is sbd for me? - poor & only 20 lbs
 

hey! i have been thinking of trying southbeach for a while now. i have been trying counting calories, as well as working out 5 days a week for several months now and i am not having any progress. i don't think that counting calories is working for me. i only need to lose about 15-20 pounds. is southbeach good for those who don't have a large amount of weight to lose?
another question - i am a widow raising 2 kids by myself and i don't get a lot of money, only social security. i can't really afford to buy the expensive foods and recipes.
so...is southbeach realistic for me or should i just stick to calorie counting? i would really love some advice and suggestions! thanks so much!!!
gabrielbeth

I do weight watchers now, but I like calorie counting as well. You can fit any type of food into your plan. When I tried SBD, it didn't work out well for me: too much foods I don't like and I felt deprived. I did find it expensive to keep up with. But that's me and my personal experience. I also lost easier with calorie counting or weight watchers. I chose WW over calorie counting because it helps me to make better food decisions

There are a lot of recipes in the recipe forum that don't cost a lot of money to make. Beans are cheap (especially if you buy the dried ones). It is true that the cookbooks have some expensive things but you don't have to eat that way to stay on South Beach. I will admit that fresh, frozen and canned produce and fruit is more expensive than processed food but it is also a lot healthier.

Check out the taco bake recipe. It doesn't costs alot. And there are ways to save money. While I normally buy the 93% lean ground beef, it can be cheaper to buy a higher fat content meat and just rinse it after you brown it.

You really don't have a lot of weight to lose but this is a very healthy way of eating and my 9 year old loves most of the recipes. Watch for sales and you can catch whole wheat pasta and breads on sale. Cut coupons. While South Beach looks for white meat chicken, you might find it worth the cost savings to eat dark meat but make sure you remove all the fat and skin. Or watch for chicken tenders or breasts that are on sale. Chili is healthy and cheap. And since you can cook it in a crockpot it is an easy meal for a busy mom to make.