I'm thinking of switching to south beach

[melly50]

Any thoughts, guys? I read about it. It's kind of the same without all the fat. I don't eat that much fat anyway PLUS I am worried about heart issues, which the South Beach diet addresses head on. :nono: So I wanted to know if any of you guys had any luck with it?

[Karen]

For some reason, a lot of folks don't know that Atkins was a cardiologist and that reversing heart disease was the basis of his practice. He refers to it in Good Protection for Your Heart, DANDR, chapter 15.
It's kind of the same without all the fat.
It's really not similar at all. There is a 2 week phase when you start but that's where the similarity ends. In fact the author states quite clearly in the first chapter that "this is not a low-carb diet".

To help you make up your mind, why don't you read both SBD and Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. Both work in theory, but what really works is the plan you can stick to for life. :)

Karen

[Steph44]

I'm on SBD... and it is very similar. I use plenty of the recipes on this website for my diet. As long as it allows.

[melly50]

Thanks Karen and Steph 44.Hey Karen, I love your stats: What me worry. I am Alfred E. Neuman's twin sister theoretically. I was born when he was born, but he's thinner. HAHAHA. (But I'm prettier.) Steph: I agree. The diets are similar. Here's a big difference. SBD lets you have BEANS. Beans are great source of fiber. And after 2 weeks, you can have a lot more fruit, but it's still low carb. The basis is low carb. I'd say the big difference is in Atkins there is all that CREAM and BUTTER and stuff. Since I have no gall bladder, if I have all that fat, I throw up at night, so I suppose it's a no brainer for me. SBD here I come. Also, the doctor who did SBD was more advanced than Atkins and talks about the blood vessels and damage that fat does. I buy all that. I HAVE to buy all that since my family has all but perished from heart disease. My problem is continually the same:

1. I take a bunch of meds that I believe hamper my progress including birth control pills.
2. I have hormonal issues (which is why I'm taking them) which hampers my progress.
3. Most of all, my bowels have never functioned on a daily basis (so I think it's best for me to have fruit/fiber, etc.)

EVEN WITH ALL THAT, I have little faith of anything working. I've been doing these things for months and years and little progress. It's true, I'm not a total wreck and I've gone down in weight, but I haven't broken 200 since I had baby #2 and she's in 10th grade. After baby #1, I was at 160 after going on the Diet Center Diet.

All of those diets that I did before I was 35 (Diet Center, Atkins, Weight Watchers, everything) STOPPED WORKING after my second baby. ALL OF THEM.

Furthermore, I've been identified by a nutritionist as likely to have Syndrome X (or whatever it is called) and for that reason, I do need a little fat in my diet to keep the blood sugar up and in the air (like a ball!)

I long for a doctor or someone who can give me the key who can unlock this mess.

Mesnwhile, it's SBD. I don't give up myself, but I wish I had some professional help. Mostly, I'd be happy to go in the hospital and be fed intravenously for a month.

Oh yes, and exercise, I do it. A lot. I swim. I do the elliptical trainer. I do yoga A LOT. I walk. One of my friends just lost A LOT of weight and she did A LOT of exercise-- one hour a day. I don't know if I could sustain that at once, but maybe in 2 30 minute gigs.

THOUGHTS, guys? Help.

mellly 50

[Rosebud]

doctor who did SBD was more advanced than Atkins
Not exactly. ;)
See what Doreen T says about the science in SBD.
The science and nutritional information in South Beach is skewed and misleading. The author describes how fat levels in the blood stay elevated after eating saturated fat, but neglects to tell the reader this occurs in the presence of high insulin and glucose levels .. and that it also happens with other types of fat. He also claims that after 2 weeks of Phase 1, your insulin resistance will be gone, which is contrary to the research findings of Reaven, Enig et al, which indicate it can take months of careful corrective dieting to reverse insulin resistance.


Doreen
I'm not saying you shouldn't do SBD, I simply want you to be aware that their "more advanced" science is not correct. :)

All the best to you.

:rose:Rosebud:rose:

[melly50]

I believe you. Maybe I should go to an endrocronologist. My cardiologist is what we (here, some of us) call a lox. He knows NOTHING about diets except he has some xeroxed copies of the Medieterranean one in his drawer. You know my problem is I HATE DOCTORS.

[melly50]

And Rosebud, Hello down there! I think anything from South Beach Florida has to be a little incomplete. Have you ever been there? It's kind of a "superficial" place, but everyone is skinny, so the name of the book is BRILLIANT. The author teaches at Mt. Sinai which is the best heart hospital in Miami, notably where my father had a coma from heart problems and died.

[Steph44]

Melly~ everyone on this website seems to be totally against SBD, so try to figure it out for yourself. Read the book. It's a great read & very informative.

I personally do not know about insulin levels and all that. :lol: Sorry!!