Paleo or South Beach?

brittrobert3605

Hello all!
I am currently in my first week of my weight loss journey and am trying to figure out what diet plan will work best for me. I have 100 lbs. to lose and am looking to make a lifestyle change in the way I eat. Originally, my doctor recommended the South Beach diet. However, I have been hearing great things regarding Paleo and am not quite sure what direction I want to go in.
Right now I am trying to get together a good menu for the next couple of weeks- so I am a clean slate! I can pretty much go in either direction. Here are some of the things I need in whatever diet I choose:

-No bread, rice, pasta, and as few gluten products as possible.
-High in fiber (I have severe colon issues following childbirth)
-I love seafood- and I live in Louisiana, so I have access to a variety of fresh seafood.
-Low sugar- still a little fuzzy on what fruits constitute as "low in sugar" and would be the best for me digestively

I am also hoping that, along with losing weight, this new lifestyle change will result in better digestive health for me. I am looking for a COMPLETE overhaul of my colon.

So, which plan would you recommend? Paleo or South Beach? Thanks!

WBB55

I would never recommend a diet to someone that eliminates a complete food group, unless they have allergies. If your doctor recommended South Beach, why not give that a try for a while? Your doctor has access to all kinds of info we don't (your BP, fasting blood sugar, LDLs, etc.). It sounds like you have digestive issues. Before I went Paleo, I'd definitely go over that plan with my Internalist or whoever it is who's treating your colon issues.

LibrarianKristin

Paleo. Check out Mark's Daily Apple. marksdailyapple.com
That website has lots of medical studies, info, and tasty recipes

fbmandy55

Cutting out whole foods or food groups leads people to crack and binge. Just eat the things you enjoy in moderation and stay withing a calorie goal.

Kanuenue

I responded to your other post. Good luck!

cwolfman13

IMHO, paleo is overly restrictive to include restrictions on nutrient dense whole foods like legumes and beans among other things. If I had to pick one, it would be SB as it would be much more realistic for me. That said, you don't need a "diet plan"...just eat responsibly...eat a balanced diet that is rich in nutrition...lots of veg and fruit and lean proteins and healthy fats. If you have medical conditions for which you need to cut out grains and pasta then do that...if not, don't bother cutting those things out.

martyqueen52

Or, how about you do IIFYM, eat WHATEVER YOU WANT, just stay within your calorie range.

These diet trends are dangerous, stupid, and just plain full of bro-science and misinformation.

Weight loss is about CALORIES.... not if you only eat meat and avoid ice-cream and sweets.

AsaThorsWoman

Paleo. Check out Mark's Daily Apple. marksdailyapple.com
That website has lots of medical studies, info, and tasty recipes

I second this! It's an endless source of information and inspiration!

Scarbo1964

You're going to hear from both sides of the spectrum on this. I have tried Paleo and lost 30 lbs. over a period of 3 + or - months. The weight lost was consistant at 2 to 3 lbs. a week. I have modified a bit because I do love food that would not fall into this. It took me over 2 years to figure out what best works for me to maintain both my weight and energy. I say try it, you will know if it is something that works for YOU or not. Best of Luck which ever you decide.

vslnrunner

I'm a big fan of South Beach. Particularly after the first few weeks where it is more restrictive. The low glycemic index eating is sustainable and healthy.

psuLemon

Or, how about you do IIFYM, eat WHATEVER YOU WANT, just stay within your calorie range.

These diet trends are dangerous, stupid, and just plain full of bro-science and misinformation.

Weight loss is about CALORIES.... not if you only eat meat and avoid ice-cream and sweets.

This... diet adherence is the most critical aspect of weight loss. While we would all agree that eating foods high in protein and fat will improve weight loss through increase satiety, there is NO reason to cut out foods you love. Learning how to do things in moderation is key. The number 1 tool to have on hand is a food scale; this ensures accuracy of counting. Second is learning which foods give you adequate nutrition and make you feel full so you don't binge (although an occasional one isn't too bad). Eating lean proteins, fruits and veggies, should be a staple to your diet. And then complex carbs to fill in the other gaps.

I can tell you I tried paleo for six months and it was just too restrictive for me. I love food and cutting out foods I loved caused me to binge.

DirrtyH

If you have medical conditions for which you need to cut out grains and pasta then do that...if not, don't bother cutting those things out.

^^This

Angela26point2finisher

Losing 100 pounds will take time and you need to make sure that you enjoy the journey. If you focus on eating healthy whole foods, like veggies and fruit and lean protein, you will have success. Cutting out your "favorite" foods can be hard to maintain long term and long term thinking is important. Your "favorite" foods will change over time as your body adjusts to your new eating habits. Feel free to take a look at my diary for some food ideas. Planning your meals in advance is something that I've found incredibly helpful, always eat the healthy meals first. Both Paleo and South Beach encourage fresh whole foods, so as long as you stay away from the highly processed crap, you're going to do great!

navyrigger46

Why are you starting a diet? Diets are temporary, and why does it have to have a name and eliminate food? Cant you just eat ALL the foods in moderation?

Rigger

MelRC117

I love when people don't read the whole post and go straight to "eat in moderation and you can eat whatever you want!"

I would do what your doctor recommends and start there. I'm familiar with low carb and Atkins but not so much with South Beach (which I think might allow for more fruits). Here is a listing of carbs (aka sugars) in fruit. Definitely not an all inclusive list but some place to start: http://lowcarbediem.com/low-carbohydrate-fruits-and-veggies-atkins-list-to-print/

Berries are a first "go to" fruit since they have lower amounts of sugar per serving then say an apple.

Paleo restricts dairy, grains, beans, processed meats, certain oils, but it seems to be a popular way of eating so there is a lot of information and recipes out there is you choose that's how you want to eat. If you are to avoid gluten, there are still things that are allowed without gluten you can eat but wouldn't be able to doing paleo. I've eaten low carb for several months and paleo was way too restrictive for me.

Good luck...hopefully changing what you eat helps in your digestive issues.

MapleFlavouredMaiden

DITCH the diets. Learn something about real nutrition. Make it a lifestyle.

MelRC117

Why are you starting a diet? Diets are temporary, and why does it have to have a name and eliminate food? Cant you just eat ALL the foods in moderation?

Rigger

Did you not read the "lifestyle change" part? Oh right, most of the posters didn't bother to read the whole post.

Warchortle

What you consume isn't as important as HOW much you consume..

Kaelitr0n

Paleo changed my life. It can achieve the same things that the South Beach Diet achieves, but without all the chemicals and expensive pre-packaged foods that SBD touts as being "on plan". Paleo teaches you how to eat to be healthy for the rest of your life; weight loss just happens to be a side effect.

MarksDailyApple is a great resource, but there's LOADS of information out there!

If you ever want a Paleo friend, I'm here I love having friends of all kinds!

adrianahebert

DITCH the diets. Learn something about real nutrition. Make it a lifestyle.

navyrigger46

Why are you starting a diet? Diets are temporary, and why does it have to have a name and eliminate food? Cant you just eat ALL the foods in moderation?

Rigger

Did you not read the "lifestyle change" part? Oh right, most of the posters didn't bother to read the whole post.

I read the whole thing, and just how is your comment relevant? Just because someone throws down the Lifestyle card doesn't mean moderation is a bad idea, and overly restrictive diets are a good idea. :huh: My comment stands.

Rigger

martyqueen52

Why are you starting a diet? Diets are temporary, and why does it have to have a name and eliminate food? Cant you just eat ALL the foods in moderation?

Rigger

Did you not read the "lifestyle change" part? Oh right, most of the posters didn't bother to read the whole post.

Obviously you didn't read it either. A "diet" is not a lifestyle change, it's a temporary change in eating habits. Who's to say she wont go back to old eating habits and put on 100lbs again?

Cutting out a food won't make a "life-style change", thinking that is idiocy. Learning how to control your calories is a change.

She didn't say she had food allergies or had a medical condition. The doctor more than likely suggested Atkins because he has little to no knowledge on proper nutrition, that is UP TO DATE, or how to properly re-comp someones body without removing carbs.

So please, before you go on a holy-roller rant next time, maybe YOU should read what the poster typed.

Kimdbro

Cutting out whole foods or food groups leads people to crack and binge. Just eat the things you enjoy in moderation and stay withing a calorie goal.

Ditto. Demonizing food doesn't solve anything. I could never get on board recommending a diet that requires the elimination of food groups. Follow your Doctor recommendation to start at least... he's going to understand what's going on with you best.

rocknlotsofrolls

I would just make 80% of my diet whole, unprocessed foods. Anything that had a mother or came from the ground. Maybe splurge on the other 20%. I find that I can squeeze in a candy bar and a small bag of chips almost every day.

Restricting foods is kinda like imagining a pit bull locked up behind a fence, and he can see a big ole hambone dangling on the other side. What do you think he's gonna do if he gets out of that fence?

bcattoes

Why are you starting a diet? Diets are temporary, and why does it have to have a name and eliminate food? Cant you just eat ALL the foods in moderation?

Rigger

Did you not read the "lifestyle change" part? Oh right, most of the posters didn't bother to read the whole post.

Obviously you didn't read it either. A "diet" is not a lifestyle change, it's a temporary change in eating habits. Who's to say she wont go back to old eating habits and put on 100lbs again?

Cutting out a food won't make a "life-style change", thinking that is idiocy. Learning how to control your calories is a change.

She didn't say she had food allergies or had a medical condition. The doctor more than likely suggested Atkins because he has little to no knowledge on proper nutrition, that is UP TO DATE, or how to properly re-comp someones body without removing carbs.

So please, before you go on a holy-roller rant next time, maybe YOU should read what the poster typed.

"A "diet" is not a lifestyle change" Ridiculous! Without a diet, you die. How permanent changes to diet are will not change because of terminology.

The OP stated she needed to cut out foods for medical reasons. She should listen to her doctor over some random internet user that thinks he knows what her doctor is thinking.

pssipp

I sent you a message!

MelRC117

Why are you starting a diet? Diets are temporary, and why does it have to have a name and eliminate food? Cant you just eat ALL the foods in moderation?

Rigger

Did you not read the "lifestyle change" part? Oh right, most of the posters didn't bother to read the whole post.

I read the whole thing, and just how is your comment relevant? Just because someone throws down the Lifestyle card doesn't mean moderation is a bad idea, and overly restrictive diets are a good idea. :huh: My comment stands.

Rigger

I don't really see how your original comment was relevant at all? Can a person not use the word "diet" when truly what we eat everyday is considered our "diet" even if we aren't restricting calories? Not sure how it is helpful to the OP to tell her to eat ALL foods in moderation when her doctor told her not to.

kmsullivan1969

Last year I dropped 35 pounds without too much thought - at first anyway. It started with taking advantage of principles I learned through a chain called My Fit Foods (www.myfitfoods.com) in Houston. Their food is always fresh, loaded with peppers of various kinds, and rationed according to caloric needs. That's great, but it is the principles learned that help me create my own meals and helped me change my eating habits/lifestyle.

The basic principles are these:
1. Eat 5-6 smaller meals a day, or about every 2-1/2 hours.
2. Do not eat starchy carbs after 5 pm.
3. Do not eat within 3 hours of bedtime.
4. Balance macro nutrients throughout the day.
5. Drink loads of water, minimum 8 glasses a day.
6. Stay away from artificial sweeteners - they usually have high glycemic indices and they promote fat storage if the body does not get the sugar promised by the sweetness. When looking for sweetness, steer clear of processed sugar and, instead, use foods that are naturally sweet (strawberries, cranberries, and the like are awesome in moderation).

Then there was the cycling that helped all that! Eat back the calories you burn from exercise minus your basal rate. In other words, if you burn 500 calories in an hour from exercise, only take credit for 430 (for me).

DirrtyH

Not sure how it is helpful to the OP to tell her to eat ALL foods in moderation when her doctor told her not to.

But she didn't say that. Maybe that's what she meant, but it's not what she said. She said her doctor recommended South Beach, but didn't say why. A lot of us around here are skeptical of diets recommended by doctors because doctors don't really have much more education in nutrition than the lay person.
And then she said whatever "diet" she did needed to exclude bread/past etc, but again, didnt' say why. She didn't say her doctor told her she couldnt' have them because of X condition. As far as we know, she just wants to exclude them because she thinks that's what you have to do to lose weight, which isn't necessarily true.

martyqueen52

Why are you starting a diet? Diets are temporary, and why does it have to have a name and eliminate food? Cant you just eat ALL the foods in moderation?

Rigger

Did you not read the "lifestyle change" part? Oh right, most of the posters didn't bother to read the whole post.

Obviously you didn't read it either. A "diet" is not a lifestyle change, it's a temporary change in eating habits. Who's to say she wont go back to old eating habits and put on 100lbs again?

Cutting out a food won't make a "life-style change", thinking that is idiocy. Learning how to control your calories is a change.

She didn't say she had food allergies or had a medical condition. The doctor more than likely suggested Atkins because he has little to no knowledge on proper nutrition, that is UP TO DATE, or how to properly re-comp someones body without removing carbs.

So please, before you go on a holy-roller rant next time, maybe YOU should read what the poster typed.

"A "diet" is not a lifestyle change" Ridiculous! Without a diet, you die. How permanent changes to diet are will not change because of terminology.

The OP stated she needed to cut out foods for medical reasons. She should listen to her doctor over some random internet user that thinks he knows what her doctor is thinking.

More outdated thinking as usual. Please continue on with how "a diet" is a life-style change, I"m enlightened to hear this, lol.

She needed to cut out foods for medical reasons? No medical reason was ever given nor mentioned so I'm basing my info. off of what was typed. All she said is she needed fiber which is EASY to get.

She NEVER said/typed "Doctor told me to avoid these foods" once nor did she say it was mandatory, she said it was recommended. So please, learn to read and comprehend.

MOST doctors who recommend crap like this are basing their info off of 1900 diet studies with minimal info., and improper nutrition knowledge.

MelRC117

Why are you starting a diet? Diets are temporary, and why does it have to have a name and eliminate food? Cant you just eat ALL the foods in moderation?

Rigger

Did you not read the "lifestyle change" part? Oh right, most of the posters didn't bother to read the whole post.

Obviously you didn't read it either. A "diet" is not a lifestyle change, it's a temporary change in eating habits. Who's to say she wont go back to old eating habits and put on 100lbs again?

Cutting out a food won't make a "life-style change", thinking that is idiocy. Learning how to control your calories is a change.

She didn't say she had food allergies or had a medical condition. The doctor more than likely suggested Atkins because he has little to no knowledge on proper nutrition, that is UP TO DATE, or how to properly re-comp someones body without removing carbs.

So please, before you go on a holy-roller rant next time, maybe YOU should read what the poster typed.

"A "diet" is not a lifestyle change" Ridiculous! Without a diet, you die. How permanent changes to diet are will not change because of terminology.

The OP stated she needed to cut out foods for medical reasons. She should listen to her doctor over some random internet user that thinks he knows what her doctor is thinking.

Exactly. Maybe you should take a little of your own advice before you go on your "rant". She straight up said I have digestive issues and colon issues. Gluten and sugar may be a "trigger" food that irritates her body causing programs. Maybe dairy is a trigger food. We don't know...truly her doctor has more information than a forum of internet strangers so telling her to go against what her doctor said, no matter how much you think you're more knowledgeable than her own doctor. Don't be reckless telling someone they should go against what their doctor recommended. Telling the OP to work with a dietitian and her doctor would be better if you truly believe that the doctor isn't up to date with information.