[dani_hamilton]

Hi all!
I started the South Beach Diet the beginning of October. I'm not following it strictly anymore but use it as a guideline for my life. In Phase I (the first two weeks), I lost 9 pounds. I started at 209 (after 2 babies!) and lost those first 9 pounds in two weeks without feeling hungry. They give you a huge list of foods that you can eat freely from... so, if I ever got hungry, I knew I could grab a handful of peanuts or a ham roll-up. I really lost the cravings for sugar and carbs, some of my favorite things! As a frugal shopper/ cooker, I always included pastas and such in my meals to help extend the meat and make the meal go further. I've switched to brown rice and to whole wheat pasta and bread and haven't noticed the difference in the taste at all. I even had whole wheat pancakes with my family and it tasted just great!

Since I am still nursing my 1 year old part-time, I didn't want to be on an ultra strict diet. South Beach is NOT ultra strict and they even allow you to eat freely, as long as its from their list of good foods. I have lost a total of 18 pounds since I started and, as I said before, I don't follow it to the letter.

Prevention.com is a good place to find out more info. And, join a free group on yahoo for lots of recipe sharing and good conversations about losing weight. It's always helpful for you to be accountable to someone else who won't let you slip up! :D

Good luck!

~Danielle
Ft. Hood, TX