South Beach Diet success any tips just got the book today please be positive

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hi I just recently returned to my Fitness Pal and trying to find a healthy lifestyle change that works for me and thinking about trying the South Beach Diet just got the book today was wondering about success stories& tips Thanks;)
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  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Divamomma,

    No matter what diet you choose, you need to make sure you eat less calories than you burn in order to lose weight. I suggest getting a food scale, weighing your food, and logging everything you eat. If you exercise, eat about half of your calories back, especially if you get your calories burns from gym machines or the MFP database because those amounts are overstated.

    The only magic any diet has is the magic you give it based on your own personal preference.
  • Divamomma
    Divamomma Posts: 66 Member
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    Thanks this very helpful. I appreciate it very much thank you please feel free to add me if you like:)
  • kelseymallen
    kelseymallen Posts: 85 Member
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    In the first stage of The South Beach Diet, you can't eat fruit which supplies a lot of your potassium. If you do end up with low blood potassium, you could start getting very painful muscle cramps. If this happens, you can buy a potassium supplement at the pharmacy to help.
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    Any plan where you are in a deficient works. If you follow it 100% of the time. It is when you do it for 2 days, then the 3rd, eat something not on the plan or over your calories, then get back on it, for 1 day, then the 5th have "cheat meal". Then it doesn't work. You have to ask yourself if you can do this kind of plan forever. If so, great. More power to you, 100%. Not 98%, not 49%.

    I have 2 friends that are Type 2 Diabetics and are talking about doing Atkins, which is a good idea for health in the long run (if you aren't worried about a heart attack) - if you can follow it for life. If you can't NEVER eat cake, cookies, candy, pasta, rice etc for the rest of your life you need to figure out a way to eat that you can enjoy those things in moderation.

    Diets, in whole, are typically used for a short period of time. Ways of eating are for life. Be honest to yourself if you can do this forever. If not, look into IIFYM.

    Good luck!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2015
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    The only magic any diet has is the magic you give it based on your own personal preference.

    This. If you find it helpful to have a structure to get started, my understanding is that the SB structure isn't a bad one (lots of whole foods, protein, vegetables) and could well give you some meal ideas and habits to build on going forward, but remember how the diet part of it works is how any other diet works, by cutting calories. So go for it but make sure you learn what you can about what works and doesn't work for you, what you like, so on, and don't feel like there's some magic to particular formulas (like food combinations or macro ratios) or anything like that.

    Also pay attention when you log and maybe look back over your logs every week. It's really helpful to connect what you eat with how you feel and (especially if you are a beginner in this kind of thing) see where your calories are coming from, what foods are giving you protein or fiber or the like, so on.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Why not just eat at a caloric deficit?
  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
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    The only difference in eating low carb out of need vs want is whether or not you can stick to it. Low carb, regardless of the plan you follow doesn't HAVE to be boring but it can be. Try new foods or cook old foods differently. Remember that substitutes, think cauliflower crust pizza, will NOT be the same as the real stuff but it can be a good trade off. I've actually gotten to the point where I prefer low carb alternatives because they taste better and I feel better. Good luck to you and feel free to friend me if want low carb friends.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I credit SB diet with helping me learn how to eat healthy. I had started a mediterranean approach, lost the weight, and then the SB book came out.
    I read it, and the updated book.
    I incorporated many of its principles and my diet looks quite a bit like phase 3.
    It's a great way to learn (and a nice approach if you don't like calorie counting).

    Don't worry about missing potassium if you choose to do the optional 2 week phase one.
    Leafy greens actually have more potassium than most fruits. Don't worry about the "low carb" comments. Since it's not a low carb diet.

    If SB helps you get into a groove, more power to you.

    There's a group. Maybe send some of the folks there a friend request.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/8279-south-beach-way-of-life

    Best of luck. Feel free to friend me. I don't log and I'm at maintenance, but I do post yummy meal ideas, most of which would be SB friendly.


  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Why not just eat at a caloric deficit?

    Why can't she follow SB? It is, after, a calorie deficit plan. Maybe she won't like it and quit. Maybe OP will like it and find it an easy lifestyle and will stick to it. Either way she's learned something new that will most likely benefit her. It almost feels like a taboo for someone to come here and ask about anything but straight CICO. Different people respond well to different methods.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Why not just eat at a caloric deficit?

    Why not do SB?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    herrspoons wrote: »
    Sugarbeat wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Why not just eat at a caloric deficit?

    Why can't she follow SB? It is, after, a calorie deficit plan. Maybe she won't like it and quit. Maybe OP will like it and find it an easy lifestyle and will stick to it. Either way she's learned something new that will most likely benefit her. It almost feels like a taboo for someone to come here and ask about anything but straight CICO. Different people respond well to different methods.

    That's why.

    But, yeah. People should make their own mistakes.

    What of all the people who try MFP and quit? Is that a mistake as well?
  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
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    herrspoons wrote: »
    Sugarbeat wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Why not just eat at a caloric deficit?

    Why can't she follow SB? It is, after, a calorie deficit plan. Maybe she won't like it and quit. Maybe OP will like it and find it an easy lifestyle and will stick to it. Either way she's learned something new that will most likely benefit her. It almost feels like a taboo for someone to come here and ask about anything but straight CICO. Different people respond well to different methods.

    That's why.

    But, yeah. People should make their own mistakes.

    So why bother trying to count calories? Maybe they won't like THAT and quit.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Sugarbeat wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Why not just eat at a caloric deficit?

    Why can't she follow SB? It is, after, a calorie deficit plan. Maybe she won't like it and quit. Maybe OP will like it and find it an easy lifestyle and will stick to it. Either way she's learned something new that will most likely benefit her. It almost feels like a taboo for someone to come here and ask about anything but straight CICO. Different people respond well to different methods.

    I didn't say she can't. I said why not just eat at a caloric deficit.
    My statement was made, because I don't believe in having to give up anything.
  • prettygirlstorm1
    prettygirlstorm1 Posts: 722 Member
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    I tried it for two weeks and lost about 10 pounds. It was too restrictive for me. I started eating the foods that I could not have before doing the diet and gained almost of all of the weight back. Those diets are good for a jump start. I could not do it for the long haul. Good luck to you
  • dwarfiegodsmack
    dwarfiegodsmack Posts: 317 Member
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    vada44 wrote: »
    I tried it for two weeks and lost about 10 pounds. It was too restrictive for me. I started eating the foods that I could not have before doing the diet and gained almost of all of the weight back. Those diets are good for a jump start. I could not do it for the long haul. Good luck to you

    Doesn't sound like a very good jump start to me if you were just about right back where you started from. Sounds more like 2 wasted weeks
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Sugarbeat wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Why not just eat at a caloric deficit?

    Why can't she follow SB? It is, after, a calorie deficit plan. Maybe she won't like it and quit. Maybe OP will like it and find it an easy lifestyle and will stick to it. Either way she's learned something new that will most likely benefit her. It almost feels like a taboo for someone to come here and ask about anything but straight CICO. Different people respond well to different methods.

    I didn't say she can't. I said why not just eat at a caloric deficit.
    My statement was made, because I don't believe in having to give up anything.
    You don't believe it for you? Or for everyone on the planet trying to lose weight?
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    If you're going to choose a non-counting diet, that's a great one. For me, counting calories is never more than a short-term thing. I'd rather eat most of my foods from certain groups and not have to micromanage the calories, plus it has other health benefits over just 'eat all the stuff but count it all'.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    vada44 wrote: »
    I tried it for two weeks and lost about 10 pounds. It was too restrictive for me. I started eating the foods that I could not have before doing the diet and gained almost of all of the weight back. Those diets are good for a jump start. I could not do it for the long haul. Good luck to you

    Sounds like you glanced at a plan and jumped into it without understanding it. But wow, 10 LBS in two weeks!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Sugarbeat wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Why not just eat at a caloric deficit?

    Why can't she follow SB? It is, after, a calorie deficit plan. Maybe she won't like it and quit. Maybe OP will like it and find it an easy lifestyle and will stick to it. Either way she's learned something new that will most likely benefit her. It almost feels like a taboo for someone to come here and ask about anything but straight CICO. Different people respond well to different methods.

    I didn't say she can't. I said why not just eat at a caloric deficit.
    My statement was made, because I don't believe in having to give up anything.
    You don't believe it for you? Or for everyone on the planet trying to lose weight?
    Pretty clear
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Sugarbeat wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Why not just eat at a caloric deficit?

    Why can't she follow SB? It is, after, a calorie deficit plan. Maybe she won't like it and quit. Maybe OP will like it and find it an easy lifestyle and will stick to it. Either way she's learned something new that will most likely benefit her. It almost feels like a taboo for someone to come here and ask about anything but straight CICO. Different people respond well to different methods.

    I didn't say she can't. I said why not just eat at a caloric deficit.
    My statement was made, because I don't believe in having to give up anything.
    You don't believe it for you? Or for everyone on the planet trying to lose weight?
    Pretty clear
    For you. Got it.