I love South Beach Diet and I am a total advocate for it now. It has helped me reset my metabolism, blood chemistry, and, maybe most importantly, food cravings!
I already talked about why we chose to go with South Beach Diet, but here is my advice for the how.
When you start the diet, there are three phases. The first phase is the most strict and is all about change from your old routine.
South Beach Phase One involves alot of lean proteins, dairy, veggies, legumes (beans,) and nuts. For two weeks you stay clear of any and all breads, rice, potatoes, sugars, and fruits. The nice part is you can eat as much as you want from approved foods- you just have to make sure you have the right choices on hand.
The first two days were the hardest. I promise you, I cried because I wanted to eat bread so much. The cravings were intense for the both of us. The third day, the cravings subsided and I stepped on the scale for the first time. I was down 4 pounds. FOUR pounds!
We kept it up and stuck to the plan for the entire two weeks. By day seven my head was pounding and foggy- carbs DO have a function as immediate source of a sugar boost into your blood stream which acts as a quick brain food.
Our typical day looked like this:
Breakfast- Eggs, Turkey Bacon, and a cup of coffee
Snack 1- Nuts, cheese, or veggies
Lunch- Grilled chicken, a salad, veggie
or veggies, Hummus, turkey, and cheese,
or Black beans and Polish Sausages
or Chicken Salad on a Salad
Snack 2- cheese and pickles
Dinner- Pan Steak/Baked Chicken/Meatballs with pasta sauce/Taco Wraps/Naked Chicken Parm/Fish/Meatloaf
Dessert/Snack 3- Celery with no sugar added Peanut Butter, sugar free jello, or Mocha Ricatta
Around 7 days in I saw the scale stop making movement- I was stuck at 8 pounds less.
By the end of the two weeks we were ready for some bread. Ian was ready to eat cereal for breakfast again. I just wanted a cookie.
Typical.
But the scale reflected a twelve pound weight loss for me- I was officially below my pre pregnancy weight.
We decided to branch in two different directions. Ian pretty much went back to his regular eating habits except less sweets and limited carbs at lunch and dinner (since I wasn't preparing them.)
I continued with a very limited amount of carbs and almost no sweets. But the splurges were fine. Then, the month of February happened and almost everything I had learned went out the window. Ian had to travel and we had house guests. I have slowed and limited sweets and I never have rolls, potatoes, rice, or sugar cereals any more. And the weight kept coming off and is still coming off.
I've talked with several people about this diet and have several people who are interested in giving it a try. If you are too, here is a list of foods that will help you get through the two weeks of Phase One! It is not very cheap to eat without the fillers, but it is only for two weeks and you will see results as long as you stick to the plan without any exceptions!
Food Ideas
Boneless Chicken Breast
Whole Roasting Chicken
Ground Beef/Turkey
Lean Bacon
Lean Ground Sausage
Fish Fillet
Sandwich Meat
Canned Tuna/Chicken
Polish Sausages
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
Garbonzo Beans
Hummus
Black Eyed Peas
Sliced/diced/cubed/string cheese (get alot- the protein in cheese is helpful!)
Yogurt (NO sugar or fruits, our yogurt here is salty and plain, much like Greek yogurt, I think)
Milk
Cream Cheese
Ricotta
Cottage Cheese
Parmesan cheese
Salad
Brocolli
Cauliflower
Green Beans
Tomatoes
Peas
Squash
Cucumbers
Celery
Spinach
Onions
Bell Peppers
Garlic
Tomato Sauce/Pasta Sauce
Oil Based Salad Dressings
Snacks
Pickles
Nuts (not honey roasted or highly salted)
Plain (peanuts only) peanut butter- great on celery!
Ricotta or Cottage Cheese mixed with a splenda, and peanut butter, cocoa powder, or coffee powder
Sugar Free Fudgecicles
Sugar Free Jello
Raw veggies and an oil based salad dressing or hummus
Diet soda or Crystal Light
Remember, no fruits, no to little caffeine, no corn, and read your labels on sauces, dips, and marinades. Try to use plain spices instead of sauces to flavor things, since there is often sugars and corn starch in sauces.
You'll have to push yourself to keep going around the 4-6 day mark, but you can do it. Make it to two weeks and you will reap the full reward!
Also, plan out your meals for several days in advance. If you know what you are going to eat you can look forward to those special meals when the going gets tough.
There are tons of recipes on Pinterest and my favorite blog for recipes and tips is Kalyn's Kitchen
I'd love to hear from anyone who tries it!
I already talked about why we chose to go with South Beach Diet, but here is my advice for the how.
When you start the diet, there are three phases. The first phase is the most strict and is all about change from your old routine.
South Beach Phase One involves alot of lean proteins, dairy, veggies, legumes (beans,) and nuts. For two weeks you stay clear of any and all breads, rice, potatoes, sugars, and fruits. The nice part is you can eat as much as you want from approved foods- you just have to make sure you have the right choices on hand.
The first two days were the hardest. I promise you, I cried because I wanted to eat bread so much. The cravings were intense for the both of us. The third day, the cravings subsided and I stepped on the scale for the first time. I was down 4 pounds. FOUR pounds!
We kept it up and stuck to the plan for the entire two weeks. By day seven my head was pounding and foggy- carbs DO have a function as immediate source of a sugar boost into your blood stream which acts as a quick brain food.
Our typical day looked like this:
Breakfast- Eggs, Turkey Bacon, and a cup of coffee
Snack 1- Nuts, cheese, or veggies
Lunch- Grilled chicken, a salad, veggie
or veggies, Hummus, turkey, and cheese,
or Black beans and Polish Sausages
or Chicken Salad on a Salad
Snack 2- cheese and pickles
Dinner- Pan Steak/Baked Chicken/Meatballs with pasta sauce/Taco Wraps/Naked Chicken Parm/Fish/Meatloaf
Dessert/Snack 3- Celery with no sugar added Peanut Butter, sugar free jello, or Mocha Ricatta
Around 7 days in I saw the scale stop making movement- I was stuck at 8 pounds less.
By the end of the two weeks we were ready for some bread. Ian was ready to eat cereal for breakfast again. I just wanted a cookie.
Typical.
But the scale reflected a twelve pound weight loss for me- I was officially below my pre pregnancy weight.
We decided to branch in two different directions. Ian pretty much went back to his regular eating habits except less sweets and limited carbs at lunch and dinner (since I wasn't preparing them.)
I continued with a very limited amount of carbs and almost no sweets. But the splurges were fine. Then, the month of February happened and almost everything I had learned went out the window. Ian had to travel and we had house guests. I have slowed and limited sweets and I never have rolls, potatoes, rice, or sugar cereals any more. And the weight kept coming off and is still coming off.
I've talked with several people about this diet and have several people who are interested in giving it a try. If you are too, here is a list of foods that will help you get through the two weeks of Phase One! It is not very cheap to eat without the fillers, but it is only for two weeks and you will see results as long as you stick to the plan without any exceptions!
Food Ideas
Boneless Chicken Breast
Whole Roasting Chicken
Ground Beef/Turkey
Lean Bacon
Lean Ground Sausage
Fish Fillet
Sandwich Meat
Canned Tuna/Chicken
Polish Sausages
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
Garbonzo Beans
Hummus
Black Eyed Peas
Sliced/diced/cubed/string cheese (get alot- the protein in cheese is helpful!)
Yogurt (NO sugar or fruits, our yogurt here is salty and plain, much like Greek yogurt, I think)
Milk
Cream Cheese
Ricotta
Cottage Cheese
Parmesan cheese
Salad
Brocolli
Cauliflower
Green Beans
Tomatoes
Peas
Squash
Cucumbers
Celery
Spinach
Onions
Bell Peppers
Garlic
Tomato Sauce/Pasta Sauce
Oil Based Salad Dressings
Snacks
Pickles
Nuts (not honey roasted or highly salted)
Plain (peanuts only) peanut butter- great on celery!
Ricotta or Cottage Cheese mixed with a splenda, and peanut butter, cocoa powder, or coffee powder
Sugar Free Fudgecicles
Sugar Free Jello
Raw veggies and an oil based salad dressing or hummus
Diet soda or Crystal Light
Remember, no fruits, no to little caffeine, no corn, and read your labels on sauces, dips, and marinades. Try to use plain spices instead of sauces to flavor things, since there is often sugars and corn starch in sauces.
You'll have to push yourself to keep going around the 4-6 day mark, but you can do it. Make it to two weeks and you will reap the full reward!
Also, plan out your meals for several days in advance. If you know what you are going to eat you can look forward to those special meals when the going gets tough.
There are tons of recipes on Pinterest and my favorite blog for recipes and tips is Kalyn's Kitchen
I'd love to hear from anyone who tries it!
1 comment:
this sounds interesting. I really need to cut down my sweets and carbs not for weight reasons just health reasons.
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