Does anyone have any opinions about combining the fundamentals of the SBD and WW for a healthy diet? I'm sticking with SBD's principles about going easy on the fruit (esp. omitting certain fruits) and carbs (again, going easy on whole wheat pasta, bread, etc.) and the other foods to be enjoyed on SBD, while using WW to teach me portion control and track exactly what I'm eating via the PointsPlus tracker. Any thoughts?

That would be way too much work for me!! Lol. I think making eating as simple as possible is the trick to sticking on plan with any diet. I'm not sure how simple combining 2 methods of a diet plan would work. If you are up for it, I wish you luck!

We've had several Beachers successfully combining the two plans. Hopefully they will see this thread and share their experiences with you.

I'm not a South Beacher, but I've seen a number of people speak of successfully combining the plans in the Weight Watchers area. As Cottage says, I hope they'll see this and let you know!

I was a Beacher first and experimented with WW for portion control. I ended up going back to calorie counting as back-up instead. It just worked better for me, probably because I'd never gotten really comfortable with WW so it was a new system to learn.

I've combined plans, including South Beach before. Not with Weight Watchers, but with an exchange plan. In fact, I have "translated" several weight loss plans into exchange plans. Plans such as Primal Blueprint, South Beach, Atkins, Volumetrics (the principle of eating more volume for fewer calories can be easily incorporated into any plan)


It may sound like "too much work" but there's really no extra work to it, especially once you've mastered the "how to count" portion.

I do need a portion-control component - and for me that's exchange plans because it was the first "counting" method I learned (in WW, when I joined for the first time at 8 years old in 1972 and many times prior to to point roll-out in 1997 or 1998).

The exchange plan is a little more complicated than points, but I love it because it helps me include balance in my diet. I just decide how much of each exchange type I want in my plan. Right now I'm following an 1800 calorie low calorie exchange plan based on one I found on FrugalAbundance.com

I like reading books on health, fitness, and weight loss. I learn things from each book I read, and it's no extra work to incorporate what I've learned into my counting (exchange) plan.

The counting part is the constant for me, because I don't lose weight without it (even on Atkins I can stall weight loss by eating too many calories of protein and fat).

Incorporating new knowledge isn't extra work at all - it comes naturally, like breathing.

The work part is unchanging (the counting - for me exchanges. For WW members points), but the knowledge part is ever changing.

I've also experimented with different plans, and had I not I wouldn't have learned that sugar and wheat were making me sick. The tiny bit of extra work it took to experiment with different food plans while keeping a symptom and food diary, paid off big by allowing me to see patterns.

I don't WW, but I combine SBD with calorie counting because I need portion control and a checks and balance system on my choices. Choosing SBD foods, but staying within a calorie limit works for me. It's no more work for me, it's second nature to me now.

Awesome, thanks everyone!