Before I post my menus and recipes, I think I'll start out with some
ideas that I found helpful to get me though the first two weeks of South Beach.
Most important is how you approach these first two weeks. The official claim is that it's not restrictive. Well, it's not as bad as some diets, but it is restrictive, in that there are no starches, or rather, precious few, and no sugars. This phase is very important, in that it gives your system time to clean out, to detox of some of the overly processed junk, the sugars, the chemicals that have been playing havoc with your metabolism. It also helps your metabolism switch from burning the junk and turning it into fat, to burning the fat you've been stockpiling on your hips and thighs. Very important phase. Don't skip it.
Also, if you don't have a crockpot, get one. You can get a basic one for not much money, and if you truly can't afford a basic one, see if you can beg or borrow one, or join Freecycle and ask if anyone has one they don't use anymore. This one appliance is worth its weight in gold when you don't have time to cook.
I also suggest you get a few basic crockpot cookbooks, if you can swing it. It's not necessary, you can scout out what recipes you need online (or here, when I post them), but it does save some time. I found these two to be helpful:
Better Homes and Gardens Slow Cooker Favorites Made Healthy
and
Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker
They focus on low-fat cooking, but they're not exactly South Beach - the recipes often do have sugar in them. But, they're easy enough to adjust, either omitting the sugar, or substituting sweetener or a sugar-free alternative. I've used a number of these recipes, and they turned out great. Another one I've used is:
Easy Slow Cooker Cookbook
This last one is not exactly diet, but it uses simple ingredients, and easy prep, and you can make what alterations you need easily enough.
I got all three at Borders, but they're pretty easy to find online, and used copies can usually be found on Amazon or Ebay.
It's a lot easier to stick to your menu and/or diet if dinner is ready (or nearly so) when you get home. Microwaves, pressure cookers and other time savers are great, and do have their place, but a hot meal when you walk in the door is the best option of all.
Most important is how you approach these first two weeks. The official claim is that it's not restrictive. Well, it's not as bad as some diets, but it is restrictive, in that there are no starches, or rather, precious few, and no sugars. This phase is very important, in that it gives your system time to clean out, to detox of some of the overly processed junk, the sugars, the chemicals that have been playing havoc with your metabolism. It also helps your metabolism switch from burning the junk and turning it into fat, to burning the fat you've been stockpiling on your hips and thighs. Very important phase. Don't skip it.
Also, if you don't have a crockpot, get one. You can get a basic one for not much money, and if you truly can't afford a basic one, see if you can beg or borrow one, or join Freecycle and ask if anyone has one they don't use anymore. This one appliance is worth its weight in gold when you don't have time to cook.
I also suggest you get a few basic crockpot cookbooks, if you can swing it. It's not necessary, you can scout out what recipes you need online (or here, when I post them), but it does save some time. I found these two to be helpful:
Better Homes and Gardens Slow Cooker Favorites Made Healthy
and
Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker
They focus on low-fat cooking, but they're not exactly South Beach - the recipes often do have sugar in them. But, they're easy enough to adjust, either omitting the sugar, or substituting sweetener or a sugar-free alternative. I've used a number of these recipes, and they turned out great. Another one I've used is:
Easy Slow Cooker Cookbook
This last one is not exactly diet, but it uses simple ingredients, and easy prep, and you can make what alterations you need easily enough.
I got all three at Borders, but they're pretty easy to find online, and used copies can usually be found on Amazon or Ebay.
It's a lot easier to stick to your menu and/or diet if dinner is ready (or nearly so) when you get home. Microwaves, pressure cookers and other time savers are great, and do have their place, but a hot meal when you walk in the door is the best option of all.
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