did anybody try southbeach diet for their wedding?

[cocolaw]

if so, did it work? did you read the book or try to do it without reading the book?

 

[sunnyd]

I''m not doing it, but everyone I know has.

It really is a great ''diet''. My aunt lost over 100lbs doing it, FSIL lost 70 or so. I just love carbs too much follow it strictly.

Recipes are delicious and easy!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

FI's been doing it for the past month and a half and has lost a good amount of weight (how much I don't know. He refuses to weigh himself. It's not something that I want him to do long term and I personally can't do a diet like that, it doesn't work for me. I'm a fruit and veggie kind of girl.

ETA: I've read the book but FI hasn't. He basically eats what I tell him is OK and what I cook. LOL....

 

[cocolaw]

hahaha oh wow! that''s nice of you! i think cutting out fruit and caffeinated coffee will be the hardest part. i want to lose about 10lbs before my wedding and i''d like to go ahead and do so before i start the dress fittings.

 

[SassyB]

I would not be good at cutting out an entire food group, nor do I think it''s healthy.. but I do watch my calories.
I don''t care for the word "diet". I guess I''m just trying to drink more water, walk during my lunch break, lift more weights..
I''ve also started eating oatmeal ( not the flavored kind) with added fresh berries in the morning. It keeps me full for SO long. I''ve lost about 3-4 lbs in the last month with just these small changes.

 

[sunnyd]

Date: 6/24/2009 2:20:38 PM
Author: SassyB
I would not be good at cutting out an entire food group, nor do I think it's healthy.. but I do watch my calories.
I don't care for the word 'diet'. I guess I'm just trying to drink more water, walk during my lunch break, lift more weights..
I've also started eating oatmeal ( not the flavored kind) with added fresh berries in the morning. It keeps me full for SO long. I've lost about 3-4 lbs in the last month with just these small changes.

It's only for 2 weeks while your body adjusts to stop craving carbs, which fruits and breads are full of. So you lose a lot really fast, then it slows down as you add carbs back into your diet. Also, you can do Phase 1 in as little time as you want, you just don't get the full effect of the diet.

COCO: You can absolutely do it without reading the book first. The recipe books tell you which phase each one is and I believe have lists telling you what you should/shouldn't be eating for each. HTH!

 

[happydreams]

yes, it''s possible to lose weight. my FI lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks but eventually gained it all back.
i lost 4 and kept it off.
i would recommend it for a very short time period, but any longer than that will be tough.

 

[doodle]

Everyone I know who has tried this diet wound up gaining it all back (and many gained back more than they lost). I think anything that requires that you deprive yourself of something you enjoy is setting you up for failure, but that''s just my personal opinion. My brother has lost something like 150 pounds doing Weight Watchers, and I lost a lot of weight when I did it in the past, so I highly recommend that one if you''re looking for suggestions.

 

[icekid]

I''ll disagree that you''re going to "gain it all back" etc IF this is a life change. NOT a diet. And ANY effort to lose weight needs to be a life change, unless you''re okay with putting the weight back on later.

I''ve been eating this way pretty much since I was 19, so about 9 years now. It is a viable, HEALTHY eating style. Sorry, I absolutely do not agree that it''s "not healthy" to eliminate white carbs. That stuff is pure garbage. Does that mean I NEVER indulge? Of course not. But I truly consider myself to have an intolerance to white garbage food; it makes me fat

coco- I''ve never given up coffee and with my job, never could

Not sure why everyone is talking about not eating fruits and veggies???? If I recall correctly, SBD restricts fruits at the beginning when they are trying to get you to detox off carbs. But otherwise (most) fruits and pretty much all veggies are integral parts of this eating style.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I think a lot of the core concepts about the diet are good. This diet (or I should say a modified version of it) is actually recommended for people with insulin resistance, people at risk for insulin resistance (e.g. People who carry fat in their mid area, people with PCOS), and people with diabetes by doctors who are experts in the topic.

But I will say, you can loose weight with a diet, but you will not keep weight off approaching your changes in behavior as a diet. Keeping weight off requires a lifestyle change in both the food you eat and the amount of physical activity you do.

I try to follow some of the basic concepts that were made famous by the south beach diet (e.g. eating complex carbs keeping simple carbs to a minimum), but it doesn''t always happen. Hopefully things will get better when I go back to normal work hours.

 

[MsP]

Date: 6/24/2009 10:27:50 PM
Author: doodle
Everyone I know who has tried this diet wound up gaining it all back (and many gained back more than they lost). I think anything that requires that you deprive yourself of something you enjoy is setting you up for failure, but that''s just my personal opinion. My brother has lost something like 150 pounds doing Weight Watchers, and I lost a lot of weight when I did it in the past, so I highly recommend that one if you''re looking for suggestions.

I have had quite the opposite experiences with WW. I know a handful of people who have done WW, and two of them developed serious disorders. Started with eating low quality foods to stay within their points range, and then the pressure of weighing in causing purging for one girl and another developing an addiction to exercise. I mean waking at 3am in the morning so she could run on the treadmill for hours before starting her day and then eating less than 1000 cals/day. Both went from the ~150-170 range down to around 100lbs... WW more or less turned their backs on them and kicked them out. One kind of woke up and recovered on her own, and then other has spent time in a treatment center. I''m sure my experiences are WAY out of normal proportions fro WW, but it''s left a very bad taste for me.

While these two friends were going through this, I was calorie counting and following a SB style program but not strictly. I lost >80lbs, and have kept it off for years. Low fat, high protein, low carbs, whole grains, lots of raw foods. And the occasional ice cream!

It''s all about finding out what works best for your lifestyle and your body.

 

[vip0802]

i tried the southbeach diet 3 years ago and i loved it. i started it with the book about 6 months before a vacation and although i can''t remember how much i had lost, it was a healthy amount overall. i will say that the hardest part for me was the first 3 or 4 days of phase 1...it seemed like there were fresh baked goods everywhere i went! i had so many homer simpson moments...it wasn''t pretty. i''m also asian so cutting out white rice, or any other rice product like noodles and wraps was utter TORTURE!

afterwards, i got used to it and i didn''t miss the carbs as much as i thought. after phase 1, i slowly started to incorporate good carbs (whole wheat, high fiber anything) back into my diet and continued eating more dark leafy greens, veggies and lean proteins. i also started eating breakfast (which i never did before) and snacking (veggies and hummus was a fave!) throughout the day which kept my metabolism up. all in all, i think it''s a great diet and you''ll see fast results which helps you keep at it.

unfortunately, about a month after the vacation, i started slacking. i remember that day too...i had a Five Guys bacon cheeseburger.

regrettably after that, i slowly stopped the diet overall...entirely my fault not the diet''s. i was going through a rough time and i just gave up on it. LtlFirecracker said it best: "keeping weight off requires a lifestyle change" and i just didn''t have the motivation or discipline to follow through. nowadays, i''m not doing the diet entirely but i still follow the basic concepts. it was also lot easier for me to do the diet with my job 3 years ago since, i could basically eat anytime i wanted at my desk. i''m an asst. manager at a sports bar now and i''m on my feet 9-10 hours a day (i definitely get my exercise). i hate eating when i''m in a rush...i like to sit, take my time and enjoy my meal which doesn''t leave me anytime to eat at work. i make sure i get a hearty and healthy breakfast but i won''t eat again until dinner. i hope to start up the diet again though. i''ll just have to plan it somehow where it can fit in my schedule. cocolaw - i hope it works for you!

 

[cocolaw]

thanks for all of the advice! i am trying it...starting today. i really don''t have much to lose-5-10 lbs, so i might only stay in phase 1 for a week. it''s probably dumb, but i''m only doing it for the pictures (so if it wasn''t for the dress fitting i could put this off until october). this will be very interesting, because i normally don''t lose weight by diet..i just rev up the cardio. i am doing an hour of cardio a day now (combination of running and the eliptical), and honestly, i just don''t have time to do add more exercise to my day! i will let you know how it works for me. there is a good chance i will fall off, so i''ll let you know if that happens too! thanks!!

 

[cocolaw]

icekid: i totally agree. i think people confuse south beach diet (eating low fat meat) with atkins (which encourages consumption of high fat meat) and so south beach gets a bad reputation. it is absolutely healthy to cut out refined carbs....our bodies do not need little debbie cakes lol!

 

[Miscka]

This is really interesting. I never really considered it, but was planning on cutting out wheat and sugar anyway. I have done this before and it was tough, but I adjusted and was fine.

Cocolaw, keep us posted. I may join you and give it a try! I am curious if it is ok to keep exercising during the first part, I feel like I may not have the energy.

Is there somewhere online that details the plan? I am curious but not curious enough to buy the book

 

[JerseyGrl81]

I did SBD about 5 years ago and lost 20lbs. I think that it is a good diet, but I love carbs too much to stick with it. My mom started it with me and still follows it! I think that it is a good diet to help you lose the weight, then maybe find a program that better suits you. Good luck!

 

[cocolaw]

oh WOW!! 20lbs. ivillage has a huge message board devoted to south beach diet and this is where i am going to get information. it has a list of approved foods that you can have during your first 2 weeks. i read somewhere on that board that during the first 2 weeks, it is very difficult to exercise. so this will be interesting..i normally burn about 500 calories a day from exercise. who knows what is going to happen if i have to cut that out! this could end up having the opposite effect of what i am going for!! oh well

 

[JerseyGrl81]

It took me from November- April to lose the weight. So it was a slow process, but I cheated a lot! You might get headaches and feel weak when you first start, that can be why they recommend you don''t exercise. I was told to drink milk before you exercise the first two weeks to help give you energy.

 

[SassyB]

Date: 6/24/2009 11:06:24 PM
Author: icekid
I''ll disagree that you''re going to ''gain it all back'' etc IF this is a life change. NOT a diet. And ANY effort to lose weight needs to be a life change, unless you''re okay with putting the weight back on later.

I''ve been eating this way pretty much since I was 19, so about 9 years now. It is a viable, HEALTHY eating style. Sorry, I absolutely do not agree that it''s ''not healthy'' to eliminate white carbs. That stuff is pure garbage. Does that mean I NEVER indulge? Of course not. But I truly consider myself to have an intolerance to white garbage food; it makes me fat

coco- I''ve never given up coffee and with my job, never could

Not sure why everyone is talking about not eating fruits and veggies???? If I recall correctly, SBD restricts fruits at the beginning when they are trying to get you to detox off carbs. But otherwise (most) fruits and pretty much all veggies are integral parts of this eating style.

I completely agree with this!! I just meant giving up fruits and veggies seemed like a bad idea
I''ve also heard that the initial weightloss is mostly water. I could be completely mistaken on that though.

Either way, I realize we all want to look great on our big day!

 

[sunnyd]

Date: 6/25/2009 10:33:36 AM
Author: SassyB

Date: 6/24/2009 11:06:24 PM
Author: icekid
I''ll disagree that you''re going to ''gain it all back'' etc IF this is a life change. NOT a diet. And ANY effort to lose weight needs to be a life change, unless you''re okay with putting the weight back on later.

I''ve been eating this way pretty much since I was 19, so about 9 years now. It is a viable, HEALTHY eating style. Sorry, I absolutely do not agree that it''s ''not healthy'' to eliminate white carbs. That stuff is pure garbage. Does that mean I NEVER indulge? Of course not. But I truly consider myself to have an intolerance to white garbage food; it makes me fat

coco- I''ve never given up coffee and with my job, never could

Not sure why everyone is talking about not eating fruits and veggies???? If I recall correctly, SBD restricts fruits at the beginning when they are trying to get you to detox off carbs. But otherwise (most) fruits and pretty much all veggies are integral parts of this eating style.

I completely agree with this!! I just meant giving up fruits and veggies seemed like a bad idea
I''ve also heard that the initial weightloss is mostly water. I could be completely mistaken on that though.

Either way, I realize we all want to look great on our big day!

Luckily, you don''t have to.

Just during the first 2 weeks, when you eliminate sugary fruit. That''s all fruit is! Sugar = carb. And the first loss of any diet is water, depending on how big you are to start. When my mom was doing Jenny Craig, she was losing 10-15 pounds every week! Then by the end only losing 1-2.

 

[cocolaw]

well looking in my fridge and pantry it appears that everything i have is off limits. so lunch was a can of kidney beans with some lowfat cheddar cheese sprinkled on top, with some shredded lettuce. i love to cook and i love good food...this was barely doable. i made it through about 1/3 or 1/4 of the bowl...i think i know why you lose weight on this diet!

any good recipe ideas for phase 1??

 

[sunnyd]

Get the book.

There''s tons of wrap ideas and book breakfasts.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Here''s what TJ eats pretty much on a daily basis while on SBD...

Breakfast: 2 egg souffle cups (eggs, bacon, and cheese cooked in a muffin tin)

Snack: cheese stick

Lunch: Boars head deli meat (BH is one of the only brands that''s low in salt and doesn''t use addatives or sugar in their meat) like RB or chicken rolled up with alouette garlic and herb cheese. Jello cup and sliced cucumbers

Snack: nuts either peanuts of cocoalmonds (Emerald brand-awesome chocolate fix and very low carb)

Dinner: A lean protien and double serving of zuchinni, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, or spinach

Dessert: either another jello cup or strawberries and whipped cream (readi-whip is real cream and only has 1gm carbs)

I tend to rotate the following dishes through for dinner:
Chicken picatta
chicken marsala
creamy chicken marsala
chicken and mushroom sauce
chicken and broccoli alfredo
balsamic chicken
grilled rosemary steak
salmon
swordfish
scallops
shrimp

Three key things for SBD.
1. When I can, I always try and make him something as opposed to buying packaged stuff (with exception of jello etc). Meals are made from scratch when possible.

2. It sounds counter productive, but work the cream. It''s very low carb and you need very little to make a difference. A little goes a long way but you''d be amazed at how you can tweak leftovers into a completely different meal with the addition of a splash of cream and some crumbled bacon (see creamy marsala above)

3. MOST IMPORTANT is water. You must drink lots and lots of water. The way SBD works is it tricks your body into burning fat for fuel. The biproduct of this process is called ketones which are toxic to your body. You need to flush this out by drinking a lot of water. The water also has a lot to do with the speed in which you lose. If you''re dehydrated and producing keytones your body wont want to let go and you''ll put on water weight. Drink lots of unsweetened tea and water. Stay away from caffine, sugar substitutes, and diet soda.

 

[sunnyd]

Date: 6/25/2009 12:58:18 PM
Author: sunnyd
Get the book.

There''s tons of wrap ideas and book breakfasts.

Did I say this? Wow...

 

[cocolaw]

haha i missed that

im already tired of this diet by the way. i want something chewy...i feel like steak is the only chewy option and i think its frowned upon.

 

[sunnyd]

Date: 6/25/2009 5:39:53 PM
Author: cocolaw
haha i missed that

im already tired of this diet by the way. i want something chewy...i feel like steak is the only chewy option and i think its frowned upon.

LOL, that didn''t take long! Bummer. I think steak would be okay though, as long as it''s lean. HH? Resident SB expert?

 

[wellinsm]

Hi!

I didn''t do SBD for my wedding, but about 3 years ago I decided to give it a try. I didn''t buy the book, just googled south beach diet and found a forum (South Beach Diet for Beginners). it has all the information you need, including a huge recipte section.
The first 2 weeks were hard (Phase 1), and I admit I was an uber bi*t*. I incororated exercise in to my daily routine (joined a gym, did about 30-40 min cardio and some weights 4x week).

I started Jan 1 (very cheesy, I know) at 168 (i''m between 5''5 and 5''6) and a size 12. By mid April I was a size 6 around 140, and by that October I was at 125 and a size 2.

Now, I am not as strict as I was when I started the plan, and fell off the wagon with my exercise. However, I found that 125 on my frame was too difficult to maintain, and I am most comfortable around 130ish.

Now, I''m 135 and a size 4 (some size 2 still fit, depends on the style) and I''m adhering to the SBD more than I have been in about a year.

It''s a really healthy way of eating. Lots of veggies, moderate with the fruits, whole grains, lean protein etc. It''s not Atkins at all. Phase 1 is really the hardest phase and it''s only 2 weeks. Once you see the results, it is easy to keep going.

I love the way I look and feel now, and I credit the SB lifestyle for it!

 

[doodle]

Dangit, you people are going to convert me!!! Now I''m wanting to give it a try!

I guess the most important part of both SBD and WW is that you follow it CORRECTLY. I know a lot of people who did WW and would eat nothing all day just to reserve their points for alcohol that night. Guess they missed the part of the diet that requires you get a specific number of servings of each food group whilst following the plan or it doesn''t work!

Ultimately, you have to find something that suits your lifestyle. I know for me personally, I could do anything on the planet as long as I didn''t have to significantly reduce my dairy intake, but by God, I shan''t go without cheese!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Steak is ok but I wouldn''t eat it every meal. I guess I''ve never thought of anything to satiate a chewy craving...that''s a hard one.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 6/25/2009 10:28:50 PM
Author: doodle
Dangit, you people are going to convert me!!! Now I''m wanting to give it a try!

I guess the most important part of both SBD and WW is that you follow it CORRECTLY. I know a lot of people who did WW and would eat nothing all day just to reserve their points for alcohol that night. Guess they missed the part of the diet that requires you get a specific number of servings of each food group whilst following the plan or it doesn''t work!

Ultimately, you have to find something that suits your lifestyle. I know for me personally, I could do anything on the planet as long as I didn''t have to significantly reduce my dairy intake, but by God, I shan''t go without cheese!

I think a lot of people look at low carb diets as a get out of jail free card to eat as much bacon, eggs and cheese as they want. That''s not healthy and isn''t sustainable. Luckily as a guy, FI will eat just about anything I put in front of him so I make sure he gets lots of low carb veggies and fiber. Another things people forget about is that you lose weight by calories in vs calories out. You still need to eat a reasonable amount of calories or it''s just not going to work. So theoretically, you should be eating less while on the SBD because you''re basic food is more dense calorically. The reason you''re allowed to eat fat on Atkins/SBD is because it keeps you fuller longer. So while you''re eating less (but more calorically dense) food, you shouldn''t get hungry as quickly after.