Has anyone done te Atkins/SouthBeach Diet?

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  • HonestOmnivore
    HonestOmnivore Posts: 1,356 Member
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    I really liked the South Beach diet - but that's mostly because I really LOVE mediterranean foods and you were encouraged to eat those. I've kind of moved into the mediterranean diet (diet in the cultural sense) and now my goal is to actively restrict my portion sizes.

    I'm asked if I'm on a low carb diet because people will see me skip the bread on a sandwich or put sweetener in my iced tea - I joke that I'm on a "Liquid Carb Diet" because I uhm... kinda have a thing for red wine (and good beer - LOVE a good ale!).

    While I have a ways to go in the weight loss area, I know that for me it's really about maximising the nutrition I get out of each potential calorie. Maxing it in nutrition OR emotional satisfaction! E.I. Baby spinach is good and good FOR me so I eat that a lot - Red Wine is good and in moderation OK for me so I restrict that. A big bun on a sandwich isn't good for me and isn't doing anything for my taste so why waste the calories???

    A few times a week I eat some warm from the oven bread, dipped in a good olive oil with a little rosemary and sea salt. This is amazing and it takes care of my desire for bread. I save calories for my wine at night - and I save calories for a beer or two on the weekend. As soon as I'm able to work up to a run I'll do what my brother-in-law does - go a on 'beer run' every weekend where I run off the calories I'll be drinking later :)

    If you look at your daily calorie allotment and make sure that you really care about every calorie you put into your mouth - you'll lose weight and eat well and in the end you can name it what ever you like!

    Good luck!

    (now writing down my "North-coast Diet - Great Lakes Christmas Ale and Spinach!")
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
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    I tried both.

    Atkins made my stomach/gut/gallbladder/sides really hurt. I just couldn't handle it. I think it was the focus on higher fat foods.

    South Beach was ok. I did lose 9 pounds during phase 1. I did allow myself a half-serving of good carbs during Phase 1, because I was feeling sick (but not as bad as Atkins). The problem was that I could never from Phase 1 (no carbs) to 2 (limited carbs). I went from #1 to #39. Starving myself from carbs was not the answer for me. I just went plain nuts on my 3rd week, eating carbs. Because the focus was not on counting calories...I gained all the weight back in 6 weeks. You will learn that Phase 1 weight loss is mainly a detox of your liver & gut, which holds alot of water weight.

    A banner on this site is for a famous tv weight coach. I checked out her site and answered her questions. Her site said that I was a 'balanced' metabolizer, based on my food cravings. Her site warned me against cutting out any one food group, but to eat all with moderation. So, now I am here...eating 1200 calories a day. And, I've lost 6 pounds in my first week!
  • Melissajk
    Melissajk Posts: 14
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    I was wondering if anyone tried the no sugar no flour diet? You cut out all the sugar and flour, its alot like south beach except you can have more foods and dairy. If anyone has any information, please let me know
  • watch48win
    watch48win Posts: 1,668 Member
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    ARRGGGGGG!!!! Am I the only one who it drives crazy when people say, " Yeah, I did low carbs, AND i LOST 10 LBS IN TWO WEEKS!" ? This drives me out of my mind.


    OF COURSE YOU DID, YOU BASICALLY JUST VOIDED YOUR BODY OF GLYCOGEN, which is water plus glucose, which is HEAVY! But you know what you didn't do? Lose any fat, seriously, all you did was change the way your body burns energy, you didn't increase your health, you didn't drop fat, you didn't increase muscle mass, you just changed how your body burns energy, and in the process dropped some excess fluids.

    You know what else happens when you change from a carbohydrate metabolism to a protein/fat metabolism? You made yourself extremely vulnerable to dehydration, calcium deficiency, and iron deficiency.

    People LOW CARB IS A LIFESTYLE, not a diet. It's a HUGE change which should only be made after you have done your research and determined that this is a change you want or need to make, there are very specific reasons to have a low carb diet, and make NO mistake, low carb does NOT mean weight loss. Like any food plan, eat too much low carb and you'll still gain weight.

    Also know what happens after you go from low carb to regular carbs? Yep, that's right, you gain all that glycogen weight right back!

    Agreed....I too ( I admit) jumped on the no Carb bankwagon back in 2007---the fad was in full swing. Yeah, I lost weight, but also was dizzy and had heart palpatations....My brother was on the same kick back then and actually went to the hospital because he thought that he was having a heart attack....scary stuff. Found MFP in Jan 2008....healthy choices is the way to go. Fad "diets" just don't work. Be there done that ( more times than I'm willing to admit)

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