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  #16   ^
Old Sat, Jul-02-05, 17:44
JAnn's Avatar
JAnn JAnn is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,039
 
Plan: LC/GF/IF
Stats: 237.0/223.6/174.6 Female 5 ft 10 in
BF:42%.
Progress: 21%
Location: Central Arizona
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Since Dodger stated that both plans work, I took his heathen comment as an attempt at humor.

Just my opinion.
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  #17   ^
Old Sat, Jul-02-05, 20:02
Judynyc's Avatar
Judynyc Judynyc is offline
Attitude is a Choice
Posts: 30,111
 
Plan: No sugar, flour, wheat
Stats: 228.4/209.0/170 Female 5'6"
BF:stl/too/mch
Progress: 33%
Location: NYC
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Yes, it was Dodger's dry attempt at humor! I thought it was funny!!
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  #18   ^
Old Tue, Jul-05-05, 09:24
geauxleaux's Avatar
geauxleaux geauxleaux is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 176
 
Plan: Atkins as a loose guide
Stats: 237/149/135 Female 5 ft 6 in
BF:
Progress: 86%
Location: near New Orleans
Default Thanks!

I agree that Dodger's comment was tongue-in-cheek (is tongue low carb? ). I also appreciate Judy's in-depth and helpful explanation of the SB plan (I've read some of her other threads).

I am on Atkins and have been stalled for seven months. I am still happy with Atkins, however, because losing slowly beats gaining at any speed!!!! I did come over here just to check out the SB plan (I've read the books for both plans and am very familiar with the concepts). Because of the stall, I thought I might want to try SB since both plans are solid and DO work.

I agree, however, that you have to decide which plan is right for YOU. While I don't mind counting carbs, for me personally, I don't want to have to count fat. I loathe low-fat food and I know that the lower-fat aspect of SB is the one factor that would derail any success I may have - after all, it's something I want to be able to live with as a lifestyle. Even with the stall on Atkins, I am still maintaining, and I'm not discouraged - I eat what I love, which is higher fat low carb. I've never had a sweet tooth, so kicking the sweets was easy: it's the fat I love!!!! However, I know several people who don't like high-fat and have had FANTASTIC success on SB!!!! YMMV.

So, in my long-winded, rambling way, I am just supporting the fact that BOTH plans work, but since both plans are NOT diets but (hopefully) WOL's, you need to read both books and decide on a personal level which plan YOU are most likely to stick to. Good luck to all!
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  #19   ^
Old Fri, Jul-08-05, 09:04
Judynyc's Avatar
Judynyc Judynyc is offline
Attitude is a Choice
Posts: 30,111
 
Plan: No sugar, flour, wheat
Stats: 228.4/209.0/170 Female 5'6"
BF:stl/too/mch
Progress: 33%
Location: NYC
Default

This was written by Its The Wooo from another thread. Its a brilliant explanation of the difference between the 2 plans!!

Quote:
Atkins goal is not ketosis, in fact he explicitly says not to get too wrapped up in the strips and to focus more on changes in well being and appearance. Atkins need not even be ketogenic, the induction phase is optional.
The goals of both Atkins and South Beach is to control blood sugar and insulin levels, thereby preventing undesirable consequences of not doing so such as many diseases and obesity.

Atkins and South Beach differ only in their respective approaches to achieving this goal. Atkins believes heart disease and sicknesses of all kinds are overwhelmingly or exclusively caused by uncontrolled blood sugar and high insulin levels. He believes that fat is not part of the problem, and fat only causes a problem if blood sugar and insulin are out of control. He feels there's nothing wrong with any natural fat, the only fat you need to worry about are damaged processed fats (for example, rancid grease that has been repeatedly fried, hydrogenated veggie oils, etc). Atkins also believes that the best way to achieve this goal of controlling blood sugar is to reduce total carbohydrate quantity, focusing on the very low impact carbs like veggies berries and dairy.

South Beach's creator Dr Agatson, like Atkins, believes blood sugar and high insulin cause diseases and obesity. Agatson, unlike Atkins, subscribes to the lipid hypothesis and feels some natural fats are "good" and some are "bad". Like atkins he feels processed fats are bad, however he also feels too much saturated fat is a risk factor for disease and it is not encouraged. Adherents are asked to choose oils and margerines over saturated fat, this restriction does not exist on Atkins' plan.
The main way Agatson and Atkins differ is their approach to controlling blood sugar and insulin. Agatson's plan is low glycemic index, not low carb. You don't count carbs on SB. Agatson feels total carbohydrate quantity is not as important as eating "low impact carbs" - carbs that are low on the glycemic index which is a measure of how quickly a food causes blood sugar to rise. Total carbohydrate quantity is not restricted, just types of carbs. Both Atkins and Agatson stress structuring proper meals with adequate protein and fat, although Agatson's plan stresses protein over fat. It is necessary Agatson's plan be lower fat and stress low fat foods, due to the fact it includes more energy from carbohydrate (otherwise people would fail to lose weight if they ate generously from fat and carbs)... although it should be mentioned SB is not a low fat diet in the objective sense (fat is not explicitly reduced as a goal).


Mainly the difference is that SB is a low glycemic index plan. It focuses on WHAT you eat, not how much of what you're eating. Atkins is low carb before it is low glycemic index, although it should be mentioned a low carb plan is by default low GI too (it will in fact be much lower GL, since carb quantity in diet is the biggest factor which determines how much sugar is used by the body, not how "complex" the carbs you do eat are).

Each plan has respective advantages and disadvantages.
Those who are more extremely carbohydrate sensitive will find greater success with Atkins. It is the most effective popular plan for controlling insulin and blood sugar levels. If your weight and health issues are stemming from carbohydrate sensitivity almost exclusively, I would recommend this plan in a heart beat.
I also would recommend Atkins if you are a meat-craver, a protein & fat lover, and if you never were too fond of sugars or starches and really liked the meat and fat. Atkins is also an ideal plan for those who don't like details, who want things straightforward and simple, who don't mind a limited diet of a few staple foods. Atkins is popular among men for these two reasons, whereas women tend to have more problems with the diet because women tend to both crave sugar & carbs as well as prefer a more liberalized diet with more choices. I'm a lucky exception, I am a meat lover myself .
Anyway, if this is you, odds are you won't feel restricted or deprived on it and won't have any problems adapting to substitutes. You'll have good success.
The downside of Atkins is that it's very restricted and limited. Those who crave freedom in choices and variety don't do well on this plan. Those who are sweet and carb eaters might fail to stay on for long and usually switch to a more liberal plan.

On the other hand, if you have more moderate carbohydrate sensitivity, I would suggest the more liberal South Beach. Odds are it's low GI approach will be enough to resolve your problems with unstable blood sugar, without unnecessarily restricting you to a staple of fat and very few carbs until maintainance, like Atkins would. If your weight gain stems mostly from bad habits and unstructured eating unrelated to carbohydrate sensitivity, again SB will be better for you. Atkins advice to "eat liberally" from founts of cream steak and butter isn't good advice for someone who is an emotional eater, as the appetite rectifying effect of the diet is not as pronounced for someone without carbohydrate sensitivity. SB's focus on structuring proper meals and learning how to make good choices is far better for someone who has a weight problem primarily because of eating poorly and having bad habits.
Finally, I would suggest south beach if you are a primary sweet/carb craver as SBD teaches you how to have these foods without destroying blood sugar as badly.
The downside of SB is that it's liberal approach isn't well tolerated by everyone. Those who are very carb sensitive, or those who tend to just crave more of what they DO eat by nature aren't likely to succeed with this plan. The more structured and limited Atkins would be more effective.

Last edited by Judynyc : Fri, Jul-08-05 at 15:41.
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  #20   ^
Old Fri, Jul-08-05, 09:49
plumtired's Avatar
plumtired plumtired is offline
Wanna Be A Loser!
Posts: 930
 
Plan: SouthBeach
Stats: 216.4/212/160 Female 5' 7"
BF:
Progress: 8%
Location: East Coast
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I read that and was impressed with the writing of it. I'm going to print that up. Thanks Judy for bringing it over here.
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  #21   ^
Old Fri, Jul-08-05, 12:52
sherrybabe's Avatar
sherrybabe sherrybabe is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 289
 
Plan: south beach/atkins
Stats: 149/147/133 Female 5ft2
BF:dont know/32%/25%
Progress: 13%
Location: georgia
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i agree with you guys the wooo did very good !! i thought that too.i was inpressed.
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  #22   ^
Old Sat, Jul-09-05, 02:56
emmy207's Avatar
emmy207 emmy207 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 386
 
Plan: Atkins.
Stats: 226/222/161 Female 5'4
BF:
Progress: 6%
Location: England
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South Beach means I can have a slice of rye toast for breakfast and not eat cream, without feeling that I am cheating.
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  #23   ^
Old Tue, Apr-16-13, 16:13
starchile's Avatar
starchile starchile is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,309
 
Plan: atkins-ish
Stats: 398/391/299 Female 5'10"
BF:
Progress: 7%
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Judynyc
This was written by Its The Wooo from another thread. Its a brilliant explanation of the difference between the 2 plans!!

Atkins goal is not ketosis, in fact he explicitly says not to get too wrapped up in the strips and to focus more on changes in well being and appearance. Atkins need not even be ketogenic, the induction phase is optional.
The goals of both Atkins and South Beach is to control blood sugar and insulin levels, thereby preventing undesirable consequences of not doing so such as many diseases and obesity.

Atkins and South Beach differ only in their respective approaches to achieving this goal. Atkins believes heart disease and sicknesses of all kinds are overwhelmingly or exclusively caused by uncontrolled blood sugar and high insulin levels. He believes that fat is not part of the problem, and fat only causes a problem if blood sugar and insulin are out of control. He feels there's nothing wrong with any natural fat, the only fat you need to worry about are damaged processed fats (for example, rancid grease that has been repeatedly fried, hydrogenated veggie oils, etc). Atkins also believes that the best way to achieve this goal of controlling blood sugar is to reduce total carbohydrate quantity, focusing on the very low impact carbs like veggies berries and dairy.

South Beach's creator Dr Agatson, like Atkins, believes blood sugar and high insulin cause diseases and obesity. Agatson, unlike Atkins, subscribes to the lipid hypothesis and feels some natural fats are "good" and some are "bad". Like atkins he feels processed fats are bad, however he also feels too much saturated fat is a risk factor for disease and it is not encouraged. Adherents are asked to choose oils and margerines over saturated fat, this restriction does not exist on Atkins' plan.
The main way Agatson and Atkins differ is their approach to controlling blood sugar and insulin. Agatson's plan is low glycemic index, not low carb. You don't count carbs on SB. Agatson feels total carbohydrate quantity is not as important as eating "low impact carbs" - carbs that are low on the glycemic index which is a measure of how quickly a food causes blood sugar to rise. Total carbohydrate quantity is not restricted, just types of carbs. Both Atkins and Agatson stress structuring proper meals with adequate protein and fat, although Agatson's plan stresses protein over fat. It is necessary Agatson's plan be lower fat and stress low fat foods, due to the fact it includes more energy from carbohydrate (otherwise people would fail to lose weight if they ate generously from fat and carbs)... although it should be mentioned SB is not a low fat diet in the objective sense (fat is not explicitly reduced as a goal).


Mainly the difference is that SB is a low glycemic index plan. It focuses on WHAT you eat, not how much of what you're eating. Atkins is low carb before it is low glycemic index, although it should be mentioned a low carb plan is by default low GI too (it will in fact be much lower GL, since carb quantity in diet is the biggest factor which determines how much sugar is used by the body, not how "complex" the carbs you do eat are).

Each plan has respective advantages and disadvantages.
Those who are more extremely carbohydrate sensitive will find greater success with Atkins. It is the most effective popular plan for controlling insulin and blood sugar levels. If your weight and health issues are stemming from carbohydrate sensitivity almost exclusively, I would recommend this plan in a heart beat.
I also would recommend Atkins if you are a meat-craver, a protein & fat lover, and if you never were too fond of sugars or starches and really liked the meat and fat. Atkins is also an ideal plan for those who don't like details, who want things straightforward and simple, who don't mind a limited diet of a few staple foods. Atkins is popular among men for these two reasons, whereas women tend to have more problems with the diet because women tend to both crave sugar & carbs as well as prefer a more liberalized diet with more choices. I'm a lucky exception, I am a meat lover myself .
Anyway, if this is you, odds are you won't feel restricted or deprived on it and won't have any problems adapting to substitutes. You'll have good success.
The downside of Atkins is that it's very restricted and limited. Those who crave freedom in choices and variety don't do well on this plan. Those who are sweet and carb eaters might fail to stay on for long and usually switch to a more liberal plan.

On the other hand, if you have more moderate carbohydrate sensitivity, I would suggest the more liberal South Beach. Odds are it's low GI approach will be enough to resolve your problems with unstable blood sugar, without unnecessarily restricting you to a staple of fat and very few carbs until maintainance, like Atkins would. If your weight gain stems mostly from bad habits and unstructured eating unrelated to carbohydrate sensitivity, again SB will be better for you. Atkins advice to "eat liberally" from founts of cream steak and butter isn't good advice for someone who is an emotional eater, as the appetite rectifying effect of the diet is not as pronounced for someone without carbohydrate sensitivity. SB's focus on structuring proper meals and learning how to make good choices is far better for someone who has a weight problem primarily because of eating poorly and having bad habits.
Finally, I would suggest south beach if you are a primary sweet/carb craver as SBD teaches you how to have these foods without destroying blood sugar as badly.
The downside of SB is that it's liberal approach isn't well tolerated by everyone. Those who are very carb sensitive, or those who tend to just crave more of what they DO eat by nature aren't likely to succeed with this plan. The more structured and limited Atkins would be more effective.


WOW! That was INCREDIBLY helpful! Thank you for sharing this!!

Also, if there is anyone here on SB and looking for some support...I could use some as well.

)
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  #24   ^
Old Tue, Apr-16-13, 17:39
Judynyc's Avatar
Judynyc Judynyc is offline
Attitude is a Choice
Posts: 30,111
 
Plan: No sugar, flour, wheat
Stats: 228.4/209.0/170 Female 5'6"
BF:stl/too/mch
Progress: 33%
Location: NYC
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by starchile
WOW! That was INCREDIBLY helpful! Thank you for sharing this!!

Also, if there is anyone here on SB and looking for some support...I could use some as well.

)

HI!
I'm glad you found this. It is really good.
While I used South Beach for my initial weight loss, I learned how to modify to make it work better for me. If you need any help, come look for me in my journal.

Good Luck!
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  #25   ^
Old Tue, Oct-21-14, 16:39
Molly B's Avatar
Molly B Molly B is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 828
 
Plan: Low Carb/High Fat
Stats: 271/262.6/170 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 8%
Location: North central HOT Florida
Default

I think JudyNYC summed it up well, a good carbs (low glycemic carbs) WOE rather than a strict LC WOE. Included is a small amount of fruit or grain.
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  #26   ^
Old Sun, Oct-26-14, 04:55
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

I have always found the GI problematic as it did not take into consideration amount. Glycemic Load helped me more as I could see how a food rated as low GI could actually be very high GL. Atkins has always incorporated GL (particularly the new Westman et al AFANY) in the program. Foundation vegetables in Induction are both low GI and low GL. The carb ladder emphasizes low GL.

For me, since I am very carb sensitive, I could not follow SB. Too many carbs, too early in weight loss. The last phase is going back to the way you were eating when you gained all your weight. Atkins, on the other hand, is a program of self discovery for you to find out for yourself what foods are a no-no for you personally. It is not a program of fats until maintenance. Whoever wrote that is not that familiar with Atkins. The last stage is eating the foods and in their quantities that will keep you from regaining any weight. It is not about going back to what you did to gain weight. For me, I found SB more hype than science. More about pleasing the consumer than helping them to discover their own issues. This, of course, is just my own opinion. The program does work for some, especially those that are not carb-sensetive and is very popular.
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  #27   ^
Old Sun, Oct-26-14, 12:35
Judynyc's Avatar
Judynyc Judynyc is offline
Attitude is a Choice
Posts: 30,111
 
Plan: No sugar, flour, wheat
Stats: 228.4/209.0/170 Female 5'6"
BF:stl/too/mch
Progress: 33%
Location: NYC
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Benay
I have always found the GI problematic as it did not take into consideration amount. Glycemic Load helped me more as I could see how a food rated as low GI could actually be very high GL. Atkins has always incorporated GL (particularly the new Westman et al AFANY) in the program. Foundation vegetables in Induction are both low GI and low GL. The carb ladder emphasizes low GL.

For me, since I am very carb sensitive, I could not follow SB. Too many carbs, too early in weight loss. The last phase is going back to the way you were eating when you gained all your weight. Atkins, on the other hand, is a program of self discovery for you to find out for yourself what foods are a no-no for you personally. It is not a program of fats until maintenance. Whoever wrote that is not that familiar with Atkins. The last stage is eating the foods and in their quantities that will keep you from regaining any weight. It is not about going back to what you did to gain weight. For me, I found SB more hype than science. More about pleasing the consumer than helping them to discover their own issues. This, of course, is just my own opinion. The program does work for some, especially those that are not carb-sensetive and is very popular.

"To each his own."
Good for you that you've found a way to eat that works for you. I tailored South Beach to suit my needs and made it work for me.
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  #28   ^
Old Sun, Oct-26-14, 14:51
Whofan's Avatar
Whofan Whofan is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,550
 
Plan: Low Carb Primal
Stats: 170/135/135 Female 5ft.6in.
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: New York Metro area
Default

I tried Atkins 14 years ago, lost 10lbs in a week, and stopped out of fear from all the stupid media misinformation surrounding it.

10 years later, fatter and in ill-health, I went to SB. I tailored it twice to work for me. Once, at the very beginning, I eliminated all grains and sugar except a few berries. That way I didn't even have to think about carbohydrates, because the only ones I was getting were green and leafy and harmless. Later, having lost all my weight, I tweaked it again to change from low fat products (like yogurt and cheese) to full fat. I did that because by then I had learned that extra sugar and chemicals are usually substituted for fat in low fat products and, for the first time in my life, I had become interested in eating for optimal health and not just to be slim. That eventually lead toward a lc paleo/primal w.o.e. that seems to be a perfect fit for me, so far.

So IMO it's all good. If one method doesn't work, try another. And another. There are plenty of choices now. Just keep your eye on the prize: stable blood sugar, weight loss, and a w.o.e. you are happy to maintain for the rest of your life.
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  #29   ^
Old Mon, Oct-27-14, 03:48
Benay's Avatar
Benay Benay is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 876
 
Plan: Protein Power/Atkins
Stats: 250/167/175 Female 5 feet 6 inches
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Judynyc
We are not here to debate which plan is better. This is not a debate forum but a support forum. If we wanted to debate this, which we don't, we'd take this to the War Zone.

When members come in here and ask us Atkins vs South Beach, I think it is up to the original oster of the thread to make their own choice. We are not trying to swy opinion or sell this plan. We are trying to explain the differences.
!!


We all have our preferences on what works best for us. Atkins is definitely a high fat diet compared to SB. Some people do not do well on Atkins as what the program is trying to do is get our bodies to switch to 'fat burning' machines rather than 'carb burning' machines. This just doesn't work for some and they do very well just reducing carbs and fat.

SB is a low fat diet which works well for many people.

If SB works for you--great! Stick with it. Do you own experimentation. Atkins works best for people who have trouble with carbs (carbohydrate intolerance). I have friends who eat anything they want, in any amount, and never gain or lose a pound year in and year out. Others can't. So try the different approaches and find what works for you. Good luck.
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  #30   ^
Old Tue, Nov-18-14, 18:58
mojolissa's Avatar
mojolissa mojolissa is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,494
 
Plan: DDF, Fung
Stats: 247/209/199 Female 66.5"
BF:kickin it
Progress: 79%
Location: Michigan
Default

I'm trying something new...South Beach Diet Super Charged!

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

I think the concept is the same as the original South Beach, but adding in weight training and cardio to increase initial weight loss. I need a kick in the butt! I have been losing and gaining the same 10 or 20 pounds over and over and over.....
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