South Beach Diet???

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bogden22
bogden22 Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
My husband has been trying to get me to read his South Beach Diet he says it is the only way to go! I started reading the book and it seems reasonable enough. Has anyone done this one before and if so did you like it?

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  • Questfor250
    Questfor250 Posts: 155
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    Bogden,

    As someone who's wife has tried it all let me say this. South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, they all want one thing. Your money. The one true thing that has enabled me to lose 24 pounds in 6 weeks and her 14 has been restricting our calorie intake and staying active. Normal food, healthy food, reasonable portions. Use the diary and stay within your goals and do some fitness and you WILL lose weight. Tell your husband to join and do the same thing. The weight will peel off him quickly. Trust in MFP. It works. We work.

    Questfor250
    Mike
  • ractayjon
    ractayjon Posts: 365
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    A few years back I tried it and didnt lose anything during the phase 1. I actually gained a pound or two - Ive learned since that my body does not run well on no carbs and that I do better on a balanced carb/protein way of eating.
  • Ashia1317
    Ashia1317 Posts: 415
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    YES YES YES!!!

    The first time I did the SB Diet I shed over 8 lbs in about 4 weeks. I loved it because it had a lot of foods that I DID like - I am a picky eater! I also did the SuperCharged SB. I like SuperCharged better because it's hard for me not to have my milk. I did very well for about 4 months until I went on vacation and pretty much . . . forgot everything. LOL!

    I'm thinking about going back on it this month. Nothing else is really working.
  • tigger2009
    tigger2009 Posts: 66
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    A freind of mine tried it a while back. Lost weight even though I did not think she needed to as she became too thin. She gained some back and looks healthy. I have tried some of the recipes but I don't believe in no carbs. Have a balanced diet and use MFP to track it all! It is all about portion control too. My husband was diag. with type 2 diabeties back in November and we have been following his diet. He has lost over 30 lbs and 4 sizes! I don;t follow exactly to his but pretty close as I am not diabetic but it does run in my family. Ok, I went off the subject a little but the bottom line fad diets don't work in my opinion.
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
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    ...they all want one thing. Your money.... ...Normal food, healthy food, reasonable portions. Use the diary and stay within your goals and do some fitness and you WILL lose weight.... ...Trust in MFP. It works. We work.

    Absolutely correct. You do those diets, you lose weight, you stop you put it back on. When you want to lose again you buy more from them. When you change the way you eat for good--the MFP way--you have control.
  • hamiltonba
    hamiltonba Posts: 474 Member
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    I have friends who have gone on South Beach and Weight Watchers and they lost and kept off the weight. It is very difficult to find a program to lose weight and keep it off. Many people think once they lose the weight they can go off the diet. That is wrong, this is a lifestyle change that you have to do for the rest of your life. Because of that, you need to find a middle ground - lose the weight, but make choices you can live with!
  • TnTHawkins
    TnTHawkins Posts: 285 Member
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    I have not tried it but my wife has, but has gained it back. This is a great tool in tracking what you eat and making adjustments. The best thing is to be aware of what you eat, drink lots of water, and exercise. I'm trying exercise Monday - Friday at least 30 minutes and eat under 1200 calories a day. I personally started eating smaller meals and not eating much at dinner time to get started.

    Good Luck in your dieting, I know that you can do it.
  • Ashia1317
    Ashia1317 Posts: 415
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    I'm not sure I understand the whole "wanting your money" thing. You pay to read the book. Lucky for me I found it in a used book store so it only cost me $3. Yes, they manufacture their own food labels now, but they don't tell you to go buy them. In the South Beach you are only constricted to NO carbs for 2 weeks. In that time you fuel up on protein and fiber enriched foods. During Phase 2 is when you introduce SLOWLY the things you couldn't have in Phase 1. And there are portion restrictions as well, contrary to Atkins (so I hear). You can't just gorge yourself on the list of foods given.

    South Beach had taught me to eat "correctly" and what's good and bad for me. So I may not have followed the plan to an exact T, but I do know that I have gained knowledge in what I should and shouldn't be eating. But I gained back because I wasn't committed. I went away and thought "hey, I lost weight I can eat . . . ." I have to train myself NOT to do that no matter WHAT I do to lose it.

    While I agree that diet fads don't work, and neither do the miracle pill exist, SB isn't just a fad - it is a lifestyle that you choose to adopt. There has been many people that have followed through. But it's just like MFP, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc - you have to be willing to commit - commit to portion control, commit to the right foods, commit to saying no to the things we shouldn't eat, commit to a healthy lifestyle. And with ANY program, you can't be sitting still. Activity is a major part as well.

    My best advice, bogden22, is to possibly find the book and read it. Find out if it's really for you. If not, then you just read something on proteins, good and bad carbs, fiber, and what your body needs. So it maybe an education lesson . . .
  • Kudzu
    Kudzu Posts: 87 Member
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    I have done the South Beach Diet....I bought the book and the cook book etc, but did not use the cook book. I just started eating meats and veggies for dinner and for lunch, left off the potatoes, rice, bread and sugar. I ate almonds and cheese stix for breakfast on work days which kept me satisfied until lunch. I followed the diet exactly for a couple of months, then once I started adding the carbs back I lost control! I did feel better without all those carbs. I just could not stick to it for any length of time. I lost weight and inches, but don't remember how much...it was enough to be very noticable. I thought it made more sense than the atkins, although I know people that love the atkins diet. I am headed towards 50 now and really need to get my eating under control. When I ran across MFP I fell in love!! I am eating whatever now and just keep within my calorie allowance and feel just as good as I did on the South Beach. I do tend to stay away from the breads and sugar foods like cakes, candies etc.most days.
  • bogden22
    bogden22 Posts: 4
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    Hey thanks for all of the advice! It seems like they are so many different diets out there that say to eat this and don't eat that. Scary!
  • coronalime
    coronalime Posts: 583 Member
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    Sb is a reference book for those of us that need a jump start. I've been on it since Jan and down 15 pds. When starting any diet it does have to be something you will continue forever. I mean you cant go back to the days you were eating and drinking and lazy. What ever you choose you have to learn it, live it and commit to it..forever..SB in the 1st 2 weeks does limit your foods that you can eat but not how much. After those 2 weeks you get to bring back most foods BUT you MUST calorie count, you MUST portion control and you MUST work out..theres no way around it. SB book like any "diet" book gives you a quick menu to follow, recipes and a list of foods so for those of us who need a little guidance can follow it. A fad diet is only something that you try and fail at.
  • rubyredrage
    rubyredrage Posts: 3
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    I am all for keeping an eye on your carb intake but having no carbs at all for 2 weeks is, in my opinion, madness. Your brain NEEDS carbohydrates. I'm a science student and I know that it is essential for me to eat a healthy amount of carbs just to pay attention in lectures and write reports! I have tried eliminating all carbs even for a week and frankly, it turned me into a dumbass :p After a few days my concentration levels and ability to focus were significantly lower, as was my memory retention.
    If you are studying or doing any brain-intensive work I would strongly advise against Phase 1 of South Beach as there is no way you will be functioning at your best, and it will affect your studies/work.

    Losing weight is great - but losing your mind is not.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    I have not tried it but my wife has, but has gained it back. This is a great tool in tracking what you eat and making adjustments. The best thing is to be aware of what you eat, drink lots of water, and exercise. I'm trying exercise Monday - Friday at least 30 minutes and eat under 1200 calories a day. I personally started eating smaller meals and not eating much at dinner time to get started.

    Good Luck in your dieting, I know that you can do it.

    TnTHawkins--
    You make some good points in your post. When I saw the part about exercising and eating under 1200 calories a day, it made me wonder, since you are a guy. This level of calories is not healthy, nor is it good for keeping your metabolism working properly. I looked at your profile, and since your diary is public, I took a look.

    We are all adults, and can make our own choices, but a look at the last three days of your food diary left me wondering how you can make it through the day without sleeping at your desk.:noway: Your current choices appear to be deficient in protein, very high in carbs. Your breakfast choice has TWO grams of protein in it. I would not be able to stay awake 'til noon with that kind of breakfast, never mind the exercise.

    Eating smaller meals is a good idea, BUT, what you put IN those meals is very important. Lean protein, veggies, fruit, whole grains will give your body the fuel it needs. You can't build muscle without good nutrition. If you lose weight as a result of a poorly balanced diet, you will end up losing muscle mass as well as some fat, and the result will be a more sluggish metabolism, therefore making it easier to gain weight back.

    I wish you every success in your weight loss. I hope you will take advantage of the information available on MFP as well as exploring nutrition information available throughout the internet. You obviously have motivation, and it would be a shame to lose that motivation as a result of poor nutritional choices.

    Good luck !!:flowerforyou:

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