Entering a New Phase

Phase One is complete, and let Phase Two begin! Whoo hoo!

Okay, so Phase One was not nearly as bad as I first thought. Sure, I’m sick of salads and meat, but by the end of the two weeks, I had my homemade dressing recipe down just right and have been almost looking forward to my morning V8 (almost). My nighttime ricotta cheese dessert has been refined to be such an enjoyable experience, I may continue to savor the cheesy treat beyond this first Phase.

So what were the results of Phase One? Sadly, not as good as advertised. The "Book of South Beach" claims that the average weight loss from Phase One is typically 13 pounds. Obviously, some people have to have a lesser weight loss to keep that average down, and I was one such person. After losing 7 pounds the first week, I actually gained 0.4 pounds the second week. I was a bit discouraged this morning after I weighed in, but that disappointment was soon replaced by quiet jubilation, as I had to pull my belt one hole tighter to hold my pants up.

I have to constantly remind myself that it’s about my blood and not my weight. Sure, I want to lose a total of 15 to 20 pounds, but it doesn’t have to be lost overnight. The truth is, although I followed the diet over the weekend, I ate a packaged "South Beach" dinner for lunch yesterday and a Wendy’s Chili and side salad for dinner last night. Again, both are within the diet parameters, but the salt content was probably high on both and that led to an equal increase in weight for both my wife and I. In fact, I was 1.8 pounds heavier today than yesterday, so it’s all basically relative to the previous meal. And that’s why I say I want to lose 15 to 20 pounds, and not 17.5 pounds. One needs to shoot for a goal range and not a specific weight. A person’s weight probably fluctuates 2 pounds either way, depending on the day and the last meal. But if you stay within a 5-pound range, then you’ve stayed the course. So you see, I’m not really all that disappointed because I’m keeping it all in perspective.

As for the South Beach dinners, I find it funny how some of their own food contradicts their diet parameters. For instance, they suggest that only high fiber cereal with 3 grams or less of carbs be consumed. The South Beach brand cereal has 4 grams. What is boils down to is, despite packaged foods and restaurant faire being within a diet’s guidelines, nothing beats home-cooked fresh food, especially for weight loss. With that in mind, I’m sure I’ll have good results in the next few days.

I keep saying, "it’s about the blood." In case you’re wondering, my next lab work is scheduled for mid-December. I’ll try not to be too preachy about it or too whiny about not knowing my blood counts until then. You’ll all be the first to know what they are.

More on my life tanning on the South Beach in a few days.

(Update…I wrote this piece on Monday, but due to my busy schedule on Monday and Tuesday, I wasn’t able to post this until Wednesday. Since writing this account, the salt effects have worn off and I’m now down an additional 2 pounds!)