SOUTH BEACH DIET SUCCESS!!!

I am also on the South Beach plan and I have been doing for about 7 days and I have lost 4 pounds. I am 5'1 3/4 and my weight was around 131-133. I would like to see 120! I carry my weight in my tummy and this diet is helping.
 
I am now on day 13 of the South Beach diet! I am 5'1.5" and weighed 125 when i started. I know I have lost at least three pounds (from last week). I am only weighing myself one time per week, so I'll know the total tomorrow. I do think I am down a bit more though because my clothes are definitly looser and I just feel so much better. The first couple of days were hard and I was tired, but after that my energy level was better and I really wasn't craving much. I am excited but nervous to start phase 2 on Sunday. I think I will start with just adding oatmeal back in in the AM for a few days and see how I do before adding any other starches. So far I am very pleased and impressed with this diet. I hope to get to my goal of 110 on it! I am more hopeful than I have been in a long time! :)
 
Visitor from VF

Hi Ladies,
I'm visiting Cathe's site while our VF (Video Fitness) forum is down for upgrades - - hope you don't mind if I throw in a comment or two. We don't talk about the D-word at VF but I felt I could add something of value.

I think there are some Pro's and Con's about South Beach Diet. I did it last summer for two reasons, 1) Type 2 diabetes runs in my family and at 41 I need to be really start being conscious of my diet and carbs play a big role in managing Type 2 diabetes 2) I wanted to lose weight.
Pros's:
*Made me very carb conscious, selecting better carbs, and reaching for healthier snacks
*Made me more sugar conscious, and guilty. I still LOVE sugar (especially chocolate) but I really try to be much more careful. Now I think, when a hard candy will do after dinner do I really need a chocolate candy bar during the day? NO!
*Lost some weight (about 8 pounds) Didn't keep it off because I was not consistent with my diet AND exercise. I'm back on my exercise routine and though I haven't lost pounds yet I see transformations.
Cons:
*I was VERY grumpy and sluggish about day 3 for & for about 2 more days. It got better but I almost felt like I had the flu.
*This diet isn't magic. I think the first phase really is a very low calorie diet as well as a low carb diet. Of course you'll lose weight.
*I miss eating bananas, pineapple, watermelon. So I'm probably going to eat them anyway.

I have a friend who is a registered nutritionist and dietician - - according to the medical facts our brain alone needs about 100 carbs a day to function properly. Thus you should not cut out those whole grains and other healthy carbs that are in fruits and veggies. I think that whole sluggish feeling is directly relateable to this fact. This diet is not for children!!

I do think this is a good way to jump start anyone's journey into health, but you must move into the 2nd and third phase for long term health reasons. The 2nd or 1st phase should be just a "get on track" mode that is relatively short. I really do not miss all the starchy carbs, I eat them once in a while but I really make healthier choices in carbs on a daily basis. I hope your journey is for HEALTH not only for the almight pound.

Good luck!
Kerri
 
Welcome Kerri!

Nice to see you here! A lot of us here are also VF'ers, either regulars or, like me, kinda regular "lurkers". I used to go to VF more often but my online time tends to get sucked up now by my Cathe fixation :) and a discussion group I also belong to.

Your cautionary words and experience on South Beach are welcome and sound very common-sense to me. I've experimented with South Beach myself but found that Phase I was too difficult for me to maintain, both because I didn't feel great without a few more carbs and because I cook for two teenage boys and their dad, who needed a more balanced meal (well, at least my teens did! ;-)) But Phase II and III are, as you said, a pretty good snapshot of a low-carb but well-balanced diet.

Stick around here while VF is being updated and after -- we're glad to have you!

http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/sport/sport-smiley-003.gif Kathy S. http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/spezial/spudniks/spudniklifter.gif
 
RE: Welcome Kerri!

bananas are now allowed on south beach (in moderation.. as in 1 medium banana a day)

also... to clear up something.. south beach is NOT low carb.. it's GOOD carb! you do get to eat carbs after phase 1... WHOLE WHEAT pasta and bread, BROWN rice, WHOLE WHEAT tortillas....
 
I have been really interested in this diet. What about low-carb bread and things like that? How many carbs do you allow yourself a day? Thanks for sharing.

Knotworking
 

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