South Beach Diet

[pamela]

Is anyone here doing the South Beach Diet? I've been on it for a little over two weeks now and I'm having a love/hate relationship with it, so far.

On the positive side:
I haven't had any cravings, my energy level seems more even, I'm definitely losing weight, I like the food and like eating this way.

On the negative side:
It's ridiculously expensive. I've spent over $700.00 on food SO FAR this month for just my husband and myself. I get most of my meat for free so I usually don't spend that much in a month. It also has seemed to be very time consuming. It takes me a lot longer to pack my husband's lunch, longer to cook dinner and I have a lot more dirty dishes than I did before. It's weird because I really wasn't eating that many convenience foods before and I can't quite put my finger on why it's costing me so much more in money and time.

Anyone have any advice or tips or experiences to share?

[Longhorn]

1. I'm not on it now but I've done it before.

I had a very similar experience. One of my problems is that we live several miles from the grocery store and don't always do weekly shopping. With all the fresh produce on the diet, we found it would go bad before we got around to eating it. It's definitely the way people should eat -- it's just hard to fit into today's busy lifestyles. :shrug:

Congratulations on your progress! :hi:

[pamela]

2. Thanks, Longhorn!

I don't have a whole lot to lose but I really needed to change my eating habits, especially in regards to sugar. I want to keep eating this way because there is a history of high cholesterol, heart disease, strokes and diabetes in my family and my cholesterol was starting to get a little high. It has been a little frustrating though, because of the time and money. I think it will get better as I get stocked up on some of these sugar-free and whole wheat foods.

I usually only shop about every two weeks, too, but not on this diet! I wish I had a farmer's market nearby for produce so I could just go there and pick up my veggies without buying out the whole damn organic foods aisle at the grocery store. lol

[AlCzervik]

3. yup, lost 80 pounds, i started in July of 05 and the first week was awful

i had migraines but they stopped and i stuck with it, still have 5 pounds to go to reach my goal. I spend much less on food now, i eat a lot of chicken and tofu and veggies, also eggbeaters. Best of luck!

[pamela]

4. Wow! 80 lbs!

Congratulations!

I'd like to lose around 20 to 30. You spend LESS? on food? I can't figure out why it's costing me so much. We ate kind of "beachy" before going on this diet (lots of lean protein and veggies, whole wheat products, etc) so the only thing I'm buying differently is some of the sugar free stuff plus more nuts and cheese. My husband went on the diet with me so I've been trying to keep the house really stocked up with things he can eat so he won't get bored and want to quit. I feel like I'm dieting for two because he keeps asking me what he can eat. I guess that's better than if he wasn't on it and I had to keep a lot of non-diet foods on hand.

I bought a mini-trampoline/rebounder from eBay and was really excited about that. It's supposed to be about the best exercise you can do. The box arrived today and instead of my trampoline there was a 12 piece cookware set in the box. I was so bummed! eBay is trying to sabotage me-lol.

[Mojorabbit]

21. I won a plate on ebay

and got an armadillo basket made from a read armadillo in the mail instead. I was bummed too!
I am on week two and have lost seven lbs so far. I like the mini quiches for snacks cold. I buy the frozen meals for hubby's lunch and he likes them so has begun to actually eat lunch which is good for him.

[pamela]

23. An armadillo basket? That's pretty funny.

Did you keep it? I think I would have, but then, I really like armadillos. I finally got my mini-trampoline and I really like it.

Congrats on losing seven pounds. That's great! I like the mini-quiches a lot, too, but I haven't made any lately. I think I'll make up a batch soon because they are great for a quick breakfast or snack. I've gotten a bit lax lately with snacks now that I've been in Phase 2 for a while. I'm still sticking to South Beach foods but I think I'm eating more grains and nuts and some of the "snackier" stuff and not watching my portions as closely as I should. February is always a really crappy month for me so I'm not going to stress too much about it. I usually eat a lot of sweets and other carb foods during winter so I'm just trying to get through this month without going way off the diet. I think I can get some discipline back in March. I'm really looking forward to Spring and Summer and the greater availability of fresh fruits and veggies.

[gizmonic]

5. I started SB Jan. 3rd, so I'm still in Phase 1...

So far, so good. I'm trying to lose about 50lbs.

The first few days were not as bad as I thought; I didn't experience the craving withdrawals that I expected to. BUT! Day 4 was when it hit -- I was climbing the walls -- I did everything I could to not cave in. It was tough but I didn't buckle under.

The intense cravings lasted about a day and a half.

I'm now on day 9 of Phase 1 and have lost about 7lbs. I'm following the vegetarian option and have noticed that I'm buying less food but shopping more frequently. Instead of buying a boatload of crappy food at one time, I'm thoughtful about my choices. I may pop into the store on my way home from work and snag some appropriate fixin's for the next few meals. My husband is also trying to lose weight but he's not following any type of plan -- unless you call "no more eating junk food @ work" a plan.

I've tried Weight Watchers about 10yrs ago and was somewhat successful (I lost 20lbs). But I gained it back.

I was reluctant to try SB because I thought it was a fad diet -- but it doesn't appear to be. It's the only program I tried that has (almost) freed me from my carb/sugar cravings. I say almost because it's still early days.

Another thing I've noticed w/SB is that I don't feel deprived. I'm not snacking during the day (except for the appropriate midmorning and afternoon ones). I'm not eating as much food as before but I feel full longer. I didn't experience that with WW.

My sis-in-law has been on SB for a while and lost a ton of weight after having two kids. My dad recently started SB and has lost about 22lbs. After seeing my dad's success I decided to start too.

Good luck!
gizmonic

[Longhorn]

6. Congratulations! It sounds like you're off to a great start!

I'll look forward to further updates! :hi:

[gizmonic]

7. Thanks!

I'll keep ya posted! :hi:

[AlCzervik]

8. Good for you and good luck! Day 4 can be an ugly, ugly thing for those around you

but you made it through. Keep us updated.

[pamela]

9. Hi gizmonic!

I just noticed your post. It's good to see another DUer doing South Beach.

I started in November and am still going strong. I really like this way of eating. I don't weigh myself but I'm pretty sure I'm losing because my clothes keep getting looser.

I guess you're on Phase 2 by now. Have you checked out the South Beach Diet forum? They have a recipe section that has been great for me. The thread in that section about beans would probably be very helpful to you since you are doing a vegetarian South Beach. Here's a link to the forum in case you haven't already seen it.

http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/forum/index.php

Good luck and keep me posted on how you are doing.

[AlCzervik]

10. good for you avoiding the scale, i did the same for months and went by

how my clothes fit or didn't and measurements. I tend to let the number on the scale dictate my self esteem for the day--i'm working on that.

[pamela]

11. I like the way you put that.

"I tend to let the number on the scale dictate my self esteem for the day"

That's what was happening to me, many years ago. I haven't weighed myself in over 15 years. When I go to the Doctor, I stand backwards on the scale and then just ask the Doctor if I've gained or lost since the last visit. Sometimes the nurse weighing me looks at me like I'm crazy, especially if she's heavier than me, but this works better for me.

When I was in my 20's, I was so obsessed with my weight that a therapist told me I had a borderline eating disorder. I wasn't anorexic or bulimic but I was always going on these ridiculously strict diets and then going way off them. I would weigh myself everyday, sometimes 2 or 3 times, and get really depressed by the number, even when it wasn't really that high. When I stopped weighing myself, I stopped obsessing about dieting and actually lost weight and maintained a really good weight for years.

When I got married 8 years ago, my weight started creeping up. At first I told myself that it was okay that I was a size bigger because you couldn't expect to stay the same size your whole life. But then I went up another size and saw some pictures of myself at a wedding and was shocked at how much heavier I had gotten. That's the down side of not weighing yourself, but I still think it was a good plan for me.

I've been really tempted to weigh myself lately because I know I'm losing and I want to know how much. It's hard to participate in diet discussions when you don't know that "magic number" and when you can't discuss your success in terms of the number of pounds lost. But I went on the South Beach diet for reasons other than just weight so I think I'm going to try to stay off the scale and use other criteria to measure my progress.

Sorry this post was so long. I just needed to put this into words for some reason. I've been really struggling with the whole "to weigh or not to weigh" question lately.

[Longhorn]

12. I appreciate your post!

You've done a great job of expressing how I feel about the scales, too. I'm not weighing and I hope I'm not in denial. But the last time I weighed myself, I had been working out, eating healthy, and feeling great! I just knew I'd show a loss on the scales -- instead, it was either no loss or a gain -- I can't remember but I know I was crushed. So enough! :)

[Whimsy]

13. South Beach Diet

Hi. I just started this diet yesterday and am already kind of panicky. I had really bad hunger pains and don't see why they say you don't get hungry. I'm going to try to stick with it. Don't mind giving up the sugar but the complex carbs are what I really miss. I have a LOT of weight to lose (about 60 pounds, I would guess). I once went to OA and remember ONE DAY AT A TIME and ONE POUND AT A TIME. I'm glad this Phase 1 only lasts two weeks. I'm trying to make it through DAY 2!

[gizmonic]

14. It's hard Whimsy but it's worth it!

I started SB about 5 weeks ago (I'm currently in Phase 2). I need to lose about 60lbs also. I found that when I was getting hungry I ate whole, unsalted almonds or veggie sticks (usually red peppers or celery) w/a bit of hummus. Also, eggs were my very best friend during Phase 1.

I realized during the first 2 weeks to recognize when I was hungry or when I was bored and thought I wanted to eat. Now that I'm in Phase 2 I can easily know what my body is telling me.

Another thing to keep in mind is to look for the hidden sugars in food -- esp. corn syrup. That stuff pops up everywhere!

All I can tell you is that it does get easier -- by day 5 or 6 you may notice you don't have the cravings as much.

:toast: :hug: :applause:

[Whimsy]

15. Thanks

Thanks a lot for the encouragement. Got through day 2. I think my attitude is more positive and I'll stick with it. Good luck to you too!

[AlCzervik]

16. Hang in there Whimsy it will be better by day 5.

i almost gave up on day 4 because of a migraine which the books says is fairly common, on day 5 i woke up and it was gone and so were my cravings. A year and half later i'm down 80 pounds and holding.
:hug:

[IronLionZion]

19. Wow,

80 lbs is pretty impressive! Good for you!

[pamela]

17. Hi Whimsy!

I hope you're feeling better. I'm concerned that that you said you were feeling hungry because you shouldn't let yourself get hungry on South Beach. If you're feeling hungry-eat something! Just make sure that it something "beachy" like veggies and hummus, celery with peanut butter, eggs, cheese, etc. Phase 2 gets a lot better but Phase 1 will really help you get your cravings and appetite under control.

If you are having trouble with hunger, try adding some beans to your meals if you haven't already. Chili is a great Phase 1 food, especially if you use ground turkey. Plain/non-fat yogurt is good, too. I added a little powder from a sugar-free jello packet for flavoring in Phase 1.

Try not to get discouraged. It gets much easier.

[IronLionZion]

18. yup, I'm on day 4 of phase 1

I think SB is a fantastic diet in it's effectiveness, simplicity, nutrition, affordability, and taste. I miss sugar and carbs, but I try not to think about it. Although my low blood sugar is making me kind of lazy, I was fairly lazy to begin with.

I hear you on the cost. Fresh produce and lean meats are more costly than the processed stuff. Try looking for a farmer's market or co-op or something if it's getting to be too much. Many vegetables can be frozen if you don't want them to go bad.

My standard day would be omelette in the morning, salad with chicken for lunch, baked chicken or fish with steamed vegetables for dinner, and nuts or celery as a snack. This seems to work for me but I think I'm going to get sick of eggs and chicken pretty soon. I've been avoiding peanut butter and yoghurt too but I may have to have a little bit for variety. Fortunately I learned to love vegetables long ago so I can just eat some raw or steamed veggies when I get really hungry.

It does take discipline but South Beach is one of the best diets in my opinion. I'm glad that phase 1 is just for 2 weeks. I can do this.

[pamela]

20. Hi, IronLionZion!

Wow, we're getting a lot of South Beach DUers. This is great.

I'm finding it to be less costly than I originally thought. My first month, I went a little crazy buying just about everything I found that you were allowed to eat. I pretty much completely redid my pantry and gave away four very large bags of food. I spent over $1000.00 in November on groceries and was kind of freaking about that because there are only two of us. But I was making trips to Trader Joes and ordering things online from South Haven Farms and Netrition and places like that. It's working out good now though because I'm pretty stocked up on everything. It feels great to open my cabinets and see nothing but good nutritious food. I was sick last week and I think I would have indulged in "comfort foods" so I was really glad I had gotten rid of everything. I'm determined to make this a lifestyle change.

Good luck with the rest of Phase 1. You can do it! Keep us posted on how you're doing.

[Lisa0825]

22. I am sorta doing it.

I did it before and lost 50 pounds. Then I went back to all my bad habits for 3 years and put it all back on. Now, I am following the basic principles, but am not strictly on it. I did one week on phase 1 and then added some whole wheat/whole grain to my diet. I don't watch the fat as closely as the book recommends. I can't stomach beggies for breakfast either.. blech. You could say I fall somewhere between SBD and Atkins.

Eating healthier costs more in general. Keeping fresh fruits and veggies on hand and lean meats, nuts, cheese, etc, are all expensive. But these are not just SBD things. They are healthy things. It's really sad that it's hard to afford to eat healthily.

[pamela]

24. Hi, Lisa.

Welcome back to the Beach!B-)

How long did it take you to lose that 50 pounds before? I think I've lost about 20 pounds but it seems like it has been going more slowly lately.

It worries me a little bit that I've heard so many people say they gained all their weight back after going off the diet. I hope that doesn't happen to me. I'm trying really hard not to have an "on the diet/off the diet" mentality and trying to embrace this as a lifestyle change. It's just hard to stay motivated when I'm not losing as quickly as I'd like but I think a slower pace is probably better, in the long run.

Being on this diet has really given me a better appreciation for how difficult it must be for poor people to eat healthily. I thought I was eating fairly healthy foods before with just the occasional junk food, convenience foods and delivery pizza. Now that I'm not doing any of that, I realize that I was buying more of it than I thought. Replacing those foods with healthy choices is definitely more expensive and time consuming. I can't imagine trying to do this diet on a strict budget and that's really a shame when you consider it's pretty much how everyone should be eating. It is really sad that you can buy a whole box of Little Debbie snack cakes for less money than one avocado.

[Lisa0825]

25. Gaining it back was not related to the diet itself.

I am a stress eater. I went through a couple years of major stress, and got out of the exercise habit due to back to back to back injuries and illnesses. If you lose weight by ANY method, and then go back to your previous habits, the weight will come back. Keeping it off is a matter of moderation in all things.

I lost the 50 pounds in about 5-6 months. I was also working out very consistently too, jogging 3 miles a day 4-5 times a week at my peak, plus weight training. It may go at a more moderate pace if you are dieting without the exercise.

I agree about the cost of eating healthy. It actually all worked out for me, because I didn't eat out as often or have fast food, but recently, I kept having to put off going back on the diet because I was having money trouble.

[ginnyinWI]

26. I tried it three years ago

I lost about 17 lbs. but then stopped losing, no matter what. I think what happened was that I learned to make up the lost calories with low carb foods, so began to maintain the weight I was at.

I think that the only way to lose weight is to be able to modify what you like to eat anyway so that you lose. When someone else tells you what to eat, that's a diet, not a lifestyle change.

Three months ago I was diagnosed as diabetic (mild case) and went on a carb-controlled plan that is letting me lose and maintain good blood sugar levels.

There is nothing magic about a low-carb diet except that it may help decrease your appetite so that you won't eat as much. This has happened to me on my current plan, however--and I'm still eating what I want. It's just that I have to control the amounts of carbs I eat, and not overdo the proteins and fats at the same time. I get about 50% of my calories from carbs and I'm still able to lose.


With a family history of diabetes, I'd suggest getting your blood glucose levels checked often, because damage can happen even before you are "officially" pronounced diabetic. I wish they had done this for me when my fasting blood glucose was 126 years ago. This fall it was 141 and then they said I was diabetic, but even before this stage I probably was having insulin spikes after meals,etc which went undetected.

Not to panic you, but if you've got a problem you are better off dealing with it, rather than hiding from it like I did for years. Today my blood sugar is under control, I feel a lot better with more energy, and eat foods I choose and that I like. I am semi-vegetarian (no red meat for me), and enjoy making veggie stir-fries and home-baked breads. Meat is definitely NOT the main thing on my menu but more of a sidelight. Much less expensive than South Beach too, that's for sure. The problem with the Beach is that all of that animal protein is going to be bad for your cholesterol, even if you stick with leaner meats. And the best way to deal with high blood pressure is to eat complex carbs and fiber--not just a lot of meat.

So in short, I have real "issues" with the South Beach Diet for someone prone to diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc like I am and looks like you are.

Good Luck! :)