New here

[seaplay]

So I am new to South Beach. I started on 11.17. I live in Washington state and am 31 years old. I have been heavy all of my adult life due to multiple reasons...two kids, no physical activity, too much of everything I shouldn't have and most recently a divorce. That last one happened two years ago and since then I've added an extra 20 pounds. I want to be able to get up and walk across the room without being in pain. I want to be comfortable in my clothes and wish for a day when I don't come right home and instantly change my clothes into what some consider pajama.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/introduction-forum-just-say-hello/2254-new-here.html

I'm still trying to figure out each day as I go. I work in a hospital so I am going from eating every day in the cafeteria to bringing my own lunch. I notice I have a lot of extra food hanging around since I am cooking for just one person. Maybe someone can answer this for me, if I have left overs is it ok to eat that the next day instead of the meal out of the book?

[RedRox]

yeah sure! Most people don't use the menus in the book anyway. They are there more for suggestions and examples than anything else IMO. If you go into the P1 discussion forum look for the more recent food list and the meal model sticky threads near the top. They will give you a better generic sort of template of how to organize a daily menu and when combined with the food lists will allow you to likely pick more of the foods you enjoy and are familiar with to start out. I think a homemade chili made with SB friendly ingredients is one of the best P1 meals available and I don't think he has that in any of his menus which IMO tend to be fairly expensive and complicated. Plus you can make a big batch and freeze servings to reheat in the micro when you need something quicker and when paired with some additional veggies or a salad, makes a pretty well rounded SB meal. Your kids will probably like it too! Do you have custody? Not sure why you are only cooking for one if you have the two kids? You can add a healthy side grain or starchy veggie to a P1 meal and it's perfect for anyone! Kids shouldn't be in P1, but P2/P3 eating is great for the whole family!!

[Jilly_Bean]

:Welcome: Glad you found us, SP. These forums are a great place to connect with others doing what you are doing. I am fairly new too, just under three weeks, and this is my lifeline. When I start to question what I'm doing (which hasn't really been much lately), I can always come here for inspiration.

I often eat the same thing two days in a row. I did what Redrox said and just used the menus as a guideline. My brother and his wife followed them exactly, but I don't think most people do that... Even though there are three of us at my house, I still have leftovers. (I can't seem to ever cook just the right amount - always afraid there won't be enough, ya know?) So some nights we have "wipe-out". And we just eat from what's in the fridge. It's like a buffet of healthy choices!!

[seaplay]

I do have custody of my kids but they spend the afternoons with their Dad and he feeds them dinner. Thanks for the tip about the meal plans....I've already put them to good use.

Thank you for the warm welcome.

[RedRox]

sorry i didn't mean to get too personal. I know it must be a difficult subject. Just was trying to understand the logic of the words "out loud" as I was confused and it "did not compute" to me. Glad the tip about the meal models and food lists helped! It really does make it easier when you get to choose the foods you like that are on plan than doing somebody else's idea of what they might like or think others would like.

[paintedbliss]

First of all:Welcome: I want to welcome you to a new way of life. You are not on a diet, you are changing the way you eat and for the better. I also work in a hospital and have one thing to Most hospital cafeterias don't have many healthy meals which totally bewilders me. Even if they may have salads, sometimes you can be tempted by the smells to just indulge just this once. So I bring my lunch too , it can be a salad or what I had for dinner the night before. Honestly last week I make a pot of soup (usually with beans or some sort of protein) and took that as my lunch for the week in a disposable glad bowl with salad fixins or a yogurt and some veggies and cheese to snack on during the day. Most units have a microwave to heat up patient meals so I'm sure you can find one you can use.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/showthread.php?t=2254
You have made an important step not only for you but for your children to become a healthy energetic mom that will be setting a good example for their eating habits for the future.

[k.s.e.live]

congratulations on setting some great goals. You can do it! I am on the board all the time finding answers to my questions through the wealth of knowledge here.
This way of eating works! It hugely limits the amount of sugar you eat and you end up with lots more energy. It forces me to reach for veggies all the time because I don't have the choice to reach for my old snackie favorites.

I've got four kids and two stepsons--so i understand the challenges of managing a household/full time job and making meal prep a priority. Together we can do it!:Love3:

Don't give up

[paintedbliss]

Thanks for the nomination red. I appreciate your opinion and it means alot.

[dayna_gayle]

Hi, glad you found this forum. It is really helping me. I'm 5 weeks into it and love the way I'm feeling even before much weight loss. I use leftovers alot and also freeze things like black beans if I've cooked too many. I like to make soups and have just posted one on the 'holiday menus' forum. These are for phase 2. Take in one day at a time and know you are learning a really healthy way to eat which will cut your cravings way down. I've posted a blog since I began here and it describes some of my feelings during phase I. I find this SB site to be excellent for inspiration and support.