So I met a woman the other night who had lost 61 pounds on the South Beach Diet. She said it was fairly easy and was exercising too.



Anyone ever done the South Beach Diet successfully or known anyone who has?

Anyone have any info? I went to a couple of diet sites and they just sort of skimmed over it.

I BELIEVE it's kind of like Atkins, but you can have more fruit. Consumer Reports just did a review of 'diet' plans that might be good for you to look at it. (I think it was the June issue - I got my subscription delivery 2 weeks ago, but I can't find it right now to see what it said about South Beach.)

Of all the diet books and diet plans out their I like South Beach the best. Mainly because it teaches a lot about proper nutrition then allows you to think for yourself.

My roommate's on it. She's lost some eight (but she didn't have that much to lose in the first place!). It is similar to Atkins only it's more carbs. It's still a heck of a lot of meat, so I'll stick with WW :)

It's still a heck of a lot of meat
Actually, it's not. If you read the book you'll see that it stresses mostly eating greens and other veggies along with complex carbs high in fiber (whole grains, etc.) while eating a moderate amount of lean meats including chicken, fish, turkey, etc. Basically, it teaches about eating a balanced diet and how to eat healthy. Not the "avoid carbs at all costs and eat lots of meat" type of diet that is typically thought of as a "low carb" diet.

So, I have read the SBD book and the food companion and have been doing it for 6 days. I have lost 4.6 lb.



Bill is right. It stresses eating veggies, lean meats, and complex carbs that are high in fiber. It basically cuts out the crap; sugar, processed, and white flour stuff.

It has been fairly easy with just a few cravings usually when the kids are having dessert or sweets are right in front of me. I am going to stick with Phase One for 3 more weeks. I don't feel light headed or sluggish like some Atkins dieters report.

Wish me luck!

So, I have read the SBD book and the food companion and have been doing it for 6 days. I have lost 4.6 lb.
Keep up the good work! Keep in mind though that the 4.6 lbs you lost was probably mostly excess food (intestines can hold a lot of "stuff") and water weight (our bodies also hold on to excess water when we don't drink enough of it). I don't say this to rain on your parade. I'm just saying that you shouldn't expect those kinds of results to continue. So don't get discouraged if you're "only" losing about 1-2 lbs per week (which is actually a very healthy rate).

Another great thing about the SBD book is the great recipes. Lots of yummy stuff. Those recipes alone are worth the price.

Congratulations to everyone who has lost weight.

I just can't follow any diet anymore, although I really try to live a lower refined-carbohydrate lifestyle.

I'm told that the South Beach Diet is endorsed by the American Heart Association and that your SBD dinner plate looks a lot like the one pushed by the American Cancer Society, without the grains.

This article from USA Weekend (http://www.usaweekend.com/03_issues/030112/030112eatsmart.html) explains how foods of differing glycemic index change insulin response (diabetic or not) and what we should all aim for to feel great.

There's also a SBD website where most of the information is free, and the rest is available for a nominal fee (something like $5/month).

any diet that you do that cuts calories and incorporates exercise you will loose weight on.....:)

any diet that you do that cuts calories and incorporates exercise you will loose weight on.....:)
True. But how exactly does one go about cutting calories and still maintain proper nutrition? It seems to me that most people don't really know how to eat a sensible, well balanced diet and not overeat at the same time. That's where diet plans like South Beach or Weight Watchers come in. Also, one can have more success in losing weight if they can learn how to properly feed their metabolism. Simply cutting calories can be detrimental to a high metabolism if you don't know what you are doing. That's why so many diets fail.

Also, many people grossly underestimate how many calories they think they should be eating in order to lose weight. When eating right you can actually eat a lot more than you think and not only lose the weight but keep it off without having to ever "go off" the diet.

That's cool Renta!
Tell me what a typical day(menu) on South Beach would be like?
I haven't smoked cigerettes for 6 weeks now (very hard, but doing it!) however, I have now put on 10- 15 pounds in that same time frame. It's aweful. Not smoking is like having PMS everyday.:) I started on the treadmill, but I need to diet I think.

I haven't smoked cigerettes for 6 weeks now

Yay, Disneygirl65! That is huge.

Yay, Disneygirl65! That is huge.

I agree completely!

YAY YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Whit- what are you doing on this side of the tracks? ;)


WOW Disneygirl65!!! Good job!

DG65, I will tell you what I ate today since you asked:

Breakfast
2 scrambled eggs; coffee w/ ff milk and Splenda

Lunch
salad w/ Romaine lettuce, cucs, tomatoes, grilled chicken and ranch dressing
Iced Tea w/ Splenda and lemon

Dinner
grilled chicken breast-it was marinated in lime and garlic
1/2 c. pinto beans (my homemade ones). I know they have carbs but good carbs and are allowed
steamed aspargus w/ a little Benecol(sp?) butter sub.

Snacks
low carb pb patty (like a Resee's- really!!!)

pistachios

string cheese


I probabaly won't eat anything else tonight.

True. But how exactly does one go about cutting calories and still maintain proper nutrition? It seems to me that most people don't really know how to eat a sensible, well balanced diet and not overeat at the same time. That's where diet plans like South Beach or Weight Watchers come in. Also, one can have more success in losing weight if they can learn how to properly feed their metabolism. Simply cutting calories can be detrimental to a high metabolism if you don't know what you are doing. That's why so many diets fail.

Also, many people grossly underestimate how many calories they think they should be eating in order to lose weight. When eating right you can actually eat a lot more than you think and not only lose the weight but keep it off without having to ever "go off" the diet.

well, I'm sure if anyone is serious about losing weight they wouldn't follow a fad and they would do research or consult their doctor to figure out the caloric intake and how to eat properly to get the right nutrition.

I tends to follow weight watchers, btu I do not buy low fat food or change the way I cook things. I did that once and found I would not continue to do that once the weight was lost. Now I follow weight watchers, but make it fit my lifestyle...instead of chaning my life style to fit weight watchers. So, far I have lost 8 pounds. :)

Hey Whit- what are you doing on this side of the tracks? ;)




Slumming. ;)

Eh, I could stand to loss 15 pounds or so. :|

Now I follow weight watchers, but make it fit my lifestyle...instead of chaning my life style to fit weight watchers. So, far I have lost 8 pounds. :)
And to me, that's the real advantage of Weight Watchers.

For those of you who might be 'ancient' enough to hear/experience the long list of foods you can't eat, the REQUIREMENT to eat liver X number of days per week, etc -- the program has REALLY changed. Nothing is "off limits" but you have to decide if it's worth it to use your points on it!

well, I'm sure if anyone is serious about losing weight they wouldn't follow a fad and they would do research or consult their doctor to figure out the caloric intake and how to eat properly to get the right nutrition.
That would be a good way to go. Unfortunately, it isn't the trend. Many people are serious about wanting to lose weight, but either they don't want to bother with their doctor or don't think he/she can really help them. (How many here have overweight doctors? Would you ask them for nutrition advice?) Nutrition specialists or personal trainers can also be expensive.

What do most people do when trying to lose weight? Follow the advice of friends, magazines, news stories, fads, etc. This can often include the all too familiar rice-cake diet, eating very low calorie foods with no nutritional value. Or cutting out carbs entirely without knowing exactly what they are doing.

South Beach is definitely not a fad. It teaches very sound nutritional information while returning to the basics instead of starving yourself or cutting out a major macronutrient. Much like WW, but instead of assigning points to food it teaches you about food and nutritional "common sense."

Wow Renta, I just read the book and I see that I need to get the food companion after reading your post above. Being an RN I have taken nutrition courses etc...and should know better than to eat the way I normally eat.. but I am a big time stress eater and got into my old bad habits again last year and put the 30 lbs I had lost then, back on...so now instead of WW, which I think is an awesome plan I am starting South Beach to hopefully change the way my body will respond to food...
After reading the book I saw myself in the habits/eating patterns exactly as described...I want to try to break the cycle and maintain a healthy eating program for the rest of my life.
I have had a lot of people be really negative about South Beach to me...but most of them are other nurses who are also overweight and I think afraid to try another diet in case it fails...so I came here looking for support and this thread did just that!! I also talked to my Dr. on friday and she is very happy that I am going to try South Beach stating it is the healthiest way to eat and maintain a healthy eating style.
She did warn me against staying on phase 1 longer than 2 weeks to three weeks and suggested that if it helps me lose weight better to do phase 1 for 1-2 weeks after each month on phase 2. That sounds logical as it would prevent me from getting fed up with the diet...lol. This also sounds like a good idea as I have a LOT of weight to lose at this time!!
Phew...this is wordy...sorry...
Anyway...day 1 and I will be checking into the accountability thread each day to tell you how I am doing and to get lifted up reading others successes. Is that even a word?? lol

I just want to say that I do not recommend the South Beach or Atkins diet wholeheartedly. I have a problem with the amount of meat, especially if you have a history of heart problems in your family. With that said, I do know someone that was on that diet and they did lose weight but with the extra meat intake...they had a heart attack in the early 30s. So as his cardiologist has suggested, please visit a nutritionist using your medical plan. They'd be able to help you devise an eating plan and exercise plan.

With that said, I do know someone that was on that diet and they did lose weight but with the extra meat intake...they had a heart attack in the early 30s.
It could have been due to a genetic predisposition to heart disease though, and not actually caused by the diet.

A few years ago I lost a lot of weight on a low-carb diet. It wasn't exactly Atkins or South Beach. It was just kind of a do-it-yourself diet. I wouldn't say I did it "the right way" in that I wasn't really following a sound nutritional plan. Very little fiber, lots of meat. Even red meat. I had my cholesterol levels checked before I lost the weight and after. My cholesterol actually improved a great deal. Many people also experience improved levels of cholesterol after having gone on Atkins or South Beach. In fact, South Beach was actually written by a cardiologist.

(Now, I wouldn't recommend what I did to everyone. It's not nutritionally sound and could result in long term ill effects. Not only did I lose fat but I lost muscle too, which can hurt your weight maintenance. I have since learned more about nutrition and everything I have read points to the South Beach diet as being a very simple nutritional plan whether you want to lose weight or just eat right.)

So I'm thinking meat alone isn't responsible for heart disease. There are many other "bad fats" in our diets that can be even more significant. Or it could be due to the common high fat, high sugar, low fiber diets most people eat.

It could have been due to a genetic predisposition to heart disease though, and not actually caused by the diet.
.


Very true but his cardiologist did say that it put his heart attack on fast track. BTW- this was my husband. Anyway, speaking with his cardiologist, he got slapped on the wrist for going on such a diet but they also fault themselves for not realizing he was at high risk. Like you said, there are many bad fats out there besides red meat. He has taken out red meat completely from his diet. They set him up with a nutritionist that has guided him to better eating and exercise. I was just trying to suggest that people try that as well because I have become wary of "fad" diets.

Good luck to everyone!

He has taken out red meat completely from his diet.
And, as I stated before, South Beach recommends avoiding red meat. It suggests that if you're going to eat meat (note the "if") to eat lean meats like chicken, turkey, or fish (especially fish).

There's that word "fad" again. If South Beach is just a fad then why would the new and improved food pyramid (http://www.mypyramid.gov/) be so very similar to what is taught in South Beach? The real fad diets I see a lot are often found on the front cover of magazines at the grocery store check out. "Lose 10 lbs in 10 days." "Get ready for summer with the 'Peanut Butter Diet'." And so on... Most of these fad diets focus on quick results instead of long term benefits. The diets that you have to "go off of" are the ones you need to watch out for.

I agree Bill...and remember that there are two kinds of cholesterol...good cholesterol (ie: olive oil. avacado etc.) and bad cholesterol. Also your genes are the main factor in 1/2 of your cholesterol level. What was the health of your parents, grandparents, siblings etc.
All things in moderation!!!