D

Juli ~ You definitely need to get some food girl! LOL

[irislady]

MermaidDenise, You and I must have posted at the same time because I didn't see your post while I was writing mine. Thank you for sharing your story, and congratulations for sticking with the challenge to lose weight.

Quilts4CB, One of my best friends has been in a situation similar to yours for over 9 years now. Ironically, she works at the top fitness center in town as a manager of their childcare dept., but she has no time at all most days to stay and do any kind of exercise. You have a good attitude about continuing to try to lose the weight, but being happy with whatever success you have before the cruise. How long have you been a quilter? I started just over 7 years ago before the birth of my granddaughter. I made a dozen or more quilts my first 5 years, but I haven't done much the past couple of year. I have to get back to it soon. I have a bed-size quilt about 3/4's pieced for my son, and now have 2 grandbabies due before Christmas, plus my friend's other daughter is expecting her 2nd child between my DIL (early Oct) and DD's (early Dec.) due dates. I feel I need to make her a quilt, too, since I made one for her first baby. Nephew and wife are also expecting their 2nd in late Oct. I don't think they're going to get another quilt since I don't think they appreciated the first one. They're the kind who would have appreciated cash more.

Juli, I make pizzas using the low carb tortillas instead of crust. They're really very good, especially if you put a baking rack on a cookie sheet to lift the tortillas up. The hot air flow underneath will crisp them up so they are more like a crust.

Sheila, I feel your pain about the lack of sleep. Last night was only the 2nd night that I was able to fall asleep at a decent hour (11) and sleep til morning. I've had trouble dealing with the loss of Shelby while we were gone and other worries about B-I-L, and hoping that both DDs and D-I-Ls pregnancies will continue to go well. DH convinced me to go back on my anti-anxiety, but I'm using the Lexapro samples that my dr. gave me to try instead of re-filling my Celexa. The prescription is so expensive. Ridiculous.

Jacquelyn, try keeping a food and exercise/activity diary. It's a good way to handle the "me to me" talks since it presents with you with good, hard evidence of how well or how poorly you've done. The key is to be brutally honest and log actual portion sizes and everything to eat and drink. No "guesstimating".

QT, great snack suggestions. Things that are good for you and filling at the same time can really make a difference in keeping you from eating wrong in a moment of weakness.
Shae

[WeirdEyes]

Shae ~ Several of my friends are on Lexapro and they like it. I hope it works well for you. Get some sleep! ;)

[stanford's girl]

[size=4]Big thanks to all of you for your helpful suggestions.:D [/size]

Shae, Thanks for spelling it to make it easier to understand. I'll follow your suggestion about the tape measure and not the scale.

Sheila, I sometimes forgot about portion control. Thanks for the reminder. The exercise is helping too.

Tami, I wish I could blame it on meds but I gave up my HRT about 9 months ago (and I haven't hurt anybody yet) hehe.

Qt, Thanks for the lettuce wrap suggestion. It's a great idea and I love it. Also like the pinto beans and deviled eggs. I have been eating them just hard boiled and it's a welcome change.

Janice

[adoptmom]

Hi everyone! I had an interesting doctor's visit today. I just adore my doctor because she isn't the type to freak out if I try an alternative therapy or two. :D I told her that I'd been doing so research on crohn's and as a result had decided to cut out wheat as much as possible and most other grains too. I was prepared for a lecture on the new food pyramid or some such nonsense, but she was very supportive and gave me some other reading ideas. After talking about the boost in my energy levels since I've gotten away from wheat she wonders if I didn't have celiac. It and Crohn's are often seen together.

Janet- I dont' envy you going off the HRT. I've got 8 or so years before having to worry about it but I'm already researching homepathic alternatives for the menopause symptoms. I definitely don't want to take HRT. Oral contraceptives used to give me blinding headaches, especially the ones with estrogen! No thanks! Luckily my mom and aunts have going through it fairly effortlessly. My husband is going to have to buy a parka though. I already freeze him out half the time. :D

Ok, I'm yawning so much that I can't see to type anymore. Good night!

Tami

[cruisinqt]

Okay, I have another suggestion for a good meal or snack. I get 2 cans of the 98% fat free broccoli and cheese soup by Campbells. On the label the ingredients are low fat milk, low fat cheese, seasonings, and things that are okay on our diet. Then it says less than 2% of the following: starch and sugar. I'm thinking this is okay for phase 2 which I'm starting. Anyway, I put the two cans of soup in a pan along with the two cans of low fat milk. Then I steam a little broccoli in the microwave and then chop it up and add it to the soup. I simmer the soup on the stove for quite a while just like I would do with a homemade soup. I add a little laughing cow light cheese and seasonings and it tastes great!:)

My husband came home one day and had a bowl not knowing it was almost fat free and came out of a can. He loved it and thought it was my homemade soup that I make occasionally. When I told him it came out of a can he thought I was joking, he couldn't believe it. So now, I also make a pot of "fake soup out of a can" that tastes homemade and is almost fat free. It's quick, easy, tastes good, and keeps me on my diet.;)

Tomorrow I'm going to make my homemade buttermilk pie when I have dinner guests over except that I'm making it SBD style. It should be acceptable for phase 2. I'll see how it tastes and how my guests like it. If it turns out pretty good I'll post the recipe.

[stanford's girl]

[size=4]Tami, You might want to look into bio-identical hormones when you get there. The Suzanne Somers book "The Sexy Yeras" tells all about it. It's a good read for women in there late 40's and 50's. :D [/size]

[Jacquelyn11]

Had my yogurt and ham bkfst, 2% sharp cheese and grape tomatos for snack. I've also been listening to the Live 8 concert.

QT, great soup idea. I'll have to try that in Phase 2.

One of the reasons I went on Lexapro was the inability to fall asleep at night. My mind would not stop racing about all the thoughts of the day and all the things I had to do the next day. My doc called the GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). I even weaned myself off Lexapro (these drugs you DON'T stop abruptly) and the sleep disorder returned. My doc said at 45 is probably the start of peri-menopause. :(

Down about 4 lbs! :)

I also try to drink a cold can of V-8 juice once a day. It really seems to cut the hunger if it's really cold, but I can't stand it if it warms up, and that last sip can taste like alumminum can!! :p

Happy 4th all ~!~

Jacquelyn :D

[adoptmom]

Hi everyone! Whew! I had a planned cheat yesterday since we were going to a festival. I had my favorite, Fried Milkyway. It gave me a headache though and I craved olives all night. Guess I needed the salt to balance me out. I think next time around I'll split one because that was just too much sugar.

I'm back on track today although DH and I are going out to celebrate our 17th anniversary. I may have etouffe if we go to the restaurant I think we are. It's too good to pass up and the only place I know of around here to get it.

Tomorrow we're having a game day/4th party. It should be a good WOE day. I'm providing burgers and sausages. I picked up some of our favorite turkey sausages for me to eat. One person is bringing a bunch of veggies from her garden and the other is bringing a fruit tray. I'm doing SB/protein power, one friend has cut out wheat and sugar trying to get her heart rate under control, and the other is pregnant and watching carbs because she gained 60 pounds with her first pregnancy and doesn't want to do it again.

Well, I'm off to get stuff done. Talk to you all later.

Tami

[cruisinqt]

Well, the SBD buttermilk pie went over very well. Everyone liked it and couldn't believe it was sugar free. I had several requests for the recipe.:) So I guess I'll post the recipe for those of you who have a sweet tooth and are looking for something different to eat for dessert. For those of you who haven't ever eaten buttermilk pie, it's somewhat like a custard pie except sweeter. It's very popular down south.;)

SBD Buttermilk Pie

Crust: 1/2 cup Splenda
3 - 4 tbsp. melted butter ( I used Smart Balance Light )
1 and 1/2 cups of almond or pecan crumbs

Filling: 1 and 1/2 cups Splenda
1 tsp. flour
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
8 tbsp. melted butter ( I used Smart Balance Light )
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. maple flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put almonds or pecans in food processor or blender and mix until it looks like tiny crumbs. You will need enough almonds to equal 1 and 1/2 cups of crumbs. In a large bowl, mix almond crumbs, Splenda, and melted butter until well combined. Spray 9 " pie pan with cooking spray and press almond mixture into pie pan to form a pie crust. Combine Splenda, flour, and lemon juice in bowl. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Stir in Buttermilk and melted butter. Add vanilla extract and maple extract and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake until the center is set, about 25-30 minutes. Cool and serve with SBD whipped cream if desired, it's now available in the grocery stores.:D

One note: I have an exceptionally large bag of almonds from Sam's that I used for this recipe. I didn't measurre out the almonds when I put them in the food processor, I just eye balled it. So I can't really tell you how many almonds or pecans you should get for this recipe. I would say one good sized bag of almonds or pecans should be sufficient. Just as long as you have enough to equal 1 and 1/2 cups of crumbs.

Let me know if you think this is okay for Phase 2. I would also like any comments you have about how it tasted or how I could improve the recipe.

[ColoradoJuli]

I too am on Lexapro, but it does nothing for my sleeping problems. I am also on a ton of other meds that are suppose to make you sleepy, but do nothing for me. I have to take Ambien at night to sleep. If I don't take it my mind races all night long and I don't get any sleep. I was worried about being on it full time, but my Dr. said that I was one of those people that just had to have it each night to get a good night's sleep. I've tried all the herbal etc stuff, but it does nothing for me. I have always had sleeping problems and the Ambien is so nice because I can actually get a good nights sleep and not be so tired during the day.

I did go get some food Shelia. I ended up going over my budget because the SB cereals were on sale at 10 for $20! That is a really good price so I got 20 of them. DH loves the cereals. I'm not much of a cereal fan so I don't eat it.

DH is doing a live video conference and wants to do it from the deck. I have the only notebook in the house so I need to go.

Back to Phase 1 tomorrow. Here's to dropping those pounds!

[WeirdEyes]

Hi everyone! I feel awful today because of the junk foods I ate over the weekend. I can't wait to start back on Phase 1 next week. I'm eating strict Phase 2 this week. We're going to the beach for a long weekend starting Friday. There is another tropical storm heading our way. I hope it doesn't mess with my beach trip.

Everyone seems to be doing so well. You all should be really proud of yourselves. :D

I've decided to discontinue taking the medication (Cymbalta) that I started taking last week. When I take it, I cannot sleep and I'm very groggy the next day. I only took it for a week so I don't think it will be a problem discontinuing it.

Talk to you all later!

[ColoradoJuli]

Back on Phase 1 today. I have promised myself to do it the full 14 days!

Found my scale yesterday that had been missing since the move. Looks like I only put on 2 pounds during the crazyness of moving.

Shelia ~ You might first talk to your Dr and see if he might be able to give you something to help you sleep. Just until your body gets used to the meds, but then again, maybe he just needs to give you something different.

Eating my laughing cow cheese and celery. Headed to get some water. Everyone take care!

[stanford's girl]

[size=4]Can everyone post some of their favorite snacks for Phase 1? Trying to get through all 71 pages of this thread is taking me a while.:) Thanks and I've lost 4 lbs. so far this time.:cool: Much better than the five I gained last time on it.[/size]

[cruisinqt]

Stanford'sgirl, I bought the SBD cookbook recently and here are 2 snack food recipes for phase 1 that I've used and like.

Reuben Wrap
1 leaf cabbage
1 slice reduced fat swiss cheese
1 slice pastrami
1 tbsp. mustard or sugar free thousand island dressing
2 tbsp. sauerkraut

Fan the cabbage leaf on a plate. Place the cheese on the cabbage leaf and top with the pastrami. Spread the mustard or dressing onto the pastrami. Add the sauerkraut, roll it up, and secure with a wooden pick. Eat and enjoy.:)

Black Bean Dip

1 can fat free refried black or pinto beans
1 cup fat free sour cream
1 can (14 1/2 oz. ) diced tomatoes
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the beans, sour cream, tomatoes, chile pepper, salt, and black pepper. Spoon into a 1 quart shallow baking dish or pie plate. Top with the cheese and bake for 10 minutes, or until heated through. Use fresh veggies to dip into it.

Some of my other favorite snacks are deviled eggs which are great because you can use mayo on this diet and cherry tomatoes with ranch dressing. ;)