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@banana2girl

The South Beach Way of Eating (aka: diet)
Posted on 3/09/2013 by Sabine_Stroehm
I've thought long and hard about whether or not I wanted to write this. Then I decided to write it for me.
Day after day I see and hear people who are trying to lose weight say they aren't "on a diet". They are. They are counting calories, or counting carbs, or drinking shakes all with the goal of losing weight.
South Beach Diet is one much demonized approach to losing weight. Is it really bad?
Here's my story:
I grew up eating crap, ding dongs, bologna, white bread, coke, and later big macs and beer.
I worked out and was active, so luckily I never got fat. My weight and body fat were creeping up, however.
Abou 12 years ago, I decided it was time to take charge. I read up on the mediterranean diet and everything else. And I read about the glycemic index, glycemic load, and, when it came out, I read the South Beach Diet book.
I made up my own approach that was a combo of mediterranean and later, the South Beach. I lost weight. I kept eating that way. I kept weight off. I've still kept it off. But, I have no doubt that if I had done South Beach, and then kept eating right, I'd also still be maintaining. In other words: I know South Beach would work for me, because my daily eating mirrors phase 3.
The basic principles of South Beach are: eat fresh vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low fat dairy. AKA: food.
There is a restrictive phase 1 which the author/cardiologist says is optional if you don't have binging/craving issues with sugars and white breads. Folks lose water weight, and a few pounds, while weaning off the sweets.
Then you begin the diet itself, which he calls phase 2.
You eat vegetables, whole grains including breads, lean meats and low fat dairy. You limit fast burning starchy carbs like white potatoes, in favor of healther options (like sweet potatoes). You can have wine. You can have dark chocolate. You're encouraged to have snacks.
You don't count calories. You don't count carbs.
When you've lost the weight, you ease back a bit, and allow yourself a few more luxuries. (corn chips!) You get on with your life, but follow the principles of making most of your meals from vegetables, whole grains including breads, lean meats and low fat dairy
Does this sound like a fad diet?
When I was losing weight I followed those very principles: vegetables, whole grains including breads, lean meats and low fat dairy. Posters on MFP extoll the virtues of eating vegetables, whole grains including breads, lean meats and low fat dairy. But add a name to it, and now it's a diet. And therefore bad.
Folks have no issue damning the South Beach Diet as low carb (it's not) as "too restrictive" (there's no counting!, you are currently counting on your non-diet!), as a fad diet (eating vegetables, whole grains including breads, lean meats and low fat dairy is a fad?)
Everyone here is good at losing weight. Everyone here believes this time they will keep the weight off. Time will tell. Most people gain it back. I hope everyone here is the exception.
My question is how is counting to lose weight and counting to maintain weight somehow superior to eating vegetables, whole grains including breads, lean meats and low fat dairy?
Wouldn't eating a balanced diet for the rest of your life be a better bet?