I'm thinking of doing this

[rho]

so figured a good start is to join here and read more about it from people who are actually doing it.

It will be a week before I start no matter what because that is shopping week - so I have time to read, plan, and commit.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/introduction-forum-just-say-hello/5915-im-thinking-doing.html

I have 100lb or so to lose and have one question I am willing to get on the scale to have a start point but I have an obsessive personality and have had problems weighing myself in the past - I will do it many times a day and then fall into the trap of feeling I am not losing fast enough so I eat less, or take a laxative etc all that I know are disastrous to do not to mention not healthy so I am planning on doing more of a how my clothes feel and are the clothes sizes going down and maybe weighing once a month or so ... are there any other people who are avoiding the scale and using other methods of knowing they are succeeding?

just ordered the book and am off to read more here about shopping lists, Phases, recipes and successes

[RedRox]

I think understanding your personality and it's pitfalls for truly making this a lifestyle change as opposed to just "a diet" is a great place to start. I have known others on other boards who just go by inches or how things feel or how clothes fit or other metrics that are meaningful and not scale related and do well so I think that's a good way to start. I see too many who expect rapid weight loss and then continuous weight loss and get frustrated that it is neither rapid (it really is a very slow fat loss program anyway other than the potential for some quick water weight loss in the first week or two that many never realize anyway.) or that there are always plateaus along the way where weight loss just stops for weeks at a time and then they get discouraged and chuck the whole thing. Not because it isn't "working", but simply because it isn't meeting their idealized set of expectations. Personally I'd rather people expect to lose absolutely nothing going into this and then value each pound lost along the way whenever it happens as a wonderful bonus to simply eating and living a healthier lifestyle and rebuilding their relationship to both food and themselves.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/showthread.php?t=5915

The food lists and meal models sticky topics in the P1 discussion area are a good place to start as well! Be sure to include some portion of beans/legumes every day as well as some of the allowed dairy and all the recommended vegetables in your menu plans to help keep the good carbs up high enough in P1 to help keep your metabolism up and running and avoid ketosis and the "SB Flu"! Good luck!

[rho]

Thanks I just got the book for my Kindle so it will be there when I turn on whispernet in a little while -- going off to read the Phase 1 stuff that you recommended ..

I lose quite slowly normally and my only exercise is walking and I will have to build that up slowly because of some health issues -- but I will also pull out my Wii Fit plus and play each day for a little extra fun movement - I figure when you have basically sat on your butt for the past 4 years anything is a start