One of the biggest — and most expensive — consequences of losing all this weight on the South Beach Diet was that I needed new pants and belts. I have dropped from a 34”-35” waist to a 31”-32”. I literally had nothing to wear for the holidays. So, I spent a good deal of time shopping for myself at Christmastime. They say it’s better to give than to receive; but when you’re both giving and receiving, that’s the best of all!

One day, I was at a store with Amy and Ray. My search for trousers had turned up empty, so I was in the kids’ section looking for stuff for the little guy when I overheard a woman and her young son discussing his size. She told the chubby young fellow that he needed a “10 H.”

A shiver went down my spine as my mind raced back 25 years to the first time I learned what the dreaded “H” stood for in boys’ pants.

Continue reading "À la recherche du temps grosses" »

It’s been pretty exactly two months that Amy and I have been on the South Beach Diet. At the beginning. I weighed in at almost 178 lbs. I joked that it’d be nice if I could reach my “goth weight” of 155 — the weight I remembered being when I was 20 and trying to emulate the look of gaunt, vampiric Peter Murphy of Bauhuas. I had no intention of going that far, nor did I think it would be possible.

This morning, the scale read 155.4.

A few caveats need to be applied, however:

• Throughout the diet, my weight has fluctuated up and down by as many as 5 lbs. Last night, for example, I weighed in at 162, but I was fully clothed and had just eaten dinner. This morning, I was in my underwear only and had not yet had breakfast. My “official” weight is probably around 160.
• The original weight of 178 was registered after several days of pre-diet binging, so it was probably a bit inflated. My clothed weight from previous years’ doctor’s appointments, however, was around 175, so low- to mid-170’s is probably a fair estimate of my “normal” weight prior to the diet.
• Amy observed that I’m not really all that gaunt, and that 155 for someone my height (5’ 10”) isn’t that far from “normal.” In all liklihood, my “goth weight” was probably lower. I am, after all, relying on my admittedly faulty memory of something 15 years ago.

So, rather than claim I have lost 23 pounds in 2 months, it’s probably more like 15.

Nevertheless, my size 34 and 35 pants no longer fit; in fact, the 35’s fall right off my body to the floor. I bought a pair of 32’s from Value Village the oher day, and even they were a bit too loose. I haven’t worn a 32-inch waist since my mid-20’s, and I haven’t been a size 31 since those halcyion black-hair, eye-liner-wearing days of my late teens and early 20’s.

Amy and I cheated today. On the South Beach Diet, that is. We went to brunch with some friends and indulged in eggs Benedict, part of a cinnamon roll, and some potatoes. All in all, I didn’t think too much of it … until about hour later.

Continue reading "My Cheating Stomach" »

Last night marked the end of Phase 1, and Amy and I marked the occassion with a glass of wine — our first alcohol in two weeks. Either we’ve lost whatever palate we had, or the wine was awful. Either way, we ended up only drinking half a cup each.

The final tally for me: about 10 pounds (OK, 9.6) lost in 2 weeks.

Next is Phase 2 with its gradual reintroduction of yummy, yummy carbs. I enjoyed a slice of whole wheat toast this morning. I feel like a wild man!

Phase 2 isn’t as exciting, and promises only about 1 pound per week, so I figure, if that’s true, I’ll stay on it for another month and shoot for a steady 165.

One minor correction: when I said in the last post that we had more energy, I should have said that we feel less tired. Our energy levels have been slightly lower; Amy reports feeling “depleted,” and I guess I do, too. I hope that on Phase 2, I’ll get back some energy and feel like working out a bit to get rid of the flab.

It’s day 12 of 14 for Phase 1 — the no carb, no sugar phase.

I have lost somewhere between 8-10 pounds according to various scale readings at different times of the day. I am finally securely below 170, which was my goal. Phase 2 of the diet, which starts Monday, involves a gradual reintroduction of complex carbs and reportedly can still result in a weekly loss of another pound or two. Phase 3 (which begins whenever I want it to) is more about maintaining weight and overall healthy eating habits.

Click below to read my observations of life on the South Beach Diet so far.

Continue reading "South Beach Diet: Days 7-12" »

So, I guess this is getting to be more of a periodic report. With my piano class and Bauhaus concert this week, I didn’t have much time to post.

So far, I’ve lost between 3 and 6 pounds depending on what time of day I weigh myself. I am getting just a little bit obsessed with that, feeling that if I am sacrificing so much I need something dramatic in return. I received a great deal of validation last night when I got home. Amy greeted me at the door and remarked that my face looked skinny. I’ve always gained and lost weight in my face, so that was good to hear. It’s not that I’m turning anorexic or anything; I’m just really curious to see if this diet does what it claims to do. I’ve never tried to stick to anything like this before, so I view it more of an experiment that a chore. And, so far, it seems to live up to its claims.

Continue reading "South Beach Diet: Days 3-6" »

So, my plan to post every day about my experience on the SBD isn’t exactly working out. I was so exhausted by the end of Day 1 (not due wholly to the diet) that I went to bed at 9:00. And last night I just didn’t feel like it. So here’s a post to make up for my laziness.

Continue reading "South Beach Diet: Days 1 and 2" »

Tomorrow, Amy and I start the South Beach Diet. The SBD is based on the theory that foods with a low glycemic index satisfy your hunger longer and minimize food cravings better than foods with a high GI (such as highly-processed foods, white flour, sugars, etc.). In the interests of maintaining an incentive for sticking to the Diet (especially the ominous 2-week “Phase 1” of the project, which permits no carbs at all, only low-fat dairy, and very, very small portions), I have decided to post a daily update chronicling our journey back to our ideal weights. First entry: Day Zero — the preparation.

Continue reading "South Beach Diet: Day 0" »