South Beach Diet

Approximately two weeks ago, TC and I began the latest diet craze called the South Beach Diet. What we thought would be a diet of "steak and nuts" has turned out to be quite the routine to turn your eating habits around. The diet is basically a revised and revamped Atkins plan concentrating on not just low carbs but low fat and low sugar as well - the staples of the normal American diet.

The diet plan has a "phased" approach. Phase One lasts for two weeks and it contains no carbs (bread, pasta, cereal, etc) and very low sugar and fat saturated foods. All fruit is forbidden on the first two weeks because you are trying to move past craving high fructose. Low low fat cheese is allowed. This part is killing me because I love cheese. You could put cheese on a stick and I would eat it!

Phase Two allows you to bring back to your daily diet the foods that were forbidden in Phase One. With one exception, no white flour products allowed. Ever. Kiss them goodbye. You slowly phase in certain carb and sugar options and keep an eye on your weight loss to ensure that you are eating a healthy balance while still maintaining or losing weight.

So......it will be two weeks on Wednesday. During this time period I have tripled the amount of vegtables I normally eat while forgoing all of the bad stuff.............junk food.......fast food......and glasses of wine.

I will say that this diet truly gets you back to a healthier way of eating. Less prepared foods.......and a little more preparation of foods. I eat steak, pork and chicken. I keep a nice mix of vegetables going but I must say my usual intake of salads at lunchtime is getting a bit stale. I don't normally crave anything in particular until I see it sitting on a store shelf or in a display case.

Did you know that Starbucks has a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin out now for the Fall? Yeah........I now know that myself and it is a real temptation. A good cup of coffee and one of those........heaven.

Ahhhhh well.....Phase Two comes on Wednesday and I am certainly looking forward to that day. I will weigh in at that time and see what I have accomplished over the last two weeks.

It might be jubilation or a strong lean toward Starbucks and all the Pumpkin muffins I can hold!

Ta Ta!