I am looking for a diet...why does South Beach work for you?
I am looking to lose weight. I am looking for a diet. I am looking for a plan. I think I would do well on a plan that would include a list of foods to eat and what not to eat. I think I would do well on a diet that would dictate when to eat and how much. I really really need results...and consistent results. Would the south beach diet work for me?
The best advice is to read the book first to see if it sounds doable for you. SB involves eating lots of veggies, avoiding most processed foods and more cooking than some are prepared to do. I have to say though, my whole family is eating better since I'm making more homemade stuff with an emphasis on veggies and whole grains. It is hard sometimes to avoid eating foods with white flour and sugar, so it's not for everyone. On the other hand I never weigh or measure, count calories or points, and I'm much more satisfied on SB. I'm not thinking about food all the time and have been able to maintain my weight with little effort and I'm not even exercising that much. (Don't tell anybody that last part!) My cholesterol has normalized and heartburn is gone too.
The best way to determine whether this diet will work for you is to get a copy of the book and read it thoroughly. It's not a structured plan as to what to eat and when, you basically eat 3 meals a day with a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack.
As Murphmitch pointed out, this plan is based on whole foods, no sugar or white flour, lean protein, legumes, and very minimally processed foods. Most of us here find it very easy and satisfying to follow. It does involve lots of time in the kitchen and planning ahead, though. It's a way of eating that your entire family can follow.
I started the SBD on 12/14/09, and let me say that i love it. I love the fact that there is a list that tells you what you should and shouldn't be eating and how much of it you should be consuming. I also like the fact that it is a very healthy PLAN and not a DIET. SB is not diet regime to help you drop a few pounds (that you will probably re-gain, plus more), it is a PLAN that TEACHES how to eat the right foods in order to lose weight for life. It is great that it is broken down into phases as well, with Phase 3 being the weight maintenance phase. Just as the other posters have suggested, read the first book and see for yourself if this plan is right for you. Not only will you learn about the plan itself, but you will learn a lot about your body chemistry and how to lose weight. I am reading it now and am really enjoying it. Good Luck.
I really enjoy it (yes I fell off the bandwagon but have gotten back on it) and the first few days are a little tough- I won't lie. I had a bad headache the first day but overall I like eating this way, no counting portions, eat when I feel hungry, and so on. This is my 4th day back on it and so far so good
Like the other said it is a diet that you have to do more, you'll need to spend more time in the kitchen if you never cook. I know for me I spend more time preparing my lunches, more time grocery shopping, more cooking, and so on.
But overall I feel a lot better on this diet- and part of the reason I decided to do southbeach was cuz I heard it's a good diet to follow if you have PCOS and my doctor also recommended it to me (she does for all her PCOS patients).
IMHO, some diets allow you to eat anything....but processed foods with lots of sugar just aren't good for you! I've drastically cut down on processed foods, sugars, etc. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't always eat perfect, but mostly....my eating habits are drastically for the better!
I lost about 40 pounds about 4 years ago on South Beach and kept it off for about 3 years! This past year was quite stressful and I put on about ten pounds in the spring. Then I went on Phase 1 in July and lost about 5. Then when school started in August (I'm a teacher) I just started eating carbs all the time. Stuffed myself Thanksgiving and Christmas - but decided I had to get back on it before I go back to school on January 4th. So I started phase one on Dec 28th. The first 3 days was very rough! I didn't have a headache but felt weak - and had to remember to snack and was (and still am) very tired. So when I go back to school I will have been on it 7 days and will feel great. I probably will have lost about 5 pounds by Monday and I feel so much better. I hope I will lose ten by the end of January and then it will be really slow - but that's okay! If it is slow it will stay off easier.
I got my mother on SBD two summers ago and her cholersterol (which had always been very high) went to a normal level for the first time ever. She was able to get off the prescriptions for high cholesterol she had been taking. She lost weight also, not sure of the amount.
Like most people, I have been on many diets. This is the only one where I kept the weight for for several years. It was great! It was very easy to maintain the weight loss - which is probably more important than the losing of the weight, IMHO. Once I lost the weight I wanted to lose - I just tried to stay off desserts/sugar. For birthdays, special occassions, etc., I would treat myself but not in excess.
Another thing is I really don't weigh myself very often. I probably will several times a week in January/February but once I start getting close and my pants are fitting again I will just stop weighing myself.
I lost most of my weight over a long period of time without a "plan" but by making healthier choices and adding exercise into my daily routine.
I started SBD at a point that I determined that I needed to follow a specific plan in order to keep losing. Like you, I looked into many different plans before deciding on SBD. My reasons for choosing SBD
1. I didn't want to count calories
2. I didn't want to use purchased, preplanned meals
3. I wanted to concentrate on healthy, minimally processed foods
4. I needed to get my blood pressure under control, and the book said SBD would do that
5. I didn't want to be hungry all the time and the book said my cravings would go away.
Initially, I made a 6 month commitment. I decided I wouldn't cheat and see what happened. I lost 2 pounds a week for many months (which I think is great) and am maintaining right now until I can up my exercise again in the Spring.
Even at my current weight, I have never been healthier or happier. I'm off my bp medication, eating super healthy foods and the constant craving for junk has been lifted. I realize today that I just can't be that person to sit and eat bags of chips and cookies as my DH does, so I am happy to find a WOL which satisfies me.
I have to agree with my fellow chickies --BUY THE BOOK. Read it from cover to cover before trying to start. Then, view the threads here and get a feel for what people's issues on the Beach have been (I think it's the first 2 weeks then the fear of transisitioning into Phase 2) and see if it's right for you.
I know I am a serial dieter. I've tried everything for that "quick" fix -- there is nothing like a quick fix and there is not simple pill either. You need to work at it and that is where I sometimes fail.
I was on the Beach for 6 months between Nov and March of last year and lost 30 pounds. I ate like a normal human being and wasn't consumed with points or the like. I do cook more which is good but I can still eat out too.
SBD worked best for me and I am back on it because of that.
I am looking for a diet...why does South Beach work for you?
Then I went on Phase 1 in July and lost about 5. Then when school started in August (I'm a teacher) I just started eating carbs all the time. Stuffed myself Thanksgiving and Christmas - but decided I had to get back on it before I go back to school on January 4th. So I started phase one on Dec 28th. The first 3 days was very rough! I didn't have a headache but felt weak - and had to remember to snack and was (and still am) very tired. So when I go back to school I will have been on it 7 days and will feel great. I probably will have lost about 5 pounds by Monday and I feel so much better. I hope I will lose ten by the end of January and then it will be really slow - but that's okay! If it is slow it will stay off easier. 
