So Long Self

[sej]

Hi. I just joined. I've never tried South Beach before, but I feel kinda desperate. I'm a sugar addict and my hope is that by cutting it out of my diet altogether for a few weeks I can overcome my addiction. I'm imagining many nights of cold sweats and many days of soda mirages and salivating at the mere mention of carbs.

I'd like to lose anywhere from 20-30 lbs. It *might* not sound like much but the scale hasn't budged in that direction in several years. I have a bit of knowledge in nutrition, not too much, but I know enough to know what I should not be doing. Blasted stubborness. I walk/run in the evenings and this semester in college I'm taking a few gym classes. I'd like to do a 5k in march if i can be more consistent in training.

I'm not just a college student, i'm also a wife and mother of three young girls. Other than that I stay at home, which contrary to popular belief, has very little to do with actually being home.

The most important detail you could know about me, though, is that I'm a child of God. A believing AND practicing Christian. I know that I could not possibly overcome my bad habits myself, so I am relying on HIS strength, which has no limits, to help me become healthy once and for all.

So. So long sodas (my biggest weakness). So long pastas (my long time affair). So long sweets (my stress reliever). So long fast food (my quick and easy solution to everything).

I would love any and all support y'all can offer. Immensely.

PS. My official SBD kick-off begins Sunday. Cliche I know to wait till the new week. But I need to prep my mind and body for this. Today and tomorrow I will reduce the caffeine/sugar.

[sej]

Day 1

Last night I said said my good-byes to some great friends. Fetuccini alfredo and cookies. It was bittersweet. My friend makes the best fet. i've ever tasted and it made me wonder if i'll be able to do this. But, i woke up this morning ready to go. i don't miss it yet, but hey, i'm just five hours into it. plus, if thats not motivation enough, my dh and i took our measurements and figured out our BMI and BF%. i'm not ready to reveal my dismal numbers, but lets just say, that my body fat percentage was multiplied several times over of what dh's measly 13% was!

what do you guys eat for breakfast in phase 1 for veggies? i'm kind of a picky eater so i'm lost as to what to do there. i had morningstar veggie sausage and some hard boiled egg whites, 1/2 c. of cucumbers. lunch was supposed to be salad and some turkey, but i have to go to the store. so instead i'm eating 2 c. of steamed brocolli and i dunno what for protein yet. i'm going to pick up some string cheese, the kids love it and its on the list for a snack. it says peanut butter. i LOVE eating apples with peanut butter but what do you smear it on in this phase?! the idea of eating it plain sounds kinda bizarre to me.

as for working out. i'm fixing to go play some tennis, and i've also printed out a schedule to train for a 5k w/i 4 weeks. there's a st. paddy's day run in my town some friends want me to join in on.

overall i'm excited and eager. after taking my measurements this morning i realized more than ever how out of wack things have gotten. i'm looking forward to seeing results.

[Lynt]

Breakfast veggies I enjoy are V-8 juice, scrambled eggs with peppers and onions in them, omelets made with with wilted spinach and lf cheddar, the Quiche's to go made with eggbeaters, cheese, and either spinach or broccoli. I also love homemade SBD chili for breakfast, with it's beans and onions and peppers. Or laast night's leftovers.

Good luck to you on SBD. Most of us love it. The first 4 to 5 days are the hardest.

[sej]

Thanks for the ideas! Are the peppers and onions and stuff really enough veggies? i'm not much for either but I'm definitely gonna pick up some v8 juice

[sej]

First day is behind me! so far so good. not having carbs so far is easier than i thot. i didn't feel hungry all day. i had tons of veggies. dinner last night was a burger sans the bun with a slice of low fat cheese BUT dh kinda toasted the burger too much so i didn't have any trouble not going back for seconds, lol. i had some veggies too tho. 2 cups of steamed brocolli and cauliflower. i am SUCH a fan of the steamfresh veggies!

i walked a little over two miles last night despite a bit of a stomach ache (maybe from the burger?! ) my running plan is 7 days a week, 2 of which i will only be walking for half an hour. sunday is one of those days.

today i'm home with sick kids so it will be a true test of will. i eat more when i'm bored, and our pantry is stocked with yummy stuff i could cheat with.

this morning was 2 veggie sausages and scrambled egg whites with diced tomatoes... lunch will be a salad with tuna added---- i can have tuna right? .... i will probably have some chicken and veggies for dinner.

[sej]

Day 3

well, yesterday was a lot harder than day one. but i made it. a *thougthful* friend handed me a valentine for a crispy kreme last night that i'll be passing onto my husband. yesterday i tried egg whites with tomatoes but it came out really runny which was kind of gross. i think a big problem i am having is not eating set meals, i more or less eat continuously all day. the same food i would sit down and eat, no more than that, but i never sit down to eat, i'm going going going.

i didn't run last night due to being out late. thats frustrating but i'm going to get to the gym today.

what about eating out.... how do you guys do that in this phase???

[jogran]

Good morning
with this woe (way of eating) attitude is everything. and you have a good one.
On this diet ,especially the 2 first weeks, snacks are an absolute MUST.
A tablespoon of 'natural' peanut butter, (on celery, sliced cucumber green or red bell pepper ?) a mozzerella stick, a dozen almonds, ..OR ...not and, a slice of lo fat cheese or turkey
twice a day will help a lot!!! Plan for them, and carry them with you !!!
as far as veggies go, experiment a little, what does not appeal to you the first time you try it could very well become a favorite food in time.
Get ALL the 'fats' allowed they will help you stay satisfied , and your body NEEDS them.
Steamed veggies are good, but roasted veggies are to die for, try lots of differant combos and experiment with some ethnic spices. one of my standbys is Cavenders Greek Spice. you will find it near Emiril' etc. Many Non SB friends have begun using it after trying my SB veggie creations.
My 2 cents worth turned into a dimes worth, but I LOOOVE woe and am living proof that "it works"
OH and visit this forum as often as you can, the support and good advice is as the say "priceless"

[sej]

to get help you must first let someone know you need it.

tonight's dinner was dominos. wow. talk about insanely difficult to resist. i think i deserve a medal. now i have to finish these two weeks because i didn't get to eat pizza tonight. if i can make it through that, wow.

so i had a turkey burger and some veggies. blah.

i've had a migraine for several days cuz of the lack of caffeine, but i recognize this as a good thing. its tough to endure. tylenol and ibuprofen don't work. i was taking excedrin till a friend informed me of the caffeine in it and the negative effect it would have on my diet.

horrible rains so no running today either. ech. what a lousy excuse. well, three days down.

despite it all, i'm hopeful, i'm psyched cuz i'm realizing i have more will than i thought, i just wasn't using it.

big thanks to jogran for the tips i'm a snacker but i've been using regular peanut butter, i'll have to pick up the natural stuff, i just hate the way the oil sits on top and having to mix it together.

[sej]

I just got back from the grocery store where the cutest little chocolate cake shaped like a butterfly seemed the perfect gift for my three daughters for v-day, but i simply shook my head and walked pass knowing that it would be far too tempting and not really inclined to give it a second thought. I settled for getting them individually wrapped disney princess cookie valentines. I don't want to enourage their unhealthy eating either, but on cookie won't hurt (Them, lol, it would me). And cards.

SO, that story was meant as a roundabout way to say that I feel like I hit a major milestone yesterday and now I'm unphased (ok, maybe just less phased) by the temptation to eat those pesky carbohydrates. I DO believe they are necessary to a persons diet and play a vitol role, but I DO NOT like being a slave to them.

I hope everyone is having a positive day as I am and I hope that everyone is sympathetic to those who are Beachers!

[sej]

not-so-great-valentines day.

dh and i are going through one of those valley's in our marriage right now. so i didn't expect him to even say yes when i asked if he wanted to go out to eat. we went to Logan's Steakhouse (dreadfully romantic, ain't it?) and i ordered the filet mignon with a double of brocolli. i had water to drink and sprinkled in a pack of splenda and was pleasantly surprised at the taste. maybe its cuz it been days since i've had soda or anything else.

dh, however, flaunts the bread rolls and his tatoes and sides. i'm not tempted by it but i'm peeved that he's acting this way. he's mentioned more than once my weight problem. to top it off, he's getting drunk AND he orders dessert. He NEVER orders dessert. Usually its me begging him to order it so i'm not the only one eating cakes or pies or whatever. He rarely ever does. Today he orders a huge brownie with ice cream and hot fudge all over it. Then he precedes to push it in my face and try and get me to cave. Hello?!!!!! Ugh.

So, I didn't cave. I stuck to the plan. The brownie smelled good as did the bread rolls but not in a MUST HAVE SOME way.

[queenoftheu]

Oh my! Well, way to stay strong and not cave!

Maybe if you talk to your husband about why your doing this change, he would be less inclined to try and tempt you.

Hang in there!

[sej]

Day 5

Good morning!! I can't believe its been 5 days!

This morning I started with 2 pieces of turkey bacon. I tried the mock cinnabon.... not a fan, sorry, i think its just the texture, same reason i don't like fish. Anyways, I'm working on 1/2 c. of tomatoes and cukes, then a light mozerella stick for snack. I'm not sure about lunch yet. Lately I've been having chili with shredded cheddar, but i'm out of that so not sure. i need to pick up some more brocolli and green beans too.

didn't i JUST go to the store?

working out is not working out so far. i got excited and went to the gym at 4 o'clock yesterday and found out the childcare doesn't open till 5pm. I'm sorry but I kind of find this unfair. What woman with kids goes to the gym during supper time?! I had other things to do last night so i couldn't go back at 5. And its coooooooold here lately! I did some strength training at home, sit-ups and lunges, etc.

[Doc_plus25]

Hello, sej! Your journal title caught my eye. It's great - so true on so many levels as applied to SBD as well as to life. I also love the song - it's one of my running songs on my MP3.

This is the hardest part, right now. Adjusting the way you eat, giving up some old favorites, dealing with other people's reactions to the change in you. I'm so sorry your dh isn't being supportive right now. Hopefully he will realize you are sticking to this plan and learn to respect your efforts and not try to sabatoge them. My dh was a little resistant at first, too. At one point he tried to get me to stop doing this. He eventually came around.

Don't worry if you can't exercise right now, or if your exercise plan isn't going as well as you'd hoped. Adjusting the eating is huge in itself, and you need to celebrate the little successes you're having. Keep moving forward, but don't overwhelm yourself with expectations to the point where you get discouraged and give up. Better to follow SBD and not exercise than do neither. I approached this day by day. At first I didn't commit to eating this way forever - my goal was to lose 25-30 pounds, and I knew I'd figure out what to do from there when I got there. At first I focused on P1 only. Then transitioning into P2, some things were already easier for me. After a few more weeks I really started to enjoy this WOE. I didn't start exercising until about 4 months into it, and now I run a few times a week and am working on getting in some stretching/strength type workouts as well. I've done two 5K races so far and I'm looking to do a 10K this spring.

I guess what I'm saying is, aim high and plan to do all these things that are good for you, but give yourself time to adjust to the changes. Don't beat yourself up over your failures, try to focus on your successes as you move forward. Keep up the great work!! I can assure you it does get better, and it IS worth it in the end!

[sej]

thanks, doc! you are right, better to do what i can right now and add to it when i'm able. USUALLY exercising comes much easier for me than eating well. I used to be in the gym 5-6 days a week for an hour or more. thats what got me down to w/i 3lbs of my pre-baby weight after my second child. since then i've had a third baby and now i'm a college student too, so the time just isn't there. i love to run and LONG to do a half marathon someday. i think i'll get there, just gotta give myself some time.
i love the song too. what others do you have on your running list since we have similar taste in music.


lunch today was grilled chicken sandwich from chic-fil-a w/o the bun and water. it had cheese, tomato, lettuce and a slice of bacon on it. it was great but now that i'm home i need to find some veggies to munch on. i wish i liked salads more.

i'm so encouraged how much easier it is getting to resist the carbs. i mean my kids sat there and ate their delicious waffle fries and breaded chicken right in front of me and i was fine.

[Doc_plus25]

Three young children and college - I'm sure you're a busy young woman! How old are your kids? I have two little ones (3 and 6), and a teenager at home. I also have a job that can take every spare hour and then some (I'm on the other end, a college professor ) - but I try to balance it with the rest of my life. My family is still #1, no matter what pressures they try to load on me! We've been blessed in that my husband can stay at home with the kids now. He might go back to school and work toward a teaching degree so he's ready to go back to work when our 3 year-old enters kindergarten.

I have a real eclectic mix on my MP3 player, but the Christian songs are my favorites. Some of the others are:

Watermark - Light of the World
Casting Crowns - Lifesong, Stained Glass Masquerade, Can Anybody Hear Her
Tree63 - All Over the World
Third Day - I've always loved you
Nichole Nordeman - Brave
Salvador - Shine
Newsboys - Shine, He Reigns
DecembeRadio - Blessed be the name
Caedmon's Call - Thankful

I need to update soon. There are a few others I've been wanting to add, but I hear them while driving and when I get home, I completely forget about adding them. Soon, though!