I am officially getting back on the wagon after my fall a couple weeks ago. Its been hard to get back on and I feel miserable eating so many carbs, which is mainly what I have been overloading on. I am tired, sluggish, and just down right cranky . I think you can tell a real difference just eating low carb for a couple weeks, and can really feel a difference when you begin to eat them again. Now, im wondering if I want to go with Atkins or South Beach. I have been kinda doing a small amout of both but South Beach seems less restrictive since you can have dairy etc. What is your personal opponion and have you switched from one to another with more or less success?

Also, can someone post the recipe for the Cheesecake smoothie. I have seen it on several menus and cant seem to find it in the recipe sectioin. But I must say I have found several marvelous recipes there.

I think in the long term, South Beach is a lifestyle that will be easy to follow the rest of your life. You don't really have to deny yourself anything, whereas Atkins is much more restrictive.

SBD all the way!

I honestly don't find Atkins to be healthy, although it may be successful as far as weight loss. I think once you get the principles of SBD under your belt, it is simply a very healthy way of eating as opposed to a diet. Plus, if you happen to have kids, Phase 2 is a very healthy way for them to eat.

Just my opinion.......

Whether you post this in the SBD or Atkins forum will probably influence your answers So... A couple of years ago, we did a big survey on the site and there were thousands of participants. What we learned was that more people quit atkins and other low carb diets than quit south beach because it was easier to stick to. Many switched to South Beach and stayed there. But not everyone on South Beach was happy - many quit SB and chose Weight Watchers and found it easier to stick to.

All the diets work equally well, as long as you stick to them. The trick is to find the one that fits your personal tastes because that is the one you will stick with

So, I agree with Jerseygirl, even though I am a beacher...

I have done atkins in the past and was successful. most diets will work if you stick to them. That being said Atkins gets a bad rep because, a LOT of people who follow atkins don't do it correctly(I include myself). I stayed on p1 and lost a lot of weight in a way that wasn't intended by dr. atkins.... however, I wasn't any more healthy with those extra 50lbs on my butt either... when it came to moving forward on atkins, I , myself, wasn't able to do it... The biggest reason I do sbd is the fact I am now vegetarian and it is harder, IMO, to be vegetarian on Atkins... It definitely did work for me, but I didn't do it correctly and could not eat the way I was eating for the rest of my life. SBD to me had easier guidelines and better for ME in the longrun!

Several years ago I did a low carb diet and got down in the weight... the problem is the program really isn't set for long term.... unless you vow to NEVER eat another carb again!!!!!! As soon as you do, the cravings all come back, and helter skelter, I gained more than I lost!

With the South beach, the loss is MUCH slower, but more favorable in that what I've lost has stayed off, even in my bouts of weeks of eating unhealthy! This past week I ate a piece of Pizza, had a burger from Wendy's and again chinese, not to mention the meals in between those things... I still did not gain .... other than two pounds which I guarantee as soon as I start (today) with the plan again will come off because I bet it's from all the sodium intake, and carbs... (wrong carbs I will add)....

So, while the Atkins helps to lose faster, South Beach helps to lose in the long term of things..... personally, I prefer to lose it and KEEP it off rather than to have temporary results!

JMHO

I haven't done Atkins, but I'm on South Beach and have been since June. I LOVE SOUTH BEACH!!! My weight loss (with the exception of this month - Thanks to Thanksgiving) has been pretty consistent, averaging 4 pounds per month.

When I as working in a corporate "cubicle land" setting, I had two coworkers who constantly bickered over Atkins vs. South Beach - and they were eating very much alike. The only difference was that the woman on Atkins counted her carbs and the woman on South Beach didn't - the foods and quantities were so similar anyone looking on would assume they were on the same "diet."

A person on OWL on Atkins can eat very similarly to South Beach. I've tried both and have had success with both, but even with "good carbs" have portion control issues, so I chose a different route (even though what I'm usually eating would be very close to my former coworkers' food choices as well). I chose to use an exchange plan, reduce the number of carbohydrate choices by a few, and try to choose South Beach friendly foods. I can use any South Beach or Atkins recipe, I just have to figure out the food exchanges (how many fats, proteins, dairy, fruit, and vegetables).

I don't think everyone has portion control issues, so my personal theory (for what it's worth) is that a person wanting to lose weight should use the least restrictive plan (whether its of their own design or an existing program) that they find successful. I think the same goes with carb restriction, restrict as much as you have to, and no further.

I know it's controversial to call South Beach a "low carb" program, though by some standards it is, and as such is included in the book "The Low Carb Bible," by Elizabeth Ward. It's a good book, and if you can find it in your library (or it's pretty cheap on amazon - about $6 including shipping and handling if you buy used), it's worth seeing her comparison and review of Atkins, South Beach and other low and lower carb/GI plans.

I do disagree that Atkins means never being able to eat carbs again - rather there does need to be a life-long comittment to counting and/or controlling carbs and not returning to high glycemic carbs. However, for South Beach this is just as true, if you return to eating high glycemic carbs, the cravings will return and you'll have a hard time not regaining.

To understand what maintenance on Atkins looks like, I would recommend one of the Atkins for Life books (there are a couple editions, I believe).

I own the 2002 Edition, along with a few other Atkins books and a couple South Beach books also (not the newest). I own a lot of exchange cookbooks and low(er) GI/carb cookbooks, because I can include or adapt the recipes to my plan.

I think the issue is not ability to be perfect on any plan, because I am not very good at staying on plan (which is why my weight loss is so slow), but the ability to consistently keep trying. By any of my previous standards and definitions, I am failing miserably, but I have failed off 60 lbs.

I don't have to be perfect on any plan, including my own - I just have to keep doing better than I have been in the past. As long as I can keep doing better, I will continue to see results - and the minute I stop doing better - I will stop losing. And the minute I start backtracking in my choices, I will gain. In a nutshell, I think this is true of any WOE you choose.

I highly agree with Suzanne when she says,

I also agree with Jersey when she says:

You have to find something that works for you and your lifestyle--and you need to make it a permanent change. Any time you do something that is not a good fit for your life and you try to do it just long enough to lose the weight, I think you're guaranteed to gain it back. But that's just my humble opinion.

That said, before I started SBD, my doctor told me that she had patients who were successful on both Atkins and SBD (the two popular diets at the time), but only her patients on SBD stuck with it in the long term. That's why I chose it. I found it to be true, as most of my friends who did Atkins fell off it after a short time. Some of my SBD friends are still doing it well. You can do anything, though, if it fits you and your needs and you make sure that you are dedicated to following through.

I'm glad I found this thread b/c right now I am struggling with what to do. I have done both, for me they end looking the same especially the "new" Atkins profram with the leaner protein is looking more and more like SB.

My issue is this I have been off and on Atkins for so long that I am actually AFRAID to go anywhere else yet I keep falling off the wagon.

With Atkins Induction I get quick weightloss but have to admit that it doesn't feel too healthy to me (the saturated fat intake) and the fact that if you eat an extra anything it seems to bring on 1-5 lbs water weight and that can really mess with one emotionally BUT I have a hard time lowering the fat when trying to switch to SB.

Can one combine the two plans and be successful? I agree that any plan can work if you commit to it for me it's more then just weightloss I want something I can do for life and be healthy.

Well, South Beach Phase I includes dairy and legumes and limits fat servings. I don't think Atkins Induction allows dairy and legumes in Induction and allows more fat. I really don't think the two can be combined.

I prefer south beach, because I don't think its a good idea to ingest loads of saturated fats. I prefer using low/no fat dairy, lean protein, etc. I know this woman who drinks iced lattes made with heavy cream instead of regular milk. The espresso barely tints the milk! I'm pretty sure she does Atkins, or a variation of it. She claims that she is really healthy, but she also says that she's always in ketosis (not good) and she doesn't look like she's lost any weight in the 2 years since I met her. Also, it is very obvious that her buttocks and thighs are bulging and puckering with fat!
anyway, as a vegetarian myself, i have really enjoyed south beach because of all the new options and recipes it has opened up for me. I feel like I'm finally able to eat the way I should, instead of falling on bad carbs when i don't know what to eat. also i am raising a vegetarian child, and i feel well armed with good nutritional info to make sure he's eating as much as he needs to be healthy too.

For the long term, SBD. I can't imagine eating all those fatty foods for life! And no "good" carbs? \/\/hatever!