I've been doing SBD for a couple years now, but stalled last year. Haven't gained any back but can't seem to drop any lately.

I can't seem to get past the "low carb is bad for you" mentality.

I know people who have lost the weight on atkins and atkins food is what I really like because it's such a chore to force myself to eat 4.5 cups of vegetables a day on SBD. I know that after induction eventually the 2 diets are kind of pretty similiar-with whole grains and non-starchy fruits and veggies.

Has anyone switched from a moderate carb diet to a low carb diet and seen success?

I guess I need to go back and read the book again. There are so many now, which one is the best?

Sarah

I'm in a much the same boat. I some times wonder if this is the healthiest way due to all the bad press it has had lately. I keep flicking between the 2 diets. Obviously this is not the wisest thing to do. The other thing that I have read is that you should just pick a plan and stick with it. That is the most successful way to loose weight. I'm also influenced by what I hear about how the stars loose weight in Hollywood. George Clooney, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears and Jennifer Aniston to name a few are big low carbers and have been very successful very quickley. So that has been an influence in my choosing a low carb life style. Oh I also read today in "Self" magazine that sugar can be a big cause of wrinkles. That right there was enough for me.
So I hope that has helped anyone who is wondering if low carb is a way they want to go. Even if they know the science behind it or not.

I'm strictly speaking from what I have read...and I hear a lot of people say that atkins helps you lose quicker than South Beach, I don't know if this is true and I don't know if it's right, that's just what I've read. Also I've seen people reccomend SB to people who did not want to do away with all of their fruit like you have to do in atkins induction.

If you're unsure about it, see a doctor, see what he says about it, read the book again, and if you feel like it might be right for you after that then just go for it and see how you like it

Good luck in whatever decision you make. I also read that Jennifer Aniston lived low carb and that was another big reason I chose Atkins over SB. I'm the type of person who needs a strict set of rules for me. I think if I did SB then I'd splurge too much on the allowed foods

Let us know what you decide!!

Lacey

I think I'm such a carb addict that South Beach allows too many carbs for me right now. I would splurge big time if I could eat that many carbs. I try to keep mine as low as possible. But you do what is best for you. I have had great success with Atkins as long as I follow it religously. Good luck in your decision and we are here for support if you need it.

The best one is the one you can stick with .

I'll be going in the other direction when I get to goal, from Atkins to SBD, because there are more choices. I felt I needed the control\strictness of Atkins and the faster weight loss to keep me motivated because I was so heavy to start with, but I think that SBD will be easier to maintain over the course of my life when I'm at goal.

The brainwashing was a tough one for me, but I've been to the Dr. for blood work twice since I started, and even though I eat eggs, cheese and meat every day, my cholesterol is excellent. My weight, blood pressure and cholesterol have dropped since I started, and my doctor couldn't be more thrilled. I had to try it and see for myself, and I still have a hard time believing it works. My total cholesterol is 140 and my triglycerides are 50, btw, and that's not typos, it's for real.

If you really think about it, what's the "bad" in eating meat, eggs, cheese, and veggies, with a little dairy, fruit and some whole grains? You're cutting out sugar, processed foods and cheap, nutrient stingy foods. It sounds like a good way to eat to me

Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

Tenn

Thanks for the replies everyone. I know that it's not an all meat and cheese diet the way some people make it out to be. I mean you do eat some veggies everyday and induction is only 2 weeks before you start adding back more carbs.

Has anyone combined low carb with calorie counting? I know for me I eat for other reasons besides hunger and the eat all you want of certain foods won't work for me because I can eat quite a bit without really thinking about it.

Has anyone tried eating less saturated fats on this way of eating? Is it even possible? (I guess that would be an all avacodo diet? )

I promise I'm getting a book on Saturday from the library.

Sarah

I combine calorie counting with my carb count up to a point, but I'm pretty liberal. I try to keep my calories under 1,800 and my carbs under 40, so far it's working for me.

I have noticed that 25 or 30 carbs is all I can eat and still lose any weight. I think this is because I am also on prednisone (steroid) and diuretics every day. I did total my calories for a while, just out of curiosity, and am eating about 1200 to 1400 a day. I am sure my fat intake is too low. I have dieted low-fat so many times that it is ingrained in me to leave the fats alone. I really should probably eat a little more than I do, but I seem to stay satisfied with my food and am still slowly taking the lbs. off.

From what I hear, the 1992 version of the book is the best.

I track my calories along with carbs, and find it to be a million times easier to stay in my target calorie range (around 1800) when I'm low-carb. I don't get the uncontrollable cravings that keep me eating constantly.

That's my plan, too.

I totally agree that it works. I read my book several times and have already finished reading the maintenace book just to see how it will be. I plan to stay on Atkins. I won't risk switching to another plan for fear I would gain some of weight back.

Sarah, with my first 100 lbs lost, I did not watch calories or anything like that at all. I ate a lot of protein and I was always eating, but I stuck to the exact list of veggies and the amount as outlined in the book.

I didn't drink any water and I still drank diet Coke. I ate tons of cheese and didn't limit it to 4 oz. And I did eat macademia nuts too. And I used the Atkins products -- back when they had a catalog and you could order them, I did.

Now I do keep track of the calories because I was curious as to what would happen. Well, what I found is that my weight loss has slowed down. Now it could be just because I have lost so much that now it's going to be harder. It took me 6 years to lose 145 lbs but I did go off Atkins in between and gained some back.

My normal daily meals are to have either eggs scrambled in butter, cheese and bacon or sausage links with cheese or beef chunks for breakfast. I have a couple of hamburger patties with cheese or chicken breasts with cheese for lunch with a salad. Dinner could be a steak or fish or chicken with a salad. I only use ranch dressing -- I don't like any other kind. And I always put cheese on my salad.

My snacks are usually macademia nuts or slices of ham spread with cream cheese and cheese and rolled up and cut into slices. And the Atkins recipe for stuffed mushrooms -- I love it.

I could easily just eat the protein and forget about the veggies, so I do have to watch that. And now I do drink the water.