15 replies to this topic

I started the South Beach Diet (SBD) 2 weeks ago. I am now down 25 pounds. Phase 2 was supposed to start yesterday but my dh and I are so happy with what Phase 1 did that we have invented a new Phase. I call it Phase 1.5. Basically it is Phase 1 but we allow ourselves 1 piece of whole grain low carb toast and a fat free yogurt for breakfast and then, if we want, we can have a half of a whole wheat pita with tuna for lunch but for dinner it is all Phase 1 foods. We are still completely boycotting rice, potatoes, pasta etc.

Anyone else doing the SBD? How is it going?

WOW girl 25lbs!! That is awsome.

I hope I have that success. I just ordered the book last week and it should be here this week and I am going to give it a try.

Hopefully we can give each other some good tips...

If you don't mind the question, how much do you wanna lose?

Well YAY for you!

Talk to you soon, Liz

Hi Marina,

I was on SBD, but because of an eye infection I am on these powerful drugs that really regulate what and when I eat. So we're just keeping sensible (as much as I can within the drug's parameters) and then starting SBD again next week.

I am really having motivation issues. I want to be slim again, but really have no will power during the day. Maybe it will be different next week because Sam is going into daycare and I will be back to work.

Way to go on that 25 pounds! I love to hear about success stories!

/Heather

I have now lost 32 pounds and feeling great!!!

Liz - I want to lose another 50. I gained alot of weight pre-ivf due to an inactive thyroid and then I gained more with IVF and then I gained 62 pounds when I was pregnant with Tyler. We are planning on a FET in September so I want to get to a healthy weight again before we go. My doctor said he doesn't want to see me weighing less then 140 pounds because of my bone structure, anything under 140 would be too light.

Heather - Sorry to hear about the eye infection. I hope it clears up soon. Are you looking forward to going back to work?

Hi Marina,

How are you doing? 32lbs is unbelievable!! I sur hope it works well for me when I finally start. The book still has not come yet. I hope it's soon. I have been making some changes already though. I have a lost a few pounds and a few inches, so it's a start.

I have been doing this Eurowave treatment , it is pretty neat. I think thats where the loss of inches has come from. I too want to lose weight before my next cycle. I needed to lose weight pre-IVF but going thru it 4 times has taken a toll on my body....

Take care talk to you real soon!

Liz

Hi Ladies!

Finally received my SBD books, read them and I am ready to start! I am starting tomorrow.

I actually am excited about starting this program. This is a first for me, getting excited about a "diet"..... Feels right I guess.
My only fear is food boredom. I am a picky eater so I find myself planning repeat meals to get thru. Oh well, I'll give it a shot and see how it goes.

Marina, you did so well, do you have any tips for me?

Lots of Luck to all the ladies "battling the buldge" !

Liz

Hey girls. Can you explain to me how the SBD works? Do you weigh food, count carbs, count calories, what? Any complicated math stuff or serious food tracking? Do you have to keep a diary? Does the book come with lots of recipes?

Basically this is not really a diet it is a lifestyle change. The first 2 phases helps you get to your goal weight the 3rd phase is not really a phase but how you have trained yourself to eat properly. This is what webmd.com had to say

The South Beach Diet

What It Is

They may seem similar, but the South Beach diet is more than just a heart-friendly version of the Atkins diet. All the same, they have a lot in common.

Both South Beach and Atkins diets are the creation of medical doctors. The father of the South Beach diet is cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center in Miami Beach, Fla.

Both the South Beach and Atkins diets are best-selling diet books. Only someone living in a cave hasn't, by now, heard of Agatston's The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss.

Both South Beach and Atkins diets restrict carbohydrates -- carbs, as diet dilettantes like to say. True, "good carbs" are allowed. But South Beach dieters must say goodbye to potatoes, fruit, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beets, carrots, and corn for the first two weeks. After that, most of these foods remain strongly discouraged.

Both South Beach and Atkins diets have a more severe induction phase, followed by a long-term eating plan.

The difference, really, boils down to two things:

Fats. The South Beach diet bans unhealthy fats but strongly promotes healthy ones.
Carbs. The South Beach diet doesn't count grams of carbs. The Atkins diet seeks to change a person from a sugar-burning machine into a fat-burning machine. The South Beach diet looks at how much sugar is in a carb. Low-sugar carbs -- those with a low glycemic index (they don't cause the blood sugar levels to rise and fall as quickly) -- are good (this point may sound very familiar to fans of the Sugar Busters diet)

As Agatston says, this means his diet is not -- exactly -- a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet.

What You Can Eat

You won't go hungry. In fact, like the Body-For-Life diet, the South Beach diet promotes strategic snacking. You're not doing it right if you don't snack.

There's no counting calories or strict portion sizes. But there's no gorging, either. The idea is to eat normal portions. To many of us, normal portions will seem small at first. They are enough to satisfy hunger, but no more.

As noted above, sugar-rich carbs are off the menu. These include rice and potatoes, and vegetables -- such as beets and corn -- with high sugar content. Also, there are no pastries or other sugar-filled desserts. And alcohol is forbidden in the induction phase and limited in the long-term diet.

What's on the menu? There are three phases.

The 14-day induction phase bans bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, and fruit. And you can't have even a drop of beer, wine, or other alcohol. The diet promises that after a couple of days, you really won't miss this stuff. As for dairy, two servings of low-fat or non-fat milk, yogurt, or buttermilk are now allowed during this phase.

The "reintroduce the carbs" stage gradually adds back in some of the banned foods. Not all of them, but if you are a pasta maniac, have some. Carrots used to be on the "foods to avoid" list in the first two phases, but you can now have them at the beginning of phase two. Tomatoes and onions, previously limited, are now fine in any phase. Fruit makes a comeback, too. Just pick and choose. A little now and then, no more. How long does this last? Until you hit your target weight.

The final stage is your diet for life. Eat normal foods in normal portions, following a few basic guidelines.

A very quick warning for those wanting to try this diet, you WILL want to quit within the first week but I really do promise that after the first week you really won't miss the starches that you think you want. This diet isn't for people wanting to lose weight and then go back to the way they used to eat because the weight will go on again. This diet is for people who need to change their lifestyle and learn how to eat the right things and in the right amounts.

My dh has lost 33 pounds and I have lost 38 (in a month and a half). We have alot to lose so we will lose faster then others so don't get discouraged. The first 2 weeks you will lose rapidly and then after that it will slow down to 1-3 pounds per week. This again all depends on how much you have to lose and how badly you were eating before.

If anyone wants the food list I have it and can email it or post it.

Right on./ Does the book give you recipes or do you have to come up with the eating plan for phase one by yourself? I've previously gone on THE FORMULA, which has a fat flush, and its induction phase was three weeks. I was very successful, and it sounds like the same foods are banned - except I was allowed to eat berries and apples. Anyway, I then avoided all high glycemic carbs for about 5 years until I got pregnant and then nursed. So, I've been out of the lifestyle for two years, and I'm trying to reinvigorate myself back into it. I'm just tired of the recipes in THE FORMULA, so I was hoping South Beach was similar and came with good meal ideas. Thanks for all the info.

Here is a great website that is free to check out.

http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com

They have great recipes just make sure you choose the right one for your right phase.

Here's another link for recipes: http://weightloss.ab...iet_Recipes.htm

I'm hoping to start SBD again, starting Monday. I'm a little confused though. I thought all dairy was to be avoided for phase 1, but lots of Phase 1 recipes have low-fat cottage cheese and low-fat cheddar, etc. Is cheese now acceptable for phase 1?

Thanks,
/Heather

I believe that Fat-Free dairy is okay on Phase 1. Have to get our calcium somehow.

Does that include skim milk then? I chug this stuff and it will be hard to give it up for 2 weeks.

Here is what I found on that link Marian_67 gave us. They say something about milk allowed in coffee, but otherwise to avoid it.... I think hat's what I understand.

Allowed Foods in Phase 1
PROTEIN CHOICES
BEEF Lean cuts, such as:
Eye of Round
Ground beef:
Extra Lean (96/4)
Lean (92/8)
Sirloin (90/10)
Tenderloin
Top Loin
Top Round

CHEESE (FAT-FREE OR LOW-FAT)
American
Cheddar
Cottage cheese, 1-2% or fat-free
Cream cheese substitute, dairy-free
Feta
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Provolone
Ricotta
String

EGGS
The use of whole eggs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Use egg whites and egg substitute if desired.

LAMB (Remove all visible fat)
Center Cut
Chop
Loin

LUNCHMEAT
Fat-free or low-fat only

MEAT SUBSTITUTES (SOY BASED)
Bacon - Limit to 2 slices per day
Burger - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
Chicken Patties & Nuggets - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
Hot Dogs - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
Natural Peanut Butter - 2 Tbsp (may use as protein choice or limited nut choice)
Sausage Pattie - Limit 1 patty per day
Seiten
Soy Crumbles
Soy Nuts - 1/4 cup for a protein snack is suggested serving
Tempeh
Yuba

PORK
Boiled ham
Canadian bacon
Loin
Tenderloin

POULTRY (SKINLESS)
Cornish hen
Turkey bacon (2 slices per day)
Turkey and chicken breast

SEAFOOD
All types of fish and shellfish

TOFU
Use soft, low-fat or lite varieties

VEAL
Chop
Cutlet, leg
Top round

Vegetable Choices (includes legumes)
(May use fresh, frozen or canned without added sugar)
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beans, Green
Beans, Italian
Beans, Wax
Beans or Legumes:
Black Beans
Butter Beans
Chickpeas or Garbanzo
Pigeon Peas
Soy Beans
Split Peas
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Lettuce (All varieties)
Juice (Limit to 6 ounces per day)
Tomato
V-8
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Okra
Onion - Limit to 1/2 per day
Peppers (All varieties)
Pickles - Dill or those sweetened with Splenda®
Radishes (All varieties)
Rhubarb
Sauerkraut
Snow peas
Spinach
Sprouts, Alfalfa
Squash, Spaghetti
Squash, Summer
Yellow
Zucchini
Tomato - Limit to 1 whole or 10 cherry per serving

Fat Choices (with some suggested serving sizes)
The following monounsaturated oils are recommended to be consumed daily:
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
Other Oil Choices that may be chosen (Polyunsaturated or a blend of Monounsaturated):

Corn
Enova
Grapeseed
Safflower
Soybean

NUTS (Limit to one serving per day as specified)
Almonds - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
Brazil Nuts - 4
Cashews - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
Pecans - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
Macadamia - 8 (Dry roasted recommended)
Peanut Butter - 1 tsp
Peanut Butter, Natural = 2 TBS
Peanuts, 20 small (May use dry roasted or boiled)
Pine Nuts (Pignolia) - 1 ounce
Pistachios - 30 (Dry roasted recommended)
Walnuts - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
In place of nuts, may use:
Flax Seed - 3 TBS

Other Fat Choices:
Avocado - 1/3 whole = 1 TBS oil
Guacamole - ˝ cup = 1 TBS oil
Margarine - Chose those that do not contain Trans Fatty Acids such as Fleishmann's Premium Olive Oil or Smart Balance
Mayonnaise - Regular or Low Fat
Olives (Green or Ripe) 15 = 1/2 TBS
Salad Dressing - Use those < 3 gms sugar per serving

SPICES AND SEASONINGS
All spices that contain no added sugar
Broth
Extracts (almond, vanilla, or others)
Horseradish sauce
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)
Use the following toppings and sauces sparingly (check labels for added sugar)

Hot Sauce
Salsa - Limit to 2 TBS during phase 1
Soy Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Steak Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Worcestershire Sauce - 1 TBS
Whipped Topping (Light) - 2 TBS

SWEET TREATS (Limit to 75 calories per day)
Candies, hard, sugar-free
Chocolate powder, no-added-sugar
Cocoa powder, baking type
Fudgsicles, sugar-free
Gelatin, sugar-free
Gum, sugar-free
Popsicles, sugar-free
Sugar substitute
Some Sugar Free Products may be made with sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol or xylitol) and are permitted on the SBD. They may have associated side effects of GI distress (abdominal pain, diarrhea & gas) if consumed in excessive amounts.

SUGAR SUBSTITUTES
Acesulfame K
Fructose (needs to be counted as Sweet Treats, Caloric Limit)
Nutrasweet (Equal)
Saccharin (Sweet & Low)
Sucralose (Splenda)
Stevia (Not approved by FDA)

DAIRY
Low-fat (1 percent) or fat-free milk or soy milk
Plain or sugar-free low-fat or fat-free yogurt
Fat-free half & half

FOODS TO AVOID!!!
BEEF
Brisket
Liver
Other fatty cuts
Rib steaks

POULTRY
Chicken, wings and legs
Duck
Goose
Poultry products, processed

PORK
Honey-baked ham

VEAL
Breast

CHEESE
Brie
Edam
Nonreduced fat

VEGETABLES
Beets
Carrots
Corn
Potatoes, white
Potatoes, sweet
Yams

FRUIT
Avoid ALL fruits and fruit juices in Phase 1, including:
Apples
Apricots
Berries
Cantaloupe
Grapefruit
Peaches
Pears STARCHES AND CARBS
Avoid ALL starchy food in Phase 1, including:
Bread, all types
Cereal
Croutons, all types
Matzo
Oatmeal
Rice, all types
Pasta, all types
Pastry and baked goods, all types

DAIRY
1/2 cup of plain fat-free yogurt (once per day max.)
Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2, Nonfat milk, 1% milk, Soy milk allowed with coffee. Otherwise avoid all other dairy products (unless listed under protein choices or sweet treats). Limit to < 2 TBS per cup of coffee. Otherwise, avoid all milk products in Phase 1, including:
Yogurt, cup-style and frozen
Ice cream
Milk, low-fat, fat-free, whole
Milk, soy

MISCELLANEOUS
Alcohol of any kind, including beer and wine
No regular ketchup or cocktail sauce
No pork rinds - too high in saturated fat
No jerky - too high in sugar content
Limit Caffeine-Containing Beverages to 1-2 servings per day

That is what we thought to. Make sure you remember to take your vitamins and calcium supplements too.