Thinking of Starting South Beach
 

I am hoping people are still active in this forum since I noticed the last post was in February. But, I am going to try. I am thinking of starting South Beach. My issue is that we are told not to worry about calories and to listen to our bodies to let us know when we are full. I have let myself go so much that I don't think my body would send me that signal. Does anyone count calories? Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

I started with South Beach a little over 9 years ago, but have since progressed to Atkins. South Beach is fairly adamant about eating enough carbs to stay out of ketosis. One of the advantages of ketosis, however, is that it generally kills appetite, for at least a month or two, often much longer. It can be enough time to establish new eating habits with no hunger and get you off to a great start. If you are concerned about being able to recognize hunger/not hunger, this might be helpful for you.

Any particular reason you chose South Beach instead of Atkins?

Hi and welcome.

I lost all my weight on South Beach so I have a very soft spot for it in my heart. I believe the advice "don't worry about calories" is very helpful in the beginning when you are re-learning how to eat, and maybe learning for the first time in your life how to eat without grains and sugar. Personally, I found that if I counted carbs and kept them to under 50g per day, the calories took care of themselves. Once you're comfortable with this new way of eating you may or may not feel a need to include counting calories. I didn't count calories until I'd been maintaining my weight loss for many months and noticed a few pounds creeping back on. In the beginning you might be surprised to find that it is not very easy to overeat on nothing but protein and green leafy vegetables because they are so incredibly satiating without the added starches and sugars. It's the rice and pasta and bread, etc. that make us hungry.

I understand your concern about not relying on your body to send real hunger signals (I used to be the same way before low carbing). My suggestion would be to start out with three moderate meals of protein and veg + two small snacks (like, e.g. a stick of string cheese or slice of ham) and see how that goes. Use it as your baseline. If you don't feel satiated increase the protein and veg in your meals. I would not increase the size of the snacks - that can become a very slippery slope. On the other hand, if you are feeling full, I'd cut out the snacks first. If still full, then go for smaller portions of protein. . The first most essential step is to cut back on the carbs and eliminate those grains and sugars as much as you possibly can - and of course alcohol in the beginning.

The very best of luck to you, you can do this!

the way it works is there are 2 kinds of hunger. The 1st kind is the kind you get about 2 hours after eating a large mcdonalds french fries where you feel like "I have to eat now!!!" This is not hunger it is blood sugar crashing low.

The other kind is a more subtle signal from your stomach to your brain where you just kind of lose interest in the food on your plate. If you do south beach phase 1 for a week or two you will notice you no longer feel the ate french fries type of hunger, but you do feel the other kind of hunger.

If you do phase 1 for a week or two and eat the 3 meals including breakfast and the two snacks you relearn how to feel the real hunger because the blood sugar swings will end. Also you learn to eat slowly and stop when you are full even if you have to throw away 40 cents worth of extra food left on your plate..

There are food lists and meal plans further down in the thread.
Check them out, I found it help full to print them off. I had a copy on my frig, and one in my car to use when I went shopping.

Good Luck. :wave: