I was advised to try the South Beach Diet

[JustKate]

My understanding is that the South Beach diet is, for many people, a good thing, and for some people, it's a great thing. Several years ago, my mother tested as borderline diabetic, and her doctor suggested the South Beach diet because it's a good way to control and learn about bad carbs. vs. good carbs and so on. She lost...I believe it was 40 pounds, she's kept it off for several years, and her blood sugar is now normal, all without medication.

Just don't go anti-carb-crazy. Your body needs carbs - you simply need to learn how to select the right ones.

Atkins, on the other hand, is simply insane - because it is anti-carb crazy. In fact, it's just plain crazy. Any diet that lets you eat pretty much as much bacon as you want (I adore bacon, but it ought to be an occasional treat, not a diet staple) is at best ill-conceived and at worst delusional.

 

[TGTheodore]

If you are a person who craves bad carbs like potato chips or sugar you will be amazed at how much those cravings go away after a few weeks on the diet.

I was just AMAZED by that. I'm not a faddist, I don't try anything that is the flavor of the moment.

My doctor recommended South Beach when he diagnosed me Type II diabetic.

As I mentioned earlier, virtually all my cravings for the bad crap were gone after a few days.

And to answer someone else, yes, non-fat milk is a preferred beverage in all three phases.

There is a paperback version of the diet which gives specific lists of foods allowed in each phase. By the time you get to Phase III (basic maintenance), there's a helluva lot you can eat. Good stuff that tastes good and satisfied this former Junk Food dumptruck.

--Ted

 

[propita]

Hubby and I bought the book today. He's going to go on a modified version--he needs his International Delight with his coffee (actually, his coffee with his International Delight).

I saw non-fat milk is okay. GREAT!!

Back to the cardiologist. Now that they have the test results, they believe us that most things are okay--all but the one test, the CRP test (cardio reactive protein). That's waaaaay high, but since it measures all inflammation in the body, even having really tight muscles can give a high number. The nurse practitioner conceded that could be it, but they will be doing a nuclear stress test. I can't do the physical one. So if that's okay, then I have a great baseline and any problems would be anxiety and not cardio.

 

[AntonyF]

Atkins <> South Beach. Atkins may give high weight loss, but isn't healthy and as a vegetarian I could never do it. South Beach just strips out high GI carbs for two weeks.

You're not allowed to have fruit juice, but I'm continuing to have some otherwise I'd go stir crazy. But I only have it diluted, to give water a little flavour, so the sugar kick isn't so high. Also I'm not following South Beach strictly... it's just a framework for what I was trying to do anyway.

 

[TGTheodore]

Atkins <> South Beach. Atkins may give high weight loss, but isn't healthy and as a vegetarian I could never do it. South Beach just strips out high GI carbs for two weeks.

There's a wee bit more to it than that.

You're not allowed to have fruit juice, but I'm continuing to have some otherwise I'd go stir crazy. But I only have it diluted, to give water a little flavour, so the sugar kick isn't so high. Also I'm not following South Beach strictly... it's just a framework for what I was trying to do anyway.

As you have just proven by saying you're on it but not following it. "Framework" versions are not versions of any diet. Specific diets are designed to work specific ways.

Now if you mean you're just trying to eat healthier, good for you. I hope it works and I hope you're feeling better overall.

--Ted

 

[tharpdevenport]

Unless you have amazing will power, or never cared for sugar to begin with, any diet that has you cutting out sugar alltogether, is doomed to failure. One needs to wing off sugar, find alternatives, and things with less sugar.

For example, I went to the fruit juice isle and studied all the fruit juices -- including powdered ones -- and I found Tang to be the best. Only 40 calories (and 0 Fat Calories) per serving (8oz), 0 Fat, and only 9 grams of Sugar. And if you dillute it, even less! Tang has been a fucking life savor for my diet. No other product compared to it.


And every last single item in the diet section ... was just, if not MORE fattening than regular food -- even at a health store. Health food is a fucking joke. You should see the "healthy" candy bars -- double the amount of sugar than a Reese bar.

 

[thestrangequark]

^Actually, it was my experience (and I think the experience is pretty common), that once you've eliminated sugars from your diet for 3-4 days your craving of sugars is significantly decreased. And when I say sugars I mean carbohydrates in general, both simple and complex. The first three days of SB were hard for me, but after that my cravings for sugary and starchy foods was minimal and not at all difficult to suppress.

This doesn't mean that I never crave sugar -- I've always had a major sweet-tooth -- but the less I eat it, the less I want to eat it.

 

[TGTheodore]

This doesn't mean that I never crave sugar -- I've always had a major sweet-tooth -- but the less I eat it, the less I want to eat it.

Same here. One year I was ill for the first six weeks and had virtually no sucrose, glucose or fructose. I went the whole year without candy of any kind and didn't miss it.

--Ted

 

[ITL]

Hmm. This diet intrigues me, and I may investigate it further...

ITL, fatty fat fat.

 

[Kestra]

^ I'm intrigued too now! Cutting out intense cravings for sweet things could prove useful to me. Pop isn't an issue for me, but just about everything else is.

 

[JustKate]

Well, YMMV. I mean, I haven't heard anybody in RL say that the diet makes them quit craving things they really love. But it does seem to reduce those empty cravings - the cravings for anything sweet, doesn't matter what it is.

But if you love chocolate cake, you're still going to love chocolate cake, at least if the people I know who've tried this diet are typical.

 

[AntonyF]

Now if you mean you're just trying to eat healthier, good for you. I hope it works and I hope you're feeling better overall.

--Ted

Yeah, basically. I've never actually done a specific diet ever. But I've lost huge amounts of weight before. It's easy. Eat less than you burn off. Job done! Ramp up exercise, lower food intake.

I just liked the South Beach Diet's approach, I felt it wasn't extreme and gave me some ideas. Inspiration if you will.

 

[thestrangequark]

^I wish it were that easy. I've been biking between 20-60 miles a day, 6 days a week, and eating a very strict diet of 1500 cal. per day. For two months. And I haven't lost a pound.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

For example, I went to the fruit juice isle and studied all the fruit juices -- including powdered ones -- and I found Tang to be the best. Only 40 calories (and 0 Fat Calories) per serving (8oz), 0 Fat, and only 9 grams of Sugar. And if you dillute it, even less! Tang has been a fucking life savor for my diet. No other product compared to it.

Do you like Hawaiian Punch? You should try this: Hawaiian Punch Light. It's only 10 calories per 8 ounces. It tastes like the original to me.

 

[Kestra]

^I wish it were that easy. I've been biking between 20-60 miles a day, 6 days a week, and eating a very strict diet of 1500 cal. per day. For two months. And I haven't lost a pound.

How is that possible?

 

[thestrangequark]

^I wish it were that easy. I've been biking between 20-60 miles a day, 6 days a week, and eating a very strict diet of 1500 cal. per day. For two months. And I haven't lost a pound.

How is that possible?

I can't figure that out. I know there's something wrong with me, probably to do with insulin sensitivity. 2.5 months ago I suddenly gained 12 pounds. And I mean sudden. It happened within the space of 3 weeks, and without a change in my eating or exercise habits. It was around about the same time I had planned on beginning training for some bike tours, and while I was somewhat alarmed at the sudden weight gain I assumed it was to do with my insulin and I figured if I was strict with diet and exercise I could work it off.
So, here I am, nearly two months later and I've only slipped up on my diet twice, and I've been exercising almost every day. Apparently an hour of moderate to vigorous biking (I average 15mph) burns something like 700 calories. I know weight loss is more complicated than simply burning more calories than you take in, but at some point my body's got to be burning something for energy! There's the whole muscle weighs more than fat thing to consider, but it doesn't account for the extremity of my situation, I think. My average calories burned exercising each day has been 2100, and my average calorie intake has been 1500. I honestly don't know how it is physically possible for me to be maintaining this weight.

I'm frustrated. I'm going to ask my endocrinologist about it at my next appt. Unfortunately, I don't have insurance so I'm stuck on the NYC city hospital program. I made the appointment in the beginning of March, and I don't get to see the doctor until February.

 

[Aurian]

Honestly, to me it sounds like you are eating too little kcalories for that ammount of exersize. You have to optimise your metabolism, not starve the body into submission.

 

[An Officer]

You don't actually need a "diet". Food is too personal a thing to have it mass prescribed. The only thing you really need to do is ruthlessly cut out the junk and eat sensible portions (assuming that you have educated yourself on nutrition first). After you've cut out the processed foods and high sugar content habits, as others have said, your own healthy rhythms will eventually kick in. The body actually is very good at indicating which nutrients it needs, and this varies from person to person of course and cannot be dictated by the latest severe diet.

Just as an interesting example of this - I have recently found that I have not been getting enough vitamin K2... after reading up about this, I noticed that for a while now, I have actually been craving eggs and various shell fish... these foods just happened to be rich in K2. I was amazed. I had no conscious idea what my deficiencies were, yet my body was already instinctively trying to take care of them. The good news is, we are all in possession of an amazing instrument which knows what to do, if you give it a chance.

 

[Kestra]

I can't figure that out. I know there's something wrong with me, probably to do with insulin sensitivity. 2.5 months ago I suddenly gained 12 pounds. And I mean sudden. It happened within the space of 3 weeks, and without a change in my eating or exercise habits. It was around about the same time I had planned on beginning training for some bike tours, and while I was somewhat alarmed at the sudden weight gain I assumed it was to do with my insulin and I figured if I was strict with diet and exercise I could work it off.
So, here I am, nearly two months later and I've only slipped up on my diet twice, and I've been exercising almost every day. Apparently an hour of moderate to vigorous biking (I average 15mph) burns something like 700 calories. I know weight loss is more complicated than simply burning more calories than you take in, but at some point my body's got to be burning something for energy! There's the whole muscle weighs more than fat thing to consider, but it doesn't account for the extremity of my situation, I think. My average calories burned exercising each day has been 2100, and my average calorie intake has been 1500. I honestly don't know how it is physically possible for me to be maintaining this weight.

I'm frustrated. I'm going to ask my endocrinologist about it at my next appt. Unfortunately, I don't have insurance so I'm stuck on the NYC city hospital program. I made the appointment in the beginning of March, and I don't get to see the doctor until February.

Oh wow, I can't imagine how annoying that must be. I wish you lived around here because I might've been able to get you into see someone.

I gained ten pounds in a month and thought I was just being a fatty, until my TSH levels came back and tested at over 200. Okay, so my diet's not great either, but at least there's a good chance I wasn't just being a complete pig.

I'm hoping I can work some of it off, but I can't imagine the level of frustration you're feeling.

 

[thestrangequark]

^Thanks for the concern. What's TSH? Thyroid something Hormone? Something something Hormone? Throaty Hungarian Sexpot?

Honestly, to me it sounds like you are eating too little kcalories for that ammount of exersize. You have to optimise your metabolism, not starve the body into submission.

I considered that. After 14 years of being a type 1 diabetic, though, I know very well how my body reacts to food and exercise, and this isn't normal. Plus, it wouldn't account for the initial unexplainable weight gain. Even if my metabolism is working slowly, it must be working, which is why I'm baffled at this entire situation. I could see a few weeks, maybe a month of not losing weight on this regimen, but 2 months? It just doesn't seem possible. I just wish I could see a doctor sooner.