Some of you already know that I have been "South Beaching" for almost four weeks now. There isn't anything else very interesting going on in my life right now, so I guess it's finally time for a boring diet post. Sorry.

I'll spare myself the embarrassment of listing my actual weight, but I can say that SBD has really worked for me. So far, I've lost 9.5 pounds and fully intend to stay with it until I lose the remaining . . . well, I won't say.

To be honest, I bought this book several years ago when I was in mourning for my metabolism that had dropped dead at the tender age of 26. I read some of the book but Phase 1 (the strictest phase) frightened me so much I never actually tried the diet. No bread, no pasta, no chips, no fruit for two weeks??? I don't think so.

Three years, one baby and "several" pounds later, I asked my doctor if she could recommend something beyond just exercise to help me lose weight. (I had managed to lose about five pounds with regular workouts but then I hit a plateau that just could not be overcome.) She recommended SBD as a safe, doctor-developed method of weight loss. Cool.

I started the diet on Saturday, August 19th. By Tuesday, I had lost 5.5 pounds and, no, it was not water weight. My clothes fit more loosely right away. Most of the pounds came right off my midsection, just as the book said they would.

Since then, I've continued to lose, albeit at a slower rate. Now that I'm in Phase 2, I'm supposed to continue to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week until I hit my "ideal weight."

The SBD Pros:
I loved having immediate results to reassure me that it was, in fact, possible for me to lose weight. I had begun to feel that something was wrong with me because I wasn't losing anything, no matter what I tried.

There are really lots of things you can eat, even in the strict Phase 1. Unless you're a vegetarian, in which case you're screwed. Just kidding.

You are supposed to eat if you're hungry. There's no calorie-counting, portion-measuring or other nonsense.

The diet was developed by a cardiologist to help his patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, etc., who needed to lose weight but already had fragile health. SBD actually improves blood chemistry without compromising your health like fad diets.

Actually, my SBD cooking has helped Scott gain weight (a healthy turn of events for him) -- possibly because of all the protein.

The SBD Cons:
The first few carb-less days can be tough. It helps to remove the no-no foods from your house and to have plenty of allowed foods on hand.

It can be hard to eat out. I've had to curtail my lunching with friends for a while until I can count on my willpower to keep me from cheating.

Recommendations:
If you're considering SBD, you should also buy the supplement book called "Good Fats, Good Carbs Guide." In it, there is much more detail about the foods you can eat (for example, turkey sausage for breakfast -- who'da thunk it?). I wish I'd had it during Phase 1.

Make sure you read the entire book. Don't just skim read. It's important to understand the whole book because it teaches how your body metabolizes food. If you're able to read a nutritional label and know what can help your weight loss and what can hurt it, you'll make better food choices. For example, did you know you shouldn't eat "fat free" or "low fat" foods? The reason is because most manufacturers replace the fat with processed carbs (such as sugar) which are worse for your health than the fat itself (dairy foods are the exception to this rule).

Be careful with nuts. The book doesn't spell it out but, although nuts are encouraged in all Phases, you should only have one serving per day.

Although the SBD doesn't hinge on exercise, it will help you lose the weight faster. (It's also good for you, but who cares about that?) Mind you, it doesn't have to be very much. For me, a thirty-minute walk-jog and some ab work three days a week is all I have time for.

All in all, I'm very pleased. I've lost weight and I'm not constantly starving. This is probably the healthiest I've ever eaten in my life, but it doesn't feel like I'm stuck with nothing but twigs and berries. I've also proven to myself that I do have the willpower to stick with a diet. I'm proud of me. Aren't you?

Just kidding.