Anyone on the South Beach diet? Looking for tips

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zozilla09
zozilla09 Posts: 45 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all - I started the SB diet 3 weeks ago. I've finished with Phase I and am testing out Phase II. Anyone been there....done that and have any tips? I read in the book by the time you finish Phase I you should be down roughly 12 lbs....well...not me! I'm not cheating on the plan and am wondering if maybe it's just not for me. I don't know. I of course lost the majority of my 7lbs the 1st week. I don't want to get frustrated this early on!

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  • kwamsat
    kwamsat Posts: 22 Member
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    My parents were on it for a long while...collectively I remember them losing a lot (75 lbs or so). I know that they hit a lot of plateaus and that is frustrating for anyone. They also followed it to a T which it sounds like you are doing as well. I know the hardest part for them was maintaining the lifestyle of the diet.

    Stick to it, maybe your body is just getting used to it and it is going to take you a little more time! Good Luck!!
  • Sabresgal63
    Sabresgal63 Posts: 641 Member
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    My advice is to just stick with it. I was on it for almost (6) months. I went on vacation and strayed and it just spiralled. I gained all my weight back and then some. I didn't stick with it long enough. It's a really good eating plan..............Good luck to you:bigsmile:
  • k4evans1
    k4evans1 Posts: 145 Member
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    How did you survive Phase 1?! SO HARD!
  • zozilla09
    zozilla09 Posts: 45 Member
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    Phase I was actually pretty easy for me. I only felt 'bad' one day. I think I liked it because I knew the guidelines and it was straight forward. I think that's why Phase II is scaring me....I have to make my own decisions about adding things back in....afraid I'll lose control because I don't do good with trial and error. I usually end up on the error side a lot...lol
  • ginandtonica
    ginandtonica Posts: 54 Member
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    I did South Beach off and on for years. I think that one of the important things to keep in mind is portion size. South Beach doesn't really give them. It just says to eat until you are full and no more. But what I have learned on MFP is that what goes in has to be less than what goes out, so I think portion control is the key. Watch your calories. Salad dressing has a ton, and SB lets you have as much as you like! As you head in to Phase 2, add back your carbs CAREFULLY, and no more than one or two per day. I was on SB (again!) when I found MFP. South Beach was always temporary for me because I found it ti be so restrictive that I could never sustain it. I hate being told what I CANT eat, and what I love about MFP is that if I want it I can have it, I just need to pay attention to how much. I have lost 11lbs in about 10 weeks and have eaten ice cream, rice, potatoes and/pr bread every day! Consider if you think you can keep up with SB for the long term or if you think you will feel denied. Phase 2 is steady weight loss and so is MFP. Maybe a combination of the 2 (limited carbs plus calorie counting) will keep you on track. Congrats on your 7lb loss...that really is huge for two weeks! Whatever route you go, keep logging in and keep up the good work!
  • RyanEdwardParker
    RyanEdwardParker Posts: 14
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    Hi there,
    I've tried the south beach some time ago and I gotta say, it is hard. Especially the first phase. It doesn't address cravings or how to mentally prepare you for the hungar pangs and this is probably why many people fail to follow through with it. I believe that there are other options out there that promise the same results but with less pain.

    I have successfully lost 170lbs, reduced my blood pressure from 160/110 to 120/80 and droped my waist size from 48 to 38 inch over the last 1.5 years. The best thing is, I didn't use fad diet or medication. The trick is to gain real and useful knowledge about how the body work, how to kill cravings etc. It is not that hard if you really want to know how to do it.

    If you're interested in my journey please visit me at my Zdiets.net site.

    Thanks.

    Ryan

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