The South Beach Diet Plan: How I Got Through Phase 1

I love eat! I guess that’s why I hate dieting so much.

Most of those fad diets either totally restrict you from eating the foods you love (and crave), or make you eat an overabundance of the foods that are okay, not my favorites.

After all, how many eggs, peanuts, or oranges can you really eat? I guess that’s why I was so hesitant to follow my friends on the South Beach diet train.

Everyone was trying, and yes, even losing weight. I watched with envy as their waists got smaller and smaller, but I couldn’t get their complaints and grievances out of my head during those first days and weeks on the show.

Leave out all the sugar, carbs, and fats for a full two weeks! I do not! No way! Not even for a smaller dress size.

Then I went to see my doctor for a feeling of discomfort that I could not get rid of. I wasn’t really sick, I just felt tired and grossed out all the time. After some testing, he told me that my glucose levels were rising, that my cholesterol was hitting an all-time high, and even my blood pressure was boiling.

I? Ms. Healthy? I knew it was time to get serious, so I asked and did some research and found that in addition to being a “diet”, people were using the South Beach plan not only as a safe way to lose the weight that affects your health. , but it also teaches you to eat in a more nutritious and satisfying way.

Well, it’s time to give it a try. And the first thing I came across, you’ve probably heard of, was the dreaded “Phase I” of the South Beach diet plan – “restriction hell,” as my friends like to call it.

Fortunately, she knew so many people who had already been on a diet that she could turn to them for safety and advice.

By the way, that is Tip No. # 1: Install a support system.

For me, it made a difference. I honestly don’t know if I would have been successful without the support of my friends. They shared their tips and stories of how they survived the first 14 days on the show and made me feel like I could too. These are some of my favorite survival tips:

o Enjoy one last favorite meal and dessert before starting the diet

o Take out everything that is not allowed to touch your lips in the first 14 days outside the house and threaten anyone who dares to sneak into smuggled food.

o Keep a journal about your feelings during Phase I (it’s great to read how those cravings and cravings really affected the way you think and feel after all, it’s just a distant memory

o Avoid shopping at the mall during Phase I (food court smells will kill you)

o Don’t plan to attend family gatherings, school functions, parties, etc. for two full weeks (become a hermit)

I admit it, during those first few days in South Beach all I wanted was to dive headfirst into a bag of chocolate chip cookies, dipped in whipped cream, with a side of fries and a big slice of pizza.

But when a friend came by and made me the most delicious meal of lean chicken and stir-fried vegetables sprinkled with low-fat cheese (yes, I said cheese!), I knew he would.

That is Tip # 2: Presentation.

The plate he put in front of me could have rivaled the one found in any five-star restaurant. That night I learned that a beautifully prepared dish of colorful vegetables cooked to perfection beats a bag of Oreos 10 to 1.

Within a week my bad mood was on the wane, after all my sugar levels were stabilizing and my blood pressure was dropping, and I didn’t even crave junk stuff anymore. In fact, I was eager to find new ways to prepare and serve my new healthier food options.

That leads me to Tip No. # 3: learn to cook.

Since I started in South Beach, I have learned to really enjoy cooking. Watching a variety of cooking shows and incorporating their ideas using my South Beach approved foods was one way I found to survive the first phase of the program, as you can always find new and interesting ways to prepare and enjoy the foods that allowed me. .

I couldn’t believe when the two weeks were up. It seemed to go by really fast, and then I was allowed to start reintroducing some of my favorites back into my daily eating plan, like fresh fruit and bread (thank goodness!).

The best part was that I no longer craved some of those forbidden foods like cakes, ice cream, and even, yes, those diet cookies! And I managed to lose a whopping 12 pounds, a true triumph for someone like me who had never been able to go on any diet for more than a day or two before!

Was it difficult to start the South Beach diet? Yes, in the early days, but it sure was worth it!