My name is Tom

[tom]

Hi all,
My name is Tom and I just started this board today. I currently run a bunch of south Beach mailing lists so I am sure that it wont be long before this board gets moving along.

Hopefully you can join and post an intro and a question here to help the board move along.

What brought you to south beach?
How long have you been doing it?
What do you like about the diet?
What is difficult about the diet?
Do you exercise?
How much weight do you have to lose?

Do you have an recipes to share with us?

Regards,
Tom

[msrjrmw]

"What brought you to south beach?"
A friend told me about the diet and I checked into it. I LOVE books and got all that was available at the time and read the books cover to cover. It seemed like a good diet to try, so we did.

"How long have you been doing it?"
I think a year and a half. We have been off and on. It is very hard to change your life style especially with teenagers at home who refuse to eat the SB way.

"What do you like about the diet?"
My favorite thing about the diet is how I feel when I am following it. With eating the SB way and exercise, I feel great. I have energy and even though I am nowhere near looking like a super model, I feel like I am attractive (at least until I look in the mirror).

"What is difficult about the diet?"
Avoiding the baked sweets. I enjoy baking and my chocolate chip cookies are sought after among my friends and family. It is hard to go a whole week without making at least one batch. Both my husband and I work with the youth of our church and it seems like I bake for them often as well. Sometimes I am not tempted, but other times I have no will power. I have gotten to the point though to avoid the treats until after a meal. When I am satisfied it is easier to take a bite or two and be done. Bean Cake is a life saver when times get tough.

"Do you exercise?"
Yes, I do weight training, walking on a treadmill, and the elliptical at the gym. Over the course of a day I probably exercise between 1 to 2 hours, 5 to 6 days a week. It isn't all at the same time during the day. I usually walk for about 35 minutes early in the morning when my kids are asleep and then my husband and I will alternate days of going to the gym for the elliptical and weight training.

"How much weight do you have to lose?"
I have about 30 pounds to go. It is going so slow! But, the work is worth it. Sometimes I get impatient, but then I happen to put my hands on my hips or something and feel the new me emerging. That helps me to go on.

"Do you have any recipes to share with us?"
Most of the recipes I have are from books or other SB followers. I do have one I kind of changed that I could share though:

Chicken Salad

4 chicken breasts
½ cup low fat mayonnaise
½ cup fat free plain yogurt
(if you don’t like the yogurt taste, use 1 full cup mayonnaise instead)
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/introduction-forum-just-say-hello/2-my-name-tom.html
2 whole scallions
1 celery stalk, cut in half length wise and then sliced thin or chopped
½ tsp. dill weed
Garlic powder, dash or two
½ of an Apple chopped (optional for phase 2 & 3)

Boil chicken about 30 minutes or till no longer pink (I use frozen chicken so the time would be less for thawed chicken).Cool, and then shred. Put chicken into a bowl and add mayonnaise, yogurt, scallions, celery, dill weed and garlic powder. Mix and refrigerate over night. Before serving add chopped apple, if desired.

[Lynne]

As you see we are really brand new, so welcome aboard and thanks for joining.
If you see anything you would like done on this board, just let us know. We're like a blank sheet of paper looking for a way to help others and help ourselves while we are at it.

[dashworthjr2000]

What brought you to south beach?
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/showthread.php?t=2

My wife's doctor suggested it after she was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. We went on the diet together starting in January 2005.

How long have you been doing it?

Since January 1, 2005.

What do you like about the diet?

The flexibility and range of foods.

What is difficult about the diet?

It is tough to do on a night out with friends or at company, church, or family outings. I try to take good snacks wherever I go and make do.

Do you exercise?

Yes- 4 weightlifting sessions per week- 1. chest & tri's (pushing exercises), 2. legs, 3. back & biceps (pulling exercises), 4. shoulders.

and 2-3 cardio sessions per week. I also play softball and am trying to get into tennis and bike riding more.

How much weight do you have to lose?

I have lost 66-67 lbs. I want to lose 39-40 lbs. more.

My wife is down 56 lbs. and she wants to lose 17 more "vanity" pounds.

Do you have any recipes to share with us?

Just the ones out of the SBD books. I REALLY like the 30-min. cookbook, BTW!

[Lynne]

Thanks for the recomendation on the 30 minute cookbook. I have just ordered it.

[exerciseangel]

Glad to have you here. Welcome to the Board and to your new network of friends and Support.

Sarah

[Mindy moves on!]

:Clap: Hi Tom and gang! Here's my run down!! Glad to be here!:Clap:

Originally Posted by tom

What brought you to south beach?

I became frustrated on Atkins diet. Lost half the weight I needed to lose then the diet stalled out for good. By stalling out, I mean I've been stalled for over one year. So I was attracted to SB because I believe after stalling out that a big part of my problem was that I was eating too many calorie rich foods on Atkins and was eating too many calories overall. To cut back on calories on Atkins and still avoid all whole grains was too restricted for me, so I switched to SB.

Originally Posted by tom

How long have you been doing it?

I've been Beachin' it on and off for about six months now. I have NOT lost more weight but have not gained more weight and eat a larger variety of food.

Originally Posted by tom

What do you like about the diet?

I am eating less saturated fat, and now am eating whole grains and more fruits and legumes. This is a very balanced diet. It is the exact same diet that the American Dietary Association has promoted for years, with the exception that you eat only whole grains for the grains portion of the diet and that you rarely eat potatoes or other very starchy veggies.

Originally Posted by tom

What is difficult about the diet?

Not cheating! Since I am allowed to have whole wheat bread with 3 grams of dietary fiber, it isn't a big stretch to say, "Oh, I'll have one piece of regular bread just this once when I'm out at a restaurant or at a friends house". With Atkins, there were foods you just plain avoided. Entire categories, so it was easier to stay on track. Here you only have your own discipline to guide you.

Also, I do not like that the SB diet allows for the use of unsafe foods like Equal (Aspartame) and High Fructose Corn Syrup in foods.

The book is also very vague. There is not enough guidance as to how to transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2. I learned that you must treat Phase 2, much like Atkins OWL and add new foods gradually to see how you react. For instance, the book allows multiple servings of fruits and whole grains on day one of Phase 2. I found that I gain weight if I eat more than one serving of grains in the same day. So you have to introduce foods slowly to gauge your body's reaction to it.

Originally Posted by tom

Do you exercise?

Yes, about 3-4 times per week. I have some injuries (cervical and lumbar disk degeneration) so it makes it difficult to work out hard enough to make a big difference. That is my biggest problem.

Originally Posted by tom

How much weight do you have to lose?

30 pounds.

[Lynne]

Glad you found us Mindy. Maybe we can lose these pounds together. :wave:

[luv2bike]

Hello there, Mindy!

I'm very happy to see you here. We're here to give you support.

I like this diet for the same reasons you do. I think it's more healthy and less restrictive. I went in for my blood work a few weeks ago and my cholesterol was at 291! Just 2 yrs. earlier, and before Atkins, it had always been around 180! I think that I just wasn't right for the Atkins plan or it wasn't right for me. Anyway, I'm happier on the beach.

[Lynne]

bump:joy: :joy: