Lisa's Journal (Life on the "Beach" - Part 2 all the way to goal!)

[ZerasPride]

Hello everyone!

My name is Lisa and my husband and I started the South Beach diet yesterday, December 1, 2003. I weighed in at 282.5 pounds. My first goal is to lose 10% of my body weight or about 28 pounds. The initial part of the SB program is called Phase I and this is day two for us. I think I am beginning to feel that "out of sorts" feeling I have been reading about that one can go through on a low carb program. I hope, as I have read, that these feelings subside in a few days. I will say that yesterday afternoon was the first time I can remember in years that I didn't want to crawl under the desk and take a nap after lunch. Benefits from day 1, how nice!

My ultimate goal is to be at a healthy weight (somewhere between 125-150 pounds). I haven't been in that weight range in over 20 years so I'll have to wait until I get close to those numbers to figure out what weight I'll be comfortable at.

I plan on using my exercise bike daily, drinking lots of water and staying on program, no cheating.

Food:

Yesterday, I had a cheese, ham and mushroom omelet for breakfast, string cheese for a mid-morning snack, tomato stuffed tuna on a bed of lettuce for lunch, 7 whole almonds for a mid-afternoon snack and due to circumstances beyond our control, DH and I split a grilled sirloin burger and I had a salad with ice tea (sweetened with Splenda). For dessert I had a sugar free fudgesicle. I was still hungry late in the evening so I had another string cheese.

Exercise/Water:
Exercise Bike for 30 minutes (about 7.5 miles)
7 mugs of water (not sure of the ounces but I use my DVC Hilton Head mug so I assume the mug can hold at least 16 oz.)

I'll try to post here each day with my progress. It is wonderful to have a place like this to record my feelings and food intake. If anyone would like to make comments, they are welcome. I hope everyone has a great day!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Lisa, it's Lisa! So nice of you to post to my journal and take the time to read it, it's pretty lengthy. Yes, in the beginning I did post my menus on a daily basis, but lately as I'm sure you read, I've been working long hours. But I still try to check in every week and I read other people's journals as well for inspiration. This forum has been a great help to me as I'm sure it will be for you. The best thing is that everyone here has one common goal whether they're doing Atkins, SB, WW, you name it; the goal is to lose weight and eat healthier. We all have those moments when we're discouraged and not doing well, and shining moments too. When you're having self doubt you're sure to find encouragement here. I was initially going to keep a journal on Atkins.com, but it was too lonely over there, no feedback. There's a sense of comraderie around here and it's helped me through those tough times and keeps me on my toes because I know people are watching! Anyway, enough about me. I have heard that SB is similar to Atkins too. And boy, do I know how it feels to have that blah feeling when you first start low carb eating. But trust me, you'll come out of it in a few days, and you'll have more energy and feel such a sense of accomplishment. You can do this! I don't know if you can have bread on phase 1 but you can have a burger without the bun, I do it all the time. Low carb is about quality, not quantity. During that critical first phase, try to stay on plan, because your body is going through necessary changes so that it starts burning fat the way it should. I don't much about SB, but I'm sure you'll be able to add more carbs once you move on to the next step, so for now stay focused. Make mini goals for yourself so that you'll feel like they're easy to attain. When I first started and weighed in at 224 I felt depressed because I felt like I had such a long way to go. I still do, but I try not to look at the "big" number and focus on losing 5-10 lbs. at a time. Ok, I've gone on more than I meant to! Keep up with your journal as much as possible, and drop by mine if you can. It's nice to have a new journal buddy. Welcome to WISH!

P.S. Could you tell me more about SB, I'm curious as to how similar it is to Atkins.

 

[ZerasPride]

Hi Lisa!

Thanks so much for posting to my journal. I wondered if anyone would. I sort of feel like I am writing about myself to myself and I had made up my mind that if no one responded, that would be okay. And then I come to the journal this morning and see your comments and encouragement. They are so much appreciated and you such an inspiration to me. If you can go through all that you do and stay on program, I know I can!!!!!

I researched both SB and Atkins and someone at work recommended SB over Atkins and that's what made me go with it initially. One of the big differences I can see is that SB does not focus on no carbs but good carbs and also the fat content of both programs is different. SB stresses good and/or low fat with an emphasis on heart health. I am deathly afraid of having a heart attack or a stroke and concerned about my hubby's heart health too. We both desparately need to lose this weight so I know we needed to start something but as I said, I'm also concerned about our long-term health and that was the deciding factor for me to go with SB. I'm not trying to start a one versus the other debate, they really are similar programs and I think it's just your preference as an individual.

With SB you go through "Phase I" for two weeks where with Atkins it's called induction, right? With SB Phase I you can have pretty much all the veggies (there are some limitations) and lean meats and eggs, lots of eggs at breakfast (yuck). The program encourages snacks between meals and you are practically commanded not to miss dessert (this is a diet?). Anyway, DH and I are very happy with the program so far even though this is only Day 3. We are attending our first gathering on Sunday since we started the program and when my husband heard there is going to be peach cobbler (his favorite) at the gathering, I thought he would fall out. But we are both determined to focus on what we can have not what we can't have to eat. I think that's the best strategy. I don't want to make it sound like we are deprived because I had the best sirloin cheeseburger and salad for dinner last night with a fudgesicle for dessert. Yummy! Saturday we're having NY strip steaks, shrimp scampi, broccoli with cheese sauce and salad. Can't wait!

I am looking forward to Phase II when we can add fruit and dairy products and some carbs like whole grain breads and such back to our diet.

I'm going to make my entry for yesterday and then take a look at yours to see if you've added anything new. Thanks again for being here for me. I think this board is so wonderful and the people are so special. Like you said, it doesn't matter what plan we're on, we all have the same goal to lose weight so let's go at it!!!!

Have a wonderful day and don't let your busy schedule stress you out too much.

 

[ZerasPride]

Day 2 (December 2, 2003)

Both my husband and I felt a bit out of sorts. I still feel a bit weird today but I notice the feelings diminish when I eat. I like the fact that we both try to have something every 4 hours or so. I also made dinner as soon as I got home and was even able to eat a whole burger to myself, that made all the difference in feeling full and I didn't need an additional snack before bedtime.

I went to the bathroom so many times that I could have just screamed. It made me wonder if I had lost enough water weight in only 2 days to wear my favorite black A-line skirt. It has always been a bit snug but the last time I wore it a few weeks ago, it was so uncomfortable that I said I wouldn't wear it again! Anyway, I pulled it out the closet this morning and low and behold it actually fit!!! It's not loose by any means but I don't have that stuffed into a sausage casing feeling I usually feel when I wear it. Yeah for me! I know you guys will probably think I'm insane but I'm telling you I could not comfortably walk or sit in this skirt and here I am at the office this morning fitting into my favorite skirt.

I am also sleeping better at night. I used to have a terrible time falling asleep and getting rest. I would wake up feeling like I hadn't slept at all. Of course that could be because my body was trying to digest an entire pint of ice cream that was my nightly routine. But I have been getting the best rest the past few nights.

So let's count the things I've noticed so far that have changed for the better in just a few days - by Day 3:

*don't feel sleepy in the afternoon
*sleep more soundly at night (and didn't snore at all last night - let's just say that was always a big program for me)
*fit into a skirt that was too tight before

I almost feel like I am dreaming and I haven't even weighed myself for the first time yet. I know I won't have stellar days every day but I want to hold on to this feeling as long as possible. If someone would have told me that I could go for days without bread, ice cream or cookies, I would have told them they were crazy but with the benefits I've listed above and others that I know will come, I don't mind giving these things up for now. If anyone reads my journal entries and wonders if they should start a program, any program and they have a lot of weight to lose, I'd say go for it! The benefits of feeling better are worth being on this program alone even if I don't take off any weight. Of course I'm not crazy, that's one of the major reasons I'm doing this, to lose weight, but there are so many other benefits that I heard you could experience and frankly I thought people were exaggerating a little bit but not anymore. Okay now for the my food intake:

Food:

B: cheese, mushroom and ham omelet and tea
S: 7 whole almonds
L: tuna stuffed tomato on a bed of lettuce
S: cheese stick
D: grilled sirloin burger, salad and tea with a fudgesicle for dessert

Exercise/Water:
30 minutes on exercise bike
6 mugs of water (got to find out how many ounces this thing holds)

That's about it for now. Looking forward to any comments from you guys out there - encouragement is always appreciated. Everyone have a great day!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Good morning Lisa! I'm rushed to work this morning so that I could have a little time to post to your journal before I start my day off. You did really well yesterday. Congratulations on being able to wear that A-line skirt that's been hanging in your closet. That's exactly what happened with me during the first week, I didn't feel like the stuffed sausage! So you're seeing positive change already, that's great. Oh, and that steak and shrimp scampi dinner sounds delicious. Everything I've seen on you menu so far is pretty much what I can eat. You know, you've inspired me to post yesterday's menu on my journal. I can't promise I can do it every day but I'll do my best. Have a great day Lisa!

 

[LAinSEA]

and thank you for posting in my journal - I need all the encouragement I can get.

My DH felt out-of-sorts to begin with too (He had a complete lack of energy the first few days but scared me when he was completely exhausted after playing his regular Monday night of basketball a week into eating low-carb but not yet induction. He also suffered terribly from leg cramps...he upped the water intake and started taking more calcium and they've gone away.) I only have had one bad day - Thanksgiving - after eating carbs when not having had many for over a week.

SB sounds a great plan also - I'm so happy you're seeing results so soon. (I've threatened myself with bodily harm if I get on the scale more than once every 2 weeks or try on a too-small pair of jeans in the same time frame.)

You're doing great on the exercise too - not my strong point. My goal is to try to get 10 minutes of exercise at a time while I'm at work, a short walk around the building or lifting some light weights and get more exercise at home on my days off.

Thanks again for your support and keep up the great work!

-Laurie

 

[ZerasPride]

Laurie - Thanks so much for commenting on my progress so far. It's so funny you talked about being tired because my DH and I crashed early last night. I was actually ready for bed when I got home from work at 6:00! My husband was in bed before 10:00 and I followed soon thereafter. I still can't get over how soundly I sleep at night. I used to have such awful dreams, not really nightmares, but dreams that left me feeling so tired the next day that I almost didn't want to sleep at night. I was near tears I was desperate to get some real rest. Since I've been on SB, I sleep so soundly at night. It's one of the best benefits so far to me.

I try to get in my 30 minutes on the bike first thing in the morning. I even get up 40 minutes earlier in the mornings to do it. I watch music videos and before I know it, the 30 minutes is up. I hope you are able to squeeze in 10 minutes a day for your own exercising. Thanks again for posting to my journal. Have a great, cheat free day!

 

[ZerasPride]

December 3, 2003 (Wednesday) or the "Big Carrot Fiasco"

I reported how I was able to wear my black A line skirt today and that was probably the highlight of my day. DH and I are doing well on the program, if you don't count my finding out that carrots are on the big "no no" list for the SB program. I did some research on the prevention SB board and found out this is a pretty controversial little veggie. I did find a quote from Dr. A and he did say there are no excluded veggies except corn, potatos and something else but I forget now, so there's a little contradiction there. Someone posted that you would have to eat 1-1/2 pounds of carrots to equal the high gi level mentioned in the SB book and the general consensus seems to be that carrots in moderation (who'd eat a lot of carrots anyway - yuck) is perfectly acceptable so I dodged that bullet.

Okay now on to the good stuff:

Food:
B: 2 veggie, cheese and bacon quiche cups (yummy and quick to eat) and hot tea with splenda sweetner
S: 7 whole almonds
L: grilled chicken salad
S: string cheese stick
D: grilled pork chop and broccoli with low fat cheese sauce
S: fat free fudgesicle

Exercise/Water:
Road exercise bike for 30 minutes
Drank 6 mugs (how many ounces in those things?) and an additional .5 litre bottle of water in the evening

I am very proud of myself so far. I still can't believe I am doing this and it's really not that hard. I feel pretty good and even feel lighter on my feet and my shoes doen't fit as tight. I can't wait to weigh myself on Monday and to find my tape measurer so I can keep track of any inches lost.

Oh well, that's about it for now. I'm just trying to take things one day at a time and keep telling myself to concentrate on the foods I can have and not the things I can't have right now.

 

[Castillo Mom]

LOL! That's so funny that mentioned the "carrot fiasco." I stay away from them too. You're right, they're not forbidden with Atkins but we're advised that we should limit the amount we eat. Chicken salad, huh? I'd like to know how you make yours if you don't mind and you have time. I'm thinking maybe I could boil some chicken and mix it with the appropriate ingredients (mayo, veggies, etc.) and keep it separate from the greens in the fridge and just grab the chicken and salad greens and throw them in a bag and put it all together at work. You're giving me some great ideas Lisa. It's so interesting to read about the changes you're going through right now because they're almost exactly what I experienced, sleeping better at night, looser fitting shoes, feeling lighter on the feet, repeated bathroom runs, better fitting clothing and the desire to actually want to weigh oneself. I'm so happy for you Lisa, there are many great things in store for you, but most importantly, better health. You're doing a great job, so keep it up. The weekend is coming up and sometimes that's when we may be more tempted to cheat, so stay focused. Have a great day!

 

[ZerasPride]

Lisa,

I'm so glad I found this forum and you are here as well as everyone else on WISH to support me! I used to spend my time DISing on the DVC board and I still go there from time to time but this has become the place I come to first and foremost when I log on to the computer because I know I can ge the support I need. It's just awesome. Thanks so much for your kind words.

My chicken salad is simple and nothing special but it has been tasting so good. I season then grill my chicken breasts, cut them up into strips and put them in foil while they are still warm. This seems to help them hold their juiciness. Then I put my salad stuff in a container and I'm good to go. I bought those Glad Ware tupperware-like containers from the store and hubby and I use them for our lunches. They are great! They are dishwasher safe and microwavable too. The SB program author said simplicity is the key and that's the only way I can do this program, if it's simple and tastes good!

If I can help you in anyway, I consider it a small payback for all your encouragement to me these past few days. I can honestly say, you have made Phase I a little easier for me! Take care! Oh, and go drink some water!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Wow, I'm really touched by what you've said. Knowing that I've been able to help someone else means a lot and actually helps me to keep going too. I'm only reciprocating the support others have offered me, so you're very welcome! I stumbled across WISH only after having cruised WDW planning area of the DIS for several months. When I first took the WISH challenge I wasn't ready and I didn't start Atkins until a couple of months later.

You mentioned the taco salad before. The seasoning I use is made by McCormick and I buy it at Costco. It does have a trace amount of sugar as well as potato starch but it only has 3 carbs per 2 tablespoons. Not sure if the latter two ingredients would be off limits for you, but I would think it should be ok. You could also use carne asada instead of the taco meat.

I've been buying frozen chicken breasts in bulk. At Costco they also sell a ceasar salad mix that contains the dressing, parmesan cheese and croutons (of course no croutons for us) and just add a sliced chicken breast. I bought a large set of Gladware about a month ago and I like them a lot, very versatile.

Well, it's almost time to turn in and I want to go check out the resort board. I'll visit your journal tomorrow. I'll make sure I have some water before bed.

 

[ZerasPride]

December 4, 2003 (Thursday) Day 4 on the Beach or "We never met a potty we didn't like"

My husband cracked me up when he told me how tired he was and when I asked him why, he said it was because he keeps waking up at night to go potty. It was cute but I guess you had to have been there. I'm just glad we have 2 bathrooms in our house because between the two of us we are always in one of them! That water sure does go through you!

This was a good day. I feel like I have more energy and even plan to do some major cleaning around my house this weekend. For so long I haven't felt I had the energy to do real deep thorough cleaning but I am feeling it now.

I did get a really bad headache last night and I have been sweating a lot. I wonder if that's all part of the carb withdrawal because I normally don't get headaches. I took something for it and the headache went away after a while but it was unusual for me to have one so I thought I would mention it.

A real test to our resolve to stick to this woe came last night when DH and I realized we had run out of salad and dressing. Horror of all horrors. We actually stood in our kitchen and looked stupefied at one another because we didn't know what to do! Duh, go to the store and buy more of course. We ended up doing our grocery shopping for the week since we were already at the store. This was our first grocery trip since starting the program and I was afraid being around all that food would make me want to crack but it didn't. I was looking forward to going home and having my ff fudgesicle and I did too.

My son had asked me to buy him some ice cream and the only reason I did was because he had been sick and looked so pitiful. I really don't want that stuff in the house while we're on Phase I but I bit the bullet and browsed the ice cream aisle for him. I did check out some good looking sugar free stuff and will remember that for when we come off Phase I but I don't want to get dependent on that stuff again so we'll see.

Okay, now on with the food and exercise report:

B: 2 mini-quiche with spinach, bacon and lf cheese
S: 7 whole almonds
L: grilled chicken on a bed of lettuce with lf dressing
S: string cheese
D: grilled sirloin burger with lf cheese and salad
S: ff fudgesicle

Exercise and Water:
30 minutes on exercise bike
6 mugs of water and 1 of the .5 litres of bottled water at home

That's about it for this day.

Lisa, I always appreciate your comments and support. Thanks for letting me know about the McCormick seasoning. I would have taken more time to shop around for something more acceptable than what I bought but DH was rushing me out the store. I still have not decided if I'm going to use the taco seasoning. But I mean, how much corn flour could really be in a couple dashes of seasoning? Oh well, I might just wait another week until I'm done with Phase I and make the taco salad then. Better to be safe than sorry I suppose. I feel like this is a soap opera "As the Salad Turns" or something. Will our heroine give into temptation and use the seasoning salt? Orrrrrr, will she display unwaivering self-control and just say no to the corn flour? The answer will have to wait until tomorrow's installment my intrepid readers.

Oh, Lisa, go drink some water!

 

[Castillo Mom]

I predict she'll say no to the cornflower! Great job with the grocery shopping, you passed the test and didn't go down the cookie/cracker isle or the junk food aisle, yay! A few more days isn't so long to wait to have your taco salad. I was at the grocery store myself the other night and forgot to get the muffin liners so I can try the recipe you gave me. Oh, and I see you and the porcelain throne are becoming quite close these last few days! I drank 8 oz of water this morning and I'm off to go get some more. Have a great day!

 

[ZerasPride]

December 5, 2003 (Friday) Day 5 on the Beach or Yummy Yummy Taco Salad!

In our last episode our heroine had to decide whether to use the potentially illegal substance (taco seasoning) or if she was going to resist. What’s a gal to do? Well, I went to the prevention site and did a search. It turns out, it really is personal preference. Some say it's okay to use and other's say it's not. Aren’t so many things in life that way? I decided there were probably only trace elements of the corn flour in the seasoning to begin with and I wasn’t going to use much. I do think to be on the safe side we probably should have waited but like with the carrots I don’t feel we cheated at all. Boy, this eating thing can get real complicated sometimes!

Lisa, our taco salads were delicious!!! My son, who was making fun of me while I was cooking the hamburger meat, ate his so fast he had seconds before I finished mine. I put the hamburger on the shredded lettuce, added lf cheese, tomato and black olives. It was so good! I asked my husband what he thought and he gave it thumbs up too. This will definitely be something we eat again. It is amazing to me how many dishes taste just as good or better without the carbs! Amazing.

Food:

B: 2 mini quiche and hot tea
S: 7 whole almonds
L: grilled sirloin cheeseburger with salad and lf ranch dressing
S: string cheese
D: Lisa’s Yummy Yummy Taco Salad and a ff fudgesicle for dessert

Exercise/Water:

30 minutes on exercise bike (approximately 7 miles and about 300 calories)
5 mugs of water (about 12 oz. each) and 1 bottle of spring water .5 litre bottle

There were several challenges to my day and I can say that I am so glad I did not give in to my normal comforting routine of overeating. I was working on a project at my job and time got away from me in the afternoon. I ended up staying 1/2 hour late to get it finished and in my haste made a big mistake on the project. I didn’t realize it until I fought my way through all the wind, rain and snow to get to my bus stop so I had to fight my way through the wind, rain and snow back to my job in the dark to fix the problem. I had to look through all the firm’s afternoon mail to find the outgoing envelopes and only succeeded in finding 2 of the 3 envelopes. By this time it was 6:00 and I had missed my last bus. My sweet DH picked me up and I am still stressing over the backlash I’ll get on Monday when it comes out that one of the packages went out without a signature. My normal reaction to this type of stressful situation would be to eat – big time. I thought about for a moment and had a silent chuckle. I just didn’t want to eat over it. Why should I continue to pollute and harm myself physically because of a mistake or because of what other people might say about me? It just wasn’t worth it to blow all my hard work I accomplished all week over making a mistake. That is a real breakthrough for me.

Well, that’s a wrap for Friday. I hope all my fellow WISHers out there have a wonderful weekend and remember, we can do this together!!!!

Lisa, well, you know the drill – drink some water!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Glad you enjoyed the taco salad Lisa. You're doing great with the exercise. I haven't done seven miles of anything lately. Well, who knows how many miles at the office on a daily basis. I should wear a pedometer for a day just to see.

Ooh, the weather out there sounds beautiful but freezing and somewhat of an inconvenience when trying to get from point A t point B. Hope the freeze doesn't last too long.

It looks like you passed a major hurdle with flying colors! You're very aware of your food choices now and how they're sometimes connected with mood or emotion. Try not to worry too much about the whole signature issue. We all have our accountabilities at work and that can cause major stress when we find we haven't dotted all our Is and crossed all out Ts (is that proper grammer?). Remember that you're human. I can really relate to your situation.

Well, I hope you have a great weekend. Don't know if your official weigh-in is going to be Monday morning or not, but it usually is for me. Be good!

 

[ZerasPride]

December 6, 2003 (Saturday) Day 6 on the Beach or Wow I can tell you both are losing weight!

I don’t know what I would do without the support of you guys on this board, especially you Lisa. I feel like I have my own little cheering section saying “you can do this, you can do this!”. I can’t put into words how wonderful it makes me feel.

I started Saturday with a “to do” list and was pretty concerned that I wouldn’t get everything done. I was also a little concerned because during the week you can be structured with your eating plan because things usually center around a regular work day but on the weekend anything can happen and that’s when I usually snack a lot and we eat a lot of fast food. I was determined to stay on program and I’m happy to report both my husband and I did!!!! I even resisted a brush with Wendy’s drive thru when my sister stopped for dinner for her girls and my son. I looked at the menu and honestly didn’t want anything on it! I knew I was going home to make my delicious grilled sirloin burger and salad. Nothing on Wendy’s menu compared to that!

When my sister came to visit, she paid me and DH the nicest compliment, she said she could tell already that we both had lost a little weight. I had been telling my husband that his shirts fit looser and he looked like he was fitting his suits better but he said he didn’t see it. When my sister visited he admitted he had noticed a small difference. I also noticed that my clothes are fitting better and I can’t wait to weigh in tomorrow. I might even jump on the scale a day early just to see what it says.

I also discovered the pleasure of real eggs today. I usually use egg beaters to make my omelets and quiche but nothing tops real eggs. I didn’t want to try scrambling my eggs without milk or cream, I thought I wouldn’t like the taste. Wrong! They were delicious so I guess that’s what I’ll be eating in the mornings as we go into our second week on Phase I.

Food:

B: 2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of bacon and hot tea with splenda
S: 7 whole almonds
L: bacon, lettuce and tomato wrap with mayo (yummy yummy)
S: string cheese
D: grilled sirloin cheeseburger and salad with lf dressing (resisted the evil fast food monster)
and a ff fudgesicle for dessert

Exercise/Water:

I rode 35 minutes on my bike for a little over 7 miles and about 320 calories burned. I almost didn’t ride my bike at all. I think I prefer the early morning to exercise. Too many things can happen during a day that make you too tired to exercise at night but I forced myself and I’m glad I did. I felt really good afterwards.

I didn’t do too good on the water front today. I had 2 or 3 of the .5 litres of water so I’m going to try to do better tomorrow.

That’s it for Saturday. I hope everyone continues to stay on their programs. Onward and downward everybody!!!!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Good morning Lisa! You've stayed focused this weekend, that's great. The weekend can be a challenge sometimes, can't it? Especially because you may be out and about. There are many temptations, and you're right, less structure than during the the work week.

It's nice when people start to notice your weight loss, isn't it? Have you taken any "before" pictures yet? It would be a great way to document your journey, especially if you have a digital camera so you can post them and we can see how great you look! I haven't gotten one yet, still shopping around.

Oh, the water dilemma. We need to put our heads together and strategize on how to meet our goal of 64 oz. a day.

I'll check in with you tomorrow for Monday morning weigh-in. I'm rooting for you and hoping the woosh fairy comes your way (and mine too)!

 

[kayeandjim00]

I just read through your journal Lisa and just wanted to say... WAY TO GO!! You are doing so great and your commitment is so obvious in your posts. Keep up the great work, those pounds are going to be flying off. So glad you've joined WISH looking forward to more of your posts.

 

[ZerasPride]

December 7, 2003 (Sunday) Day 7 on the Beach or Back away from the buffet table slowly and no one will get hurt!

Today is the first time DH and I have been invited to a gathering since we started SB. I knew there would be a big spread of all my favorite foods but I was determined to exercise self control. I reasoned with myself that eating whatever I wanted is what got me to 282.5 pounds in the first place so I wasn't going to give into temptation.

Plus I had an extra incentive, I cheated and weighed myself this morning when I should have waited until tomorrow. You can't imagine how excited I was to find that I had lost 9 pounds!!!! I couldn't hardly believe it. I weighed myself twice to make sure. That really gave me incentive when everyone else was chomping down on the deep dish peach cobbler. I brought my new best friend (bottled water) and just kept sipping on it. I did enjoy the turkey and collard greens and some tomato slices and I was just as happy as I would have been had I indulged in all the carb filled food on the table. I actually took time to talk to people and made them my focus and not the food. Novel idea, I know!!!! I am happy to report that my husband resisted too and had baked chicken and greens. I am so proud of both of us! This way of life is just too awesome for words to express properly. I was so afraid to give up carbs but I honestly don't miss them at all.

Food:
B: 2 slices of bacon and 2 scrambled eggs and hot tea with splenda
L: ate breakfast later in the day about 10:45 and early dinner so no lunch today
S: string cheese (at this before party so I wouldn't be too hungry)
D: roasted turkey breast, greens and tomato slices with ff fudgesicle later in the evening for dessert

Exercise/Water:
Road my bike a little more than 30 minutes for about 7 miles and burned about 320 calories
Drank 3 of the .5 litres of water

That's a wrap for my first seven days on South Beach. It has been easier than I thought in so many respects and I have absolutely loved the results I have experienced so far.

I want to say thanks so much to my fellow WISHers. I think two of the reasons I have been able to be so upbeat and successful this week are that my husband is on program with me and I have the wonderful support of you guys. Lisa, thanks for supporting me and giving me encouragement. I didn't take any before pictures because I have lots of pics of me at my heaviest. I don't know how to scan but perhaps when I get closer to my goal I'll take pictures and then scan them both and post them. We have to find out what we can do about our water situation, especially on the weekends. I'm sure we can come up with something.

kayeandjim00 - thanks for commenting on my progress so far. I am determined to do this and at my weight I feel like I have to be. I am tired of being this weight and I was so desperate to find something that worked for me and that would be a lifestyle change. I am so grateful I found the South Beach diet and that I have this board for support.

On to week two!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Oh my goodness! Nine pounds?! Way to go Lisa! I'm so happy for you! BTW, no problem posting whatever you like to my journal, ok? What a wonderful job you're doing and I bet your husband must be so proud. You're off to a great start. You've been focused and aware of your eating and think ahead before you even put a bite in your mouth. I really think that's an important part of the whole process. You're faced with making a choice like at that buffet table and you pondered before serving yourself and that helped you make the right choices.

I read your idea about the water dilemma. You brought something up that I hadn't really thought about. I have bottled water at home, but I used to mainly buy it for my husband since I've never been much of a water drinker. When I did my groceries last week, I bought the usual one case as always. Duh! If I buy another extra case, I'll know it's there and will drink it. I do better (not perfect) at work because we have Sparkletts here. I'll have to have a bottle surgically attached as a reminder to drink, drink, drink.

One more week on Phase 1 for you Lisa and I'm sure it'll be breeze for you. Have a great week.!