Doc recommends South Beach (for life, not as a diet)

cwolfman13

My doctor recommended that I adopt the South Beach Diet as a lifestyle, not as a short term diet. Basically my metabolism is crap, I'm on thyroid meds also, and he feels that the low carb lifestyle is the only way I'm going to lose weight. I am probably about 60 lbs overweight at this point and nothing has helped so far. I was running 20+ miles a week, participating in half marathons, no weight loss...hired a personal trainer, no weight loss....HCG (I know, bad idea but I was feeling fairly desperate), weight loss but gained it all back in a couple of months....calorie counting, very minimal weight loss that came right back within a month. All of this was done with reasonable food/diet (except for the HCG, that just sucked). So I guess my question is, has anyone adopted the South Beach Diet as a lifestyle and not just a short term fix and if so how have you fared? It isn't that I don't trust my doctor, he's great, but I am sick of being directed to try something else and getting no results. So before I buy the book and remove all carbs, or at least most of them as it seems that the crux of the diet, can I get any feedback? TIA!

***Yes, this is my first post but I'm not a troll, just a lurker.

South Beach really isn't some crazy *kitten* diet...in the end, they emphasize whole, nutritious foods and put a big emphasis on vegetables, lean sources of protein, and healthy fats...I don't do SB, but that pretty much sums up my dietary lifestyle right there. It's good livin'

lindsey1979

If you haven't seen an endocrinologist, do that as soon as you can. If you do nothing else, do that.

I had to stop my Synthroid for a bit and the pounds just came piling back on.

Being hypo means you have less energy. When your body has no energy, it wants food. Badly. Especially carbs. And it will cause a very strong desire for more food (especially carbs) on a regular basis. It doesn't matter how much you've eaten. Because it has no energy, it pushes for more. You may as well tell a starving person not to eat as tell a hypothyroid person to avoid carbs.

Even if you manage go low-carb and eat very few calories, you won't lose weight like people whose bodies work, because yours doesn't.

You have to get the hypo thing under control if you want to lose weight. Even under control, it's still harder than it is for others, but at least it can be done.

Endocrinologist put me on Armour and has bumped me up to 60mg a day from 15mg a day. He is the doctor suggesting that I do the low carb thing for life.

A single grain? That's not that much. I still have significant thyroid function and I tend to perform best at 2 grains (and some with low functioning are in the 3-5 grain territory).

Is your doctor up for adjusting your meds so that you're in a higher range of normal? I have Hashi's, so it's impossible to know how much of my active hormones are being bound up by the antibodies. But I still have HORRIBLE symptoms if I'm low or low-normal. Okay-ish at mid-normal, but the vast majority of my symptoms aren't alleviated unless I'm in the upper third of the normal range.

What I've found over the years is that some docs are very resistant to treatment if you're "within range" even though you're still experiencing horribly hypo symptoms. If this is your case at all, consider shelling out the extra dough for a thyroid or metabolism specialist. In my experience, there are still a lot of endos that are not well-versed in thyroid (tend to specialize in diabetes/prediabetes).

Since you're struggling with the weight, do you know if you have insulin resistance? It's not an uncommon thing to develop if you have a long untreated or undertreated thyroid problem --- or so my doc has told me.

As for low-carb, I found that I finally started to take off the weight (and rather easily) when I started to restrict my carbs. I aim to keep my total carbs under 100 g per day (which means I'm usually in the 60-80 net carbs on average). However, I found that if I went below that into full keto, it actually didn't work as well for me. So that's my sweet spot. And I've found it to be common with others with Hashi's.

Also, I find that I need to take a rest week off from heavy lifting or intense activity more than the average person. Every 6 weeks or so, I need to take a recovery week or I hit a plateau. I have no idea why this is, but it was suggested to me by someone else with Hashi's when I was feeling particularly run down (but shouldn't have). And the rest week did it -- just walked or did yoga. Rebooted the system.

lindsey1979

He says that he feels it is the best option for me because I struggle with weight loss due to the low functioning thyroid and slow metabolism. He said there is no way to speed up your metabolism permanently (you can boost it here and there but no final fix) so eliminating carbs may help with the weight? I'm just sick of trying so many things and being told one day sugar is bad, no sugar is good, chemicals are bad...carbs are bad, no carbs are good...eat less and move more, no you have to have a perfect macro balance or all the dieting and exercise in the world won't help, etc. I think that Googling the low carbs foods/recipes may be the best way to handle it though, at least save me some money

How long did you give each of the things you tried to work? (FYI, I also have a thyroid issue, PCOS and insulin resistance as a result of it). I follow a relatively low carb lifestyle but never did a specific "low carb diet" such as Atkins or South Beach, per se. I know I do better with weight loss when I limit my carb intake to around 120g a day, but this is a number I only came up with after a few years of trying different things and experimenting.

My situation has been ongoing for the last 2-3 years. I tried each "item" or diet/exercise program for months before giving in. If I was able to lose weight it would happen in the beginning and then taper off and come back on very quickly, 20 lbs in less than two months. And no, I am not a binge eater that logs all foods except the bad ones or someone who will eat huge quantities of crap foods and ask why I can't lose weight (which has been insinuated at times through out this mess). My doctor has been baffled for quite some time and finally started sending me to specialists, like the endo. Finally they decided the problem was my thyroid and metabolism. Yay me! I will try the SBD I guess and see how it works for me. Can't be any worse than anything else I suppose. Thanks for the response!

One last thing, if they don't really know what the problem is, you probably need to go to a thyroid/metabolism specialist for diagnosis. Because in addition to the thyroid, you could have major vitamin deficiencies, insulin resistance, adrenal issues, etc. that are impeding the weight loss and/or exacerbating any hypo-like symptoms.

I know when I was finally diagnosed (after 4 docs and 10+ years from first suspecting it), my doc did a whole work-up -- major vitamins deficiencies (D, iodine, magnesium, iron, etc.), insulin resistance, adrenals, liver, etc.

In addition to the suspected thyroid, I also had insulin resistance and major deficiencies in Vitamin D and magnesium (both super common) which are likely all secondary results of the long untreated thyroid condition and/or common with the typical American diet (many, many people are Vitamin D and magnesium deficient). He was particularly concerned about the adrenal issue because if you're experience adrenal problems, you can actually feel worse when starting thyroid treatment. So he wanted to make sure all the hormones there were good (cortisol, DHEA, etc.) -- same with the liver. Because if your doctor doesn't address the entire system, you can fix one thing but still suffer many symptoms if the others are still out of whack.

And if you have insulin resistance, it may be particularly important for you to either look into medication like metformin, restrict your carbs and/or be sure to get daily exercise (even if just a brisk 30 min walk) -- all are things that have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity for many.

Sabine_Stroehm

Others have said it, but no, South Beach diet is NOT low carb. Read the book and decide if it's for you. It's a good, generally healthy way to eat

Basically, if you choose to do its phase 1 you eliminate starchy carbohydrates and fruits for 14 days to get a sense of things, then transition on to eating lean meats, dairy, tons of vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, dairy and then some whole grains and some fruits. You decide what works best for you in terms of portions and what not for grains and fruits. You eat some starchier carbs, again as you body likes them. Once you've gotten to a weight that's comfortable for you, you transition to a lifestyle that works for you.

Feel free to PM me or friend if you have any questions. I lost my weight before the SB diet book was published, but have incorporated many principles of the approach to eating in my daily life these last 13 or 14 years at maintenance.

Good luck!

Mr_Knight

My doctor recommended that I adopt the South Beach Diet as a lifestyle,...calorie counting, very minimal weight loss that came right back within a month.

South Beach won't keep you from eating too much. You need to understand how much you should be eating, and you need to track accurately, because that is where your problem lies.

Without that, SoBe will fail you just as surely as calorie counting failed you.

PS SoBe is not "low carb". It can be described as "low hi-GI", but that is not the same as being low carb.

SunofaBeach14

South Beach can be a great lifestyle in your 20s and early 30s, but eventually the booze and white start to catch up with you. Not to mention the inevitable skin cancer.

Alluminati

South Beach can be a great lifestyle in your 20s and early 30s, but eventually the booze and white start to catch up with you. Not to mention the inevitable skin cancer.

Tell that to the hot-to-trot seniors from the NJ/NY area.

Galatea_Stone

South Beach can be a great lifestyle in your 20s and early 30s, but eventually the booze and white start to catch up with you. Not to mention the inevitable skin cancer.

Tell that to the hot-to-trot seniors from the NJ/NY area.

He's never been to the clothing optional beach there. Lots of elderly men dragging in the sand.

On a more serious note, OP, I have hypoglycemia. I do flexible dieting and IIFYM. I set my macros to have a relatively high protein level and limit carbs. If I carb load for a couple days then try to not eat much or have a third day of high carb, I will have a sugar crash and things get ugly.

If you find SBD too restrictive, look at IIFYM and fix your macros using that program. For weight loss, it may take time to figure out what your TDEE is because of your thyroid. Take it slowly, weigh your food on a food scale, track it, and decrease slowly if you need to.

I will also say that keeping committed to a strength training program and changing body composition to more lean mass had a huge impact on how my body deals with everything.

Sabine_Stroehm

Let the treadjacking begin.

Best of luck OP. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. cheers.

SunofaBeach14

Let the treadjacking begin.

Best of luck OP. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. cheers.

Yes, best of luck, OP.

I'm off to check the wear on my the treads.

Sabine_Stroehm

Let the treadjacking begin.

Best of luck OP. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. cheers.

Yes, best of luck, OP.

I'm off to check the wear on my the treads.

If you say so.

Alluminati

He's never been to the clothing optional beach there. Lots of elderly men dragging in the sand.

*screams internally* :laugh: :laugh:
Thanks, I'm off to bed on that note

osborneaw

This year - at my highest weight, I went to a diet center recommended by friends, basically low carb, low calorie - first week gets you in ketosis, the rest of the time you burn fat. You need to stay right on plan, no cheat days at all.

I met my goal weight loss in 3 months (around 20 lbs), and you are right, not a lot of room to exercise. But at the size I was , I was in no shape to run any distance, anyway..

So now after 4 months of maintenance and figuring out my calorie and carb need, I am back to the gym for cross-fit work and cardio , about 3 days per week.

It is a lifestyle though. You cant go back to chips, high carb, low value snacks, the cravings and weight will come back.

My Dr was very pleased with my results and supported the diet . I have found so many ways to enjoy fresh food - it just requires a little planning and patience.

Good luck - and I say if you are hungry , go to bed, you will feel better in the morning!:happy:

Monkey_Business

He's never been to the clothing optional beach there. Lots of elderly men dragging in the sand.

*screams internally* :laugh: :laugh:
Thanks, I'm off to bed on that note

(grimace) Hey, I resemble that remark!
OP, I would recommend seeing a specialist that has more experience dealing directly with your specific health related issues.

mhwhetsell

Thank you everyone for the responses. I think I'll read the book and see how I feel about it then. The endo that I am seeing is the thyroid specialist in the area. He does blood work every 6 weeks to check my levels and adjusts the Armour as he feels necessary. I suppose at this point it is really trial and error as far as diets/lifestyle changes go. I appreciate all the advice!

Sabine_Stroehm

Thank you everyone for the responses. I think I'll read the book and see how I feel about it then. The endo that I am seeing is the thyroid specialist in the area. He does blood work every 6 weeks to check my levels and adjusts the Armour as he feels necessary. I suppose at this point it is really trial and error as far as diets/lifestyle changes go. I appreciate all the advice!

Your library probably has the original book. He's written a follow up book where he explains how to incorporate exercise into your life and has updated some of the glycemic info and spends more time explaining who should consider doing phase 1 and who should start with phase 2. Doubt the library has the new one.
The original book is a super quick read. It's a very sensible approach to eating. Nothing radical at all. And very easy to learn. I know for me it was a good primer on healthy eating back when I read it. And I needed that.

lucys1225

I have been living the "South Beach Lifestyle" for years and plan on staying that way for ever. As other have stated, it's a well balanced, healthy way of eating. A very maintainable lifestyle, whether eating at home or out. A few years back I strayed and not only did my waist line suffer, I felt horrible. All the cravings came back and I had lack of energy. After two weeks of being back on, my cravings dissipated and my energy level increased dramatically. I strongly suggest you read the book and give it a shot. If you eat lots of carbs now, you may not feel so well for the first couple of days but once you get past that period, you will feel great.

Sabine_Stroehm

Also, as with ANY diet (including MFP) if something doesn't make sense to you, your lifestyle, your body...don't do it. A good diet works with your body and life, not against it. Tweak the diet to fit your needs.

WalkingAlong

You can pick it up for under $5 used or under $7 new on Amazon, too.

It's a good book. When it first came out, it's one of the books that sparked my ongoing interest in diet books. I took away a lot from it.

I wouldn't go too nuts over the glycemic index levels themselves, though. I recall people freaking out over "carrots are higher GI than M&Ms!" or some such stats.

Sabine_Stroehm

You can pick it up for under $5 used or under $7 new on Amazon, too.

It's a good book. When it first came out, it's one of the books that sparked my ongoing interest in diet books. I took away a lot from it.

I wouldn't go too nuts over the glycemic index levels themselves, though. I recall people freaking out over "carrots are higher GI than M&Ms!" or some such stats.

Yes. And a lot of that is clarified (with the addition of the glycemic load, and gylcemic impact) in the updated book.
And that relates back to my "do what fits your needs" comment above. I don't really limit much of any vegetable, including root vegetables. I see no issue with insulin, cravings etc. with root vegetables. I do with M&Ms. So I go with what works for me there.