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| Sun, 11-23-2003 - 11:23am |
I had my annual checkup yesterday and my MD informed me that I am more than 100lbs overweight. I'm 29 years old and carrying 235 lbs on my 5'3 frame.
I'm not sure how it happened...I was athletic and lettered in 3 sports in high school, was a healthy size 8 when I started college. Gained the freshman 15 and then some...and I guess I've just added on a few lbs every year for the past 10 years. Wow. Amazing how it sneaks up on you.
My doctor gave me the South Beach Diet book and recommended I give it a try. I decided to wait until next week and get Turkey day over with before starting the strictest phase...why set myself up for failure from the start?
I joined a gym near my work yesterday afternoon and went for my first workout this morning. I feel invigorated and enthusiastic and all those good things but I wonder if I'll be able to drag my butt out of bed in the morning for workout #2?
I'm a single mom with a toddler and I work full time, anyone who has pointers on how to stick with a diet with so much 'kid food' in the house (mac & cheese, animal crackers, chicken nuggets and fries)and very little spare time, advice would be much appreciated.
So here goes: I'm Andi. I weigh 235 and my goal is 125 by my 30th birthday next November. Off we go!!!!

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Andi,
Welcome to the boards Andi!!!
Hi and welcome.
I've heard some good things about SBD and there is a board on ivillage dedicated to it that you may want to check out (great recipes included).
I am 100 pounds overweight also, with high blood pressure and high cholerstrol. My Dr told me about the South Beach Diet and gave me some information on the glycemic index.With in 2 months combining the two plans my cholestrol level dropped by 20 points and I lost 14 pounds. South Beach can be very restrictive for the first 14 days which is what I usually have a problem with. If that first 14 days is too hard for you at first you can go to phase II and still lose weight, just not as fast and when you get the hang of it you can always go back to phase I. It is not about a diet and I think that is why South Beach is so much easier that Atkins because there are no foods that are off limits. You still get to eat your healthy carbs and fruit. With the glycemic index you are able to find a wider variety of foods that will make it easier to live with, you won't feel deprived at all. The sugar-free fudgesicles really come in hand. You can also following the glycemic index have mac and cheese. Just use a good pasta and cook it al dente and you are allowed to have cheese and skim milk. As for the chicken nuggets, it you make them it home you can make bread crumbs out of 100% stone ground whole wheat bread. I don't know about the animal crackers, but fig newtons fit into the low glycemic category and you can have 2 a day, along with M&Ms and snicker bars(mini's).A good snack that I am sure your toddler will enjoy is a serving of unsweetend apple sauce and the 2 fig newtons. Also the sugar-free jello comes in handy with a tablespoon of Cool Whip. It can be time consuming, but you are worth it, just plan your meals out and get to the grocery store with your list and follow it. Look into different low glycemic list and tailor your plan for you. It is so user friendly that even your toddler can eat this way because there are no foods that you can not eat, it is just the way that you have to prepare them. Good Luck to you and keep us posted on your progress.
I agree that you can get your kid on a better diet off the bat. Let him help. Make freezer bars out of fat and sugar free jello or pudding. He can do the sticks. Actually Tupperware used to make such freezer bar implements.
I remember from teaching little kids at church that they love to chop -- with plastic knives of course -- onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc. These can be used in soups, salads, etc. It can be a fun way of getting dinner on the table. At church we used to have pre-K kids serve dinner to their parents -- stuffed potatoes, taco salad, etc. Things they could prepare.
Blessings,
S_C
That seems to be a very common misconception about Atkins.
The others are right: you need to make sure your child is eating healthier as well. I know toddlers can be picky, so maybe talk to your child's pediatrician (or find magazines) on how to incorporate fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. into the diet. *I think* two-year-olds can be switched off whole milk and onto 2%, but check on that. A kid who sees you enjoying healthy foods will develop good eating habits for himself--and that's a good thing!
Don't be discouraged if you have a hard time with diets. I tried Atkins a year ago and hated it. I lost weight, but I just couldn't follow the diet. I lasted all of a week! I'm not a huge fan of vegetables, and I found it really hard to eat all that meat--too much prep time, and I've got a really busy schedule.
Studies have shown that those who are the most successful at losing and keeping off large amounts of weight do two things: first, they keep a food journal, and second, they exercise 60-90 minutes a day, five to six days a week. While I like Fitday to an extent, I find it time consuming to log on and edit the food information to match what I'm actually eating. I created an Excel spreadsheet where I track the food I eat, the calories per serving, and the serving size. It adds up my daily calorie intake. I even created a graph tracking my daily calorie intake since June. To keep track of your calorie intake, pay attention to labels and measure out your food! If you have to eat fast food, most fast food restaurants have their nutrition information online--very nice!
I have saved myself probably 1,000 calories a day (and around $150+ a month) by not eating out. I bought an insulated lunch bag and pack a balanced lunch. It works really well for packing frozen meals, too. Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice have some good items--I really like the Lean Cuisine Chicken Fettucine, and their little pizzas are excellent!
As for exercise--more power to you if you're an early morning exceriser. I'm not. I go to the campus gym around 8, 8:30 at night. But I'm a night owl, so it works. Make sure you're doing exercises you enjoy and are actually *working* out. I see lots of people who get on a bike and read a magazine and don't even break a sweat. The best workouts are going to be the ones that really push you physically. You will build endurance and strength quickly, and can really jump start your weight loss. Don't forget strength training, either. Do cross-training; it helps prevent injury and boredom.
Be patient and tweak where you think you need to. Three years ago I'd been working out 60 minutes a day, seven days a week, but I weighed the same after a month. Still, I'd dropped a whole pant size. Pay attention to the way your clothes fit, and take measurements. Think about your meals in advance, and if you know you're going to indulge one day, plan for it! If you don't work out one day, don't beat yourself up. You're making these changes for the rest of your life, and one day of "bad" eating or lazing around isn't going to make or break your weight loss efforts in the long run.
Good luck!
Yeah for you!
I just joined here myself a few days ago and today is the day I have started the SBD *AND* I go to Curves for the first offical time tonight.
It sounds as though waiting till after Thanksgiving may be a very wise move. No one wants to start just to have a huge hurdle that first week. Thankfuly my family is go to be nowhere around so it wont be too big an issue with me.
Since this is a new diet to me, the South Beach diet, and maybe to you too, we could help each other out with it.
Best wishes to you!
Lisa Lynn
Brilliant chicken nugget idea! I want to try that one for myself.
LL
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