Southbeach diet

Greg Snyder said:

I'm new to this newsgroups thing, so help me here...Is South Beach Diet a
good one, and anyone have any tips?

I'd like to know what, exactly, "South Beach" *is*. Always been
curious.

Quoted message said:

From what I can tell from reading the book, it is pretty much a typical

LC diet, except that it suggests eliminating saturated fat under the
claim that it should be intuitively obvious that it can't be good for
you. I don't reacall the statement backed up in the book with any
imperical evidence - just a qualitative opinion. So the author
suggests staying away from things such as ribeye steaks, bacon and
sauge, cream, etc. In other words, it is basically an LC program,
marketed as being a heart healthy program since it says to stay away
from things that the govt says are really bad because of its low fat
bias.

I also found the book to be a very repetitive read as over half of it
is just testimonials from individuals claiming how much better they
feel and how the NEVER eat bread.

"South Beach" is part of Miami, FL. Its a tourist trap area with a lot
of fancy hotels, surf and other novelty shops, much like Myrtle Beach,
SC or Virginia Beach, VA.

I was there last fall when I had time to kill before going on a cruise.
From what I could tell, the author of the book, who lives there, was
being truthfull in that the area is full of eye candy and I saw very
few people who were overweight on the streets which he claimed to be
the case.

Noway2 wrote:
:: "South Beach" is part of Miami, FL. Its a tourist trap area with a
:: lot of fancy hotels, surf and other novelty shops, much like Myrtle
:: Beach, SC or Virginia Beach, VA.
::
:: I was there last fall when I had time to kill before going on a
:: cruise. From what I could tell, the author of the book, who lives
:: there, was being truthfull in that the area is full of eye candy
:: and I saw very few people who were overweight on the streets which
:: he claimed to be the case.

So, that means that the SBD really works, huh? 🙂

Greg Snyder said:

I'm new to this newsgroups thing, so help me here...Is South Beach Diet a
good one, and anyone have any tips?

My opinion is that the South Beach Diet would be
good for someone who doesn't require serious carb
restriction. The South Beach Diet author is a
cardiologist who is trying to burn the diet candle at
both ends. By that I mean his diet allows moderate
amounts of low glycemic index carbs while at the
same time it restricts saturated fat. It's like
a simplified version of the Zone diet. On paper
it a great diet, but in practice I believe that
it puts people on the edge of a slippery slope
in that after the initial strict (lower carb)
phase it's too loose with the carbs and too strict
with the fat to provide the necessary appetite and
craving suppression that is what really makes the
low carb diets workable over the long haul. Like
the Zone, The South beach Diet is not low carb.
It's closer to what is commonly called a 40-30-30
or isocaloric diet.

If you look elsewhere in this forum you'll find a
thread that has to do with what Will Brink
(a reasonably respected author of diet and exercise
info) calls his "Unified Theory of Nutrition."
It states that calorie balance dictates the amount
of weight lost while macronutrient profile dictates
the composition of the lost weight. Personally,
I agree with that. To lose weight one will always
have to restrict caloric intake and/or increase
activity to lose weight. Diets that are truly low
carb have two important things going for them.
The weight that is lost has a higher fat to muscle
ratio than is had with low fat or isocaloric diets.
Secondly, as mentioned earlier, low carb diets tend
to suppress appetite and reduce or eliminate cravings.
Those two things are very powerful in that they make
it possible for people to stay compliant and achieve
long term goals.

Diets like the Zone and South Beach are what real
low carb diets shift toward in their maintenance stages.

If you don't have much weight to lose, don't care what
the weight you lose is composed of, aren't compulsive
when it comes to carbohydrates, and don't have any real
concerns about the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance,
hyperinsulinemia or any of that, then South Beach is as
good a diet as any.
--

Bill Eitner wrote:
:: Greg Snyder wrote:
::: I'm new to this newsgroups thing, so help me here...Is South Beach
::: Diet a good one, and anyone have any tips?
::
:: My opinion is that the South Beach Diet would be
:: good for someone who doesn't require serious carb
:: restriction. The South Beach Diet author is a
:: cardiologist who is trying to burn the diet candle at
:: both ends. By that I mean his diet allows moderate
:: amounts of low glycemic index carbs while at the
:: same time it restricts saturated fat. It's like
:: a simplified version of the Zone diet. On paper
:: it a great diet, but in practice I believe that
:: it puts people on the edge of a slippery slope
:: in that after the initial strict (lower carb)
:: phase it's too loose with the carbs and too strict
:: with the fat to provide the necessary appetite and
:: craving suppression that is what really makes the
:: low carb diets workable over the long haul. Like
:: the Zone, The South beach Diet is not low carb.
:: It's closer to what is commonly called a 40-30-30
:: or isocaloric diet.
::
:: If you look elsewhere in this forum you'll find a
:: thread that has to do with what Will Brink
:: (a reasonably respected author of diet and exercise
:: info) calls his "Unified Theory of Nutrition."
:: It states that calorie balance dictates the amount
:: of weight lost while macronutrient profile dictates
:: the composition of the lost weight. Personally,
:: I agree with that. To lose weight one will always
:: have to restrict caloric intake and/or increase
:: activity to lose weight. Diets that are truly low
:: carb have two important things going for them.
:: The weight that is lost has a higher fat to muscle
:: ratio than is had with low fat or isocaloric diets.
:: Secondly, as mentioned earlier, low carb diets tend
:: to suppress appetite and reduce or eliminate cravings.
:: Those two things are very powerful in that they make
:: it possible for people to stay compliant and achieve
:: long term goals.
::
:: Diets like the Zone and South Beach are what real
:: low carb diets shift toward in their maintenance stages.
::
:: If you don't have much weight to lose, don't care what
:: the weight you lose is composed of, aren't compulsive
:: when it comes to carbohydrates, and don't have any real
:: concerns about the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance,
:: hyperinsulinemia or any of that, then South Beach is as
:: good a diet as any.
:: --

Nice post, Bill.

My local library has three copies of The South Beach Diet and so, I
assume, yours probably does, too. I suggest you borrow the book from
the library and read it. It has some advantages over Atkins in that it
is not as strict and people will likely stay on it and longer.

It proposes three phases. You begin by being Atkins low for the first
two weeks so that your body gets accustomed to low carb. Then you
gradually add in some carbs that are fairly low on the glycemic index.
After a few weeks, you can add in more....that would be the maintenance
phase. At any point, you can go back to the beginning.

You have more variety than the Atkins....so it's easier to do.

Again, try to check it out at the library. Don't buy it until you see
if its something you think you can do.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

You have more variety than the Atkins....so it's easier to do.

"Easier to do" is a relative thing 🙂. It is VERY easy for me to know I can
eat "meat, dairy, fat, vegetables, greens, seeds, nuts". Were I to tell
myself I can have SOME grains but not others, SOME fruits but not others
(yes, I know that Atkins allows some as time goes on), my personal
temptation would be to push the envelope. I need black-and-white, easy
rules - not because I can't keep track of grey areas, but because the little
devil on my left shoulder tells me, "Well if light grey is ok, then
certainly medium grey would be fine, what's the big deal?" and then..."Well
if medium grey is ok, then certainly dark greay would be fine, what's the
big deal?" So, while I don't presume that my own personal WOE is "easier to
do" for everyone, neither would I presume that a plan with more variety is
"easier to do" for everyone 🙂.

That's not, BTW, a criticism; just a clarification because, face it, there's
one in every crowd <G>.

One of the greatest things about this lifestyle change has been getting to
know so much more about myself than I knew before. Seems there's a lot of
that going around in the low carb community.
--
Sherry
364/296/195 (4/3/05)
http://lowcarb.owly.net

And now that the big medical study showed low fat doesn't have any
benefit in terms of reduced cancer or heart attack risk, the low fat
portion of SB is pretty much kaput.

Hmm. Purely opinion, but from other posts in this thread, I would say that,
if there are good and bad carbs, then there must be good and bad fats (or at
least iffy-fats). And my common sense says there's no reason to OVERDO
fats.

I'm also reading D. Kauffman's "Infectious Diabetes", which is part of his
"Fungus Link" series. He states that Mycotoxins are stored in fat - so that
rib-eye steak and bacon may be out. But good fats, Olive oil, Avocado, etc,
Leaner meats like chicken and fish, are OK. That seems to jibe with the SBD
comment I saw earlier, on saturated fats.

YMMV!

Steve

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

And now that the big medical study showed low fat doesn't have any
benefit in terms of reduced cancer or heart attack risk, the low fat
portion of SB is pretty much kaput.

Some of us don't believe there are good and bad carbs. There are good foods
that contain carbs, they are good because they contain other useful
nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, and bad foods that contain only
carbs and no redeeming nutrients.

In news:[email hidden],
Scionyx <[email hidden]> stated
| Hmm. Purely opinion, but from other posts in this thread, I would
| say that, if there are good and bad carbs, then there must be good
| and bad fats (or at least iffy-fats). And my common sense says
| there's no reason to OVERDO fats.
|
| I'm also reading D. Kauffman's "Infectious Diabetes", which is part
| of his "Fungus Link" series. He states that Mycotoxins are stored in
| fat - so that rib-eye steak and bacon may be out. But good fats,
| Olive oil, Avocado, etc, Leaner meats like chicken and fish, are OK.
| That seems to jibe with the SBD comment I saw earlier, on saturated
| fats.
|
| YMMV!
|
| Steve

I have to agree, fantastic post. You really broke it down for me. I'm
literally on Day 1 of South Beach, and it was good to hear there is a
case for reduced carb, both in terms of cravings reduction as well as
composition of lost weigh (having higher fat content). So thank you.

I will agree with another posting that mentioned the Zone as being
similar, and I definitely second that. In fact, the way the Zone
author sets it up makes it much easier to imagine sticking with it for
a longer period/lifetime. They both emphasize the "get right back on
the horse" idea if you fall off.

I have to admit I think I was sucked into the Phase 1 of South Beach
because it promised the quick loss... though 8-14 lbs? I'm laughing
imagining that the first 5 lbs are the passing of the huge meal you
likely ate the night before! (Carnitas in my case. oops, is this
TMI?). Phase 2 of South Beach is a little loosy-goosey... I noticed
that foods that are not in the list show up in recipes in both phases.

I'm thinking the Zone is the way to go long term, but I'll let you know
how Phase 1 turns out.

"JLMike" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have to admit I think I was sucked into the Phase 1 of South Beach
because it promised the quick loss... though 8-14 lbs? I'm laughing
imagining that the first 5 lbs are the passing of the huge meal you
likely ate the night before! (Carnitas in my case. oops, is this
TMI?). Phase 2 of South Beach is a little loosy-goosey... I noticed
that foods that are not in the list show up in recipes in both phases.

I'm thinking the Zone is the way to go long term, but I'll let you know
how Phase 1 turns out.

I started on South Beach when I was diagnosed with diabetes (T2). The first
2 weeks were important for me because that pretty much eliminated my old
cravings for carbs (and especially my sweet tooth). After that, it was
really easy because I just select from the "foods to enjoy" list and stay
away from the "foods to avoid" list. *In addition,* I have eliminated all
flour, potatoes, rice, pasta, and added sugar. That part is for the
diabetes and is not a part of SB, but it does reduce the carbs still more.
I did not lose a lot during the first 2 weeks but was not concerned about
that -- I think very rapid weight loss may just reflect water loss. On the
other hand, I lost 60 pounds by following this program, but I lost the
weight at a steady 1-2 pounds per week (and I really think that is
healthier). I also brought my glucose under control and have not needed any
medication since March of 2005. Along the way, I found an amazing
improvement in my cholesterol and triglyceride levels. I particularly like
this diet because I just select the foods I want, and I have not had any
problems with portion control. I have failed on every diet that required me
to carefully count calories, points (Weight Watchers), or measure portions.
There are so many veggies on SB that I haven't needed to limit the other
items -- it seems to be self-limiting.

MaryL

"MaryL" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:0J%Lf.131112$0G.112201@dukeread10...

Quoted message said:

"JLMike" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have to admit I think I was sucked into the Phase 1 of South Beach
because it promised the quick loss... though 8-14 lbs? I'm laughing
imagining that the first 5 lbs are the passing of the huge meal you
likely ate the night before! (Carnitas in my case. oops, is this
TMI?). Phase 2 of South Beach is a little loosy-goosey... I noticed
that foods that are not in the list show up in recipes in both phases.

I'm thinking the Zone is the way to go long term, but I'll let you know
how Phase 1 turns out.

I started on South Beach when I was diagnosed with diabetes (T2). The
first 2 weeks were important for me because that pretty much eliminated my
old cravings for carbs (and especially my sweet tooth). After that, it
was really easy because I just select from the "foods to enjoy" list and
stay away from the "foods to avoid" list. *In addition,* I have
eliminated all flour, potatoes, rice, pasta, and added sugar. That part
is for the diabetes and is not a part of SB, but it does reduce the carbs
still more. I did not lose a lot during the first 2 weeks but was not
concerned about that -- I think very rapid weight loss may just reflect
water loss. On the other hand, I lost 60 pounds by following this
program, but I lost the weight at a steady 1-2 pounds per week (and I
really think that is healthier). I also brought my glucose under control
and have not needed any medication since March of 2005. Along the way, I
found an amazing improvement in my cholesterol and triglyceride levels. I
particularly like this diet because I just select the foods I want, and I
have not had any problems with portion control. I have failed on every
diet that required me to carefully count calories, points (Weight
Watchers), or measure portions. There are so many veggies on SB that I
haven't needed to limit the other items -- it seems to be self-limiting.

MaryL

This sounds almost exactly like what I've done, with the exception of Phase
one, which I skipped and went straight to the Phase 2 foods list. I did two
weeks of phase one a couple of years ago, and lost 15 lbs in two weeks, but
was a raving maniac for food at the end of two weeks that I gave it up,
gained all that back and more. This time, I started with the Phase two food
list and have done as you do, just eat from the good list, avoid the bad
list, and gave up all pasta, bread, sugar, flour, rice and potatoes. Now I
make sure I have a protein source for breakfast, with some fiber, lunch is
usually a salad or similar, and dinner is lean meat with good vegetables.
Snacks are boiled eggs, cheese, some fresh fruit or a few pork rinds, which
I love. And in 8 weeks I've lost almost 25 lbs. That's good enough for me,
even though after the first couple of weeks of fast loss, I've settled into
the 1-2 lb range per week. I have a long way to go, so it is important to me
that this be a lifestyle I could live with for the long haul. When you weigh
nearly 300 lbs, it takes a while to lose it at 2 lbs a week. But I rarely
get hungry any more, and if I can control the munchie mania, this is a very
livable plan for me. I've tried probably 30 diets in my life and this is the
only one I've been able to live with for more than two weeks. I LOVE South
Beach.

Just my $.02.

Jean
--
*****************
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle
*****************

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

And in 8 weeks I've lost almost 25 lbs. That's good enough for me,
even though after the first couple of weeks of fast loss, I've settled into
the 1-2 lb range per week. I have a long way to go, so it is important to me
that this be a lifestyle I could live with for the long haul. When you weigh
nearly 300 lbs, it takes a while to lose it at 2 lbs a week. But I rarely
get hungry any more, and if I can control the munchie mania, this is a very
livable plan for me. I've tried probably 30 diets in my life and this is the
only one I've been able to live with for more than two weeks. I LOVE South
Beach.

EXCELLENT job, Jean! It's SO great to find something that works and
that you KNOW you can do for the long term!

--
Saffire
205/133/125
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

*** This post originated in alt.support.diet.low-carb -- its appearance
in any other forum is deceptive and unauthorized. ***

"Saffire" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

And in 8 weeks I've lost almost 25 lbs. That's good enough for me,
even though after the first couple of weeks of fast loss, I've settled
into
the 1-2 lb range per week. I have a long way to go, so it is important to
me
that this be a lifestyle I could live with for the long haul. When you
weigh
nearly 300 lbs, it takes a while to lose it at 2 lbs a week. But I rarely
get hungry any more, and if I can control the munchie mania, this is a
very
livable plan for me. I've tried probably 30 diets in my life and this is
the
only one I've been able to live with for more than two weeks. I LOVE
South
Beach.

EXCELLENT job, Jean! It's SO great to find something that works and
that you KNOW you can do for the long term!

--
Saffire
205/133/125
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

It really is. This is, after all, a lifelong commitment, and for me it has
to be something I can realistically do. Induction, Phase One, whatever you
call it, isn't something I can realistically do. But the way I eat now is
something I can do forever.

Thanks for your kind words. You are an inspiration to me, Saffire.

Jean
298/275.8/150
SB since 1-1-06

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for your kind words. You are an inspiration to me, Saffire.

Glad I can be of help :-) I know *I* had a lot of inspiration here, and
I like to pay it forward.

--
Saffire
205/133/125
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

*** This post originated in alt.support.diet.low-carb -- its appearance
in any other forum is deceptive and unauthorized. ***