Atkins, South Beach... or your own plan?

jen_fitnhappy

Hi all,

New here! Been at the low carb thing for one week and LOVING IT! Cravings are gone and down a few pounds. I started this via South Beach (promotes low fat meats and cheeses), but after reading your posts I can understand how more fat can be beneficial.

What I do like about South Beach is that veggies are unlimited and there's no need to count carbs... just avoid sugar, pasta, rice, "bad" veggies, high fat, etc. Whereas, Atkins is appealing because I like the concept of eating full fat foods (duh! lol!).

I'm confused at which path to take... I don't want to be tied to "counting" carbs (i.e. unlimited veggies), but at the same time I like the idea of filling full-fat foods.

Have any of you combined these two plans with success?

Regardless, I feel SO FREE from counting calories!! (I'm sure they are where they should be because I'm not overeating )

Thanks!

kiramaniac

I'm a keto girl, Typical keto is keeping macros of 65% fat, 30% protein, and 5% carbs. I see better weight loss with higher fat - 70-75% fat, 20-25% protein, 5% carbs. This is high fat, low carb, moderate protein. It has similarities to Atkins, but with that greater emphasis on fat consumption. The food is awesomely satisfying (in my opinion). It's not unlimited veggies, but you eat within your macros and you decide what foods. the emphasis is on getting your carbs from vegetables.

Reddit has a nice FAQ if you want more info:
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

amberibailey

I love the South Beach Diet! It's all about lean proteins and healthy carbs. I recommend reading the book, which has recipes, and also getting the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook. I love love love to cook and consider myself a pretty good cook. I have been very happy with the recipes in the cookbook. South Beach allows you to eat a lot of different foods, and that really has helped me with success. I also am planning my meals and snack and it makes it easier not to cheat. The planning is also making my whole family eat dinner together at the dining room table, which is so much nicer! I was making South Beach recipes for a week before my husband even started to notice.

I am also working out a lot more now. I am doing advanced classes at the gym 3-4 times per week. I was worried that I wouldn't have the energy with the low carb, but I've been fine.

Good luck!

I also recommend reading the book, so you understand what all of the carbs and sugars does to your body. It's really helpful. I used to be such a sugar/baked goods junkie, but now when I look at a cupcake, I don't crave it. It almost grosses me out to think what it will do to my body.

highervibes

I do my own thing... I keep my carbs at about 100g/day and I try and get most of them from veggies or fruits but ice cream and popcorn have slipped into my day before :P I really love www.marksdailyapple.com but I don't take anything as gospel. I eat about 1800 calories/day (sometimes less sometimes more) and I've lost 31lbs since March so I must be doing something right :P

shar140

I eat closer to primal/Perfect Health Diet, but I don't adhere 100% (ideally I would, but I made compromises). I keep my carbs around 100 or less (I try to average 100 over the week), mostly veggies and a few lower-sugar fruits (I avoid apples, they make me hungry less than an hour later, even with a meal, and try to save bananas for post-workout, for example). I avoid wheat/gluten due to an intolerance.

Basically, I load up on the veggies and protein, and add a little fat if it's a leaner meat (fish or chicken breast). I don't necessarily think higher fat meats or high fat in general is bad (I like red meats and still eat them), but what I've found is that the fat pushes up my calories past where I can lose consistently. It's getting the right balance of carbs, fat, and calories for me, while keeping my protein moderate-high.

Find what works for you!

Edit: I suppose I should also add, I still eat full-fat: cheese, greek yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. I just can't eat unlimited amounts. :P

StephanieE3456

I'm new to this group too. I've been low carbing (Atkins mostly Induction levels) for the last year. It's definitely working for me and I don't plan on changing this way of eating. I feel the best I have ever felt. No more energy lows in the late afternoon. Now that I'm getting closer to goal, I've added back a bit more carbs on some days. I still try to stick to 20g a day but if I happen to go over, I don't beat myself up over it.

jen_fitnhappy

Sorry I'm late to reply... just wanted to thank you all for your responses. I'm going to see how I do and then if needed tweak it a bit based on your advice.

Thanks! :flowerforyou:

RebekahR84

I'm doing this program: http://www.mwlw-inc.com/

It's ketogenic, and it's changed my life. And it's more of a low-fat, low-carb diet.

Juliane_

I'm doing my own plan but I think I'm leaning more towards Primal style with my own tweaks. I'm basing my changes on how my body feels (satiety, energy, etc) and the knowledge I obtain from reading. My goal is to have controlled levels of insulin and feel good with tons of energy and a healthy weight.