The South Beach Diet-Italian Style

Yes, the year is almost over and I need a New Years Resolution. In past years I have not made any serious resolutions since I usually just change things as they need to be changed. This year however, I am making a resolution and starting it early. I need to lose 10 pounds (about 4.5 kilos.)immediately. After thinking back on my past 9 months here in Italy, I've come to realize that my eating habits have changed enough for me to put on ½ a pound a month. I have also noticed that I can't zip up certain pairs of pants and that there are bulges where there were none before. Since the hubby has lost so much weight I thought I better get on the band wagon too. There is nothing more annoying that tight clothing.

I know the food culture in Italy is much different than in the U.S. Sometimes I forget this is this not a vacation and I actually live here. In my daily life there are things that I do differently here and these are the things I need to change.

Here's what I've noticed:

1. I never used to drink juice, never. I never bought it and hated the bottled/frozen stuff but now I drink fresh squeezed juice at bars and buy it also. Although good juice has a ton of vitamins in it, it also has the same amount of sugar as soda pop. I never drink soda and still don't thank goodness.

2. The preferred breakfast of Italians in either espresso or espresso and brioche aka pastries. If I want to meet a girlfriend for coffee in the morning I usually have a cappuccino and a pastry either a butter croissant, a croissant filled with nice warm marmalade, a cookie, biscotti, an apple tartlet or a piece of crostata, etc...I think you get the picture, all delicious, all warm and made with butter.

3. I eat much too much pasta. In the U.S. a dish of pasta would be my entire dinner, here in Italy it is only the 1st course. It follows the antipasti and precedes the meat course. That's three courses when I am used to just one.

4. There are less soy products readily available here and so I eat less soy.

5. I eat dinner much later here than in the U.S. Dinner time is between 8 and 9 usually, when we head to Rome is can be as late as 10:30 p.m.

With all these new habits of mine, I blame no one but myself. I have chunked up a bit and now need to form new habits so as to lose the excess. I've decided on the South Beach Diet. I know 5 people personally who have lost weight on this diet and kept it off, it's more of an permanent change in your eating habits, I always eaten healthily but lately just too much. So wish me luck as I try to lose 10 pounds. The most difficult part of the diet is the first 2 weeks in which there is a whole slew of food you can't eat. I will miss the fruit, the dairy and the bread most of all. I keep thinking about the juicy, ruby pomegranate I had last week and drooling.

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