Doc recommends South Beach (for life, not as a diet)
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See another Doctor. I had a thyroid problem and saw 3. The last one told me I wouldn't need to be put on medications for life and fixed me with short term treatment and BAM I lost weight.
Your case will be different but I honestly think you should see a few other people before committing to a life style change like this.
My other 2 GPs tried to convince me to jump on the hormone tablets for life and start looking into optifast, another said Keto (Atkins) Yeh, no.
I really don't trust most GPs now days. But if you've spoken to a few you'll have a better idea of what to do.
I have done low carbs and it did nothing for me. I just had really oily poo. I found weighing and counting everything I eat, eating between 1200-2000 zigzagged throughout the week worked for me, though I had to weight everything and I had to log everything.
You could also try south beach for a month and see if you like it. If it's something you end up enjoying then it's a great life plan indeed! If you don't like it then there's no point trying to commit for life to something you hate as it will back fire.
I guess its all trail and error in the end. I think I lost almost 65lbs doing the counting. I gained 15 back when I went over seas, ate everything in sight and didn't count for 3 months. haha but I'm back on track now
I hope you find something that works for you perfectly! :flowerforyou:
This is my 3rd doctor (regarding thyroid issues) and he is an endocrinologist so supposedly he should be able to "fix" what ails me, ha ha, pun intended. I guess by recommending a certain diet he though it would be easy for me to get resources. One doctor is recommending hormone testing (again-did it once already for another doc) and the capsules that are placed under the skin. I'm only 39 years old so I don't know that hormone tablets are the answer, especially since the other doctor that tested me said my hormone levels are fine. Maybe I should just stop seeing doctors and try to figure it out on my own!!
There are some pretty terrible GP's out there. Hormone testing could be a good way to go as that's what you really need sorted 100%, I did 3 tests over 6 months to see what my body was doing and why I had a lump in my thyroid(It's gone now) Still today they can't answer that, so I guess there's still a lot to research. I'm 23 and I refused the Snyth tablets as one GP I spoke to said it could be my body sorting itself out. And yep each 3 tests were absolutely different. They improved how ever. If the blood test came back fine and you don't have any thyroid issue's I would avoid taking the tablets until further tests say otherwise.
Try the South beach diet and see how you go after a month. It can't hurt trying and you may find you like it.
I know it's tough =( It can be a real downer when you've worked so hard and nothing seems to be working out but if you keep at it, keep having the tests they should hopefully figure out what's wrong and treat it correctly.
When I was having the tests done for the first month I was told to change my diet to a strict 1200-1400 cal diet, with supplements. I found it was terrible so I upped my calories. I was to eat fruits, veges and whole grain foods. Stay away from anything processed. And I after a month I started to lose weight the next few months I slowly started introducing treats and things and now I eat pretty much anything and it's fine. From what I've seen south beach is kinda like that but more strict. So maybe he is on to something there.
My hormone tests were normal but I needed thyroid meds so after talking it over we went with Armour Thyroid instead of Synthroid.0 -
You're not going to go low carb and continue training for half marathons. Can't be done. Endurance athletes need a high carb diet.
This is exactly what is driving me crazy!! My endo dr is a marathon runner and he is the one recommending the SBD to me.
Just because your endo dr is a marathon runner and is recommending SBD for you, doesn't mean SBD is good for marathon runners or that he follows the diet himself..
Nothing wrong or hypocritical there - dr's don't neccesarily follow diets they recommend for others.
For example endo Drs would often recommend diabetic diets for diabetics - but if they are not diabetic they wouldn't be following the same diet themselves.0 -
Didn't read all the comments as I'm on my way to work ....... but go to GROUPS ..... join up on "South Beach for Life" ...... South Beach is an easy way of eating. I was on SB website for awhile until they had troubles with their website, then I came here. I lost 40 lbs & kept it off. Still eat "beachy" ..... it's ingrained in me now ...... planning & focus & common sense ...... and a lot of vegetables :drinker:
Best of luck to you !0 -
You're not going to go low carb and continue training for half marathons. Can't be done. Endurance athletes need a high carb diet.
This is exactly what is driving me crazy!! My endo dr is a marathon runner and he is the one recommending the SBD to me.
Just because your endo dr is a marathon runner and is recommending SBD for you, doesn't mean SBD is good for marathon runners or that he follows the diet himself..
Nothing wrong or hypocritical there - dr's don't neccesarily follow diets they recommend for others.
For example endo Drs would often recommend diabetic diets for diabetics - but if they are not diabetic they wouldn't be following the same diet themselves.
I realize this and suppose I should have included that we discuss running often and chit chat about our favorite running spots, etc. so he was well aware of my running and he told me that he himself followed the SBD as a lifestyle so it surprised me a bit when I did some reading online about the diet as it did not seem to be carb heavy or supportive of running long distances as I have always had carbs while training and before long runs (admittedly I have not read the books, just tidbits of info so far).0 -
Didn't read all the comments as I'm on my way to work ....... but go to GROUPS ..... join up on "South Beach for Life" ...... South Beach is an easy way of eating. I was on SB website for awhile until they had troubles with their website, then I came here. I lost 40 lbs & kept it off. Still eat "beachy" ..... it's ingrained in me now ...... planning & focus & common sense ...... and a lot of vegetables :drinker:
Best of luck to you !
Thank you for the positive post
I will check out the group! 0 -
I have not done the SBD specifically, but I did decide to try a lower carb approach because I have PCOS and subclinical hypothyroidism. I try to keep my carbs below 100g per day (sometimes more on days that I run). By limiting my carb intake and upping my healthier fats, I find that I am not hungry all the time like I was before and the weight (while still coming off slowly) is coming off quicker than it was when I was just trying to hit my calorie goal and not focusing on my macros. The first week was the roughest, as I had a killer headache on days 3 and 4, as well as mega-carb cravings. But, now that I'm cooking with real butter, coconut oil, and cream, snacking on cashews, almonds, avocados, and other fats, I don't feel deprived at all. I keep my calories at about 1600 on days that I do not workout and eat around 1800 or so on days that I run. On days that I run my carbs are a little higher from adding in more fruit and I'll usually have a sweet potato. I still have a couple of pieces of dark chocolate a day and have not completely cut out sugar, but I just try to be more aware of where my calories are coming from.
If you are on Pinterest, it has a multitude of great lower carb meal ideas and resources.
Just remember that it is really trial and error and you have to find what works for your body.0 -
My husband's diabetic and lost 18 lbs. about 5 years ago in about 6 weeks on South Beach. He did phase I and then phase II. He then gained all the weight back once he stopped following it. I did SB at the same time, but Phase II because I just couldn't go completely without carbs, and I lost 20 lbs. at a rate of 2 lbs. per week and pretty much kept most of it off. I'd say Phase II is a pretty healthy plan, low carb, but not no carb. Phase I is like any extremely low carb diet -- if you can follow it, you'll lose lots of weight really fast, but a lot of it will be water weight.0
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The South Beach Diet wasn't written as a weight loss diet, but as a sensible, healthy way to eat. It's not really low carb or low fat. It's healthy carbs and healthy fats (such as whole grains instead of processed flour, and olive oil instead of margarine). It's an easy plan to follow. Having said that, you can lose weight on South Beach if you count your calories. You can get the book from the library. It explains the hows and whys of eating this way. And then try some of the recipes online if you'd like. Basically, a meal like this--4 oz lean sirloin steak, 1/2 cup green beans, 1/2 cup brown rice and a salad--is the South Beach way of eating. It's not complicated. You don't need to buy any foods from their product line. It's just sensible eating.0
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I feel like I'm in the same boat. For the last 3 weeks I have been counting my steps and exercising and eating about 750 calories less than I should be burning -- no weight loss. I also have no thyroid after having it removed several years ago. A couple of years ago I did Dr. Poon's Metabolic diet (very similar to South Beach) and it really started to work for me. I'm going to start on that again today (Day 1). Feel free to add me as a friend as we will be going through a similar journey!0
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I feel like I'm in the same boat. For the last 3 weeks I have been counting my steps and exercising and eating about 750 calories less than I should be burning -- no weight loss. I also have no thyroid after having it removed several years ago. A couple of years ago I did Dr. Poon's Metabolic diet (very similar to South Beach) and it really started to work for me. I'm going to start on that again today (Day 1). Feel free to add me as a friend as we will be going through a similar journey!
Thank you!! I added you 0 -
If it helps, there is a blogger I read (fitnessista.com) who lost weight on SBD in college and has used it as a basis for her way of eating for the past 6-8 years. She has maintained beautifully, including through a pregnancy and after. She focuses on lean protein, produce and whole foods with little to no beef, pork, dairy or gluten. I do something similar, and learned it from a WW program mostly, though I've done SBD, too.
I agree. I think the SBD book is worth its cost as a cookbook alone, and I'm certain it is a healthy way to eat for life.The diet doesn't remove all carbs.........but if it's instructions you need, there are worse ones out there.
Why not spend $6 and give it a read and see what you think? A month on it would be a good learning experience and you'd lose some weight. He is your doctor and knows you better than anyone here.
You are right that my doc knows me better than anyone here, that's why I was asking for anyone else's experiences with the SBD that had been on it for a long period of time. I am not really questioning his advice, not really, just maybe whining a bit about having to yet again try something else. Basically I was hoping that someone who was in a similar situation could let me know if the SBD had really helped them. I agree that buying the book couldn't hurt and I guess that is what I will do.
Good luck!0 -
For what its worth, south beach isnt about eliminating carbs but more about reducing high starchy foods like baked potatoes and non wheat bread, and emphasizes getting most of your carbohydrates through eating green leafy vegetables. I was on south beach for quite a while, over a year and a half and lost weight and kept it off. The first two weeks or phase 1 seems like low carbs because they dont allow bread/potatoes/fruit ect in order to stabilize your blood sugars as it was originally a way of eating for diabetics. After two weeks and you get to phase 2 you can add pasta, brown rice, sweet potatoes, all fruits except bananas, milk, non-white bread, bagels, types of muffins ect. You just have to use them more sparingly is all.0
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Also if youd like to see how things went for several of us, Feel free to look me up on the south beach forums, same name JeffInJax, you can read over my journal when i was doing it daily there. Feel free to ask me any questions at all and add me on here or there, and ill be completely honest with you, the first two weeks tend to really suck, but after that its actually a pretty easy way to maintain eating. If you swing by the forums under diet journal can catch me in Beachers 5 Year Club or my personal journal.0
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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.0 -
If it helps, there is a blogger I read (fitnessista.com) who lost weight on SBD in college and has used it as a basis for her way of eating for the past 6-8 years. She has maintained beautifully, including through a pregnancy and after. She focuses on lean protein, produce and whole foods with little to no beef, pork, dairy or gluten. I do something similar, and learned it from a WW program mostly, though I've done SBD, too.
I agree. I think the SBD book is worth its cost as a cookbook alone, and I'm certain it is a healthy way to eat for life.The diet doesn't remove all carbs.........but if it's instructions you need, there are worse ones out there.
Why not spend $6 and give it a read and see what you think? A month on it would be a good learning experience and you'd lose some weight. He is your doctor and knows you better than anyone here.
You are right that my doc knows me better than anyone here, that's why I was asking for anyone else's experiences with the SBD that had been on it for a long period of time. I am not really questioning his advice, not really, just maybe whining a bit about having to yet again try something else. Basically I was hoping that someone who was in a similar situation could let me know if the SBD had really helped them. I agree that buying the book couldn't hurt and I guess that is what I will do.
Good luck!
Thank you! I will definitely check out this blog!0 -
Also if youd like to see how things went for several of us, Feel free to look me up on the south beach forums, same name JeffInJax, you can read over my journal when i was doing it daily there. Feel free to ask me any questions at all and add me on here or there, and ill be completely honest with you, the first two weeks tend to really suck, but after that its actually a pretty easy way to maintain eating. If you swing by the forums under diet journal can catch me in Beachers 5 Year Club or my personal journal.
Thank you!0 -
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!0 -
One last tip- Try to be open-minded and excited going into it, if you can muster it. It's really easy to set up self-fulfilling prophecies... "Another diet to try, another failure to come, oh well, here goes..." 0
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One last tip- Try to be open-minded and excited going into it, if you can muster it. It's really easy to set up self-fulfilling prophecies... "Another diet to try, another failure to come, oh well, here goes..."
Very true! Thanks for pointing that out!0 -
Hi OP
As someone who has no thyroid and PCOS, I can say that trying to reduce my carbs has helped but I have lost weight in the past without this just by watching my calories. I do tend as much as possible to stay away from simple carbs however.
My first thought though was have you had your vitamin D levels checked? Many people that have problems with their thyroid also have a vitamin D deficiency which does not cause the weight gain but can make it harder to lose weight. If you search the message boards you will find some posts on this.0
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