Anyone who has done this... I gotta do something. For the very first time in my life, I am definitely overweight. I have a paunch. I've taken care of myself my entire life. Started songwriting 3.5 years ago and I've gone to crap. Something has to change. TODAY. I can't get in my jeans. I'm 6'1", 224 lbs. I weighed 173 when I graduated high school. I was an athlete, so I was very in shape. I was around 180 in my 20's and 30's. 190's in my 40's. Now, I've gone crazy.

So, what I want to know is... I read some old threads on here, I read stuff at southbeachdiet.com and southbeachdietguide.com... I kept seeing 2 cups MINIMUM vegetables and that kept throwing me. I figured it meant MAXIMUM but I guess this is some kind of key... they want you to eat AT LEAST two cups?

Point is, I want to start NOW. I have three eggs boiling. I can tolerate eggs fine. I guess I could also eat some kind of sausage. I think it said No to bacon. Couple of turkey bacon strips is okay.

For lunch and dinner, basically, it's an allowed meat and a minimum of two cups of vegetables? And two snacks daily. Bread and potatoes out.

Hopefully, the library will have the book. Until then, if anyone can tell me any basic strategy tips for this Phase One for two weeks, fire away. As I said, I am starting NOW. I've had it.

I also just started walking again. Man, I used to run marathons. I've been sedentary for two years. I used to play golf like a madman but rotator cuff surgery put the hurt on that. Haven't played in two years. Okay, I'm ready.

If anyone else has had it and wants to join in, we can be email buddies or something.

Bill, with South Beach or Atkins or anything else, it is essential to read the book. You have to buy into the concept. You can't do it half way.
Give me a call. I have the book and you can borrow it. I have to get back on it myself. We'll have a contest.
Don

I agree wholeheartedly with Don. You must go by the book, and DO NOT deviate. If you follow the program, which is very easy, YOU WILL LOOSE WEIGHT--LOTS OF WEIGHT.

I hope to post some new photos of DNJ in the next few week, which for those who saw him just one year ago, will be a real shock. He has dumped nearly 90 pounds, feels great, has spring in his step, and no longer gets short of breath when taking a short walk.

I've lost 50 pounds and now weigh 175, which is my goal weight. But, in the past few months, the weight began creeping back up ever so slightly. That's because I spent too much damned time in front of this computer screen and not enough time on the treadmill and weight bench. When I get finished this mornings photo shoot, which should be in about an hour, I'll be on the treadmill.

Good Luck--you can do it!

Gary

Bill,

I actually don't agree with a diet program. Cut your portions, eat more healthy with small salads, soups, and Oatmeal for breakfast, take a multi-vitamin everyday, and get some decent exercise. The key is to change your lifestyle so that you burn more calories than you take in. And don't be impatient; this takes time.

I've lost 13 lbs since January with the above philosophy.

Al

another good tip is to drink 2 litres of mineral water (not fizzy) a day (3 litres) if the weather is really hot,,,,keeps your kidneys flushed so you don,t absorb as much fats,stick to BASIC NATURAL fresh food,if you have sugar change to sweetener,and reduce fat intake,and exercise,( i used to love going to work, and i used to love coming home,its the bit in the miiddle i didn,t like he he ) mike

I agree with all stated above. Whether you choose South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, or whatever, the diet will only 'continue working' if you maintain the regiment outlined in the program. Losing the weight in the EZ part, but maintaining the weightloss is the ultimate challenge which means permanently CHANGING your lifestyle (both eating & exercise). A diet program is what you make it. The advantage of following a commercial outlined diet/exercise plan is it helps you stay on track. Al's advice of simply 'cutting portions, eating more healthly (salads, soups & oatmeal for breakfast) is excellent, but (for some) like me, more difficult to adhere to if not outlined in book regiment form as South Beach, Atkins, and Weight Watchers (the one that worked for me) does.

SemiLive, you've taken the FIRST step in acknowledging that you need to get back on track with your health (exercise) & weight. Set some realistic weight & diet goals, and I bet you'll be back to your slim youthful healthy self soon. I highly recommend The SouthBeach lifestyle diet. It not only WORKS, but it's heart healthy as well. We're all cheering for you here.

Scott

1) Some professionalls say it is simply a question of calories. That Atikins diet works because you are less hungy, and therefore eat less often, with fewer calories. I don't buy it.
2) Dr. Atkins and many naturopathic doctors say it is a question of insulin. This is what I believe. I eat LOTS of foods, and have lost weight, but I avoid cabohydrates, especially white sugar and white flour. I was on a paleolithic diet (meat, light vegetables, nuts and berries) for 2 weeks (Dr. recomended because I was pre-diabetic) and lost close to 10 lbs in that time.
Starkeeper

P.S. It worked. I am no longer pre-diabetic. I am now back to "normal".



[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 04-21-2005).]

SBD works believe me ...........read the book and follow it excactly 8 months later you'l be amazed...I dropped 12 sizes on my waist and 87lbs...Feels Good, Looks Good, IS GOOD!!
Oh Yeah!! SBD Rocks!!

I used to be a health nut. I've gone backwards. I even was vegetarian for six months. My bloodwork was great. I also did low-carb for awhile. My bloodwork was about as good as it can get and I lost weight quickly. I've screwed up for past year or so.

A guy told me one time "Do this. Eat almost nothing from a box. Eat fresh, RAW food a lot. Eat nuts." Sounds pretty right-on.

What's funny to me is how people think just because humans (in their particular society) have done something a certain way during their lifetime... that that is the way it should be. Nope, not necessarily. American Heart Association, they don't win any awards from me. I personally think their advice for decades was BAD wrong.

I do subscribe to the idea that all of the carbs in our (USA) diet is the biggest part of our problem.

By the way, 20 years ago, a nutrition scientist told me that all of that talk that eggs are bad for you because of the high cholesterol. He told me that's wrong. That eggs contain lecithin and it counteracts the high cholesterol. That there have been people who have eaten massive quantities of eggs every day and their cholesterol doesn't go up. I dunno but he is a very smart man and very conscientious.

I wonder if I could find someone around here who sells yard eggs. I haven't seen a sign for that in many years. Wow, times change. Kids don't even know where milk comes from anymore.

Yep. Right on the money.
The low fat experiment did not work out. There are more overweight american now then before the sillyness.

Who is the Surgeon General? A surgeon!! What would a surgeon know about nutrition?
A medical doctor gets 5 hours of nutrional training in his total studies. A naturopathic doctor gets 8 years of nutritional training. The naturopath is much more qualified then a surgeon to recommend a diet.
Starkeeper

[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 04-21-2005).]

I would go to the "eat all things but in small quantities" way.

You can try that, continue eating what you were eating, add more fresh food, vegetables, but limit the quantities. Eat small amounts continuously, keep your insides occupied, so you don't feel the urge to empty the whole fridge.

Quote:
..."also just started walking again. Man, I used to run marathons. I've been sedentary for two years. I used to play golf like a madman but rotator cuff surgery put the hurt on that. Haven't played in two years"....

YEP, that's it. Start walking/running again.

On the other hand...

Quote:
...."Started songwriting 3.5 years ago and I've gone to crap".....

Maybe you could just quit songriting?
:-)

Do you think you might be eating for the wrong reasons sometimes (i.e. emotional eating)? I'm really, really bad for that. I eat when I'm hungry....but many times I also eat out of habit, boredom, stress, etc. and it has nothing to do with hunger!

Carrie

The problem I have with the SBD and Atkins (having tried both), is the phsychological impact. Both of these diets call for eliminating something from your diet. Something that you are accustomed to eating.

This is now a matter of will-power. The mind must overcome the urge to eat something that is bad for you. This is always a recipe for failure for most people. Some people are very disciplined, but I contend they are not overweight to begin with since they already have will power.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, choose a diet lifestyle that is reasonable, fair, healthy, and does not force you to dramatically change your way of life through will-power. It's all common sense.

If you do have specific health issues such as high cholestrol, hypertension, or diabetes, the whole game changes because you MUST limit certain foods that contain those risk factors such as fats, sodium, high triglicerides.

I'm no doctor, but this is my common sense interpretation of the research which has been done.