…of Phase Two!
Yes, we survived our fourteen carb-free days. And though our hunger pangs and cravings did subside somewhat, we never did truly get out of the habit of asking, “The steak will be cooked in about 5 minutes – will the potatoes be ready?” or “Did you start cooking the rice before you put the fish in the oven?” or even “Where’s my toast and juice to go with my omelet?” Shopping for bread has never been such a guilty pleasure.  And eating it…well, it was downright heavenly.
But the results…oh, the results! As hard as it’s been, the results are worth it! Every moment of sacrifice, every time I wanted to quit and give in and have that granola bar…every time my kids said, “I’m full, do I have to eat my banana?” and I said, “No, honey, you can just – *gulp*gasp*choke* – throw it away.”…every time I washed my hands instead of licking my fingers after serving chicken nuggets, or sprinkling sugar on strawberries, or closing the chocolate syrup for the chocolate milk…it was ALL worth it. For as of today, the totals are:
Matt – 12 pounds
Debbi – 13.5 pounds
IN TWO WEEKS!!
Now, as a brief disclaimer on Matt’s behalf: Last week his total was based on our home scale, which we knew was unreliable. He had an official weigh-in at work that afternoon which placed his loss at around 8 pounds, compared to my 7.5. We have since replaced the bathroom scale with a newer, more reliable model, and at this morning’s weigh-in he had dropped an additional 4 pounds in the last week. He has been as dedicated and as diligent as I have been, despite his recent gum surgery. He has had to work extra-hard to try to stay on the diet the past few days as he cannot eat many of the foods on the Phase One portion of South Beach. He is starting to add back some of the carbs and fruits, though in a different order and different format than what is listed in the menu plans. But we are trying to be very conscientious about our choices so that we don’t undo all the good that has been accomplished in the past two weeks.
We both still have a long way to go, we know. I’m still looking at 35 more pounds, while Matt has about 40 left to lose. But we’re both starting to notice the changes in our waistlines and overall general health, and some of that has trickled down to our children as well. They’re starting to request water more, choosing to avoid sweet treats after meals, trying to be more active, and wanting to be healthier – “like you, Mom and Dad.”
I think that’s the best reward I could ever ask for.
Congratulations to you all. When Heather and I were doing SB we found that Applebee’s had a couple of Phase 2 options on their menu. Keep up the good fight. This form of dining is expensive and I would shop in the vegeterian section to get some of the yogurt “cheese” (I still do).