South Beach Diet - Update

SCM, ASDLC, ASD -

As promised I am providing a further update. (Actually, I promised
myself - sort of an added inducement to succeed.)

I am 6'0" tall. I started the South Beach Diet on 1/25/04, weighing
233 lbs. Yesterday morning I weighed 198. That's a loss of 35 lbs. in
6½ weeks. My lipids are way down (see below), and my internist has
just taken me off Lipitor. He plans to recheck my lipids in six
weeks. He is also cutting back on my BP meds. I sleep better, I wake
up more refreshed, I have more energy, and I have stopped snoring.

I have not been hungry at all (save for the first day or two).

It's just a series of one, but for me this approach makes sense - and
it appears to be working. As they say, your mileage may vary.

Previous updates are copied below.

smn

......................


From 1/29/04 -

... it seems to me that when you get right down to it - and this
is nothing particularly profound - the three keys to successful
dieting are (1) take in fewer calories than you expend, (2) don't
screw up your lipids, renal function, or hepatic function, and (3)
don't get hungry. Well, in that regard, Dr. Arthur Agatston spoke
last week at a medical grand rounds meeting at a local hospital where
I'm on staff. I was impressed with what he had to say - especially
about avoiding between-meal hypoglycemia so you don't get hungry.

And ... long-story short -- my wife and I went on the South Beach Diet
this past Sunday. Now my wife only wants to lose three or four pounds
- but she figured that if she did the South Beach Diet with me, I'd
have a better chance of succeeding -- and I need to lose
ever-so-slightly more than three or four pounds. :-)

Anyway, Thursday begins Day 5 for me. All I can say is that I'm
following the recommendations pretty much to the letter except that
when it requires Canadian bacon, I substitute lean Kosher balogna;
when it requires shrimp, I substitute hallibut; and when it requires
meat and dairy at the same meal, I split 'em up by a few hours.
Besides those compromises in the interest of Kashrut, it's been by the
book. So far I have (surprisingly) found the meals to be not
unappealing, I have not experienced any withdrawal from my beloved
dietary no-nos (like pizza ... and sharing a bottle of wine with my
wife at dinner), and I have not been hungry at all! Really! Weight
is down seven pounds in those four days.

If I don't report back in a couple of weeks - it's likely because I'm
too embarrassed to. Hopefully such will not be the case.

smn

...........................

From 2/3/04 -

So here's the deal ... I started the South Beach Diet eight days ago
weighing 233 lbs. This morning I weighed 222 lbs.

And I confess, one of the reasons I am posting here regarding my
progress is to have a little added incentive to stick to it. Thus
far, it has been a piece of cake (hmmm, better select a different
analogy), but I suspect it might get a little more difficult as time
goes by.

...........................

From 2/8/04 -

Today marks two weeks for me on the South Beach Diet. I said in the
fourth paragraph quoted above that I hoped to be able to give an
update in two weeks.

I started out at 233. This morning - same scale, same time of day,
same state of dress (or rather undress), I weigh 218. That's 15 lbs.
in two weeks. Best of all, except for the first day or so, I have not
been hungry in the least. I mean I'm not even hungry for the foods
that got me up to 233!

My plan is to keep going on the same diet. Phase One lasts two weeks
- so now it's on to Phase Two. I posted earlier that I'd be real
happy to get down to 200. Well, now 190 doesn't seem like such a
daunting goal. But it's still early in the game.

Anyway, to this point I am quite pleased. I feel better, and my
clothes fit better. Well, that's not quite true. My jeans are
getting quite loose.

Your mileage may vary.

"Stephen Nagler" wrote in message
...
SCM, ASDLC, ASD -

As promised I am providing a further update. (Actually, I promised
myself - sort of an added inducement to succeed.)

I am 6'0" tall. I started the South Beach Diet on 1/25/04, weighing
233 lbs. Yesterday morning I weighed 198. That's a loss of 35 lbs. in
6½ weeks. My lipids are way down (see below), and my internist has
just taken me off Lipitor. He plans to recheck my lipids in six
weeks. He is also cutting back on my BP meds. I sleep better, I wake
up more refreshed, I have more energy, and I have stopped snoring.

I have not been hungry at all (save for the first day or two).

It's just a series of one, but for me this approach makes sense - and
it appears to be working. As they say, your mileage may vary.

Previous updates are copied below.

smn


I think your progress is terrific. What is the real reason? Do you really
believe it is a specific diet or do you find it easier to follow a plan with
black and white rules?

Frankly, as far as you are concerned, I don't care about the answer! Your
success speaks for itself but there is such a diverse variety of successful
strategies. Some folks claim that limiting their food choices works well.
Others, myself included, think that nothing is truly off limits, but that
everything needs to be done in moderation. Some hate carbs, some love them,
etc., etc. So, I guess I am asking if you are able to follow other plans
without much success and SBD is the one that finally worked or if SBD works
because you have clear guidelines?

j
.....................


From 1/29/04 -

... it seems to me that when you get right down to it - and this
is nothing particularly profound - the three keys to successful
dieting are (1) take in fewer calories than you expend, (2) don't
screw up your lipids, renal function, or hepatic function, and (3)
don't get hungry. Well, in that regard, Dr. Arthur Agatston spoke
last week at a medical grand rounds meeting at a local hospital where
I'm on staff. I was impressed with what he had to say - especially
about avoiding between-meal hypoglycemia so you don't get hungry.

And ... long-story short -- my wife and I went on the South Beach Diet
this past Sunday. Now my wife only wants to lose three or four pounds
- but she figured that if she did the South Beach Diet with me, I'd
have a better chance of succeeding -- and I need to lose
ever-so-slightly more than three or four pounds. :-)

Anyway, Thursday begins Day 5 for me. All I can say is that I'm
following the recommendations pretty much to the letter except that
when it requires Canadian bacon, I substitute lean Kosher balogna;
when it requires shrimp, I substitute hallibut; and when it requires
meat and dairy at the same meal, I split 'em up by a few hours.
Besides those compromises in the interest of Kashrut, it's been by the
book. So far I have (surprisingly) found the meals to be not
unappealing, I have not experienced any withdrawal from my beloved
dietary no-nos (like pizza ... and sharing a bottle of wine with my
wife at dinner), and I have not been hungry at all! Really! Weight
is down seven pounds in those four days.

If I don't report back in a couple of weeks - it's likely because I'm
too embarrassed to. Hopefully such will not be the case.

smn

..........................

From 2/3/04 -

So here's the deal ... I started the South Beach Diet eight days ago
weighing 233 lbs. This morning I weighed 222 lbs.

And I confess, one of the reasons I am posting here regarding my
progress is to have a little added incentive to stick to it. Thus
far, it has been a piece of cake (hmmm, better select a different
analogy), but I suspect it might get a little more difficult as time
goes by.

..........................

From 2/8/04 -

Today marks two weeks for me on the South Beach Diet. I said in the
fourth paragraph quoted above that I hoped to be able to give an
update in two weeks.

I started out at 233. This morning - same scale, same time of day,
same state of dress (or rather undress), I weigh 218. That's 15 lbs.
in two weeks. Best of all, except for the first day or so, I have not
been hungry in the least. I mean I'm not even hungry for the foods
that got me up to 233!

My plan is to keep going on the same diet. Phase One lasts two weeks
- so now it's on to Phase Two. I posted earlier that I'd be real
happy to get down to 200. Well, now 190 doesn't seem like such a
daunting goal. But it's still early in the game.

Anyway, to this point I am quite pleased. I feel better, and my
clothes fit better. Well, that's not quite true. My jeans are
getting quite loose.

Your mileage may vary.

On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 20:20:20 -0600, "Julianne"
wrote:


I think your progress is terrific. What is the real reason? Do you really
believe it is a specific diet or do you find it easier to follow a plan with
black and white rules?

Frankly, as far as you are concerned, I don't care about the answer! Your
success speaks for itself but there is such a diverse variety of successful
strategies. Some folks claim that limiting their food choices works well.
Others, myself included, think that nothing is truly off limits, but that
everything needs to be done in moderation. Some hate carbs, some love them,
etc., etc. So, I guess I am asking if you are able to follow other plans
without much success and SBD is the one that finally worked or if SBD works
because you have clear guidelines?


................

Julianne, I'm not really sure what all the factors are that have
contributed to my success at this point.

I do think that the fact that the South Beach Diet has an appeal to me
as a physician (purely in terms of the physiology involved) cannot be
underestimated. I don't like being hungry - and since the diet is
designed to minimize reactive hypoglycemia, you just don't get hungry
on it. Plus, as an added bonus, lypolyisis (the breakdown of fat)
occurs more readily when insulin levels are normal to slightly below
normal. Minimizing intake of foods that have a high glycemic index
keeps insulin levels in check. Those are the physiological elements
that "speak to me."

But I must confess that I do not see the diet as having strict
guidelines. There's a lot of lateral movement there - just as long as
you maintain the philosophy ... especially after the first two weeks.

As far as "other plans" go, I have not met one that quite had the
appeal (to me) of the South Beach Diet purely from an intellectual
standpoint.

That's the best I can do for an answer. And thanks for your nice
comment about my progress.

smn

On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 21:36:47 GMT, Stephen Nagler
wrote:

SCM, ASDLC, ASD -

As promised I am providing a further update. (Actually, I promised
myself - sort of an added inducement to succeed.)

I am 6'0" tall. I started the South Beach Diet on 1/25/04, weighing
233 lbs. Yesterday morning I weighed 198. That's a loss of 35 lbs. in
6½ weeks. My lipids are way down (see below), and my internist has
just taken me off Lipitor. He plans to recheck my lipids in six
weeks. He is also cutting back on my BP meds. I sleep better, I wake
up more refreshed, I have more energy, and I have stopped snoring.

I have not been hungry at all (save for the first day or two).

It's just a series of one, but for me this approach makes sense - and
it appears to be working. As they say, your mileage may vary.


It does make sense. If you keep your blood sugar steady, you don't
binge. Well, at least I'm finding that I don't. And easy to follow?
Eating out is no problem (especially since the Atkins people blazed a
trail for us - people don't even blink when you ask them to hold the
pasta on your pasta primavera... g). No more weighing food, looking
it up in charts and books, logging every bite...

I'm about 5 weeks behind you, at the end of day 9, and weighed in with
an 8.5-lb. loss this morning. Only another 100 or so to go. So far
so good.

Stan

Stephen Nagler wrote in message . ..


I am 6'0" tall. I started the South Beach Diet on 1/25/04, weighing
233 lbs. Yesterday morning I weighed 198. That's a loss of 35 lbs. in
6½ weeks.


It's V-good. Well done )

Have 35 stars!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Carol T

Hi Stephen,

Question for you - and perhaps I'll ask my doctor this as well. But I was
under the assumption that once you start on any of the cholesterol lowering
medications (like Lipitor) you were not supposed to stop? I don't remember
what the exact reason was for this, but this is something that I had read...

Would anyone else know?

Thanks,

Mohammed

--
Lose Weight 'n Feel Great
http://www.lose-weight-n-feel-great.com

I lost 100lbs in one year - without drugs, medication, OR surgery - SO CAN
YOU!


"Stephen Nagler" wrote in message
...
SCM, ASDLC, ASD -

As promised I am providing a further update. (Actually, I promised
myself - sort of an added inducement to succeed.)

I am 6'0" tall. I started the South Beach Diet on 1/25/04, weighing
233 lbs. Yesterday morning I weighed 198. That's a loss of 35 lbs. in
6½ weeks. My lipids are way down (see below), and my internist has
just taken me off Lipitor. He plans to recheck my lipids in six
weeks. He is also cutting back on my BP meds. I sleep better, I wake
up more refreshed, I have more energy, and I have stopped snoring.

I have not been hungry at all (save for the first day or two).

It's just a series of one, but for me this approach makes sense - and
it appears to be working. As they say, your mileage may vary.

Previous updates are copied below.

smn

.....................


From 1/29/04 -

... it seems to me that when you get right down to it - and this
is nothing particularly profound - the three keys to successful
dieting are (1) take in fewer calories than you expend, (2) don't
screw up your lipids, renal function, or hepatic function, and (3)
don't get hungry. Well, in that regard, Dr. Arthur Agatston spoke
last week at a medical grand rounds meeting at a local hospital where
I'm on staff. I was impressed with what he had to say - especially
about avoiding between-meal hypoglycemia so you don't get hungry.

And ... long-story short -- my wife and I went on the South Beach Diet
this past Sunday. Now my wife only wants to lose three or four pounds
- but she figured that if she did the South Beach Diet with me, I'd
have a better chance of succeeding -- and I need to lose
ever-so-slightly more than three or four pounds. :-)

Anyway, Thursday begins Day 5 for me. All I can say is that I'm
following the recommendations pretty much to the letter except that
when it requires Canadian bacon, I substitute lean Kosher balogna;
when it requires shrimp, I substitute hallibut; and when it requires
meat and dairy at the same meal, I split 'em up by a few hours.
Besides those compromises in the interest of Kashrut, it's been by the
book. So far I have (surprisingly) found the meals to be not
unappealing, I have not experienced any withdrawal from my beloved
dietary no-nos (like pizza ... and sharing a bottle of wine with my
wife at dinner), and I have not been hungry at all! Really! Weight
is down seven pounds in those four days.

If I don't report back in a couple of weeks - it's likely because I'm
too embarrassed to. Hopefully such will not be the case.

smn

..........................

From 2/3/04 -

So here's the deal ... I started the South Beach Diet eight days ago
weighing 233 lbs. This morning I weighed 222 lbs.

And I confess, one of the reasons I am posting here regarding my
progress is to have a little added incentive to stick to it. Thus
far, it has been a piece of cake (hmmm, better select a different
analogy), but I suspect it might get a little more difficult as time
goes by.

..........................

From 2/8/04 -

Today marks two weeks for me on the South Beach Diet. I said in the
fourth paragraph quoted above that I hoped to be able to give an
update in two weeks.

I started out at 233. This morning - same scale, same time of day,
same state of dress (or rather undress), I weigh 218. That's 15 lbs.
in two weeks. Best of all, except for the first day or so, I have not
been hungry in the least. I mean I'm not even hungry for the foods
that got me up to 233!

My plan is to keep going on the same diet. Phase One lasts two weeks
- so now it's on to Phase Two. I posted earlier that I'd be real
happy to get down to 200. Well, now 190 doesn't seem like such a
daunting goal. But it's still early in the game.

Anyway, to this point I am quite pleased. I feel better, and my
clothes fit better. Well, that's not quite true. My jeans are
getting quite loose.

Your mileage may vary.

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 14:35:07 GMT, "Mohammed Bhimji"
wrote:

Hi Stephen,

Question for you - and perhaps I'll ask my doctor this as well. But I was
under the assumption that once you start on any of the cholesterol lowering
medications (like Lipitor) you were not supposed to stop? I don't remember
what the exact reason was for this, but this is something that I had read...

...............

I can answer that. And the reason has little to do with
pharmaceutical profits; rather it has do do with well-controlled
studies by independent investigators.

Basically the answer has to do with the reason your doctor might put
you on Lipitor in the first place. Because in addition to their
cholesterol-lowering capabilities, statins have been shown to decrease
progression of coronary artery disease.

So, if a person has already had a heart attack or has *symptoms* of
coronary artery disease or has coronary artery disease that has been
documented by scan/angiogram or some combination of the above, doctors
- rightly so, in my opinion - are hesitant to discontinue Lipitor
regardless of the cholesterol level. The same holds true - in the
opinion or some - for diabetics, since diabetes is looked at by many
no longer as a risk factor for coronary artery disease but actually in
more of a causal role for coronary artery disease.

However for folks like me on Lipitor who have no history of heart
attack or angina and have no symptoms of coronary artery disease and
have no studies documenrting coronary disease and have no medical
reason to even have such studies done and have no risk factors (except
elevated lipids now corrected by the Lipitor), then if by a
diet/exercise program the lipid profile has been even further improved
over that taken prior to the diet/exercise, there is no reason not to
stop the Lipitor and recheck the lipids at an appropriate interval.

smn

Hi Stephen,

Thanks for the quick reply!

My mom was put on Lipitor for the same reasons as you. No diabetes or heart
troubles. So if she does manage to reduce her
weight and get her cholesterol under control then there is a chance that the
doctor will take her off of the medication. She'll be happy
to hear that!

Regards,

Mohammed

--
Lose Weight 'n Feel Great
http://www.lose-weight-n-feel-great.com

I lost 100lbs in one year - without drugs, medication, OR surgery - SO CAN
YOU!


"Stephen Nagler" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 14:35:07 GMT, "Mohammed Bhimji"
wrote:

Hi Stephen,

Question for you - and perhaps I'll ask my doctor this as well. But I
was
under the assumption that once you start on any of the cholesterol
lowering
medications (like Lipitor) you were not supposed to stop? I don't
remember
what the exact reason was for this, but this is something that I had
read...

..............

I can answer that. And the reason has little to do with
pharmaceutical profits; rather it has do do with well-controlled
studies by independent investigators.

Basically the answer has to do with the reason your doctor might put
you on Lipitor in the first place. Because in addition to their
cholesterol-lowering capabilities, statins have been shown to decrease
progression of coronary artery disease.

So, if a person has already had a heart attack or has *symptoms* of
coronary artery disease or has coronary artery disease that has been
documented by scan/angiogram or some combination of the above, doctors
- rightly so, in my opinion - are hesitant to discontinue Lipitor
regardless of the cholesterol level. The same holds true - in the
opinion or some - for diabetics, since diabetes is looked at by many
no longer as a risk factor for coronary artery disease but actually in
more of a causal role for coronary artery disease.

However for folks like me on Lipitor who have no history of heart
attack or angina and have no symptoms of coronary artery disease and
have no studies documenrting coronary disease and have no medical
reason to even have such studies done and have no risk factors (except
elevated lipids now corrected by the Lipitor), then if by a
diet/exercise program the lipid profile has been even further improved
over that taken prior to the diet/exercise, there is no reason not to
stop the Lipitor and recheck the lipids at an appropriate interval.

smn

Way to GO ! ! ! ! !

sounds like you have found a plan that works for you very effectively

congratulations
kate

"Stephen Nagler" wrote in message .com...
SCM, ASDLC, ASD -

As promised I am providing a further update. (Actually, I promised
myself - sort of an added inducement to succeed.)

I am 6'0" tall. I started the South Beach Diet on 1/25/04, weighing
233 lbs. Yesterday morning I weighed 198. That's a loss of 35 lbs. in
6½ weeks. My lipids are way down (see below), and my internist has
just taken me off Lipitor. He plans to recheck my lipids in six
weeks. He is also cutting back on my BP meds. I sleep better, I wake
up more refreshed, I have more energy, and I have stopped snoring.

I have not been hungry at all (save for the first day or two).

It's just a series of one, but for me this approach makes sense - and
it appears to be working. As they say, your mileage may vary.

Previous updates are copied below.

smn

.....................


From 1/29/04 -

... it seems to me that when you get right down to it - and this
is nothing particularly profound - the three keys to successful
dieting are (1) take in fewer calories than you expend, (2) don't
screw up your lipids, renal function, or hepatic function, and (3)
don't get hungry. Well, in that regard, Dr. Arthur Agatston spoke
last week at a medical grand rounds meeting at a local hospital where
I'm on staff. I was impressed with what he had to say - especially
about avoiding between-meal hypoglycemia so you don't get hungry.

And ... long-story short -- my wife and I went on the South Beach Diet
this past Sunday. Now my wife only wants to lose three or four pounds
- but she figured that if she did the South Beach Diet with me, I'd
have a better chance of succeeding -- and I need to lose
ever-so-slightly more than three or four pounds. :-)

Anyway, Thursday begins Day 5 for me. All I can say is that I'm
following the recommendations pretty much to the letter except that
when it requires Canadian bacon, I substitute lean Kosher balogna;
when it requires shrimp, I substitute hallibut; and when it requires
meat and dairy at the same meal, I split 'em up by a few hours.
Besides those compromises in the interest of Kashrut, it's been by the
book. So far I have (surprisingly) found the meals to be not
unappealing, I have not experienced any withdrawal from my beloved
dietary no-nos (like pizza ... and sharing a bottle of wine with my
wife at dinner), and I have not been hungry at all! Really! Weight
is down seven pounds in those four days.

If I don't report back in a couple of weeks - it's likely because I'm
too embarrassed to. Hopefully such will not be the case.

smn

..........................

From 2/3/04 -

So here's the deal ... I started the South Beach Diet eight days ago
weighing 233 lbs. This morning I weighed 222 lbs.

And I confess, one of the reasons I am posting here regarding my
progress is to have a little added incentive to stick to it. Thus
far, it has been a piece of cake (hmmm, better select a different
analogy), but I suspect it might get a little more difficult as time
goes by.

..........................

From 2/8/04 -

Today marks two weeks for me on the South Beach Diet. I said in the
fourth paragraph quoted above that I hoped to be able to give an
update in two weeks.

I started out at 233. This morning - same scale, same time of day,
same state of dress (or rather undress), I weigh 218. That's 15 lbs.
in two weeks. Best of all, except for the first day or so, I have not
been hungry in the least. I mean I'm not even hungry for the foods
that got me up to 233!

My plan is to keep going on the same diet. Phase One lasts two weeks
- so now it's on to Phase Two. I posted earlier that I'd be real
happy to get down to 200. Well, now 190 doesn't seem like such a
daunting goal. But it's still early in the game.

Anyway, to this point I am quite pleased. I feel better, and my
clothes fit better. Well, that's not quite true. My jeans are
getting quite loose.

Your mileage may vary.