South Beach Diet Investigated

I'm in my second week of phase 1 and I've had to tone down exercise routine a bit due to my lack of energy. Some days, when I don't have the energy to run 3-4 miles, I just walk fast or ride a bike (I get to sit!). I like to switch it up and keep exercise interesting. I think I feel more energized than if I hadn't excercised at all. I don't expect myself to do an intense cardio activity everyday and I'm fine with that. Going into week 2, I've already lost 5lbs.
I read an interview with Dr. Arthur Agatston where he said that caffeine consumption doesn't really make a difference in the diet, unless it induces craving. I'm a hard-core black coffee drinker and continue to consume one of my greatest joys in life.

I am also a weight watchers member but I started this because I was hitting a plateau. It is VERY important to eat when you are hungry. Many people are overweight because they do not eat enough. I noticed that it was the weeks that I felt like I was overeating were the weeks where I lost weight. I am just struggling to find foods that meet the amount of points I need in a day. A lot of these foods are low in calories because the carbs are taken out. Can any one give me some advice on what they have been eating. I rely heavily on fat free plain yogurt, cheese sticks, lean turkey and chicken.

Sabrina, I've been eating egg in some form, V-8, and fake sausages for breakfast. At, lunch I usually have some vegetable soup, steamed veggies, and maybe a chicken breast or shrimp. For dinner, salads with chicken breast or shrimp, pizza made out of eggplant slices, wilted spinach and chicken or tofu, lentils with veggies and chicken. Other choices could include taco salad with black beans, minus any forbidden items, or fish with beans and/or veggies. I think you can even have spaghetti squash. For snacks, celery and cucumber slices with hummus or cottage cheese, dill pickles, or soy nuts (you can have 1/4 cup!). When I'm at work and my sweet tooth is acting up, I usually grab a diet orange soda or root beer. Hope this helps. I've lost 7lbs since the 9th!

I love the South Beach Diet.
I changed to the South Beach way of eating for a while and got the results I wanted in a short amount of time.
But I strayed back to tons of sugar, white bread and stuff like that.Well now I'm ready to change the way I eat again, hopefully for the last time, and because I know that the South Beach Diet is SMART, I'll go back to it and try to stay away from the food that takes a toll on my body, which is more evident as I get older. So I say: 'Eat right today, be functional tomarrow', because there is a tomarrow in the future it may as well be a healthy one! THANK YOU SOUTH BEACH DIET'S
DR AGATSTON

I've had good luck with the SBD. I think it's teaching me how to eat healthier. I started a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving (and fell off through the holidays several times!) and have lost 19 lbs. I think the trick is to forgive yourself if something special comes up in life and you want to join everyone in your life in being 'bad' with food choices! I just jump back on track and continue to lose at a healthy, realistic rate. I've just started Pilates and weight lifting. I'm 44 and ready to feel better and healthier - while I still can!

I initially lost 9 lbs during Phase 1. Within 3 days of Phase 2, I gained 3 pounds. Trust me, I wasn't over doing it or anything. I only added a bowl oatmeal and an apple to my otherwise Phase 1 style meals. I'm going to attribute this to water weight because I was so dehydrated the last 3-4 days of Phase 1. I was constantly thirsty, and my hair and lips looked awful. No matter how much water I drank, I was still thirsty. Anyone else experience Phase 1 backslide and wretched dehydration?

I started Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet on Wed., Feb. 1, 2006. So far I feel pretty good, still doing like 30 mins of walk aerobics every day and as of Sunday, I was down 4 lbs (from 155.5 to 151.5), today I am back up to 152. I know weight fluctuates, and I am going to try to stick to one day a week to weigh myself and take my measurements, but that scale is just so tempting in the morning. But I was so dissappointed this morning to see the scale go in the wrong direction, I almost gave up. I have 8 more days to go in Phase 1, will I really see like a 8 or 10 lb loss? Also, do you really lose weight in Phase 2, or do you just start gaining again when you add back carbs? I am really afraid of Phase 2 because I have had so much trouble losing weight over the past year. I am currently 5' 2" and 152 lbs. I feel like look horrible! Before my 30's and childbirth I thought I was fat at 120 lbs - now I would kill for that weight back!!

Michelle, I wouldn't fret the weight fluctuation. Once, during Phase 1, I weighed myself and was disappointed to see that I was a half pound heavier than the last time I step on the scale (about 4 days prior). I went to the bathroom and then weighed myself again 5 minutes later. As strange as it may seem, I weighed 2lbs less. There are just so many factors that can influence your weigh on a day-to-day basis under normal situations and I really think that SBD really messes with your body's fluid levels. Take your scale, stuff it into the recesses of closet, and only bring it out once or twice a week. Otherwise, it will make you crazy.

Hey Chris. Thanks. Good Idea. I think I will put the scale away until Weds. Thanks for the advice.

Putting the scale away worked. I put it away until Sunday and was down another 2lbs. That is about 6 lbs since I started South Beach, 10 lbs overall since Christmas. I am thinking of extending phase 1 a little, does anybody recommend this? I am just scared of adding back carbs and regaining weight.

Does anyone follow the south beach diet and have PCOS and are you losing weight?

Honestly,you don't have to follow the recipie list at all... i mean in the chapter "A Day in the Life," we see that snacks would normally consist of nuts in phase one. when you look at the meal plans, there is no snack of nuts listed for the mid afternoon snack. I guess that we should follow the guidelines and not the exact menu list. actually, the menu offeres a lot of calories even if most of the meals are salad-like in nature. i mean imagine a serving of salad containing 300+ calories!!! a serving of the salad leaves are only 20 Cal on average. meaning the dressing is over 280 Calories!!! what is that? drenching salad leaves in 3 tbsp of pure oil?

I started the diet yesterday and i feel a bit shaky but not hungry. i used to be on a non southbeach weightloss diet and lost 57 lbs in that in less than 6 months but I hit a weightloss plataeu so i went to southbeach to lose the last 15 lbs i want to get rid off. i used to be obessesed with calorie counting but forgot about it, as said in the book, when i started the diet yesterday. surprisingly now, looking at what i ate during the 1st day of my phase one diet, i ate only 1300 kcal,which is great! and no hunger pangs at all. don't follow the dishes word per word in the meal plan. i never did. i wish though that the shakiness i feel would disappear.

and is nestle plain creamy yogurt okay? i mean i read the ingredients and it did not contain any sugar... not even artificial sweeteners.

Angela, its okay. i started the diet 3 days ago and on the 1st 2 days, i didn't lose anything. one the third day, which is today, i lost 4 lbs. i mean i know its not real fat that i lost, just water, so dont be so hard on yourself. i mean majority of what is lost in phase 1 is just water due to the minimal amount of calories and carbohydrates you are eating.

here is my advice, dont stick so closely to the food menu. eat whatever as long sa you stick to the guidelines of no bread, rice, pasta, root cropts, all forms of carbs and fruits. and what i did was i ate the nuts during lunch, though the book clearly says nuts are for midafternoon snacks, together with a glass of 1.5% milk. for mid afternoon snacks, i usually eat either an egg, a few spears of asparaus dipped in 1 tbsp lite cheese or butter (make sure its the no carb / no sugar kind) or some sugar free pudding. you see, it makes me eat better tasting foor with minimal calories, i believe sticking to around 100 Calories per snack...

For dessert, go for gelatin, not the ricotta stuff. gelo that is sugerfree is just 10 Calories, unlike the almost 200 Calories of the ricotta creme stuff. Better yet, eat some raw veggies, they contain more nutrients than the creamy stuff. Its even better to eat an egg, even if its the 3rd egg of the day because at 75 Calories, its way better than the ricotta stuff. DOnt treat it as dessert because it conotes foods that are creamy and sweet. think of them as midnight snacks, eaten at around 9 pm.

And maybe your overdoing portion sizes. though we are not supposed to count calories in the diet, i beg to differ. we cannot ignore the rule of thermodynamics. calories in should be less than calories out to lose weight-real weight, not water weight. don't overdo. eat until your satisfied, NOT STUFFED.

Thanks for the advice Jayvee. I'm going to try and eat less and weigh myself at the week point. Plus, I've started exercising a lot so hopefully, that will help. Good luck!

Hello. I just found this website by accident and I'm glad I did. Today is my first day of SBD and hopefully I'll be able to stick with it. My question is do I have to follow the meal plan for each day or can I just substitute the foods I like with the ones I don't like? Thanks!

Example: I don't like the egg white omelette for breakfast so I want to eat the vegetable quiche to go instead.

I have fallen off the wagon and feel terrible. I need some encouragement to help me get back on. On Sunday I had two glasses of red wine, a roastbeef sandwich on a roll and and ice cream bar. Yesterday I was pretty good, but then today I ate a butter scotch tasty kake and two iris potatoes. I checked my calories and since I worked out this morning, my calories are still ok, but I have gained 2 lbs back this week, when I am trying to lose 10 more. Help. I was doing so well up until sunday!!

I have done this diet before and lost the 8lbs which is alot considering that is all I had to lose. I gained it back by not sticking with it. I am now working out and preparing meals which follow the good list.

My question. Is Sugar free chocolate pudding ok? I eat 2 a day at this point. It seems to get me though.

I am doing Phase 1 for the second time. I did it last September and lost 5-6 pounds, hubby lost 10. Then hubby and I went into Phase 2 and we were amazed when we continued to lose weight, even with a few cheats. Over the holidays, sugar took over a bit more. However, after phase 1 we found that just a bite of sugary food was all we needed. I only gained a couple pounds over the holidays. In order to burst my holiday sugar bubble, I'm doing phase 1 again. I hope this will help me kick the sugar a bit and kick the next few pounds. We have always followed the rules but not the menu. Just think about what you normally eat and make it into something that fits the diet if you can. Like instead of tacos, have taco salad. Instead of spaghetti, have low-fat meatballs and low-sugar sauce. This helps when cooking for your family. I DO like this diet, even though Phase 1 is HARD. But I think it is necessary to go cold turkey on all the white stuff because of not only the shift in your body that occurs, but also you are so happy to have the whole grain stuff that it tastes wonderful. This is a great diet to help you learn how to really eat healthy!

Hi,
I dont really know what the deal is, but I am currently on day 4 of phase 1 on the southbeach diet and I feel really really bloated in the stomach area. It is, in fact, that time of the month, so that can be a factor, but I feel more so than I usually would.
Is there anyone else who experiences this side effect in the beginning? Is there something I can be doing wrong? Ive been eating all the right foods for sure, but I DO feel like I am actually eating MORE than I used to, but only because I am hungrier more often.

Jenni, thanks for the info. Now I don't feel so bad not following the menu but knowing that I can still lose weight by just choosing the healthy way to eat. Phase 1 has been hard and I do admit I've cheated and so has my husband but I am still trying to get back on the diet because of everyone's testimonial and it's just very encouraging. Thanks!

i have just statred the south beach diet and so far i have lost 10 pounds its not that much compared to how much i want to lost but it is a step in the right direction, and the diet plan is really easy to follow! i have tryed other diets and they worked but the plan was hard to follow. i really like the south beach diet and plan to stick with it.

I lost about 20 lbs on SBD in 2003. I got too thin, and clothing was hard to find smaller than size 4. When on phase 3 I allowed myself occasional regular desserts, pizza and nice breads at restaurants. It was okay for a while but then I started to creep back to more than ten lbs of my lowest weight. I started phase 1 again about 8 days ago and have lost 4 lbs. I would like to lose about 5 more lbs. Do I need to stay on the phase 1 for the whole 2 week period for this re-induction?

Hello! I tried the SBD last year in January with my husband and we both lost 40lbs. The Phase 1 was hard but I found that if you eat a little more food, you won't have the problems most people experience in phase 1. My husband is diabetic and his blood sugar finally regulated after he lost the 40 lbs, his doctor was amazed and so was I. This is a wonderful diet and it teaches you how to eat all over again I think and put you back on the right track to healthy eating, knowing what good/bad carb are. I recommend it to everybody i see that's trying to loose weight. So God bless you all and be encouraged. "It Works"

i have been on sbd for 2 weeks and have lost 14 pounds! i feel great actually. i have no more indigestion and have more energy.

I am finally getting back on the wagon. I lost 11 lbs in the first 3 weeks of the diet and then started cheating like crazy, especially around St. Patrick's day, drank and ate alot and creeped back up 3 lbs. So now I am back on the wagon starting today with Phase 1 again. I also think when I started phase 2 I went too crazy with carbs so I think this time when I hit phase two I will add one fruit or whole grain carb back at a time until I see where I can continue to lose weight. Has anyone experienced this? Is it harder the 2nd time around? I am 5'2" and currently 147 lbs. I would like to end up at 125, but would be extremely happy with 130.

Chris, you had this problem initally, or anyone else out there....Love the diet and everything about it. Except, the gas, the gas! My digestive system is wacked and it's been that way for 8 weeks. Any suggestions?! What's the reason? What's the solution?

I'm on the last day of phase 1, and for once I found a diet that isn't ridiculously hard. I've been drinking lots of water, eating lots of vegetables and really enjoying the low-fat dairy options. This is a switch from the mcdonald's eating, diet coke guzzling me. I've lost 8 lbs and I didn't even exercise! But I do have to say dessert is my main downfall and without the Ricotta Cheese dessert option, I may have cheated. It was my godsend these past 2 weeks.

Good afternoon all. About the SBD. My wife and I started this diet on Sunday, today is Wednesday, this moring we weighed ourselves and she lost 8lbs and I had lost just 6lbs. This diet isnt hard at all, we are following the good food list in the book in Phase 1, and we are hardly missing a beat in our everday lives. We have given up all carbs, and have yet to feel sick, nauseous or jittery. We have tried other weight loss pills and programs and nothing has brought us results as quickly. I do believe that the key is to not give in to carbs, my wifes biggest hurdle was potato and mine was bread, but 3 days into it, and I no longer crave anything that we used to eat. And we werent healty eaters before, all we wanted was to be back at our normal weight. I'll post again in a few days to let you know how much more we have lost.

JLB.

I am on this diet for life. I have a serious sugar problem and lost 30 pounds on SB diet last year. Gained 8 back this year and am on Phase 1 again. In ten days I've lost 7 pounds. This is not yo-yo dieting - it's a way of life. I just had a bowl of Quaker Oats (old fashioned oatmeal) - my first in two weeks. Am gradually adding grains back but have no cravings at all. The diet is easy and I'm a huge fan. I drink two glasses of red wine at night - one before dinner, one with. If you can make it through the first two weeks - you have it made forever.

I just started SBD today but read the book last night and was wondering if it was right for me. I am 5'1" and need to lose about 20 pounds. Will I lose very much in the first phase? I was just curious if anyone around my height and weight loss needs has tried this and succeeded? Any advice?

I have been on phase 1 for 8 days with absolutely no weight lose. I feel smaller but don't weight less. I have not cheated once. It's frustrating to not see it on the scale. this diet is a drastic departure from my usual carb heavy diet, tons of fruit and several "adult" beverages a night. What could be the problem?

i have been on phase 1 for 5 days and am just wondering when one starts seeing the results. i haven't yet and am wondering what is going on?

I just started today! 2nd time on the diet - was once on last year in June and I lost 10 pounds in a month and kept it off until Christmas:( So now I'm working to get back to the way I was. I found that working out while on the diet helped to keep the weight off. I wish everyone well on the diet!

Finally seeing some weight loss. It's been 15 days since I started phase 1 and I haven't cheated at all. For the first twelve days I lost nothing...not one pound. In the past couple of days I have lost 5 pounds. Maybe for some two weeks at phase 1 isn't enough to jump start the losses. The gas and bloating seems better at night if I have a small glass of fat free milk and some sugar free jello..seems to settle down stomach.

I'm on day 13 of the SB diet and for me, the first 7 days were hell. I read in the book the first 3 days would be hardest, but it didn't end there for me. I felt like I was going through detox...most likely due to the fact that for all 28 years of my life, I have never once tried to give up sugar. I felt shaky, got bad headaches, metal taste in my mouth, super tired, very very very cranky (I guess it's true, sugar does make a person sweet ha ha). And I did drink a ton of water. I did not get nauseous though.

But good news for everyone out there, those feelings DO go away. I have children who eat donuts and bread and pasta and although it about kills me to watch them eat it because I enjoy those foods...the cravings for those types of foods are gone in the sense where I would just say "OH FORGET THIS DIET!" and eat it anyway. That has always been my hardest obstacle when trying to lose weight. I give up because I crave the good stuff.

I really believe Phase I is helpful because it honestly makes the cravings for sweets end. If you're not a person who craves sugar all the time you may not understand what I'm talking about, but if you love chocolate...Phase I is necessary to rid your body of all the "feed me more chocolate" feelings. I have not cheated at all, I can't believe I did it...I never thought I could live without sugar.

I'm waiting to stand on the scale until I hit the last day of Phase I. But I know I've lost weight because my pants are suddenly huge, the other day I ran across the room to catch the phone and my pants fell down to my ankles! Good luck to everyone. =)

Today is my second day in Phase 1. I have done Atkins before, I lost 25 pounds in one month. The major differences to me is the fat. Atkins, when I did it-- allowed for as much fat as you wanted. After a week of "detoxing" from sugar and carbs .. and being horribly sick -- I felt great for another 3 weeks, then the fatigue hit.

I eat very healthy, but I have managed to put on about 8 pounds over the last year. I work out 5 days a week and I just can't understand the weight gain. So I thought I would try the SBD Phase 1. I am pretty sure phase 1 sends you into ketosis. which would explain the rapid weight loss durring the phas 1 induction. I agree with comments above, I believe it is psychological. For me, I relate it to fasting. Disciplining the flesh to get control. I am excited to see what foods are on Phase2. That is where I need some help. Proper servings and combinations and what is enough carbs -- I hope to find the diet that helps me maintain my goal. I do anticipate loosing all the weight I am aiming for during Phase 1. I agree with working out being the key. I have actually increased my work out time. MY goal is to hit it hard for 1 hour 3 times, then back up to 30 minutes w/ weight training the other 3. OF course I am only on day 2, but I had a lot more energy for yesterdays work out and I ran this morning. I am hungry -- but I was hungry on the last diet I was on! What snacks can I have on Phase1?

I am interested to know if anyone cheated and if so -- what was it. I am scared to even chew a piece of gum! If I am going to get a carb I want it to be worth it!!!

I just finished phase1. It was hard but extremely satisfying. I lost 8.5lbs in 14 days.
In reguards to some of the comments: Before I began this plan I would pass the candy isle and my mouth would instantly start to water looking at all that chocolate and other goodies. I knew I was in trouble when I would purchase a bag of candy bars and hide them from my kids-I could eat the entire thing in about 2 days or less. Now I don't even feel a twinge of pain when I see chocolate. I feel in control and I believe that this is what phase1 is all about. Getting in control and knowing that you have will power. Now I taste an orange and it tastes wonderful!
As to how I felt: Do not miss meals! It will make you feel ill. If I didn't have time to cook breakfast I would grab some veggie juice and a cheese stick. I also drank tons of water to help flush out fat. As for cheating: Sunday evenings I would eat whatever I wanted-but I always ate lots of salad with that meal. I didn't feel like I had to start over because that was going to be part of my plan. Good luck to all who try this diet. I for one have been very happy and plan to continue on in phase2.
Ann

I started sb on 4/20 I weighed 170 today I got on the scale and I am 174. I must be doing something wrong. I have 2 cups of coffee in the morning with creamer non fat and equal, then i have 2 eggs with cheese low fat and peppers and tomatoes, lunch is grilled chicken 5 oz. with lettuce.cucumber and 2tbs of ceasear dressing, then i have the same for dinner. my snack is 2 servings of sunflower seeds...Please some one tell me what a typical meal should be. I am also drinking 32 oz of water or more every day. I am not giving up because I feel great and I am happy that I am no longer eating sugar or breads.
Thank you
Helen

HELP!!!!! We have had chocolate covered pretzels and graham crackers and cookies and nuts and I am PMS'ing (sorry guys) and I cant stop eating them. Every single day this week I have had at least two or three large chocolate covered pretzels and yesterday I had that and 3 chocolate covered graham crackers! How can I stop??? Why cant I stop??? I have gained back 4 lbs this week and it is still not making me stop!!

Not a pleasant solution but the only one I know of - Throw them OUT! Yeah, it's a waste of yummy food, but if you can't walk away from them, throw them away, or just face the fact that you're going to keep eating them.

That's why I don't let my husband do the grocery shopping. He always buys treats and I always, always, always remember where they are and crave them until we've eaten them ALL!

Good luck! Stop tempting yourself! Knowing your weaknesses/bad habits and avoiding them is one of the keys to losing weight.

-Danielle