I love to eat, and unfortunately it shows.

Thats why I so desperately wanted to find a diet that didnt take away all of my favorites, but still allowed me to shed some unwanted pounds.

A friend mentioned the South Beach Diet, but I was skeptical. Who ever heard of a diet that lets you eat a good hearty breakfast, two delicious snacks, and even dessert every day? Impossible! Yet, I found it was true.

Yes, Im going to go out on a limb and proclaim that eating on a diet does not have to be bland and monotonous. In fact, Im going to show you exactly how to say goodbye to boring diet foods, and hello to an array of tasty dishes thatll be sure to whet your appetite!

Sure, the first two weeks on South Beach (Phase I of the program), when you basically strip all the carbs, sugars and fats from your eating plan, are tough.

But its worth it. After just 14 days, your body adjusts to a healthier, more glucose stable diet and youll already be looking and feeling 10 times better than before.

And after Phase One, youre free to begin to add the good carbs and a few sugars back into your diet, (within reason, of course).

At first I thought creating satisfying meals from an approved eating list might be boring. Was I ever wrong!

Honestly, South Beach allows such a variety of veggies and meats that its pretty easy to find new and delicious ways to prepare them especially if you love to cook.

Just in case youre skeptical, I thought maybe Id share some of my favorite menu options with you:

Breakfast:

Ive always loved breakfast. Maybe because my grandma (who lived with us when I was growing up), used to make us these large, elaborate and filling breakfasts to help us start the day.

So, Ive always relished the idea of sitting down to a steaming hot plate of pancakes and eggs. Okay, so the pancakes are gone now (you cant have everything), but South Beach still lets me have my eggs (scrambled or in a beautiful omelet dripping in low-fat cheese), with a side of Canadian bacon, a great spinach frittata, or even a tasty veggie quiche. Plus you get to have yogurt, coffee or tea on the side.

Lunch:

At first, when I read the food lists for South Beach, I worried that Id miss my normal sandwich, chips and diet soda midday meal.

Boy was I wrong! Now I indulge in a variety of tasty soups packed with fresh vegetables and lean meats, grilled chicken salads on a bed of romaine and topped with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, or a tasty cobb salad, chicken caesar salad, roasted portabella pizza; poached salmon, or even a unique veggie antipasto.

(Hungry yet?)

Dinner:

Just in case you might be worried that your evening meal on South Beach might offer a few less options -- dont.

With virtually no lean meat or fish prohibited, your choice of entres is nearly limitless.

Some of my all-time favorites include seared tuna made with a spicy marinade and served with grilled vegetables, a delicious merlot-marinated flank steak and salad, broiled lamb chops with mint pesto, and roasted chicken with sliced tomatoes sprinkled with rosemary salt.

And for dessert, I enjoy indulging in custard made of chocolate espresso, lime cheesecake or even a mocha ricotta crme (that tastes just like an Italian cannoli, by the way) or chocolate dipped strawberries.

Now, hows that for eating right?

Like any diet, you cant just eat a bunch of snacks and desserts and still lose weight (Ive tried), but with the South Beach Diet Ive managed to find a way to really enjoy a good variety of foods that leave my body and my taste buds satisfied, without getting bored with the same old things over and over again.

Are you stuck in a South Beach Diet rut? I'm going to come to the rescue. Get more South Beach Diet Menu ideas, and see what kind of South Beach Diet foods you can eat at my extensive dieting blog covering the South Beach Diet Plan and tons more. You'll thank me later!

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