Paleo or South Beach?
Replies
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di·et1
/ˈdī-it/
noun
noun: diet; plural noun: diets
1.
the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.
"a vegetarian diet"
synonyms:
selection of food, food, foodstuffs; More
informalgrub, nosh
"health problems related to your diet"
•
a regular occupation or series of activities in which one participates.
"a healthy diet of classical music"
2.
a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.
"I'm going on a diet"
For all those who argue that a diet AUTOMATICALLY means restricting calories.0 -
Stick with the South Beach diet but don't get too caught up in their specialized foods. I suggest this because firstly your doctor recommended it. He or she probably thought a heart healthy diet would be appropriate for you.
Even if you don't stick with South Beach in the long term and decide to switch to calorie counting you would have learned some practical things about how food affects your body and how to make choices which are good for your heart.
Ultimately, you will be losing through calorie restriction (no matter which choice you make) but you will be emphasizing foods that are known to assist the heart if you do stay with South Beach.
Perhaps, as your doctor becomes confident that you've learned some basic principles he/she may suggest something less restrictive.0 -
Do something you can stick with long term.
Pick which ever you want....
But do yourself a favor and understand why you are losing the weight by choosing the diet you choose......
You are losing the weight on either one, because you restricting foods....there by you are limiting calories you take in....
For the most part.
I guess you could make up those lost calories by eating more of the diet "acceptable" foods.....
But chances are you are not...0 -
The OP doesn't need to stick with south beach or paleo. As she stated, she just wants:
"-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 "
With that said, the OP can eat a diet that meets her needs without going Paleo or Southbeach. So like many of us suggested, just adjust your diet to include the items that are important to your health (seafood, fibrous veggies) and cut out foods that your doctor suggested staying away from (bread, rice, etc..).
Personally, I would confirm with a dietitian as opposed to a GP doctor because most doctors are highly uneducated in nutrition. You can easily adjust your macronutrients to incorporate high proteins and fats and lower carbs. Get most of your carbs from fruits and veggies and forget the rest.0 -
Let me answer a few questions:
1. I am not starting a "diet" JUST to lose weight. I am looking to totally revamp the way I eat because I have digestive and colon issues following pregnancy and childbirth. The fact that I have 100 lbs. really has very little to do with my reasons for wanting to make this "lifestyle change." And yes- IT HAS TO BE a lifestyle change. I don't have an option.
2. My doctor recommended South Beach because it has most of the elements of healthy eating he thinks I should stick to. However, he also specifically said "NO bread, NO pasta, NO rice." If we're going to be blunt here- I have battled severe constipation and all of the wonderful other things that come with it (like hemorrhoids) for the last year.
3. I am NOT subscribing to either of these plans completely. Paleo can't offer the fiber I need, and South Beach starts introducing breads, etc. after a few weeks. Either way, I'm going to have to deviate from the plan.
4. I am borderline diabetic. A few months more of the way I have been eating and I will be an official member of the type 2 club.
5. NONE of these problems arose until I got pregnant. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and have a glorious bowel movement 20 minutes later- like clockwork. Now, I could write a BOOK on the issues I have. My doctor and I were really hoping that things would go back to normal after I had my daughter 6 months ago, but they haven't. Many of the digestive issues I have are now permanent, and eating certain foods (or not eating enough fiber) puts me in massive amounts of pain that make it hard to get through the day. I stopped breastfeeding a couple of months ago and decided to hold off on making any diet choices until my body had time to fully bounce back. I thought that maybe some of my issues were hormonal in nature and that they would settle once I stopped breastfeeding. They didn't. So now I am ready to make this change and get to the bottom of my problems. I will be tested for gluten intolerance soon, as well as for food allergies.
6. I was on Weight Watchers for weight loss alone when I found out I was pregnant. I lost around 30 lbs., so I am well aware of the success rate of calorie restriction, eating smaller portions, etc. I loved Weight Watchers because I was able to eat anything I wanted in moderation, of course. I can't do it now.0 -
I contacted a licensed dietician at the suggestion of another poster a little while ago. She is going to meet with me this week to help work out a plan that she feels will best suit my needs. She is also my colon hydrotherapist, so I feel comfortable in knowing that she will understand my needs and adjust my diet accordingly:)0
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Let me answer a few questions:
There's a lot of smart people here on these boards who've gone thru a lot. Most want to help you. But they'll also warn you about things they've seen fail in others. I think your stated plan is a great place to start, if it helps with your digestive issues.
You sound like you are doing a lot of smart things. I applaud your obvious motivation and attention to what your body needs. Good luck, and congratulations on the baby.0 -
Did you not read the "lifestyle change" part? Oh right, most of the posters didn't bother to read the whole post.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
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.
Diet is part of any lifestyle. If you change the diet, you change the lifestyle.0 -
I'd say give it a try OP and don't hesitate to make alterations to the diet to fit your own likes and dislikes. Diets like South Beach only offer you a framework that is designed for healthy weight loss but there are tons of ways you can lose weight. From what you've described though, I think a lower carb diet like South Beach sounds like a good idea but perhaps modified to remove certain foods they would otherwise introduce. I would read about various diets such as Atkins, Mediterranean diet, paleo, South Beach, etc. and pull elements from those diets to create a plan that works for you - and then try it for a few months. Only you will know how you feel eating this way and whether it's sustainable for you.
The important thing to keep in mind is that you can always make changes in the future. Provided you maintain a caloric deficit, you can play with your macros/food groups as much as you want and still lose fat over time. People think about this subject way too rigidly in my opinion and love to argue in favor of their own personal preferred way of losing weight, but you absolutely can experiment with introducing and excluding various foods as well as adjusting your macros. The important thing is to stay motivated and maintain a caloric deficit.0 -
Hey,
I am new to My Fitness Pal and have been scoping out the boards, blogs, etc. I am a Registered Dietitian (I know, "Do as I say, not as I do", right? I had issues that kept me immobile and the weight crept up). I find it helpful to be part of a group, as in Weight Watchers, other groups like this, as they are a big motivator for me. RDs are human, too, and some of us have the same weight problems as everybody here.
I have read an awful lot of diet misinformation here. Please do your research, or better yet, see an RD to help you. As others have said, most MDs don't get nutrition training in school, and are fonts, just fonts, of misinformation.
I would agree that any eating plan, or "diet" that cuts out whole groups (unless diagnosed gluten-free or lactose intolerant or any weird metabolic condition), is not healthy. As far as constipation, if that is your only GI issue, then whole grains, fruits, vegetables, etc will help that. Starches will not constipate you, unless you replace fibrous foods with them. The recommendation for fiber in the diet is 25-35 grams daily. See what your diet has-it takes effort and planning for most folks to get that much fiber in. See where you stand. If forced to choose a "diet", I vote South Beach (not Atkins, way too restrictive). SB is also restrictive, but it's the lesser of the two evils, as far as I'm concerned.
A final thought, I see an awful lot of mean-spirited comments on this blog. Why so contentious? It would be more helpful to the original poster to be kind, not hateful. People disagree, but that doesn't mean that you need to belittle them. The reason for this post was for help. So, let's help.0 -
Hey,
I am new to My Fitness Pal and have been scoping out the boards, blogs, etc. I am a Registered Dietitian (I know, "Do as I say, not as I do", right? I had issues that kept me immobile and the weight crept up). I find it helpful to be part of a group, as in Weight Watchers, other groups like this, as they are a big motivator for me. RDs are human, too, and some of us have the same weight problems as everybody here.
I have read an awful lot of diet misinformation here. Please do your research, or better yet, see an RD to help you. As others have said, most MDs don't get nutrition training in school, and are fonts, just fonts, of misinformation.
I would agree that any eating plan, or "diet" that cuts out whole groups (unless diagnosed gluten-free or lactose intolerant or any weird metabolic condition), is not healthy. As far as constipation, if that is your only GI issue, then whole grains, fruits, vegetables, etc will help that. Starches will not constipate you, unless you replace fibrous foods with them. The recommendation for fiber in the diet is 25-35 grams daily. See what your diet has-it takes effort and planning for most folks to get that much fiber in. See where you stand. If forced to choose a "diet", I vote South Beach (not Atkins, way too restrictive). SB is also restrictive, but it's the lesser of the two evils, as far as I'm concerned.
A final thought, I see an awful lot of mean-spirited comments on this blog. Why so contentious? It would be more helpful to the original poster to be kind, not hateful. People disagree, but that doesn't mean that you need to belittle them. The reason for this post was for help. So, let's help.
No one is being hateful.. just honest and blunt. Diets don't work and why should we encourage someone to use something that will more than likely fail.0 -
Top tip: Avoid anything called "The ____________ Diet".
Eat sensibly, watch your calories and nutritional information, get plenty of exercise.0 -
Let me answer a few questions:
1. I am not starting a "diet" JUST to lose weight. I am looking to totally revamp the way I eat because I have digestive and colon issues following pregnancy and childbirth. The fact that I have 100 lbs. really has very little to do with my reasons for wanting to make this "lifestyle change." And yes- IT HAS TO BE a lifestyle change. I don't have an option.
2. My doctor recommended South Beach because it has most of the elements of healthy eating he thinks I should stick to. However, he also specifically said "NO bread, NO pasta, NO rice." If we're going to be blunt here- I have battled severe constipation and all of the wonderful other things that come with it (like hemorrhoids) for the last year.
3. I am NOT subscribing to either of these plans completely. Paleo can't offer the fiber I need, and South Beach starts introducing breads, etc. after a few weeks. Either way, I'm going to have to deviate from the plan.
4. I am borderline diabetic. A few months more of the way I have been eating and I will be an official member of the type 2 club.
5. NONE of these problems arose until I got pregnant. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and have a glorious bowel movement 20 minutes later- like clockwork. Now, I could write a BOOK on the issues I have. My doctor and I were really hoping that things would go back to normal after I had my daughter 6 months ago, but they haven't. Many of the digestive issues I have are now permanent, and eating certain foods (or not eating enough fiber) puts me in massive amounts of pain that make it hard to get through the day. I stopped breastfeeding a couple of months ago and decided to hold off on making any diet choices until my body had time to fully bounce back. I thought that maybe some of my issues were hormonal in nature and that they would settle once I stopped breastfeeding. They didn't. So now I am ready to make this change and get to the bottom of my problems. I will be tested for gluten intolerance soon, as well as for food allergies.
6. I was on Weight Watchers for weight loss alone when I found out I was pregnant. I lost around 30 lbs., so I am well aware of the success rate of calorie restriction, eating smaller portions, etc. I loved Weight Watchers because I was able to eat anything I wanted in moderation, of course. I can't do it now.
The good news is, you know a lot of what you can't eat and for specific reason. Right there is already beneficial. With that said, the number of calories and exercise is going to be a major contributing factor on what percentage of your micronutrients we would suggest. For the most part, it may be beneficial to start between 50-100g of net carbs (receiving the majority or all of your carbs from veggies and some fruits). In many cases that can workout to be 10-25% of your calories from carbs, leaving the rest for protein/fats. The fact that you have 100 lbs to lose, you can sustain a 1000 calorie deficit. In fact, below is an estimated breakout of what you can aim for in terms of weight loss. If you have a goal of 2lbs a week and feel hungry fairly often, I would suggest reducing your deficit to allow more calories. In many cases, this reduces binging.
Next, exercise... at this point, I don't know your limitations but if possible mild cardio and resistance training should be used. The resistance training will be beneficial for you as it will not only help reduce the amount of muscle you lose, but it will also improve bone density, make you stronger (to support your body) and more importantly, help maintain your metabolic rate. But these should all be in the boundaries of your current capabilities.
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.0 -
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.
Did you not read the "lifestyle change" part? Oh right, most of the posters didn't bother to read the whole post.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
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
She used the word in commenting about two well known "diet" plans. Do you seriously need a lesson in reading comprehension?
Rigger0 -
She used the word in commenting about two well known "diet" plans. Do you seriously need a lesson in reading comprehension?
What matters for long-term success is your long-term outlook. Getting all upset over someone using the word "diet' is just silly.
There is absolutely no reason someone cannot follow a structured diet while cutting weight and then decide to do something else in the future to either continue cutting weight or to remain at their maintenance calories. It's a fallacy that you need to cut weight in a way that you will follow for the rest of your life and I'll never understand why this is repeated so often on these forums. It doesn't matter whether you call it a diet or a lifestyle change - you can even call it getting secksified, so long as your focus is on your long-term success. Many people alter their macronutrient intake while cutting weight and then readjust their macros at maintenance or while bulking; following a structured diet while cutting weight is no different. What's important is that you recognize that weight loss, weight maintenance and your overall health don't go away if and when you stop following your structured diet.0 -
Here are some of the things I need in whatever diet I choose:
I'm going to be bluntly honest with you, OP - by starting out like that you are setting yourself up for failure, big time. If you really want a "lifestyle" change, neither "paleo" nor SoBe qualify, as those are highly restrictive diets that the vast majority of people cannot sustain.
Start by tracking your calories, because you will almost certainly have to do that no matter what arbitrary food restrictions you end up placing on yourself. If you can't track the calories you're eating, you're screwed anyway, so nail that FIRST before worrying about what to eat.
Good luck!0 -
She used the word in commenting about two well known "diet" plans. Do you seriously need a lesson in reading comprehension?
What matters for long-term success is your long-term outlook. Getting all upset over someone using the word "diet' is just silly.
There is absolutely no reason someone cannot follow a structured diet while cutting weight and then decide to do something else in the future to either continue cutting weight or to remain at their maintenance calories. It's a fallacy that you need to cut weight in a way that you will follow for the rest of your life and I'll never understand why this is repeated so often on these forums. It doesn't matter whether you call it a diet or a lifestyle change - you can even call it getting secksified, so long as your focus is on your long-term success. Many people alter their macronutrient intake while cutting weight and then readjust their macros at maintenance or while bulking; following a structured diet while cutting weight is no different. What's important is that you recognize that weight loss, weight maintenance and your overall health don't go away if and when you stop following your structured diet.
Well said!!0
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