I am new to this site. I have lost around 35 pounds over the last few years by trying to make some better choices like drinking more diet soda or water than Mt. Dew. I don't know much about counting calories and I was worried it would be too hard. A guy friend and his wife do South Beach and he said I might like it because you don't have to count anything. I don't eat much bread so I think I might like it.
Is this a lot easier than counting calories? I am going to get the book from him to read today.
YES! This is SOOOOO much easier than counting calories! Please read the book before getting into it to understand the principles of South Beach and what foods to eat/avoid and why. There is basically no counting of anything. Some foods you look for lower fat or sugar content and others you look for high fiber or protein, but mostly you just eat what is allowed and avoid what is not. Lots of veggies, lean protein, lowfat dairy, good fats... And good carbs rather than low carbs. But I never count calories and rarely even look at portion sizes.
I find SB easier than counting calories, although I sometimes count calories as well (while still eating SB foods). Especially when starting a diet, SB is easier bc once you get the sugar and bad carbs out of your system, cravings diminish. Also, you don't have to obsess about eating too much (for the most part). You eat when you are hungry, while making sure you are eating healthy, nutritious foods. SB better teaches you how to eat well. With just counting calories and eating x amount of whatever you want, there is a lot of room to eat non-nutritious foods that don't help your body. Good luck!
While you don't have to count calories per se on SBD, you DO have to be mindful of overdoing it. A calorie is a calorie and if you eat more than 3500 a day, you will gain. But, basically, if you follow this plan as it's meant to, you will be too full to eat that many calories.
I agree with everyone! SBD is waaaay easier than counting calories. No stress about calorie charts and tables, wondering if that peach you're eating is "small" or "medium" sized. When I tried counting calories, I realized I was eating all processed, pre-packaged foods since it was easier to read a label than figure out if I had 1 or 2 cups of home-made food.
However, read the book and then see if you have a gut feeling about whether SBD is the right diet for you or not. When I read the book, I just felt that it would work for me. I knew right away that it would be tough (I LOVE bread, pasta, potatoes, fruit, ice cream) but a little part of my brain knew that my thighs loved hanging on to THOSE calories and that I needed to eat more lean proteins, vegetables, nuts, eggs, and cheeses. Also, if anyone else in your family (ie, similar genetics) has tried diets, look at their successes and failures. Obviously each person is different (motivation, commitment, age, all sorts of factors), but Weight Watchers and calorie counting did NOT work for my mom, vegetarianism/gluten-free did NOT work for my sister, whereas SBD DID work for my brother. So that helped me decide.
No matter what path your choose, or if you do a combo - good luck and welcome!
I totally agree that SBD is the way to go with diets. It is a lifestyle change more than a diet. I also find that for the most part I can find food that is diet safe while I am out with friends. The book is a vital part of the diet and really helped me understand how things worked and why I ate the things that I did.
I have to say calorie counting would NOT be for me. I tend to be a perfectionist and a kind of all or nothing person. This being said I would go absolutely insane over "is this a medium peach or small" I would be so involved in counting calories that I would be overwhelmed. I find that I agree with FurnanceOfAchievement on the fact that calorie counting would be great for people who eat a lot of packaged foods where is SBD allows you to be more leniant and creative with food choices.
Personally, I do both. I don't like the pre-packaged foods that many calorie counters tend to go for for simplicity. I know that I NEED portion control and tracking my calories to stay on plan. I eat SBD foods. I combine the two and it has worked for me.
I do just as fozentusic. At first I just ate SBD and didn't count calories and I lost weight fine. But now eat only SBD and also count calories as I am close to my goal weight. Before when I tried Weight Watchers and/or calorie counting I could not lose weight at all. But I was eating highly processed carbs and low fat and also retained a ton of water. I LOVE the food I eat on SBD, yeah I can eat cheese and nuts again! I can seriously eat like this for the rest of my life.
I've tried many approaches and nothing worked for me simply because all I did was think about food and crave it. I love SBD because after after phase 1 all your cravings go away. I was actually satisfied on a diet for once in my life and didn't even want to cheat. I counted calories for a week just to see what my totals were but once I got the feel of how much I was eating and proper portion I stopped. I don't think its necessary if you follow the plan and make sensable decisions. I don't think I'll ever go back to a complete free for all with carbs again because of how this plan makes me feel.
The only downside is if you cheat, it can lead to more cheating because your cravings are triggered again. The July 4th weekend was tough for me because we went out for my birthday and I had some potato fingerlings. That was the beginning of a spiral for me. But now I know that potatoes are a trigger for me and I know to avoid them. I've learned I can handle red wine and fruit with no issues. It's a learning process and trial and error is needed but I see this more as a true lifestyle change vs a diet. And the best part, is you can alway repeat phase 1 if you need to detox and get back on track.
Count Calories or South Beach?
