New Diet

So I thought I'd blog a little about this diet I'm starting. Well, started. I've been on it for about a week now. I guess there's not that much to report yet. Just that I finally ACTUALLY started a diet. Anyway, I decided to go on the South Beach Diet. I heard about it a few years ago (my ex went on it briefly). And I figured since I'm in Florida... where it all started... I'd give it a whirl.

So far Ive been on it 5 days. I've completely stopped drinking soda or any sugared beverage (that includes juice). I've decided to go caffeine free as well (though that isn't technically a requirement). I don't drink coffee, so that wasn't really an issue. And there are plenty of decaf herbal teas out there. And I can always use splenda. As far as soda goes... I just have to stay away from it. I can't drink diet (nutra sweet gives me headaches and there are precious few brands who use splenda). Of course, I've tried (time and time again) limiting my intake of regular soda... but I either just end up replacing it with sweet tea or not limiting myself at all because I tell myself I need the caffeine. And it's not like I need soda. I went almost three years without a single drop of soda before. And I'm so tired of caffeine headaches. More importantly, I know it's one of the major causes of my weight gain. Mostly... I just hate the idea of being addicted to something.

I do drink flavored water. It's sweetened with Splenda. One of the many substitutes I've made... You see, I've heard it's easier to break bad habits if you replace them with new ones. It's not the only substitute I've made, though. I've started using cucumber slices as crackers and leaves of lettuce instead of bread, etc.

I've also started drinking milk again. I'd stopped drinking milk for a long while because buying the lactose free or soy milk was costing me a lot of money. I just wasn't drinking it fast enough (the carton goes bad 7 days after you open it) so I always ended up throwing the majority of it away. But I'm actually making time for breakfast now and drinking a glass everyday so I don't have to feel guilty about buying milk anymore. Anyway, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And milk is supposed to help you on your diet.

I've also given up bread, potatoes, pasta and fruit (at least for the first "strict phase"). I don't miss bread per se (though I did have this weird donut dream the other night). It's potatoes and pasta I really miss. It's just that for so long my meals have consisted of either a quick sandwich (usually with fries or chips) or baked potatoes and macaroni (comfort foods). I guess I've been cooking and eating this way for so long that I don't really know how to cook or eat any other way. I mean, I love my starches. Usually, when I fix dinner, I have at least one if not two starches. I've been known to fix potatoes and spaghetti before. Mostly, though I ate a lot of fast food because I was busy with school and work. More recently, I had fallen into the habit of eating lots of sandwiches with chips. Bread, chips and ramen are cheap. When you budget 25-30 dollars for food a week your options get pretty limited.

Since starting the new diet, I've had to get a lot more creative. That and I've had to spend more money on food. But that's okay. I'm doing some freelance and earning a little more money.

The only problem I'm really having is that I haven't had a lot of time to plan my meals. I need some of that creativity. There's recipes in the book... but I haven't had the time to really test them. And I have no idea what they're supposed to look or taste like (anybody heard of a frittata?). Basically, I've made a lot of salads. That's getting old real fast. It's not that I don't like lettuce. I love lettuce. When I was a vegetarian, I use to make lettuce sandwiches. I don't know. I mean, it's not like I can't cook. I'm a great cook. I just can't make any of the things I used to cook.

My biggest problem, though, is (and always has been) that I'm an emotional eater. I'll get upset and then go all day without eating. At the end of the day I'm sick from not eating and even more upset so I end up binging. I do it all the time. It's so frustrating.

I've had my best results (and been my leanest/healthiest) when I had 3 regularly schedules meals a day. It's a little hard when you work the hours I work... and CDS determines when you go on break and Disney decides you'll be closing shift one day and mid or open the next. So yeah... a little rocky. But I'm managing. And I'm eager to get to phase 2... I miss my apples. That's one of the few things I'm going to reintroduce into my diet in February.

I haven't really added exercise into my weight loss plan yet (like I planned on doing). My roommate has a Wii fit. I used it once. It told me my weight (I hadn't weighed myself since June). I was pleasantly surprised to find that I've actually lost 15 pounds since I came down here. Of course, that's from eating nothing but ramen and tuna and ham sandwiches for months (not exactly healthy but not Wendy's everyday either). Anyway, I do plan on exercising. It's just that I'm usually too tired after work to do anything and I've been sleeping way too late to do anything before. So I either need to change my sleeping schedule or make myself get on the damned thing at night whether my feet feel like it or not.

At any rate, I really need to get busy. I have to go grocery shopping and do laundry and write a bunch of articles (that freelance thing I'm doing). I just hate to get out in this weather. I know my friends up north probably think I'm crazy but I just don't want to deal with this 60 degree weather. LOL. You know you've spent too much time in Florida when... It's true what they say, though. Living down here just thins out your blood. I don't know what I'd do if I had to readjust to Ohio weather right now... 10 degrees, snow. No thank you.