On Jan 6th I got a Christmas picture from my daughter and it shocked me into starting South Beach that evening. On that day I weighed 226 1/2 lbs.

I chose a target of 198 lbs. and started the process.

I've been loosing wieght at around 1/2 lb a day (give or take) on SB.

I extended Phase 1 to 4 weeks because it was effective and I didn't feel deprived. Well,, I did have a glass of wine a few days a week so I guess it was really phase 1.5.

I weighed in every day. Many people choose to only do this once a week, but I felt I needed the immediacy of daily feedback. When the news was not good, I skipped the wine and paid closer attention to the details. When the news was good I used it as an emotional boost to stick with it.

As of this morning I weigh 198. My goal achieved I think I'm going to stay somewhat on P2 until I get to 195. This will give me some "wiggle room" without worrying about going over 200 lbs again.

Lessons to pass on:
1- Follow the rules and it works. Period.
2- For me it didn't feel like work. I enjoyed the food.
3- Use a good accurate scale. A crappy scale that varies by a lb or two every time you step on it is useless.
4- Slow down and listen to your body when you are eating. You will find that you are satisfied earlier than you think.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/success-stories/5589-i-made-heres-how.html
5- Eat your snacks. This keeps you from getting hungry before your next meal. I have even found that I eat less at meals because I know I'll be eating again in a couple hours.
6- I kept a great spread sheet to follow my progress. It helped me when I had a bad day or two. try this or a journal.

Good luck.

JK