Hi

I'm trying to figure out if the SBD is right for me or if I should try something like Weight Watchers.

What do you like best about the SBD?

Bonnie

The things I like best:

1. No counting anything. I feel like it's much easier for me to make decisions on the fly. I don't feel pressured to eat a certain number of calories, or keep below a certain number. I feel like I can go anywhere and find something to eat just based on knowing what's in the dish.

2. I feel like it has taught me how to eat. I do best with more protein, and lower starches (which means plans like WW don't work that well for me) I feel this plan has taught me a way of eating that feels natural, and sustainable. I feel like it has made me a lot more creative in the kitchen, and I am eating so many vegetables.

3. I feel great. I realize that I feel terrible when I eat sugar and refined grains. With the way that I eat now, I have TONS of energy (until sleep apnea hit... but that's another story)

I don't really see the two as being in conflict. That is, I mostly follow both.

SBD has helped me with what to eat.

WW has helped me with how much to eat and with providing accountability and having a weekly goal to meet.

For me, I find that both program give me what I need. Now, not everyone may need those things so for some people then pure SBD is the way to go and for others pure WW would be the way to go.

WW really doesn't set many rules about what you are to eat. As long as you stay within the Good Health Guidelines for WW then the WW program doesn't really care what you eat. You can meet the GHG and eat a diet that is high carb. You can also meet the GHG and eat SBD or a variety of other ways of eating.

Some of the factors important to me:

Type of Food to Eat - I have found that I do best following a program that is about 90% SBD. I feel that is best for me. On the other hand, I am not a 100% kind of person. I don't like programs that forbid any food. I might feel that a food is one that I should eat rarely, very rarely, but I don't believe in any food be entirely off limits. So I do like it that WW really does say that there are no forbidden foods. At the same time, I don't like it that you can follow the WW program and still eat a lot of refined grains, for example.

Portion control - When I tried to follow SBD alone I didn't feel there was enough structure in portion control. For me, the biggest problem I have is portion control. It wasn't so much that I was eating lots of sugary stuff or drink sugary drinks, for example. For quite awhile I tried to really follow SBD, but didn't lose much weight because I was just eating too much. I find that I do best counting WW Points (and calories as well for that matter). Not everyone needs to count to lose weight and that is great. But, I need to count to lose weight.

Accountability/goals I do better if I need to weigh in formally. I also find that I do better by having a weekly short term goal. When I started to lose weight if I had to focus on everything I needed to lose the thought was overwhelming to me. It was too easy for me to go off track and not stay focused. With WW, I have one goal every week: To weigh in and show a loss. That is a very short term goal. If it is Thursday and someone asks me to eat out it is easy for me to say no because I know I weigh in on Saturday. I just focus each week on making it to my weigh in. That makes it easier for me to stay on track. This is absolutely the great value of WW for me. Yes, WW helps with portion control, but frankly calorie counting works just as well for me. What WW does for me is give me that accountability and short terms goal every week. A few years ago I tried doing WW purely online where you weigh yourself each week. It didn't work. I needed the weigh in at the meeting.

Now, not everyone needs that. If you don't need that then WW may not have much value for you. There are tons of people here who don't need that and lose weight just fine purely doing SBD. And, I wish I was one of them. But, I'm not.

So for me, the question SBD or WW doesn't mean anything to me because each one does different things for me.

I love SB, I have been on it for almost two months. It has taught me how to eat and the results are I feel good.

I learned the foods that tigger me to over eat. And when I look at my eating habits now, they are healthy. I enjoy the variety in the foods on plan for me. And I don't feel I have to cheat, there are so many options.

Good luck with your decision.

Koshka, I could have written that post (except you've done it better ) I've been bouncing back and forth between the two plans -- SB for the emphasis on real food (although, to be fair, WW does do that too; it's just that it allows for less healthy foods) and WW for the portion control. I've finally realized that it's best to try to combine them rather than having it be an either/or situation.

There are so many things I love about South Beach, the most important one being that it's the only thing that has ever actually WORKED for me.

I like that there are so many creative solutions for baked goods. A chocolate chip deep dish pie made w/ chickpeas...who knew!?!?!?

I *love* that it works exactly like the book tells you it does. To be honest, when I read the book initially I thought "yeah right, cut out these foods and I'll lose the cravings...yeah, THAT'LL work." Boy was I surprised to find out it was true. I love walking down the ice cream aisle at the grocery store and not wanting to jump into the freezer w/ a spoon and lay waste to every single carton, LOL

I like that I can go to pretty much any restaurant around and I can order something off the menu and stay on-plan.

I like that it's introduced me to so many new foods that I've never had before but LOVE now.

And I love that w/in a month of being on South Beach I noticed that my skin was so much smoother than before.

I love the structure without structure. I do best at eating when I know there are certain things to avoid (like sugar, white flour, potatoes) but knowing that I can make what I want and be creative. I've never gotten bored with the food and I've always had good results with SBD. With WW, for me, I'd eat my points in Snickers a day and still feel horrible. SBD really works for me.

I think you have to try it out and see for yourself!

Thanks for your replies! I'm leaning more towards SBD. I may incorporate WW if I notice I need it but I would rather not have to count anything, points or calories. When I do WW, I tend to eat food that pretend to be healthy (Silhouette Yogourt) when in reality, are not because it's not real unprocessed food like 0% Greek Yogourt. I also find it easier in restaurants. I know what I can eat and I eat until I'm full. Can't wait to start!

Bonnie

I love that it's a wholesome & balanced diet. It has taught me about the goodness of food. I've learned about how sometimes less of something makes me full longer by choosing whole grains and beans. I love that my adult acne has almost cleared up. I love that my IBS doesn't flare up as often and I don't get as many migraines. I love that I don't feel like I'm dieting yet I'm dropping weight faster than I ever have. I feel good. When I go off SB I get hangovers. I have less anxiety and I think more clearly than I did before. I eat better than I ever have eaten in my life, taste wise and health wise.

I did weight watchers once and I don't see anything wrong with combining it with SB. For me I would find it complicated to keep up with both. I usually just follow the general guidelines for portions in SB, that keeps me on track.

Two things - not hungry and thinking about food all day & fantastic recipes the whole family loves!

What everyone else said For me this is a family friendly, sustainable way of eating that I can live with. I have been able to follow the principles at home, out with friends, at my parents and even eating hospital cafeteria food for days. I've tried lots of other approaches but this is the only one I could live with. While I do count calories too I find the plan very simple to follow.