Profit and Loss Statement

Given all the frivolous talk of beauty products and Brillo head here, it may come as a surprise that I've spent a fair amount of time around balance sheets. I've had an absurd number of jobs over the course of my life - two of them in the financial service industry and one ongoing stint related to accounting. I know my way around a P & L statement almost as well as I do the Lancôme counter. As I draw near to the end of my fourth week on South Beach, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at my "balance sheet" as it were. And, being the kind of Diva who's prone to an over-share, you know I'm going to write about it here. I beg your indulgence.

Gains:

• A fear of carbs and sugar. That's partially a joke, but not entirely. I know I feel different, physically and mentally, without it. I feel better and have more energy than I've had in years. Perhaps "fear" is too strong a word, but I have a new-found sense of sugar's affect on my body ... and its not positive.
  

• A culinary sense of adventure. Hello - I actually ate some fish!
  

• Renewed interest in cooking. I'm out of my "What should I make for dinner?" rut. I'd say that meal-wise the world is my oyster ... but I'm not gonna go that far. Tilapia is one thing but I'm steering clear of the bivalves ... pearls not withstanding, of course.
  

• A much larger grocery bill ... they're not giving the organic produce away at Fairway.
  

• A much larger wardrobe. I'm wearing my "skinny" jeans again ... the ones I couldn't fit into at the beginning of the summer. Sweet!

• The affection of millions ... uh, make that dozens ... um, I mean a handful of you, my loyal readers. ~wink~
  

Losses:

• 12 pounds and several inches. I wasn't smart enough to take my measurements before I began this adventure, so no hard data to back it up. The evidence lies in the above referenced skinny jeans ... and all my other clothes.
  

• My tape measure. I don't know where it is. Seriously.

• My taste for sugar. I've become hyper-sensitive to it and its fairly off-putting. I was out to dinner last night and took one bite of the salad dressing I'd ordered (on the side), and immediately rejected it because it was too sweet. I knew at once that it was loaded with sugar and I just didn't want it.
  

• My cravings for junk food ... yes, even the Doritos. Sad, but true.
  

• My fear of fish ... maybe.

• My need for Tums/Zantac/Pepcid AC. I can't remember the last time I had heartburn. Awesome.
  

• And this one breaks my heart ... pasta. Sigh. I may never get over my love of pasta, the real stuff, not that whole wheat crap. Prior to South Beach, we probably ate some form of pasta at least 3 times a week. I've only had it twice in the last month. I've reluctantly made the transition to whole wheat pasta and its the only real difficulty I've had with the diet. The results have been worth it, so I'm just gonna have to get over it and save the real pasta for special occasions only.
  

So that's the quarterly report - and it looks like I'm not only in balance, but 100% in the black. I'm not trying to shill for the South Beach Diet here, its not for everyone. I'm merely offering a progress report ... and mostly for myself. The reality is I've gained far more on the South Beach than I've lost, more than I ever imagined.