Hello

[Txoldham]

I am late introducing myself but had serious computer problems which are now fixed. I need to lose about 30 pounds which I have put on over the last 9 years. At my age, 71, it is a lot harder to do but I am fairly active. I go to the gym 3 times a week with my husband. I started after I had a blockage in one of my arteries and had a stint put in. I love to cook and am always looking for healthy recipes. My daughter had a sleeve procedure last August and she basically eats the South Beach way (no bread, pasta, rice, etc.) and she has lost 79 pounds. If she can do it (although much younger than me) I should be able to do it to. Just need encouragement. BTW, my husband had quadruple bi-pass surgery 6 years ago so we basically try to eat healthy foods. I enjoy a glass of wine, or two, with my dinner and I am thinking that maybe I need to give that up except on special occasions. I am open to all ideas and suggestions.

[RedRox]

Actually the South Beach way allows for bread, rice and pasta, just not the white, overly processed kinds. It encourages small servings of 100% whole grain versions of all of those items (and brown rice in place of white and sweet potatoes in place of white potatoes) in phase 2 and beyond. So a "pasta night" on SB, would be a small side dish size of 100% whole wheat pasta (1/2 cup is a serving of grains) with a lot of vegetables, no sugar added spagetti sauce of some kind and some kind of lean protein or fish. We like to saute up a lot of zucchini, Classico makes a number of styles of sauce that work and then use either shrimp or scallops, mostly because our older daughter doesn't eat meat, but will eat fish and shellfish, so that is what works for us instead of a meat sauce. (but a meat sauce with lean hamburger would work too!)

So that is really just one example. There are lots of good carbs on SB, even in P1. SB is more about learning to discriminate between the heart healthy and non-heart healthy versions of each of the main three macro-nutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrates) and including all of them in a fairly balanced dietary program with a large emphasis on lots of vegetables every day.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/introduction-forum-just-say-hello/5603-hello.html

As far as a more specific suggestion, I'd find the sticky topics here in the P1 forum here for the food lists and the meal model for how to combine them and be aware of any limits on any specific foods and give it a go! It's more of a full lifestyle change type program, so don't sweat the occasional mis-step. Just learn as you go and keep on going!

Good luck and best wishes to both of you and good for you for continuing to be active in your 70s! That's pretty awesome right there!

[Txoldham]

Thanks for your input. I know the way my daughter eats now is the extreme - she still eats healthy carbs in the vegetable line - the other like pasta, etc. just takes up too much room in her "new" stomach. We will add the healthy like whole grains back in later in Stage 2.