South Beach Diet Update

I realized just now after reviewing our few and far between posts of the past that I never updated the results of the diet.  A year after I started it I dropped several sizes in clothing, and all my pregnancy weight plus some.  I hate to admit it but it was over 40lbs, in my defense I found out that I have PCOS so the food I was eating, though not terrible was part of the problem not from eating too much or lack of exercise.  I actually ate more, and more healthy on the South Beach diet.  I did cut out soy which has been praised as a health food after my doctor said that it was actually bad for my Thyroid issue I've been dealing with for several years, no more edemame.  :(  My fog I experienced doing phase 1 last year did wear off and I actually was finding I was having more energy and felt better about life in general.  Part of the problem was you're not supposed to do phase 1 while nursing.  I admit at times I thought I was going to die from the diet and hated having to say, no I can't have this or that and giving up birthday cakes, especially my sister Rachel's, (she makes a chocolate cake that is so rich and amazing, I can't even come close to a good copycat version of it).  For the record, I did phase 1 twice, and both times it was no fun but the second time I was more used to the diet and wasn't dealing with sugar withdrawl, it did kick start my weight loss again since I plateaued so it was worth it.  I was trying to support my mom who decided she wanted to start that when I came with Gwendolyn to visit.  This March I was actually about 7lbs from my college weight, circumstances have changed and that is no longer the case but I'm still not far off from that weight.  Of course I didn't look quite like I did in college.  Having a baby altered my figure forever but I got my waist back and my curves back, plus a little.  My stomach remained a little squishy and the gross stretch marks though faded are reminders that if I was ever tempted to wear a bikini, (which I wasn't in case my dad is reading this post), those days are long past.  I can now follow phase 3 of the diet, but my tastes have changed.  I prefer whole grain over anything processed.  It's hard to find whole grain anything here in the UK though.  I also no longer crave sugar, or really care much for it.  Yes I still like sweet things but splenda tastes the same to me that I really can't tell the difference anymore.  Until 4 months ago I did like chocolate but I'm off that again for another 5 months it looks like.  That really is a tragedy because we drove through Belgium twice and both times past a chocolate factory.  Chocolate was on the South Beach diet list of ok sweets but only dark and if it was low in sugar and carbs.  One lady was telling me recently that she could never give up sugar, but I had a really good motivation to do so and it paid off in the end with the help of modern medicine and a miracle.