South Beach Diet?

[cactusflower]

Has anyone tried or is on the South Beach diet? How much success did you have?

[cawagner01]

If this counts, I eat alot of the South Beach Diet foods. Frozen meals, pizzas, protien bars, etc. They seem to have a good balance of protien, fiber and unsaturated (healthy) fats in their food without alot of sugar.

[Twerp]

I'll probably get shot for saying this, but a lot of the times when I start with someone that's never been on a strict diet and can't really follow a meal plan I recommend a slightly modified South Beach Diet.

Fundamentally it's a low-carb diet, which I like.

Has anyone tried or is on the South Beach diet? How much success did you have?

[cactusflower]

I'll probably get shot for saying this, but a lot of the times when I start with someone that's never been on a strict diet and can't really follow a meal plan I recommend a slightly modified South Beach Diet.

Fundamentally it's a low-carb diet, which I like.

LOL why would you get shot for saying that? I am about to embark on the South Beach Diet train myself and just wondered what the feedback was. I have the training part down...just need to to get the eating fixed .... Do you think it's necessary to follow the meals exactly for instance I saw a breakfast that had bacon...I don't like bacon.

[Eileen]

I like a lot of things about SB, but I'm a little worried about his take on margarines (he likes) and statins (he likes a lot). If you do a whole food version of SB, where you avoid the fake foods and transfats, it should work for you.

You might like to have a look at the Keto forum, where there are a lot of people doing various low carb diets, but all tailored towards training and bodybuilding.

[cactusflower]

I like a lot of things about SB, but I'm a little worried about his take on margarines (he likes) and statins (he likes a lot). If you do a whole food version of SB, where you avoid the fake foods and transfats, it should work for you.

You might like to have a look at the Keto forum, where there are a lot of people doing various low carb diets, but all tailored towards training and bodybuilding.

Thanks I'll check it out!

[Tiffany_P]

I'll probably get shot for saying this, but a lot of the times when I start with someone that's never been on a strict diet and can't really follow a meal plan I recommend a slightly modified South Beach Diet.

Fundamentally it's a low-carb diet, which I like.

I ALWAYS recommend this diet to people. I think it's the best "normal person" diet out there.

[Twerp]

Tiffany_P - I agree entirely. Where I say modified is that I struggle to recommend some unhealthy foods (i.e. regular bacon) to people. I try and replace the unhealthy fats with healthier fats or at least better choices i.e. turkey bacon as opposed to bacon.

[Eileen]

Bacon can be a very healthy food if it's cured without lots of nitrite and salt and presersatives. One of the principles of SB is that fat is not unhealthy, it's the refined carbs that are often full of fat that do the damage.

[Amanda76]

I think it's a great, healthy way to eat...My mom was on it for a while and I really enjoyed eating at her house while she was on it (one of the few times I could go to her house and know I could eat what they were eating...LOL). The closest my mom came to preparing crap was eating lunch meat, turkey bacon and low fat cheese with some weird ingredients in it.

If you follow the meal plans in the book (as laid out) it's EXPENSIVE. As you get used to the plan you could probably get to where you do more of your own thing while following the pricipals though.

I'd stay away from the packaged foods as much as possible...

[Tiffany_P]

Tiffany_P - I agree entirely. Where I say modified is that I struggle to recommend some unhealthy foods (i.e. regular bacon) to people. I try and replace the unhealthy fats with healthier fats or at least better choices i.e. turkey bacon as opposed to bacon.

I didn't realize that bacon was part of the SB plan! I thought SB was different from Atkins because it actually distinguished between good fats and bad fats, good carbs and bad carbs. Hmm... maybe I should actually read it before I keep recommending it to people LOL!

[Amanda76]

I didn't realize that bacon was part of the SB plan! I thought SB was different from Atkins because it actually distinguished between good fats and bad fats, good carbs and bad carbs. Hmm... maybe I should actually read it before I keep recommending it to people LOL!

You'd THINK things like that would kind of be common sense. LOL Like I said, my mom somehow had most of that kind of thing figured out because I was able to eat clean minus a few overly processed meats and cheeses while she was on it (I'm a known food nazi when I'm dieting...I'd have noticed if she had anything particularly bad in her fridge ). It had been a LONG time since I'd seen such a lovely array of veggies around her house and pretty much everything she made while on South Beach was from scratch.

Now, she did South Beach before they had a food product line...makes me wonder if it's changed a bit BECAUSE of that product line...

[SeaJules]

I eat similar to a southbeach diet with out the regiment.

[cactusflower]

I think it's a great, healthy way to eat...My mom was on it for a while and I really enjoyed eating at her house while she was on it (one of the few times I could go to her house and know I could eat what they were eating...LOL). The closest my mom came to preparing crap was eating lunch meat, turkey bacon and low fat cheese with some weird ingredients in it.

If you follow the meal plans in the book (as laid out) it's EXPENSIVE. As you get used to the plan you could probably get to where you do more of your own thing while following the pricipals though.

I'd stay away from the packaged foods as much as possible...

Thanks Amanda! and Tiffany and twerp I haven't seen a SOuth Beach food line here in Canada so I don't know if we have it.... I wondered about the bacon...I don't even like it.

[Amanda76]

Thanks Amanda! and Tiffany and twerp I haven't seen a SOuth Beach food line here in Canada so I don't know if we have it.... I wondered about the bacon...I don't even like it.

If it's mainly a bacon for breakfast thing, go out and get you some omega 3 enriched eggs (from vegetarian fed hens who have had flax added to their feed) and you'll have a good source of fatty protein as a replacement. Ain't nothin' irreplaceable about fried pork.

[LoveCode3]

I had a lot of success on the South Beach Diet. The first 2 weeks are the hardest but after that, it's really not that hard to stick to.

There are so many recipes available for dinners, snacks, etc. It really has controlled the huge sweet tooth I used to have...and it was really bad

[Eileen]

Just to clarify, saturated fats are good fats. For years, they've been lumping in saturated fats with transfats when they do studies and then sat fats get blamed for all the problems caused by transfats.

You can eat eggs and meat until they come out of your ears, they won't cause any health problems (in fact, there are some very large scales studies which show that the older women who eat the most sat fats have the strongest bones and the longest life expectency). Transfats are the evil ones which will clog up your arteries and give you heart disease.

Transfats are found in margarine, deep fried foods, partially hydrogenated vegetables oils, baked good and processed food in general.

Interesting snippet. When they actually analysed the composition of the fatty deposits inside diseased arteries, they found it was 70% polyunsaturated fat.

[cactusflower]

If it's mainly a bacon for breakfast thing, go out and get you some omega 3 enriched eggs (from vegetarian fed hens who have had flax added to their feed) and you'll have a good source of fatty protein as a replacement. Ain't nothin' irreplaceable about fried pork.

Awesome to know! Thanks Amanda!

I had a lot of success on the South Beach Diet. The first 2 weeks are the hardest but after that, it's really not that hard to stick to.

There are so many recipes available for dinners, snacks, etc. It really has controlled the huge sweet tooth I used to have...and it was really bad

Yes I was noticing the recipes in the book seem quite easy and abundant. Which is great for me since I'm sometimes lost in the kitchen. I am anxious for my cravings to go away!

Just to clarify, saturated fats are good fats. For years, they've been lumping in saturated fats with transfats when they do studies and then sat fats get blamed for all the problems caused by transfats.

You can eat eggs and meat until they come out of your ears, they won't cause any health problems (in fact, there are some very large scales studies which show that the older women who eat the most sat fats have the strongest bones and the longest life expectency). Transfats are the evil ones which will clog up your arteries and give you heart disease.

Transfats are found in margarine, deep fried foods, partially hydrogenated vegetables oils, baked good and processed food in general.

Interesting snippet. When they actually analysed the composition of the fatty deposits inside diseased arteries, they found it was 70% polyunsaturated fat.

Good to know!

[cactusflower]

I had a lot of success on the South Beach Diet. The first 2 weeks are the hardest but after that, it's really not that hard to stick to.

There are so many recipes available for dinners, snacks, etc. It really has controlled the huge sweet tooth I used to have...and it was really bad

Just checked out your profile...I am currently in the process of getting on to one of our local police forces My dream job!!!

[cleanfreak]

I agree with the principles of the SB diet, but I don't eat packaged foods so I can't say much for the food. But the whole food version is very healthy as long as you stick to healthy fats.

[bluebird88]

I am starting SB tomorrow...I've heard good things about it!

[cactusflower]

I am starting SB tomorrow...I've heard good things about it!

Yippee!!!! Today is my fist day and it has been a bit hard not having any carbs But I perservere and down a ton of water! LOL

[LindaMT]

Just to clarify, saturated fats are good fats. For years, they've been lumping in saturated fats with transfats when they do studies and then sat fats get blamed for all the problems caused by transfats.

You can eat eggs and meat until they come out of your ears, they won't cause any health problems (in fact, there are some very large scales studies which show that the older women who eat the most sat fats have the strongest bones and the longest life expectency). Transfats are the evil ones which will clog up your arteries and give you heart disease.

Transfats are found in margarine, deep fried foods, partially hydrogenated vegetables oils, baked good and processed food in general.

Interesting snippet. When they actually analysed the composition of the fatty deposits inside diseased arteries, they found it was 70% polyunsaturated fat.

So glad to see someone has been doing their homework on this topic! You are absolutely, 100% right. I stopped eating margarine (Smart Balance) and started eating real butter, real eggs (no egg beaters), and real cheese (no low fat and all foods organic) and my cholesterol dropped from 239 to under 200 in 6 months. I also eat bacon with no nitrites or nitrates and I'm fine. I highly suggest a book called "The Schwartzbein Principle". She explains how fat, protein and carbs are metabolized - and they are not metabolized and used the same way in your body. In following her advice, I lost a bunch of weight and my cholesterol levels came way down. Amazing. A rep for you, my dear

[LoveCode3]

Just checked out your profile...I am currently in the process of getting on to one of our local police forces My dream job!!!

Go for it! It's the best job I've ever had. I love going to work every day and sometimes I can't believe I get paid to do it

[Ever84]

I did the south beach diet after my son was born and lost a good 20 lbs in 2 months. At the time I was 2 months post partum....

[cactusflower]

I did the south beach diet after my son was born and lost a good 20 lbs in 2 months. At the time I was 2 months post partum....

Wow that's awesome! I am currently 144 lbs some of is fat for sure but I also have a lot of muscle so I'm not sure how much I can expect to lose in the first two weeks. The diet claims 8-14 lbs in phase 1.

[Eileen]

Don't worry about the scales. When you can see your abs and have visible veins on your arms, you are well cut. Even when I have veins popping, I'm still heavier than the BMI tables recommend, but I know that's as low as I can safely go.

[cactusflower]

Don't worry about the scales. When you can see your abs and have visible veins on your arms, you are well cut. Even when I have veins popping, I'm still heavier than the BMI tables recommend, but I know that's as low as I can safely go.

Thanks Eileen! I am actually intending to use my clothes as my "scale". I have a bunch of size 6 clothes that don't fit anymore and even some size 4's. The veins in my arms I want, have never had them but WANT!