30 Days of South Beach: Week 1

After a week on a diet you'd probably expect to not see much difference. I mean, it's only been a week, right? Not on South Beach. That's why I like it so much; because you start seeing, and feeling, results in only a couple of days, not a couple of weeks. Within the first two days I felt better, lighter. Your body essentially detoxes when you start this diet and once it does, you just feel good.

How much weight have I lost so far? I have no idea. I didn't know my starting weight and since I don't own a scale, I can't tell what I weigh now. But I can guess that I've lost about 5 pounds within the first 7 days. That's what I lost the first time and

gauging how I feel, that feels about right.

I'm not all that concerned with weight but with inches. Losing those inches help me fit back into clothes that were comfortable last year. So how many inches have I lost in the first 7 days? 3 1/2. That's three and a half inches. The majority of it melted away from the waist up (one of the reasons why I can't lose too much weight; while my trunk has a lot of junk, I'll look like a Starvin' Marvin in the chestal area). I only lost a half inch on my hips so far but that half inch has made jeans that were uncomfortably snug a few weeks ago go all sorts of comfy now. That's what I care about.

If I average 5 pounds a week I'm looking at a 20 pound weight loss for the month. That'll probably be too much for me. Because of how my body holds weight now, getting down to my high school weight isn't the best idea (see Starvin' Marvin above) but I'm not opposed to it. Medically speaking it's a perfectly fine weight for someone my height. I'll just be super boney. Thanks, barrel chest.

The important thing, though, is that I feel good. I'm not starving. I'm not even hungry. If I am, I eat. Another awesome thing about this diet. You can lose a shitload of weight but you're eating A LOT of food. Granted you'll probably swear off eggs for a while when you're done (seriously, every single day I have some form of eggs for breakfast) but the food you're eating keeps you full.

Rapid weight loss or gain isn't healthy regardless of how it's done just because it's a stress on your body. While I doubt my clothes will be hanging off of me at the end of the month, I'll watch myself regardless. I already have bones popping up in my shoulders and chest. I don't want them coming out too much more (for perspective, I'm probably somewhere around 135 pounds).