Adventures in Dieting

The word “diet” can mean different things to different people. For some it means you’re trying to lose weight, for others it is trying to be healthier, but it can also be about a lifestyle.

I remember when I was younger my mom would say “You’re always on a diet, because a diet just means what you eat.”

Well, our “diet” seemed to have gotten a little out of hand.  

We love a lot of things, and some of these things are pizza, ice cream, chocolate, bread, and high fructose corn syrup. 

So Harrison and I decided it was time for a change.  A few years back, my parents tried “The South Beach Diet” and I remembered that my mom really liked it, because it was about eating healthy.  She had loaned me the books over a year ago, so I went in search of them in our spare bedroom.

I was really intrigued by the concept.  Because while it is restrictive in some ways, it allows you to eat until your full, with NO calorie counting, and ultimately the goal is to eat healthier ALL THE TIME, not just when you’re “on a diet”.

The South Beach Diet breaks down into three phases.  

Phase 1: VERY Restrictive - but only lasts two weeks! No bread, no starchy vegetables, no sugar, and no fruit.  But what you DO get to eat is YUMMY! Fish and chicken with all the seasonings you could want, lots of vegetables and salads, eggs, nuts, cheeses (reduced fat), milk (1%) and even desserts!

It has been a great way to explore and try out new recipes that we wouldn’t have found otherwise.  Plus we love the food on the “approved list”, we just don’t always think about them first.

Phase 2 is less restrictive as you as foods back into your diet, and Phase 3 is a maintenance system where you seek to eat healthy foods that won’t make you fat.  But I’ll talk more about those phases as we reach them.  

We started last Thursday, so we are Day 6 out of 14 on phase one.  It really has been enjoyable, I mean my first cup of black coffee (ever!) was a little hard to swallow (without my typical French Vanilla Creamer - can’t have sugar), but I survived! 

Together we have lost 9 pounds! 

So here’s hoping that we will live a very long and healthy life!