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View Full Version : My only issue with the South Beach Diet...



egoldber
11-12-2003, 09:32 PM
OK, so its early days, yet, but I am enjoying the South Beach diet. I love eggs, cheese and seafood, and goodness knows you get enough of those in this diet. And I have probably eaten more vegetables in the last two days than in the last two weeks! Surpisingly, I don't miss bread and rice at all! It is weird to not make a sandwich for lunch or have cereal for breakfast, but I'm getting used to it.

But I miss FRUIT!!!! OMG!!! I'm dreaming about bananas (one of my absolute FAVORITE foods!!!) and apples and oranges.

Sigh.

KimberleyDawn
11-12-2003, 09:39 PM
Hi beth,
No fruit! When are you allowed to introduce fruits back into your diet? Are you allowed anything sweetened with artificial sugar?
Kim

egoldber
11-12-2003, 09:45 PM
The no fruit thing is only for Phase 1 (the first 2 weeks), when you're on the strict low carb part. Phase 2 allows some fruits, but only those naturally low in sugar. You stay in Phase 2 until you reach your goal weight. Then you go on to Phase 3 (the maintenance phase), which is still more liberal, but is a relatively low carb diet vs the typical American diet.

He makes liberal use of artificial sweeteners in making desserts and snacks. I think that the diet is easy to follow. And the food is quite tasty. Its just DIFFERENT from what I usually eat, but I guess that's the whole point!

Its also nice because you can customize it to suit your needs and tastes. Everyone's body processes foods differently. He teaches you how to evaluate what is safe for YOU to eat.

KimberleyDawn
11-12-2003, 10:37 PM
This diet sounds very interesting....I may have to check out SB's web site. I'll get back to you when I've had a chance to look at it.
Kim
P.S.
Have you ever tried WW?

egoldber
11-13-2003, 12:23 AM
I've never done WW. My MIL did it a couple years ago. It seems to be a pretty sensible diet, but all her point counting drove me a little nuts. To this day, she can't look at a meal without saying "Oh, thats SOO many points!" LOL!

peanut4us
11-13-2003, 11:24 AM
That is too funny. My husband feels the same way. I have learned to not comment on the points for food values when his order arrives at the table! Still, I think, you're gonna spend 20 points on that?!?!?

Annette_C
11-14-2003, 12:12 AM
Beth,
I hear you! We went apple picking a couple of weeks ago and I now have these gorgeous, just ripe to perfection apples staring at me saying: eat me!
DH and I are at the end of Phase 1 (TG!) and already looking forward to next week!
Have you found that you're feeling more tired on this diet? We did. It's much better now. I guess our bodies got used to the new diet.
Good luck!
Annette
SAHM to Sabrina 6/24/02

egoldber
11-14-2003, 09:56 AM
Actually no. But, pathetically, I was really tired all the time before too. I don't get anough sleep (no fault but my own), so I always feel a little tired and rundown. Like I said above, its just WEIRD to not eat sandwiches and bread! And its depressing to open my pantry and realize it is FULL of food I shouldn't eat any more! I'm going to have to do something about that. I feel a big food bank donation coming on...

I'm excited because DH agreed to go on it with me. (He's been out of town all week, so its just been me up to this point.) He has a good friend who has lost a ton of weight on Atkins, but Atkins scares him, so he agreed to try this with me!

And I was feeling a little dejected this morning, so I weighed myself (I know, I know...) and I've lost 3 pounds so far!!! That was a big boost for me to keep me motivated!!

mamahill
11-14-2003, 11:14 AM
FANTASTIC!! Congrats, Beth, on losing the pounds!

I bought the SBD book at Costco and was all aready to throw myself into it, but I'm going to wait until after next weekend because of my brother's wedding (wedding lunch at an Italian restaurant, who knows what they're serving at dinner - but definitely cake!). I figure that gives me a good couple weeks before really hitting the holiday season...

Thanks for your stories and reports. In a way I'm excited about this, but I'm also a little nervous.

khakismom
11-14-2003, 12:35 PM
It's amazing how my body has gotten used to this diet. I wasn't a big carbo loader anyway--I have been doing WW and was already cutting way back anyway. I did this all last week and it does get easier. Well on Tuesday I cheated and ate pasta at lunch. I thought it would fill me up--wrong! My tummy was growling from hunger 2 hours later!! It was a big difference! I was amazed because with eating all the protein and veggies with SBD, I haven't been hungry at all. So I am back on the beach with no cheating--and I may do Phase I for longer than 2 weeks. And when Phase II rolls around, I will probably only add in cereal, oatmeal bars, and low-carb/whole wheat bread and pasta. :)

Annette_C
11-14-2003, 12:35 PM
Great job, Beth!!
I'm glad you're not experiencing that enormous "drag-your-feet kinda tired" feeling we did.
I found that I lost more during the first week than this one, the second. Of course, I'm doing the moderate version and don't follow his daily menus. I use the list of foods allowed and make up my own menus accordingly. I have totally given up sweets (which that alone should make me lose weight!) and have had no pasta, chips or white bread at all . For an Italian, that's a miracle! LOL
Mine and Dh's only indulgence is a small glass of my dad's home made red wine with dinner every night. But we consider that a healthy treat!;)
Annette
SAHM to Sabrina 6/24/02

egoldber
11-14-2003, 02:55 PM
Annette, I have been following Phase 1 pretty strictly. I have used some of the recipes (and the ones I have tried have been quite good, the Grilled Salmon with Rosemary is to die for!), but I have also just made my own stuff using the list of "approved" ingredients.

I have also found it REALLY helpful to use the fitday.com site that Karen suggested to keep track of what I'm eating. I started doing this the week before I went to Disney. The difference in my diet before and after is just ASTOUNDING!!!

I'm actually trying to get Phase 1 in before Thanksgiving! I figure that on Thanksgiving and probably the day after it will be well nigh impossible to follow the Beach (and not be rude to our hosts) although I will try to be somewhat sensible. But I plan to do another week of Phase 1 after Thanksgiving to make up for it, before moving on to Phase 2.

egoldber
11-14-2003, 03:00 PM
Unfortunately, I was a HUGE carb eater! Cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, pasta with bread for dinner. Even though a lot of it was whole grain stuff, it was too much!!

stillplayswithbarbies
11-14-2003, 09:52 PM
that is how I was too, before I started Atkins. It's amazing how you don't miss that stuff once you give it up.

I don't know about the SB diet specifically, but on other low carb diets, if a person is tired it can be they are not drinking enough water and being dehydrated, or because they are not eating enough total calories and protein.

I really had to change my perceptions of how to eat. Once you drop all the carbs, if you are still stuck in the low cal low fat idea, you won't be getting enough food. When I added more calories and good fats, I started to feel better and to lose weight.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03