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-   -   Starting South Beach Tomorrow (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=452527)

rainbow53 Thu, May-09-13 07:55

Starting South Beach Tomorrow
 
Wow. It looks like this board is dead. Doesn't anyone do South Beach anymore?

I am starting tomorrow. I have the food lists, and two South Beach books. Eventually, I'll collect all of them!

I'm convinced this is the way to go for me after researching almost every diet known to man!

Anyone around?

Whofan Thu, May-09-13 08:14

Hi! I started out on South Beach and credit it with getting me to goal. It was the perfect plan at just the right time, for me. I hope it will be for you too. Since then I morphed over to Paleo and Primal, which I love and which are keeping me in maintenance, but I would never have been able to make that leap straight from a lifetime of extra-high-carb-SAD eating. Congratulations on starting your journey and keep posting your progress.

Liz53 Thu, May-09-13 08:50

I too started with South Beach and moved to Atkins. It really doesn't matter where you start, it's all good. Out of curiosity, what convinced you SBD was better than the other plans? Good luck!

rainbow53 Thu, May-09-13 09:05

Thank you for the welcome and your replies!

Liz, what totally convinced me about South Beach is that I don't have to count calories, fat grams, carb grams, the dreaded Weight Watchers points that I did for far too long, worrying about percentages of carbs to fats to protein (Zone diet)...I've probably done them all and I'm still fat. Why? Because they were never sustainable. I'd lose and always gain the weight back.

I much prefer just knowing what I can and can't eat and being reasonable with my portions. I feel that I can sustain this way of eating for the rest of my life.

I can't eat gluten at all, so I flirted with Wheat Belly, but for me, I feel South Beach is more liveable.

I do have to say though, I'm not convinced of the evils of saturated fats (like regular cheese vs. reduced fat), so I probably won't be as strict as Dr. Agatson would like, but I read that even he is softening up in that area, although he still does favor the "good" fats.

In any event, I so hope this works for me. I really have nowhere left to go.

Whofan Thu, May-09-13 14:07

I should just add that I did SB without any sugars or starches whatsoever. I think SB does allow them in limited quantities (can't really remember) but I had just been told that my triglycerides were 380 so I threw myself into low carb with a vengeance! My triglycerides went down to 75 in two weeks. The amazing side-effect was that the cravings for sugar and starch disappeared, and it was THAT that made the plan sustainable for me. If I'd had even an allowed bite or two of anything sugary or starchy it would have kept me hungry and craving. Your way of achieving sustainability might be entirely different, but as Liz said "it's all good".

rainbow53 Thu, May-09-13 17:02

Holy cow! That's some decrease in triglycerides! That's great.

Yeah, on Phase 1 no sweets and starches are allowed. That's fine with me. I've been eating way too many.

Liz53 Fri, May-10-13 08:30

Oh, the no tracking - I'd forgotten that freedom. Yeah, that is a really attractive feature, and like you, I loved the simplicity of not tracking.

I was afraid you might mention the "healthy fats" part of SBD, which I still believed when I started SBD in 2004, but have since learned has no foundation in reality.

One of the things I found a little perplexing is that in the text Agatson talks about eating proportionately more fat, yet in the recipes there is an attempt to keep fat lower. When I was faced with a decision of low fat vs regular cheese, for example, I went with the Real Cheese (full fat) and it worked well for me. I tried the egg beaters once, ugh, from then on used real eggs. Same with the fake half and half. I think the most important part of SBD is the reduction in grains and sugars, and that is where the bulk of the health benefits will come from.

I will also mention that when I started SBD my LDL and total cholesterol plummeted (240 to 150ish). Trigs had always been pretty low (<100) and HDL remained 50-60. When I began to eat more saturated fat, my total cholesterol stayed low (180) and HDL rose to the 90s. I don't know if that is a part of the puzzle for you, but I was really struck that it took MORE fat, and saturated fat, to raise HDL.

And I don't remember if SBD emphasizes the need for more salt when eating fewer carbs. I'd supplement with a tsp or two of salt or a couple of cups of full sodium broth while in phase 1 to keep from feeling "Atkins flu".

Anyway, hope it goes well for you and I think there are a number of us here that have done SBD so don't hesitate to post questions. Someone will see them and respond.

rainbow53 Fri, May-10-13 08:51

Liz, thanks so much! Yes, I totally agree that "the most important part of SBD is the reduction in grains and sugars". I just totally agree. So I'm ignoring the ban on saturated fats.

One of the things I really like about South Beach though is its structure. I think there is genius in the simplicity of the three phases. Because I have blood sugar issues, I know I have to restrict fruits along with grains, and Phase 2 adds them back slowly and in still much smaller amounts that I was used to eating.

So although I'll basically ignore the saturated fat thing, I will definitely be following the basic structure of the three phases. I really like what Kalyn Denny (she has a wonderful South Beach recipe blog) said in an interview. She said she follows the spirit of the diet, not the letter of the law, meaning she'll use some butter in recipes, etc. That really stuck with me.

Thanks for the tip on the salt. I love salty broth!

Liz53 Sat, May-11-13 08:37

I like what you said about following the spirit of the diet. You should do well. I still use some of the recipes that I got from the official SBD website and the books. Once you replace boneless skinless chicken breast with thighs, and eggbeaters with eggs, etc., there are some pretty tasty recipes.

LizzieBeth Mon, May-27-13 17:47

Rainbow 53, are you still around? I found this thread today. I, too, am beginning South Beach. I chose it for all the same reasons you mention. I know several people who have had great success on the diet. Since the forum seems to be pretty inactive I though it might be nice if we buddy up and share the journey together. Respond if you find this. Thanks, LizzieBeth

Kurst Sat, Jul-06-13 13:09

Back to the Beach on Monday. Feels good to be back here again. :wave:

Judynyc Sat, Jul-06-13 13:13

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kurst
Back to the Beach on Monday. Feels good to be back here again. :wave:

Welcome Back, Kurst!! :wave:

JEY100 Tue, Jul-16-13 04:38

For the first time, I have looked closely at the health videos from the CBN website. Under Cholesterol forum, see a post about Inflammation. Also stumbled on this one with Dr. Agatston about his newest book, South Beach goes Gluten-Free: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWMSlBCLNTE
Enjoy,

Judynyc Tue, Jul-16-13 08:30

Quote:
Originally Posted by JEY100
For the first time, I have looked closely at the health videos from the CBN website. Under Cholesterol forum, see a post about Inflammation. Also stumbled on this one with Dr. Agatston about his newest book, South Beach goes Gluten-Free: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWMSlBCLNTE
Enjoy,


Thanks for this! I'll watch this when I get home from work later. :wave:

IvannaBFit Sat, Jul-27-13 11:49

I'm looking for a plateau buster and happened to find an old SBD copy. I may try it for a few months. :) I like to switch things up. In my experience, every diet works!


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