Eat Food (not food-like substances) & Use Your Body

So I've decided to quit feeling bad about the way I feel & look, and do something about it. 3 weeks ago I started back on the South Beach Diet (which isn't so much a diet as changing the way you eat permanently), and my cabinets & refrigerator have been purged!

The premise is that all the starch/processed carbs/sugar we eat hits our system as sugar, triggers an insulin response & instant energy, and then drops us when it's over (this is the source of cravings). So white sugar/flour/rice/pasta/starch/corn syrup are out, and healthy food (& fiber) is in!

That means lean meat, veggies, eggs, dairy, nuts, beans, fruit, whole grains, olive & healthy oils/fats, and the occasional dark chocolate - yay! :) Big no-nos are potatoes, corn, white processed (enriched) flour, fruit juice (all sugar, no fiber) processed sugar, high fructose corn syrup (which is in just about everything processed or "low-fat" - including sauces & YOGURT).

The results are convincing - no more sugar/carb cravings, no more reflux/heartburn, more sustained energy, and, um..."normalized" digestion :). Also, 10 lbs: bye-bye.

Some have asked what I CAN eat, so here's a sample Saturday cooking/assembly list:

• BREAKFAST - 1 crustless quiche: 4-6 eggs, cup of light cream or milk, cup of grated cheese, 2-3 cups fresh sauteed veggies - bake for 25m in pie plate, quick reheat nutritious breakfast! Also, coffee is in, just w/ Splenda instead of sugar
• SNACK - cheese sticks, piece of fruit or nuts
• LUNCH - veggies/cheese/mixed greens for salad, homemade dressing - olive oil & balsalmic vinegar w/ basil - OR - rare roast beef wrapped in red lettuce leaves w/ horseradish cream cheese & parsley
• SNACK - veggies w/ dill dip (made from Greek yogurt or farm cheese (yay Traders Point! :)
• DINNER - homemade soup OR something like grilled pork chops w/ steamed or roasted veggies or salad
• DESSERT/BEDTIME TREAT - OK, this sounds weird but if you like cannoli you know where this is going - a couple tablespoons of ricotta cheese w/ a little splenda, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg - tastes almost like tapioca :) and last night, I whipped in some mascarpone cheese (tiramisu) and added sugar-free raspberry jam instead of splenda & flavorings - SO YUMMY!!! especially w/ a square of dark chocolate!!

I'm slowly adding in more fruit & whole grains, like bread/toast, tortillas, oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain pasta, but even w/ the fiber, these are what your body converts to sugar, so I make sure I eat them w/ protein so I don't start the sugar/insulin/energy swing again. Occasionally dropping off the wagon (like a meal w/ friends) isn't the end of the world, I just get strict again for a day or 2 to make sure the cravings/pounds don't come back.

Anyway, I'm also doing interval training in the mornings (even 20m a day makes a difference!), and I'm hoping to be back to my (first :) college size by the end of the year.

Don't worry, I'm not trying to be "skinny", I just want to like me and that includes curves. Also, I still think I'm the girl that can hike/canoe thru' the Algonquin w/ a 50lb pack on her back, and that's probably delusional. So I want to make sure I can do pretty much whatever I want to do, and this will get me there, healthily.

If you're interested, pick up the South Beach Diet (Supercharged) at the library & give it a read. Btw, I got my doctor started on it too :)