South Beach...And I'm Not Talking Miami

via South Beach

Dreadful...well, it's not actually dreadful, but maybe a bit boring.

My husband and I started on the South Beach Diet over a month ago to help with getting our bodies healthy and rid our diets of all the complex carbohydrates we were so used to. I noticed that we were having carbs at every meal of every day. I mean, it's so easy to have toast and grits at breakfast, a sandwich at lunch, and some pasta or rice dish at dinner. No wonder we were feeling so lazy and sluggish!

My doctor recommended this diet because it wasn't as harsh as others and pretty easy to follow. I agree that it is not harsh, but easy? I don't know about that. You seem to get into this rut where you are eating the same things over and over again - eggs/turkey bacon for breakfast, chicken caesar salad for lunch, and some kind of meat with vegetables for dinner. Boring, right?! I'm going to list out some pros and cons here and you tell me what you think:

Pros

1. Weight Loss - duh!
2. I feel amazing and so much lighter
3. My skin is healthier and I experience a lot less little breakouts
4. New recipes (when I can find ones I like)

Cons

1. Not much variety for a girl who is not a big fan of vegetables (I'm such a baby, I know)
2. I can't eat scrambled eggs anymore without gagging - it's just too much
3. Carb cravings - dear mac & cheese, I miss you...that is all
4. Sweets cravings - what I would do for a PAN of fudge brownies...disgraceful
5. Going out to eat is tough!

So how am I supposed to spice up this diet and still be good? I want it to be a lifestyle change, but as an Italian from New Orleans (where pasta/rice is served with everything), I'm finding it hard to stick to it. Any ideas for a couple who has entered into Phase 2 of the diet and has ALMOST had it?!