Dieting

I haven’t been on a diet in 18 years, but after the excesses of the festive season my pants felt tight, my thighs rubbed together and something needed to be done before I have to wiggle into the bias-cut dress I bought for the gala at the end of the month. I was still well within the acceptable BMI range, but I felt fat.
So a diet. MJ recommended South Beach and loaned me the book. In the first two weeks you break your dependency on carbohydrates and level out your blood sugar. So no bread, pastas or fruits. But as much low-fat meat, cheese and soy as you wish and all the vegetables you can eat (except for potatoes and carrots). No alcohol, no sweets. It’s a restrictive but livable list of allowed foods.
And sorting out your blood sugar is wise for people like me who have Type 2 diabetes in their family history. I’ve learned all about the glycemic index, which is a measurement of how quickly your body converts foods to sugar. Unless you’ve been exerting yourself, you want to stick to low GI foods. These two resources to help me determine the GI of the foods I’m eating:
FormulaZone Search
Glycemic Index Database
Here’s a printable list of the allowed foods, along with a 14-day check off chart. I posted one on my fridge. South Beach Phase One List 80K PDF (2 pages, A4)
After the first two weeks of the diet, you can start to phase in “good for you” carbohydrates like full-grain breads and fruits. You still should avoid processed flours and sweets, but that’s true all the time, isn’t it?
I’ve never thought dieting was a good way of losing weight. I prefer a sensible approach of “eating a little less and exercising a little more.” The problem for me is that I get lazy and stop paying attention to what I’m eating. South Beach has increased my awareness of my meal planning and as a benefit I am losing weight–it’s nutritional education with a two-week boot camp to improve eating habits.
It’s working pretty well. In the first three days, I dropped 0.8 kg (about a pound and 3/4)–I’ll weigh in again on Saturday, the last day of the two weeks. I measured myself this morning and have lost 3 cm from my hips and one from my waist. My pants fit better already.