My Mom was told to switch from atkins (which didn't work for her at all but did for me) to South Beach. My Mom has ordered the book but would like to start doing the diet while she waits and I found her the basic info on doing the diet but she has a few questions and I figured this would be the best place to find info for her, so here goes....

Are carbs counted on South Beach and if so how many can you have during the different phases

Only lean meats are encouraged on this plan right?

Any help would be appreciated...Thanks!

Hi!
I just started a few weeks ago but I can tell you that lean meat is not the only protein they prefer we eat. They actually like alot of fish and chicken too, no skin!!
Phase I has you off all fruit but there are plenty of veggies to eat. No rice, no potatoes, no flour products ie bread,pasta.

For me, I kept it simple, I ate what I wanted, I did not have any sugar or flour products. I've been cooking salmon, chicken, steaks for dinner with grilled veggies or a salad. Sugar free jello has become a staple for me. Lunch is real simple for me as time is a problem so I get a romaine lettuce wrapped around turkey or roast beef...yummy!!
Midafternnon snack is a string cheese or Laughing Cow low fat cheese or cottage cheese.
Breakfasts have been hardboiled eggs or scrambled cheese omelettes with lettuce and tomatoes. Sometimes I threw a small can of tuna in with a salad for breakfast.

Basically all items will be lowfat, low carb on the glycemic index, lean cuts of meat, chicken and as much fish as you can handle.

When she gets the book, it will make more sense.

Hope this helps!

Here you will find the list of foods

http://www.mizfrogspad.com/south_beach_diet.htm

and here are just the basic guidelines of the south beach website

SOUTH BEACH DIET INFO

Eating Guidelines for South Beach Diet

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South Beachers - I want to share the most useful thing I've seen on the SBD website so far: the eating guidelines for phases one, two and three.

I'm not sure if you have to be a member of that site to view these pages, so I am posting them below, but they can also be found here:

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 1

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 2

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 3

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How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 1

The South Beach Diet™ is designed so that you can easily swap meals and ingredients. If you don't like eggs for breakfast, have low-fat cottage cheese or lean meat instead. Not a fish lover? Then choose lean beef or poultry. In Phase 1 of the diet, you can eat as many proteins and vegetables as you like, plus fats like olive oil. Fruit and starches aren't allowed until Phase 2. Here's a look at some general eating guidelines. For specific food choices, check out the Phase 1 Foods to Enjoy & Avoid list.

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

SNACK
Snacks are required. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, or nuts/seeds.

LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

SNACK
Snacks are required. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, or nuts/seeds.

DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

DESSERT
Enjoy a Sweet Treat or any of the snack choices.

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 2

In Phase 2, you'll gradually begin to reintroduce healthy starches and carbohydrates into your diet, starting with low-glycemic index ones like oatmeal and couscous, and eventually moving on to high-glycemic ones like fruits and whole-grain bread. The goal is to eat healthy carbs while continuing to lose weight, so pay attention to how they affect you. If your weight loss stalls or cravings return, cut back or try some different carbs and monitor the results. Here's a look at general eating guidelines. Want specific food choices? You can now eat anything from the Phase 1 Foods to Enjoy list as well as items from the Phase 2 Foods to Reintroduce list.

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

SNACKS AND DESSERT
Snacks and dessert are optional. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, artificially sweetened non-fat flavored yogurt, nuts/seeds, or a Sweet Treat.

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 3

By the time you reach Phase 3, you'll know which starches and carbs you can eat without gaining weight, so you'll have already integrated them into your diet. You'll be eating normal foods in normal-size portions, sticking to the good carbs and good fats. There's no list of forbidden foods in Phase 3, however. In other words, if you want it, and it doesn't undo all your sacrifices, you should go ahead and enjoy it! Here's a look at general eating guidelines.

If you'd like to adapt some of your meals to exclude meat, simply choose protein sources such as beans, soy products, lower fat cheese, eggs and egg substitutes, and eat vegetables and nuts for snacks. You can also choose to receive vegetarian-only meal plans, complete with shopping lists, by selecting "vegetarian" in the Profile area.

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.
Fruit: 3 fruit servings allowed daily.
Starch: 3 to 4 starch servings allowed daily.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 3 fruit servings allowed daily.
Starch: 3 to 4 starch servings allowed daily.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 3 fruit servings allowed daily.
Starch: 3 to 4 starch servings allowed daily.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

SNACKS AND DESSERT
Snacks and desserts are optional: Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, artificially sweetened non-fat flavored yogurt, nuts/seeds, or a Sweet Treat.

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.