D-I-E-T

I have never dieted in my 35 years - until now.

Up until the time I was in college, I was always thin - 5'6" and maybe 105-110 pounds. I was one of those annoying people who could eat whatever they wanted and not seem to gain weight. Unfortunately, that all changed when I was in my mid-late 20's. My weight began to s-l-o-w-l-y climb (most obvious around my mid-section) and then 4 pregnancies and 2 full-term births throughout 1998-2000 certainly didn't help my situation.

Although charts (online and in my physician's office) say that my weight is "within normal range" for someone my height, I am at the high end of that range. I joined a Curves last January and lost 10 pounds in the first 3 months before hitting a wall. Weight loss was my main reason for going (exercising, in general, isn't something that I do just "for fun") and once the pounds stopped dropping, I was not motivated.

I managed to keep those 10 pounds off (even without exercising) for 6 months but decided in January of this year that I wanted to be more active. I'm very unhappy with my body currently and am desperate to do something about it. I started shopping around for another gym in February and joined one that is just for women (like Curves but full-service with cardio machines, free weights, classes, a pool etc.). I am very, very happy there. Except for a few weeks (when I had a sick child or was on vacation out of town), I have gone at least 3 - sometimes 4 - times every week yet, over the past 3 months, I have not lost an ounce. My weight can fluctuate 3-5 pounds based on the time of the month but I am, in general, still between 15-20 pounds away from what I consider my ideal weight.

My Mother and sister both had luck, initially, with Atkins and I've read a lot about it. It just isn't right for me, though. I'm a person who loves her carbs and I know right now that starting a diet that restricts them so severely would, without a doubt, set me up for failure and disappointment. I've read about Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig and actually know a dozen or so women who have joined a Jenny Craig center that just opened up here recently and who have done really well. For a number of reasons, though, I don't think either of those programs are right for me.

I've decided, after much research, to give the South Beach Diet a try. I know - I mentioned that carbs are an issue for me - and, although the first phase restricts them on the SBD, during phases 2 and 3, they are re-introduced (sensibly). I've been to the grocery store and have printed off a few recipes. We'll see how the next 2 weeks go - if I can stick with it and if it'll work for me!

Today:
Exercise: 25 minutes on stationary bike, 100 sit-ups on sit-up machine, 4 upper body machines (lat pull-down etc.) 3 sets of 10 reps each (10-30 pounds of weight, depending on machine)
Breakfast: 1 hard-boiled egg with salt and pepper and a few sips of a horrible tall decaf coffee (no milk and 3 Splenda packets) from Starbucks (giving up caffe mochas and caramel macchiattos is going to be very difficult!)
AM Snack: 3 mini kosher dill pickles, 1 celery stick and 5 Laughing Cow Light Gourmet Mini Swiss Cheese Bites
Lunch: asparagus and mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and topped with mozarella cheese
PM Snack: none
Dinner: chicken caesar salad (at Dodger Stadium - thank heavens they had something I could have - it didn't make up for not being able to have nachos, a Dodger Dog and a coke - but at least I didn't have to sit there with nothing and watch everyone else eat!)
Water: 1 liter