Tuesday, July 14, 2009

South Beach Diet: Yeah, it works

I accidentally ate a bite of homemade bagel this afternoon --  I was talking to someone and got carried away --  so I guess the diet is pretty much kaput, which is okay since this is day 7, the last day. I've lost five pounds. You can't ask for more from a weeklong diet. 

What's my verdict on the South Beach Diet? You eat a lot of vegetables and you're never hungry. Maybe you're not all that psyched about that next baked chicken breast dinner or egg white omelette, but psyching you up for meals is not what diets are for. As a short-term diet, South Beach is okay with me. As a way of life, it's barbaric. The thought of trying to resist a ripe nectarine, a bowl of blueberries, a spoonful of honey, a roasted sweet potato, month after month, year after year, appalls me. Eating artificially sweetened strawberry Jell-O instead of a strawberry? So clearly wrong. 

9 comments:

  1. 5 pounds is impressive! Tempting, but I can't give up my fruit. The white peaches are so so delicious this week! Which diet says I can eat 4 peaches a day? (Hopefully I will have a thumbnail pic of my backyard now.)

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  2. Hmm, the pic is pretty tiny. Sort of looks like an umbrella instead of a gazebo.

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  3. It's beautiful. I love the gazebo. Do you grow white peaches?

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  4. Been working on a more atkins-like version of this since April 15 and am down about 22 lbs. Still no basic carbs (rice, potatoes, bread) except for special occasions, but less strictly lean protein, and some fruit/nuts. Seems to work Ok for me, but my DW is not as "successful".

    Boy do i enjoy reading your blog. Thanks.

    Yogi

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  5. Hello! I've been reading your blog for a couple of months now, and it is my favorite. My best friend got my husband into bee-keeping, and I identify with the expense vs. benefit issues. Our hive didn't make it through Kentucky Ice Storm 2009. Since there are a couple of other bee-keepers in the neighborhood we've been idly hoping a swarm would move into the nice digs we have behind the garage. No luck so far.
    Sadly, I am inspired to make my first comment based on outrageous irrationality. There is something about the concept of an egg white omelet that makes the hairs on my neck stand up and a crazy sensation of personal offense washes over me. Just looking at the insipid concoction makes me sad. Is there anyway to make egg whites appetizing? The only thing that leaps to mind is whipping them with sugar and covering a cream pie. Congratulations on surviving a week of them and the successful results!

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  6. Yeah, I wonder what the chickens would have to say about an egg white omelet. It seems like an abstinent food.

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  7. Yeah, I wonder what the chickens would have to say about an egg white omelet. It seems like an abstinent food.

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  8. Rachaolmak,
    Egg white omelets are an abomination.
    The bee thing is tricky. They're so delicate! And expensive! But now they totally fascinate me and I think about them all the time.

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  9. I don't grow white peaches; we get those from the farmers' market. I do have a couple of baby apple trees and a three fantastic blueberry bushes. I bought a manderin tree recently. Most of my suburban plot is taken up by my gajillion (okay 93) rose bushes. (Not very water friendly but I'm hoping that maybe my Prius offsets my water usage. No?)

    Yogi, it seems that all diets work better for men then women. Why is that?!

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