I know that since I’ve started avoiding sugar (corn syrup, honey, etc.), I’ve discovered that there’s sugar in all kinds of foods that don’t need sugar. All this sugar is for is to get people addicted to the food so that they will eat more of it. Since I’ve been avoiding sugar, wheat and MSG, my pain level has decreased dramatically, although I still have “bad” days.

Stephen and I have now been on the South Beach diet since December, and he’s doing really well. He’s lost over 20 lbs. and his cholesterol levels are good….in spite of eating bacon & eggs for breakfast, meat for lunch and often a steak and veggies for supper. For us, at least, “fat does NOT make you fat. Sugar, other high-glycemic index foods and processed flour make you fat.” I don’t know how much I’ve lost, but I can now wear my size 12 jeans again. We’re both still losing weight.

On this diet we’ve switched to fewer (almost NO) processed foods. We eat “home cooking” with meat and “good” vegetables (very few potatoes or carrots). I miss my homemade bread, and occasionally I let myself have a fresh roll, but I usually pay for it the next day.

With the high cost of fruits and vegetables, we’re trying to raise all we can. Yesterday we put out more plants in the garden; we already had some radishes and lettuce beginning to grow. We put out some tomatoes, more lettuce and brussels sprouts. I’ve covered these with clear plastic to help keep them a little warmer, but these are already sturdy plants.

We’re again doing wide-bed, deep bed gardening this year. Every year, the beds get a little deeper as I pile more and more compost on them. They aren’t really that “deep” yet, but give me a few more years (or a few more times of cleaning out the goat barn) and they will be. I also need to invest in some landscaping timbers or something even taller for the “walls.” The walkways between the beds are covered with feed sacks covered with mulch. I think eventually this will be very attractive and it’s already suppressing weeds.

Gardening helps keep you healthy in 2 ways: 1) you get lots of exercise! 2) you get fresh veggies to eat.

We had a delicious Tilapia last night. I browned it a little in Canola oil, then baked it in the oven with a little cheese and some tomato bullion on top. It was really very good with a salad.

One thing about this diet is that you don’t eat as much. I eat about 1/2 of what I used to. Of course I have snacks, but on the whole I feel full and am loosing weight.

If someone was approaching this diet rationally, they would 1) clean out their pantry 2) find and organize diet-friendly recipes 3) restock the pantry before even beginning. THAT would be the logical thing to do. Also, they’d start the diet on a weekend or other time-off, because the headaches, etc. can be annoying. PLAN what you’re going to have in place of rice, potatoes, bread, cereal etc. otherwise you feel rather adrift in meal planning. PLAN that it’s often going to take you longer to cook meals, because you’re learning new recipes.

There are lots of food options, even at Phase One, you just have to learn about them.

So far, so good, praise be to God.

It really takes a complete overhaul of your “comfort food” menu.

We’re doing the South Beach Diet. I didn’t think it would be hard. I never thought of myself as eating “too much” carbs or sugars. I guess I was fooling myself. I’ve been having serious withdrawal symptoms. It’s been miserable.

If you don’t know about the South Beach Diet, the first 2 weeks are the hardest: no bread, no fruit, no pasta, of course nothing with sugar in it. Not even any potatoes, corn, or carrots.

I’ve been hard-pressed to just find something to eat around here. I never realized how much I depended on potatoes, rice, and other carbs as “sides” for meals. And breakfast…that was 99% carbs.

The South Beach diet is as much a life-style change as a diet. You really have to rethink the way you eat. I think it’s especially hard if you’re the “cook” in the family, because it means assembling a mostly-new repertoire of cuisine. Thankfully, there are lots of recipes online.

How do I feel after 3 1/2 days? Miserable sometimes: dizzy, sick, light-headed. At other times, great!

What do I eat? Lean beef & roast chicken so far. Salads with meat strips and different cheeses. Beans. Squash. Peas. Eggs. And a little bacon (no, it’s not on the list, but it’s filling and keeps me going.) Milk. Right now I’m baking some Flax Seed “bread” that I can’t wait to try. I’ve also tried some of the “desserts” ricotta cheese with sugar substitute, cocoa powder and almonds.

When I’m feeling really bad, I have a teaspoon of cream. It helps me get through the low spells.