[leighlee]

I just wanted to get everyone's opinion on something......

What would you say is better....the Zone Diet or South Beach Diet?

I'd really like some opinions.......maybe even some success stories??

[floppymouse]

I have no direct experienc ewith either, but I know both have a lot of Doctor's support behind them.

I CAN tell you first hand that I eat the Zone Perfect nutrition bars regularly (althought I am not on the Zone diet) and they are quite nutritious (I am a label freak) and they taste like candy bars and they are VERY filling.

My husband's co-worker turned me on to the bars and he is on the Zone diet and it has helped him control his type 2 diabetes and has lost quite a bit of weight on it (40 lbs+). So I can say that I can reccomend that as a bystander.

Good luck.

~FM

[jillybean720]

I have never been on the Zone diet--can honestly say I don't even really know what it is--but I have done South Beach in the past. I did it once starting about a year and a half ago, and I stuck to it for like 3 months. I lost about 20 pounds and decreased my body fat percentage by 15% The 20 pounds in 3 months was not nearly as impressive as the change in body composition, but I was working out 5+ days a week doing mild cardio plus weights 4 times a week and higher-impact cardio on my off-weights days, so I would chalk most of it up to my exercise routine. What I found, though, was that I lost a lot of the wieght in the beginning (as with almost any diet as your body adjusts to a new plan), and then it tapered off until I was on a looooong plateau. I had stayed in Phase 1 for more than the 2 weeks required, so I think switching to Phase 2 (incorporating fruits and good carbs) may have been what stalled me. However, I wouldn't suggest staying in Phase 1 for too long since it is basically just Atkin's and can be detrimental as far as cholesterol, blood pressure, and other aspects of your health are concerned. Overall, I thin kit's asier to stick to than a basic low-carb plan, plus it's healthier, allowing for more fruits and such, but I couldn't stick to it long-term. That's just my experience, though, and it was a hard time in my life--I might be able to do it now since I live alone and make my own meals. It all depends on your personal situation, I think. Now, I am having success with an even stricter diet (one that tells me exactly what to eat, 4 meals a day), so who knows.

I know that was a lot of babbling and not really a success story or any advice, so I apologize for that, butI think the key is just finding a diet you know you can stick to. If you think you can hang on with South Beach for the long haul, then I think it's a good choice because it is a healthy plan (especially much healthier than Atkin's).