[SBD Sass]

OK so I don't usually answer questions about what foods one can have or what they shouldn't have on the South Beach Diet when one comes up, but I belong to a South Beach team and one of the ladies asked if Olives were OK for her recipe and I answered her that green olives are considered a fat and that she can have 15 green olives per serving or 1/2 TBSP of the oil.

Here is the point and the big deal. Another lady answered the question saying that olives are a fat and that black and green olives are good and that she can only have 5 olives per serving....

Are we working out of two different P1 and P2 lists??? How is that possible when everybody gets the same info from out the books? I am so confused right now. Which is the correct answer? I consult with the list on 3FC and over at the South Beach Diet forums (on another site) and all lists match. What list is she looking at? It's OK if I'm wrong and if I am then our lists must be updated (last updated here was May 2008). I am frustrated...this is not the first time where I've seen her servings to be off. Grrrrrrr.

[murphmitch]

I'm looking at the new book, South Beach Supercharged, and it states 15 olives (green or ripe) are equal to 1/2 Tbs oil.

[cottagebythesea]

We keep our approved foods lists current, and update them when changes are made. Our lists are copied from the newest South Beach Supercharged book, so the answer you gave her was correct, Sass.

[SBD Sass]

OK because she approved this 15 for the day and 5 per serving when the person who asked analyzed our responses. Does the book say anything about that? I don't have a book. I trust my two sets of updated lists. Thanks for the confirmation you two. I don't want to step on her toes because she runs the group but if she's not giving out the right info then she's doing a disservice...

[murphmitch]

I don't see anything about 5 per serving. As long as you count it as 1/2 Tbs of oil why would it matter?

[beachgal]

I agree with Murph, SBD. That doesn't make any sense...unless she has some personal rule about having a third of a serving of fat or something. Not sure why. Maybe you can send her a personal message away from the group and tell her that you're confused by her suggestion?

[SBD Sass]

I sent her a private message earlier, but she hasn't answered me yet - she answered me fast when I asked her where her foods list was. I have yet to look at it, but I don't agree with her on the olives. We also had a disagreement a couple months ago on something else - can't think of it. Her thing is "everything in moderation" is why she's telling that lady to only eat 5 per serving.

I'm about to stay clear because now there is a discussion going on where a lady is not getting enough calories in P1, ate Atkins bars because she didn't know she couldn't have any, lost 4lbs and needs to know if she should move onto P2 since P1 is up. My advice was to move onto P2 and make the adjustments, get familiar with the meal plan (no reason to fall behind in calories) and to get the foods to enjoy and foods to avoid lists...they are telling her to either start P1 all over again or to do P1.5 --what is P1.5?? Is that gradually adding everything else to your diet in P2????

Bleh! I'm just glad I have knowledgable beachers here at 3FC to go to for help.

[zeffryn]

Sass - Phase 1.5 is not really recognized by Dr. A, but is basically what we call the time when you are transitioning from Phase 1 to Phase 2 and slowly adding different foods. There were times that I would need a little kick in the pants on Phase 2, so I would move to Phase 1.5 (I basically just reduced my fruit and grain intake and closely monitored how each thing I ate affected me).

It is hard to give advice to people who don't know the plan - really, if you've done your research on the plan there is no reason why you shouldn't know that Atkins bars are not approved. Atkins bars are not even Induction Phase Atkins friendly!

My advice to this woman would be: If you're not having cravings for sugars and refined carbs, go ahead and move onto phase 2. Do so slowly and really acclimate yourself with the principals behind the diet and the associated food lists. When you are familiar with the principals, it makes it easier to mold the diet to fit your life. I would go crazy if I had to carry my food lists around with me everywhere! I've become very familiar with the foods that are and are not allowed and work around those. If I question anything - I forgo the food until I get a definitive answer.

By the way, where are you doing this South Beach team?

Also, there is only so much sound advice you can give to a person. Please don't take it personally if they don't take your advice