okay...so i've done the South Beach Phase One in the past...had GREAT success with it...but i have never been able to make it through phase one again without falling. so i thought maybe i would just "low carb" it instead of "no carb"-ing it. no breads, pastas, cereal (i will stick to my whole oatmeal tho)...cut out the candy and sugar. my question is...is fruit acceptable to eat? i love love love my fruit!! that is one thing that i HATE to give up. i mean, if i have to i have to, but i'd rather not if possible. any thoughts?? are there maybe fruits that are okay and others i should stay away from completely?
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I'm confused, you mentioned having done SB Phase 1 in the past and now wanting to try low carb instead of no carb SB is not no carb (nor is Atkins).
As for fruit, its not permitted on Phase 1 of SB or the Induction phase of Atkins...but...the good news is, it is slowly incorporated back into both plans. Berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) & melon (cantaloupe, honeydew) are best to begin with and later, when you are closer to goal, you could add apples, plums, kiwis, peaches, tangerines, grapefruit & watermelon.
I'd be careful of the oatmeal too since its a grain, portions should be small.
All the best to you!
Unless you have some training/education in nutrition, I'd be somewhat hesitant to recommend "winging it." There are too many ways that low-carb can be done wrong (and some of them can even be dangerous - such as combining very low carb, very low calorie, and very low fat in the same diet).
I'd strongly recommend The Low-Carb Bible by Elizabeth Ward. It reviews, compares and summarizes the top low-carb plans (it's out of print but you should be able to get it from amazon or your library).
Agree with both the above posts! Read, read, read ...
It'd probably be very valuable to you to enter your foods into a calculator site (like fitday.com) for a few days and see where you're at. That'll make it easy to see how you can lower your carbs.
I keep recommending The Low-Carb Bible (and have checked it out from the library repeatedly). I finally broke down and bought it (for a penny on amazon - $4.00 with shipping and handling).
I'm doing something similar to you. Essentially I cut out all breads, pastas, and grains. Except for my one serving of oatmeal for breakfast. All my other carbs are fruit or veggies and I have one or the other with each meal. 4 x's per day. So with meal #2 I have banana. Meal # 3 is a berry smoothies with protein powder. Meal #4 I have edamame (veggie + protein is a win-win) Meal #5 I have steamed asaparagus or steamed mixed veggies.
*I should note that I am still calorie counting. I just have have done this to adjust my nutrition balance.
Question about Low Carbing?? Fruit Allowed?
SB is not no carb (nor is Atkins).
