I have been on Atkin's induction for two weeks. I have always planned on moving towards South Beach but am trying to figure out the best way to do this. Should I move from Induction to SB Phase 1? There is a huge difference in allowed meats, which means I would want to continue Induction this week (so I can finish up my country style pork ribs, reg pork ribs, and chicken thighs...no sense in wasting money).

My question is:
Did anyone have issues moving from one to the other due to the change in eating patterns/allowed foods? I don't want to start gaining weight.

Do people normally move from which ever phase they are in, in Atkin's, to it's equivalent in SB?

Did you body have any odd reactions to the switch?

I am more of a veggie eater than a meat eater, but I am more than happy to move to chicken breasts (though my husband will be bummed..he loves that I am on this diet, because I cook a ton of meat options, other than chicken).

I am going to stop at the store on the way home to buy the book (again)

I just started doing an extended induction 2 weeks ago so I'm still new and getting the hang of things. I'm just curious why you are planning to switch (I don't really have any helpful opinions or suggestions since I don't know anything about South Beach, but I'm just wondering)?

I would do an SB induction- your carb count is going to bump up quite a bit with the beans/dairy/increased veggies.
Read the book, so you understand how to introduce new foods in phase 2 and what to watch for. (You don't add in 3 grains and 3 fruit/day once you hit phase 2. You add one fruit for a week, then another the next week, etc...).

I started on SB- and moved to a plan more similar to atkins after about 4 years. Over the past 2.5 years I have switched back and forth a bit between the 2. When I stall for months on end or gain after getting too loose, I switch to the other and it seems to get me losing again.

Probably not great for most people to switch between plans, but it seems to work for me. Good luck!

If you start with SBD phase I and adhere to the meal plan guide, you will not gain.

No, if/when they switch from Atkins to SBD, thye do need to start with phase I on SBD as it does raise carb levels a lot if you eat all that it allows for.


None that I know of unless you are dairy intolerant or you can't digest beans/legumes and lentils for whatever reason.

Its best to start with the allowed proteins but I do mix it up now that I'm maintaining.
Good Luck to you and I hope to get to know you better!!

Violinist - I am switching because I believe it will be easier to maintain a healthy eating life style on South Beach (with less urges) due to the fact that they do allow larger amounts of veggies and that they reintroduce fruit, pasta, chocolates, etc...eventually. Maybe not all, you will have to pick and choose, and in moderation, and perhaps a little more plain than your use to, but to me it would make me feel like I am eating healthy vs. dieting. Also I am not much of a meat eater, especially meat high in fat, so south beach's idea of more veggies and lean meat in phase 1 is more suitable for me. I bought the book yesterday as it has been some time since I read it last, but for me it is a great move. I have also heard of less health issues (primary liver) on south beach. Though I could not stand by those statements as I read them in articles online.

To the rest: Thanks for your tips. I will continue Induction for the rest of this week and then move to phase one of South Beach.

Two more question. Has the limit for turkey sausage been removed? I normally have sausage or bacon twice a week, once for dinner and once for breakfast. I can easily eat three eggs and four to five sausage links or three to four pieces of bacon.

The second question is: There is no mention on the limit of hummus in the book and there is conflicting information on the web. Some say 1/3 to 1/2 a cup while others say 2 Tablespoons. Which is the right answer? I suppose if I made it using the SB recipe it would be the 1/3 cup and store bought closer to two tablespoons? Thanks!

At your current weight you may lose eating 3 eggs but you may have to cut that back to 2 for weight loss. 2 sausages or 2 slices of bacon is a serving.


**2 tablespoons of hummus is a serving**.....it has ingredients in it that are not beans and are high in good fats so portion control is key.
Again, at your current weight and seeking loss, portion control on calorie dense foods will be key for you to see loss.
When I started out at my high weight, I ate hummus in larger quantities, 1/2 cup, than I eat it today. I could 'get away' with it then and still lose...know what I mean?

Thanks again Judy for the info. I will watch my turkey sausage intake and keep my hummus to 2 Tablespoons...that is more than enough for me any ways..thanks a bunch!

I don't understand the 2 T limit on hummus if that's your serving of legume for the day. Beans are the main ingredient so even if you had 1/4-1/3 c I wouldn't think the tahini would put you over the nut butter allowance or anywhere near.

Maybe someone can enlighten me.

If you have ever made hummus, you'd see just how many chick peas it takes to make 2 tbsp. It does probably equal 1/3-1/2 cup.
The serving size on a container of hummus, that is not home made, is 2 tablespoons. As I previously wrote, I used to eat it at will at my high weight. I ate up to 1/2 cup at a serving and still saw loss. But as my weight came down, I had to begin to eat it as a condiment( 2 tbsp) and watch portion sizes as it is calorie dense also.

But, if you or anyone chooses to eat a larger portion than 2 tbsp, that is certainly your choice!!

I switched from South Beach to Atkins as SBD was too carby for me to continually lose weight...even in the unofficial Phase 1.5.

As you have read, the SBD Phase 1 is very different as you can have things like beans which are reserved for well into Atkins Phase 2. The biggest difference I noticed is with fats...SBD is a low fat/low cal diet so that is something you want to keep in mind.

You mention that you prefer more veg than animal proteins. I followed the vegetarian plan over on the official SBD site but used things like chicken breast and fishes/seafood instead of the soy suggestions. I liked the vegetarian plan better because it focused more on whole foods and did not use a lot of SF sweeteners...instead of the daily sweet treat on the regular plan, it was usually fruit.

South Beach was a good plan; Atkins just worked much better for me. After 150+ lbs gone, I think I was right. Wishing you success!

Mizski- Good for you finding a plan that works for you! That's what it's all about and I'm glad you've had the success you've had!

I would take exception to some of the things you said about SB though and I think it's misleading for newbies. While there is a difference in the type of fats that are allowed on SB as opposed to Atkins, it is not a low fat plan. There are plenty of good fats allowed on SB, just not many in terms of saturated. SB focuses alot on monounstaturated fats from nuts, nut butters, olive oil, olives, avocados etc, although there are others that are allowed. Also, you say that SB is a low cal plan. Where do you get this information from? The plan allows you eat until you feel full. For different people, this may mean different amounts of calories, but SB does not in any way restrict the number of calories you are allowed to eat. Where would you think that SB doesn't focus on whole foods? That IS the basis of the plan. Sweet treats are allowed in moderation, but no where does it say that you should have a sweet treat instead of something like fruit for dessert and no where does it say that you should alot of SF sweetners. They are allowed if you would like, but they don't take the place of other things.

Oooo...after rereading my post, I certainly could have done a better job. I hope I can explain...

My comments were directed to the OP transitioning from Atkins which is a high fat/moderate protein/low carb WOE. By comparison, SBD is low fat especially where saturated fats are not encouraged.

Because Atkins is a high fat diet, it is often higher calorie than SBD. Again this was directed to the OP as something to be aware of. You are correct though in that there is no calorie counting or calorie restriction. That is one of the wonderful features of SBD.




The term "whole foods" was poorly used on my part and I do apologize for that. SBD is very much about eating whole, unprocessed foods. The OP mentioned that she preferred eating more veg than meats which is why the vegetarian menus came to mind. Compared to the regular menus which had a lot of animal protein meals, the vegetarian plan had more meatless meals to choose from. The vegetarian menus seldom used SF sweeteners if that was of interest too. Of course, on the official SBD site no one is locked into any type of menu plan as I often used recipes from both.

Again, I apologize for the poor wording in my post and wish to thank you for clarifying points that would be confusing to newbies. I should have directed my comments to the OP to make my message more clear. South Beach is an excellent WOE...it just did not work for me. I do continue to recommend it to friends who are not interested in Atkins.

So I switched from Atkin's to South Beach on Friday and holly crud muffins batman...I have gained 3 + pounds. What the hell. This is frustrating me to no end. To ensure it is not my food choices I am going to start a daily food entry because I am uber depressed from the weight gain.

Should I be counting the carbs in Eggs?

Assuming I count all carbs, by end of day, I will have consumed just under 21 Carbs, 96.14g of Protein and 42.4g of fat. I know south beach doesn't actually count carbs but am wondering if a lean meat mixed with lower carbs per day would help me to continue to lose weight? Or am I setting myself up for failure?

In addition to my meal below, I also take per day:
1 Alive Women's Energy Multivitamin - Multimineral
2 Spring Valley Natural Calcium (2000g), Magnesium (800g), and Zinc (30g)
2 Spring Valley Natural Omega 3 fish Oil (2000g)
1 Vitamin D (1000 UI)

04/19 Breakfast:
2 Large Hard Boiled Eggs (Carbs: 1 / Fat: 10.6g / Protein: 12g)
2 Jimmy Dean's Turkey Sausage (Carbs: < 1 / Fat: 4.6g / Protein: 8.6g)
16 oz of Water

04/19 Lunch:
1 cup sliced red bell pepper (Carbs: 4 / Fat: 0 / Protein: 1g)
1 cup sliced cucumber (Carbs: 4 / Fat: 0 / Protein: 0.8g)
2 Tbsp Hannah Tzatziki yogurt dip (Carbs: 2 / Fat: 4g / Protein: 0g)
2 Hans All Natural Chicken Spinach, Fontina and garlic sausages (Carbs: < 2/ Fat: 10g / Protein: 28g)
24 Ounces of Water

04/19 Dinner:
4 Ounces Chicken boneless/skinless breast tenders (Carbs: 0/ Fat: 1g / Protein: 25g)
1 Cup sliced Zucchini (Carbs: 2.59 / Fat: 0.2g / Protein: 2.74g)
2 Tbsp Hummus with pine nuts (Carbs: 3 / Fat: 7g / Protein: 2g)
24 Ounces of Water

04/19 Snack:
2 Firgo Light skim mozzarella string cheese (Carbs: < 2 / Fat: 5g / Protein: 16g)

I wrote to you in your journal already.
You did not gain +3 lbs of fat but you did see water weight gain from your choices. I see way too many processed proteins in your sausages and they will have a lot of sodium. Not enough veggies and no veggies at your breakfast...
Do you cook your own proteins? which ones?

Here is a link to one of your sausage choices:
http://www.colemannatural.com/compo...roller,article/
they have 510 mgs of sodium for each ONE...you had 2...thats practically a whole day of sodium content in 2 sausages.