Just thought that article was interesting. I considered going on the south beach diet before but now I'm kind of confused. AHH! The world of dieting is oh so difficult.
As the study said, we shouldn't just dismiss low-carb diets, since studies are still inconclusive. I think that as a whole, it's just better for you to eat more raw, healthy foods and less refined...so, more fruit & veggies and less bread. It's what works for you, your body and your life.
There is more to South Beach than just low glycemic index. The emphasis on reducing saturated and trans fats and replacing it with olive oil or canola oil as well as going with lower fat meats has taken my cholesterol from an unhealthy level to a healthy one (from 246 to 178) and my ratio is even better.
South Beach emphasizes eating lots of vegetables (4 1/2 cups a day). When you fill up on vegetables you are also eating lower calorie than you would be if you filled up on other stuff. I have lost lots of weight with South Beach and kept it off as have other here. I am off the three blood pressure meds that I used to be on. I know that for me - South Beach work.
I hope none of you think that I was trying to say that the South Beach diet is bad, because by no means am I trying to do that. It was just an interesting article that I found and I wanted opinions on it.
Sheesh!! So what are we supposed to do now? Go back to eating highly processed white flour foods? I don't think so. The SBD is healthy and when I follow it correctly I lose weight and am not hungry. There must be some truth to the GI because when I eat foods described as high GI I'm starving all day but when I eat foods that are low GI I feel better and am not as hungry.
That study is simply taking a cautious skeptical view of the effectiveness of the GI for weight control, which is proper considering the scientific method, it is not a scientific study of the effectiveness of the SBD itself. And, as usual, lumps SBD with Adkins. They are very different. I think the problem may lie in the game of "telephone" that's often played between the actual science and its reporting to the public by science writers. It's stretching the data way to far for the article to use the title it does. And yes, we should exercise, but the SBDiet is exactly that, it's the DIET part of the weightloss! What's so hard to get here? Eat proper portions of veggies, fruits, good fats, lean protiens, and whole grains! I've yet to find a study that says that combo is unhealthy, they just pick apart the new science but the, pardon my pun, meat and potatoes are the same. Eat healthy, exercise, lose weight!
Melissa, thanks for sharing this article! While I fully agree with what Suzanne and Jennifer always say (that any diet works as long as you are reducing calories and doing more exercise), SBD has been a godsend for me. I've been addicted to sugar and bad carbs all of my life. Eating this way has finally made me free from cravings and made me able to lose this weight for real for the first time in my life. Ever. I've lost all my weight on SBD, and I've been on the diet since 4/26/04. I'm planning to stay on it for life...it was recommended by my doctor and I truly feel I've never been healthier than I am on this plan.
Find what works for you and stick to it, but make sure you check out a variety of sources first. You might find the information here (http://www.3fatchicks.com/diets/) on 3FC helpful as you search for the right diet for you. Of course, we'd love to have you join us here. Let us know if you have any specific questions that you need help with, or check out our FAQ.
Hi guys. Just a little added note here - it works. Plain and simple. I started this to lower my blood pressure, which had reached 186/90. . .I've lost 21 lbs and my bp is now 118/70. My ibs and reflux aren't bothering me and I don't feel starved. For me this is a lifelong commitment. That's not to say that I'll never have white flour or sugar again - I just make much better choices and I don't feel deprived. I've noticed when I did eat sugar, such as sharing a few bites of some dessert with my dh, two things happened. I couldn't sleep well (almost like caffine) and I got nauseous. Weird - but I'm thinking my body is trying to tell me something here. It is great to get all the info you can on things. Right now a lot of people are saying the Sonoma diet is better than sbd. . .well - personally - I know this one works and it does not feel like a diet to me - but something I can do to help myself feel better.
I did it starting october of 2004. I lost 20 lbs on it, and then sort of just stopped - although I have never gone back to the massive carbs I was consuming before the diet. It is two years later and I have never gone up to the 198 I was pre-SBD. So that says to me that it does work, and although it may not be for everyone, it can get the job done.
Today's eating is a little bit of all knowledge I have learned. Mostly I calorie count, and don't waste precious calories on highly processed carbs. You can see in my FitDay that I do eat some carbs, but overall just looking for healthy choices.
It was very interesting and I appreciate your introducing another point of view. IMHO SB or WW or Atkins or any diet for that matter is not a one size fits all diet. Bodies respond differently to different weight loss approaches. I found it really interesting that although the article disputed the glycemic effect of foods; it didn't say the diet was unhealthy.
Just the heading and subheading of the article are somewhat contradictory. I don't follow a low-GI plan, but I believe in eating "good carbs." Good carbs aren't necessarily based on just the GI...I still eat bread, but whole-grain bread, and I eat all fruits regardless of high or low on the GI scale, and I even eat *gasp* potatoes--I think any carbs that are as close to NATURAL and WHOLE as possible are the "good" carbs, and the "bad" ones are those that are heavily processed/refined. Just my opinion and reaction to the article
I think it's important to remember that all a diet is is a PLAN. Whether it's Sonoma or SB or GI or whatever, if you follow a plan and stick to the basic principles of healthy eating, you'll be healthier and you'll lose weight. It isn't a competition among PLANs. It's changing the way we eat to eliminate the empty calories and the fatty foods, and to add quality to our eating.
Sheesh!! So what are we supposed to do now? Go back to eating highly processed white flour foods? I don't think so.
Yeah, really! I also find it funny that on the exact page of this article, they were advertising the South Beach foods (wraps, dressings, etc). I don't care what the American Heart Association says.....people who use their diet are not successfully losing enough weight to be healthy and keep it off. People on their diet are dying every day! How would someone who is insulin resistant or diabetic be better off eating white bread, potatoes, pasta, etc when it just turns to pure sugar. I think the South Beach Diet is a very healthy diet. Why would you want to eat less on a low calorie/low fat diet and literally starve (at least I do) when you can eat more on healthy fat, healthy carb diet and never feel hungry. Just my opinion.
Melissa, I know you weren't trying to say SBD is bad. I would count this article as just a bunch of hogwash and if you want to try it, go for it.
Study casts doubt on South Beach Diet
