Just Checking....

I am down 4 pounds since Monday's weight in.......probably water weight but I'll take it!

Hunger Vs. Cravings

The South Beach Diet™ encourages you to resist cravings and to respond to hunger. But if you're like many people, it's not always easy to tell which is which. I know I can't. Here are some simple guidelines that can help you determine the difference:
I got this from the SBD forum.

Hunger is the feeling you get when you experience a normal and gradual drop in blood sugar about four or five hours after a meal. It's your body's way of telling you that eating is overdue.

Cravings, on the other hand, happen within a couple of hours after your last meal. "They're caused by exaggerated spikes and dips in blood sugar that occur after we eat highly processed carbohydrates like white bread, cake, and white rice. These foods are digested so quickly that they cause an almost immediate rise in blood sugar followed by a rapid dip soon after," says Dr. Agatston, preventive cardiologist and author of The South Beach Diet™. It's this drop in blood sugar levels that causes a craving. Ironically, eating highly processed foods can actually make you hungry!

So many view the word "craving" as desiring a particular food or beverage. "Oh I am so craving chocolate right now!" But cravings in the SB sense are more of an overwhelming, quickly brought on "hunger pang". SB cravings that the program helps control are not food specific. Anything food specific is a mental craving or desire. SB may help that indirectly because if you are not really hungry from the blood sugar/insulin response, you may be able to have the mental strength to maintain your own self control more easily. But you still need some form of self control and a determination that you are going to succeed and stay on plan to the greatest extent possible. Recognizing the differenence between hunger and physical cravings is an important thing to learn and be aware of with your body.

Keep blood sugar level:
High GI foods cause such a sugar rush, that the body overproduces insulin. And too much insulin then takes the blood sugar too low.... High insulin levels promote fat storage. The high insulin as a result of the sugar rush pushes glucose into the cells as quickly as possible, and any sugar not used IMMEDIATELY is stored as fat. Or if the cells are glucose intolerant (part of metabolic syndrome) the excess sugar in the blood will be stored as fat. Actually, the blood sugar will also be used to replenish glycogen stores (energy storage in the muscles), but if those are already full, the blood sugar goes straight to fat. That's why keeping blood sugar levels more even also keeps insulin levels much lower, and thus avoids the fat deposition effects of excess insulin.

Craving is another word for reactive hypoglycemia! For years I knew I suffered with hypoglycemia, and the "cure" I thought was eat some sweets.......Oh how I suffered! If I only had a cheese stick instead.....

Day 1 on the Beach

Well yesterday was not too bad.

Here are my meals:
2 eggs omlette-
1/4 c shreded RF cheddar cheese
oranges pepper and mushrooms
1 cup ff milk

mid morning snack-
RF string cheese

Lunch-
1 hard boiled egg mixed w/ light mayo
rolled up in 2 romaine leaves
garden Salad w/ garbanzo beans and 1tbs lite ceasar

Afternoon snack-
30 pistachios

Dinner-
Grilled chicken breast
1 cup broccoli
1 cup mashed cauliflower 1 cup ff milk

Dessert-
Mocha Ricotta

96 ounces of water

The day was going great till after 8pm...I wsnt hungry...but that's normally when we munch while we watch our favorite shows. It was really hard not to run to the cabinet and eat some whole wheat saltines...ugh! i finally conviced dh that we needed to watch tv in the bedroom....

South Beach

So dh and I started planning on Easter to start South Beach April 24th. I bought the book back in September when my obgyn suggested that when I asked of a good weightloss plan for those with PCOS. Back then I didnt have the will power to do it alone. Now that dh has seen how his mom and dad have lost alot he is willing. So I found many recipes...re-read the book and got my shopping list together.
I found alot of helpful info on this message board. They have a grocery list and an outline. Which the book doesnt-they just give you a menu. At first I was really confused when I found the board because in phase one you arent supposed to eat dairy (meaning milk and plain yogurt..cheese is a protein on SB) or tomatoes (so says the book) but since the book came out there have been changes and now you can have both in phase 1 in moderation. So I am glad I found that sight.
South Beach is so different from Atkins...from what I see it's much healthier. There are many veggies I can have on this that I couldnt on Atkins. No I cant have corn and peas but I dont miss them much anyway. South Beach wants you to get your carbs from your veggies so veggies are very important on it. Plus after phase 1 I will be allowed to have fruits and pasta...back in moderation and whole grain carbs.

QOTD

"The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken."
Samuel Johnson

WATP

I am doing pretty good with the WATP/Water challenge. Doing much better with the water intake. I have been drinking on avg 80 oz/day. Some more than that.
Walking I have been doing the 1 mile walk. OK that I know is not good for me. I know I can do more than that. On Friday and saturday i did 3 miles/day. UGH! I need to get my motivation going. I think it's down because I ahvnt been drinking my 100 oz. I can feel the difference if I dont get in the amount my body needs! So side goal-get in that 100 oz!!!!!

QOTD

"Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself."
Elie Wiesel

52 Tips for Losing Weight-A Tip A Week!

If you add one of these tips a week to your daily routine, in one year you will have developed some very healthy habits!

Eliminate one tablespoon of fat a day and you will lose 10 pounds in a year.
Avoid strange fad diets — if you can’t eat that way for the rest of your life, don’t waste your time or your health.
Limit alcohol consumption — each serving contains 100 to150 calories.
Eat fruit at least twice a day.
Keep a food diary about your food choices, indicating how hungry you are each time you eat. Pay particular attention to your level of hunger when you snack.
Perform aerobic exercise a minimum of 30 minutes three times a week. Log this on your food diary. Gradually increase the length and frequency of your workouts.
Weigh yourself no more than twice a week.
Give yourself a non-food reward for every 5 pounds lost.
Slow down your eating speed — make meals last at least 20 minutes. Try eating with the other hand or taking a sip of water between bites.
Use smaller plates.
Bring your lunch to work at least three times a week.
Start to strength train twice a week. Building muscle increases your metabolism and forces your body to use fat, not muscle, when you’re cutting back on calories.
Stop eating while watching television.
Have someone else put away leftovers.
Buy a good low-fat, low-calorie cookbook or magazine subscription.
Try two new reduced-calorie recipes a month.
Eat breakfast daily.
Don’t read while eating.
Have a sweet treat once a week.
Keep healthful snacks at home and at work.
Limit your cheese consumption to reduce fat and saturated fat — use cheese and lunchmeat with less than 5 grams of fat per ounce.
Add calorie counting or fat-gram counting to your food diary for a few weeks if your weight loss is slowing down. Maybe you’re missing something.
Substitute herbs and spices for salt.
Shop for food when you are not hungry, and use a shopping list.
Replace ground beef with ground turkey or soy crumbles in dishes such as spaghetti. Don’t skip the protein in your meals; find a leaner substitute.
Eat three vegetables a day.
Always eat sitting down.
Request that your family and friends respect your efforts to lose weight and get fit — beware of loving “sabotage.”
Take a walk when you’re stressed or angry.
Eat two dairy products a day — be aware of your calcium intake. Select low-fat or nonfat dairy products to reduce fat calories.
Order dressings and sauces on the side and apply them with a fork.
Increase your fiber intake — chose whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta products, legumes, and raw fruits and vegetables.
Add slow-down food to your meals — crunchy vegetables, a large glass of water, hot soup or beverages, or fresh fruit to fill you up.
Cook with chicken broth, nonstick cooking spray, wine or water.
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.
Shrink portion sizes of meats and starches, and pile on the vegetables.
Ask how the food is prepared when ordering in a restaurant.
Choose low-fat frozen yogurt or frozen juice bars instead of ice cream. Be careful of the portion size — these foods still have calories!
Select clear broth- or tomato-based soups over white soups.
Keep the junk foods out of sight in your home and workplace.
Take walking shoes or a jump rope with you when you travel to keep up with your exercise.
If you?re getting off track, try to pre-plan your food intake for the next three days by writing it down.
Buy frozen diet dinners with 10 grams of fat or less and 800 milligrams of sodium or less.
Avoid batter coating or breading.
Use two egg whites in baking instead of one whole egg.
Stretch during television commercials — arm circles, leg lifts, head tilts, etc.
Eliminate the butter on your rolls or popcorn.
Learn to say “no” gracefully when a friend or relative offers you a second helping.
Choose pizza with vegetable toppings rather than high-fat meats, such as sausage and pepperoni. Ask for less cheese. Have you ever tried tomato pie?
Choose cooking techniques that keep fat to a minimum, such as baking, grilling, broiling, roasting or steaming.
Add more low-fat soy products to your diet for the soy protein and health benefits.
Forgive yourself when you slip — and make the next food choice a healthy one.

QOTD

"The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!"
Marvin Phillips