Haven't logged on here lately but have certainly missed all the great advice. I am coping with Hashimoto's and other autoimmune issues that are also surfacing, but have decided I am going to give South Beach a shot this time.

My only major concern is that I know we will have alcohol 2 - 3 times per week (after Phase 1 of course!) and am wondering how this can fit in? I have just been reading the threads that compared the SBD to the old Weight Watcher's exchange program and that is just wonderful information! Exactly what I needed to make this decision. I have also successfully (painfully) adhered to WW before for about 6 months and it worked with the wine because I exercised enough to balance it out. Since SB isn't so much about calorie restriction, I am finding a gray area here. If I know I am having some wine that day, should I just work out harder and longer to compensate, or should I skip some fruits and starches that day???

My endocrinologist suggests no more than 15 ro 20 carbs per meal as I am insulin resistant, hypoglycemic and have an autoimmune type diabetes (weird stuff - guess I chased those mosquito trucks too much as a kid! LOL~) Anyway, I have also successfully done Atkin's but that was before my metabolism changed with the thyroid and metabolic diseases. I noticed Atkin's only took me down to 143 last year, and so I have just been trying to "eat sensibly" since last July. Well, now I am higher than I have ever been at 150. Menopause and the thyroid mess makes it double whammy, even watching what I was eating, but I wasn't exercising enough (I know this - I am a retired fitness trainer!) So, now I have just gotten a Spirit XBR25 recumbent bike for Christmas and am going to try riding the heck out of that with SBD. I just love the bike and it doesn't hurt my joints so I am thinking this could be half of the equation.

So, I am back! A couple of my friends from Facebook will probably be seeing you all real soon also! Any thoughts or advice will be greatly appreciated! Can't wait for them to talk to you Judy.... and to all of you on the SB forum! I hope to see a 20 pound decrease with this plan.

Hello and welcome back!


I have to tell you that in my experience and IMO, when seeking weight loss, it truly is best to limit your alcohol intake to an absolute minimum or best, not at all. Maintenance is more lenient for alcohol. It does not matter what else you give up or how much exercise you do....when you drink, the alcohol burns first and all else just sits there.
Your health issues will impact your body's ability to shed weight and alcohol will impair it even further...so if you think that what you used to do will still work, think again.
While SBD is not so much about calorie restriction and not at all about counting carbs, rest ssured that at your current weight, calories will for sure play a big part in your ability to lose weight. You are not very overweight at all so you will need to watch calorie dense foods as they can rack up big numbers ie:cheese and nuts.
As I have learned and tell my friends around me, all the exercise in the world won't make a bit of difference to weight loss IF you don't get the food right for your body. You need to stop trying to exercise away your alcohol consumption. Sorry to be so blunt about this but as far as I'm concerned, this is a deal breaker.



You may want to rethink your goal weight. Your health issues maybe an aspect of that choice. Menopause coupled wth thyroid issues are big for all of us once we get past 50. I'm way ahead of you on this at 59 so I do know. But I am truly belssed with a healthy body( albeit sagging skin from 120 lbs weight loss)) for a woman my age.


I hope that I'm not the only person that chats with newbies here.

As for 20 lbs loss for you? I'm thinking more like 10-15 lbs....and yes, it will be painfully slow so get your head wrapped around that too.

Happy Holidays!!

Lots of great information as usual Judy. THANKS! So many things that seem doable on SB but unsure about the wine thing. My friends and I get together often and it's definitely a vice we don't want to part with. If it took me 3 or 4 months to lose this weight, I could maybe stand it....but any longer quite honestly isn't realistic. Sounds like you know it's going to come off painfully slow. Atkin's only drove me down 5 pounds last year, but as you pointed out here once, my calories were high from all the fat. Also, I realize my setpoint may be higher due to the other things you mentioned. I know I can get below 25% bodyfat, but man, that will take a lot of cycling and weight training for sure!!! I guess I could just try it like I am thinking for a month or two, since I can easily bike off 600 calories in a hour! I didn't have the bike before, and became unable to do enough exercise due to joint inflammations (probably another autoimmune thing....hope not, but will find out soon!) My thyroid meds seem to have finally upped my energy after 9 months of trial and error, and a lot of fatigue as well.

If you think it really can't work, please do let me know. I do trust your advice. As painful as WW was for me, it works if you exercise because you gain points through exercise plus you have 35 extra anytime points to use weekly. This is what alllowed for the wine and balanced the calories but I was definitely hungry all the time. I have also considered the Scwartzbein (my endocrinologist like this one) but haven't delved into it much as I have two or three other people that want to do this together as a group, and I don't know if they'd want to learn something else. Switching them from WW to SB seems easy enough!

ALso - what kinds of beans - I know like white or kidney beans, hummus, chick peas, but what about things like butterbeans and peas? Is it any in the "legume" family? I guess I better go and google!!

THANKS!!!!

Please see the **SBD Food lists** for answers on bean types... that are located in the SBD check in thread, 2nd and 3rd posts.

fyi- peas are considered a starchy veggie and not a bean/legume.
all lentils are part of the bean/legume category.

As for your time limit of a few months.... This is not something that we can go off of ever...it does need to become a permanent way of eating for life or you will forever be on the yo-yo carousel.
ME? I wanted to get off that yo-yo as I'd been on it for over 40 yrs of my life.

Learning to balance it all out has been key to my long term maintenance, 4 yrs now. I still eat the same way I ate to lose the weight and allow myself treats from time to time.

And as I said, exercisng to burn off calories is not the way to lose weight.....sorry but it is just how I see this. Eating right, well and consistently over time....are keys to weight loss. Although I am a very consistent moderate exerciser walking many(5-7) hours a day for my work 5 days a week. Strength training mixed with moderate aerobics would be better for you.

Uh oh....we are very social people that entertain a lot....as part of both of our businesses! I really may have to think on this some more and consider maybe returning to WW but modifying it some to be like SB with less carbs, no breads and no sugar. I haven't tried this kind of combination before, but have read about people being successful with this kind of hybrid plan. It looks like I may not be a good long term candidate for any "exact" plan, though I did like Atkin's the very best. As my metabolism changed, the high fat "thermogenic principle" quit working the way it does for some people.

I meant to say I could abstain from the wine if it would interfere with the first phases of weight loss program. I am not sure I'd be that determined if it meant cutting a very enjoyable part of my life out to be on the SB program (or any program!) I realize many people have to make the choice you did to succeed though and I applaud you for it. It takes strength to decide to make a big change and then to stick to it like you have. That's what I am here to learn - which plan will work for me that I can stick to for life. I do know the 20 pounds will come back if I veer too far from what got me to lose the weight!

I plan to add some heavier strength training after I can easily ride the bike for an hour plus do 30 minutes of abs, legs, arms with 5 - 8 lbs. I am kinda short and stocky and tend to build muscle easier than I can lose fat but I didn't get this way until the past 2 years. Aging isn't fun! So many more obstacles seem to present themselves that make you almost want to give up. I had kind of given up and that's how I climbed back up from 143 to 150. Seems I did stabilize here.....but this is not acceptable for me!

You are right about the 20 lbs. - at least not being easily maintainable. I did lose to 129 on WW and that lasted about a week! LOL! There was too much sugar on that plan for someone with reactive hypoglycemia. Atkin's won't get me below 143. So lots to think about. Have considered the GI plan as well.

Thanks for all of your help. I am not sure what I want to do at this point but you are helping me see SB may not be a perfect fit and I appreciate the time you have taken to respond to my questions. I am very glad it has worked so well for you and for others!!!

The way I see it is that no plan is a perfect fit for anyone...and that we each have to modify things to suit our needs/wants. I certainly have modified SB for me.

I did not mean to say that you need to give up alcohol for the rest of your life but surely until you are close to the weight you are trying to attain.

Learning to balance sugars/starches on a daily basis will be key for anyone who wants to not reqain weight lost. That and weighing regularly and adjusting carb + total calories intake for that day based on what the scale says....thats how I've been doing it for 4-5 yrs now. I float between the phases.

Most days I do eat 2 fruits and 1-2 starches....some more, some less...but that is where I do best. On the days when I do less movement, I eat less starches to compensate.

Personally I can lose weight and still drink wine on weekends but then again I am much heavier and much younger. That may just be the difference. Even more incentive for me to get this weight off now while its still relatively easy

Yes, younger and with an actual overweight situation does make yours a very different situation.
Not to mention perimenopause and having thyroid issues...both of which will require a different focus than yours.
Thanks for sharing!

Judy - please send me a thread link to look at the foods list. For some reason, I can't find it now.

I have just a few questions - maybe this is on the acceptable foods list. Forgive me if it is. Can we have:

1. Dannon nonfat plain yogurt (w/ splenda a,d vanilla extract)
2. field peas
3. Hoppin John's Black Eyed Peas w/ tomatoes and jalepenos

I am struggling with the beans requirement. I am not a big fan but they do seem to help stabilize my hypoglycemia quite a bit for some reason! Tried SB today for the first time, but haven't been to the store and am just using up what I have before New Year's. I like to kind of start out slow sometimes before I go all out at the grocery store, to make sure this is what I am going to do.

One more thing....hubby wants to do CAD. Doesn't it seem like his reward meal could be what I have for SB and it would be workable? So hard with him cause he REALLY is a carb addict plus he is not about to give up his wine at all...not for one night even....so that's why I am thinking CAD might be best for him.

THANKS SO MUCH!!! I am getting there. This is the list I printed. Tell me if it's wrong or outdated please.

http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/shoppinglist_p1.htm

Judy -
My first attempt at SB. Haven't gone to grocery store yet. Thought I'd try it and see how I felt first.

CAULIFLOWER, COOKED, - 1 cup
CHICKEN BREAST - 2 medium breasts total
EGG WHITE, COOKED - 1
EGGS, BOILED - 1
MAYONNAISE, LOW CALORIE OR DIET - 2 Tbs.
MIXED SALAD GREENS, RAW - 1 cup
OSCAR MAYER, TURKEY BREAST (SMOKED, FAT FREE) - 4 slices
PEANUT BUTTER, NATURAL - 1 Tbs.
PEAS, COW/FIELD/BLACKEYE COOKED, FROM CANNED - 1 cup
SMART BEAT UNSALTED LIGHT, TUB - 2 Tbs.
SWISS CHEESE - 1 slice
DANNON YOGURT, PLAIN, UNSWEETENED - 1 CUP

This came out to around 1400 calories on mypyramid.gov. (Of course, they frowned on no fruit, no grain, light dairy, and "high fat" by their definition.) Probably had to do with ratios - if I had eaten the grain and fruit they wanted, the % would have been much less.

Feel pretty hungry, but not like on Weight Watcher's. Could have had more veges but didn't have any. Just trying to get the hang of it.

Judy quote: Most days I do eat 2 fruits and 1-2 starches....some more, some less...but that is where I do best. On the days when I do less movement, I eat less starches to compensate.

Had to add here that my endocrinologist said that alcohol is treated by the body much the same way as starch or fruit, as far as the way the energy is broken down and then used or stored.

Could you do 2 weeks without the alcohol? Just first 2 weeks while you are on the phase 1? I noticed that it is soo much easier to stick to the plan if you have done first 2 weeks of clear phase 1 without ANY cheats. May you will not want it. First phase changes cravings for food.
As for the beans… I don’t like them either, but having some veggies with some hummus helps. Or make some veggies soup and add some beans to it.

here ya go:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=402009


yes, any non fat plain yogurt will work. you can add "no sugar added" flavor to it too.

Keep in mind that many of us eat hummus as part of our bean intake.

I really don't know what to tell your DH...let him give it a try his way. <shrug>
Here is the link to the list we have here, 2nd and 3rd posts. The list you found is very old and outdated and it doesn't even include the dairy which has been part of the plan for at least 5 yrs now.

Yes, you are way too light on the veggies...and you'll need to pay close attention to not eating processed meats due to the very high salt content in them.


It takes time and lots of experimenting to get it alll sorted out.




I'm not sure why you are sharing this with me
I told you this to just give you an idea of where I eat in maintenance...when I am not seeking weight loss. It is a different head set to not actually be seeking weight loss, ya know?
If and when I want to make the scale go down, which lately has been often, I do cut back on my fruits and starches. I float between the phases to manage my weight today.

Thanks Judy!!! Yes, I am definitely looking for the way to balance this all out for when I reach maintenance. Looking for something that will be a permanent way of eating. I am going to abstain as much as possible until at least 15 is gone this time. Of course, being a die hard fitness trainer and club owner for over 20 years, I have thoughts of my own about exercising and what it can and can not do for people. I have assisted others in making major transformations, just with exercise alone. Judy, you could be right that my body has changed now, and what worked before might not work now, but I am hard headed and from an older school of thought (yes, the no pain, no gain one!) I have high expectations for this new exercise bike and my new different food regimine! I have already lost 1.5 pounds since last week and am very excited. I so hope this will continue!

I am not quite as satisfied as I was on Atkin's all those years, but it certainly is better than WW as far as the hunger level! I was successful on Atkin's and remained on it for over four years. Over time, as my metabolism changed, and my weight crept up a little so I tried WW. I now wish I had tried SB firt as I think it works on the same principles, just slightly different from Atkin's. Almost seems like the happy medium between the two schools of thought...if there is such a thing!!!

Didn't fare as well today as yesterday. Think it has to do with hormones / very irregular cycles and then finally having a bad TOM show up today out of no where. I carried on though I sure didn't have the best day mentally or physically. Guess it could be something akin to Atkin's induction flu since I am only on day 2. Felt hungry and kind of weak a lot, especially after I worked out, like I couldn't be satisfied with the small snacks. Then cooked a chili recipe that came out kinda yucky. I know some days are going to be easier. Good to know I can go have some chicken breast or salad if I must. Still feel hungry but in a hypglyocemic kind of way. Going to eneter foods and see how I did, then think about the salad.

AMERICAN/CHEDDAR CHEESE, shredded - 1/4 cup
BEANS, STRING, GREEN,
BROCCOLI, Steamed
CELERY, RAW
CHICKEN, GROUND - 1 cup
EGGS, BOILED - 3
HUMMUS - 1 Tablespoon
KIDNEY BEANS, added to chili - 1/3 cup
MIXED SALAD GREENS, RAW - 1 cup
MUSHROOMS, RAW - 1 cup
OLIVE OIL - 2 or 3 tbs. -
ONIONS, MATURE, RAW - 1/2 of a small
PEAS, COW/FIELD/BLACKEYE, 1/3 cup
SWISS PROCESSED CHEESE PRODUCT, REDUCED FAT - 1 small slice
TOMATOES, CANNED, LOW SODIUM - rinsed
TURKEY, EXTRA LEAN- 3 very thin slices
YOGURT, PLAIN, NONFAT MILK - 1/2 cup
3 TBS flax seed - made very small MIM

Calories about 1530/ Calories burned from workout about 500