HELP! Very Confused

Texas Sadie · Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:24 am

I'm 55 years old and have been overweight for most of my adult life. I've tried every diet known to man (and woman). I must have lost 1,000 pounds during that time and gained 1001 back.

Last year I had 1/2 of my thyroid removed. My doctor has not put me on thyroid supplements as my TH levels keep coming back within the normal range. I was HYPERthyroid before my surgery and lost 70 pounds. Now the weight is coming on again. I'm sick of this roller coaster ride. I need to lose 100+ pounds and here I am again. I honestly don't over eat! I even enjoy riding my bike, walking and I drink a lot of water. I'm still fat and gaining. My endocrinologist says "some people have weight problems, some don't". Duh.

Last year I tried Weight Watchers for the 3 or 4th time. They say its a lifestyle change. Perhaps...If you can stick to it. Everyone here says SB is a lifestyle change. Great...if you can stick to it. I've been reading all through this board and see that many of you have stuck to it and many have given up and come back. Just goes to prove we are all different in our committment.

I've read about every kind of trendy diet and this is one of them. Adkins, SB, Metabolic Research, LA Weight Loss, etc. Each has their own forumla, each has their own claims of success. People are human and lets face it...they like to eat good food. So far, what I've read about the food here, confuses me. A diet that leaves out certain foods and concentrates others seems like a fad to me. It also seems like a lot of time is spent in the kitchen cooking. Add this to a family who has no desire to eat anything that might be labeled as "diet food" and then I have double the work at suppertime.

SB is supposed to be heart healthy, yet the American Heart Association suggested diet has you lower your eggs and meat consumption and eat more whole grain carbs. So which is it?

I know that this diet has had a lot of press and success. I'm very interested, but also confused on why I should try this diet over all of the others? Why is this one so appealing to everyone? Is it really "doable" as a life change instead of a short term weightloss program?

I don't mean to sound negative. But I really want to be at a healthy weight level, stay there and not go around the rest of my life eating like a rabbit. There must be a way. Why this one? Why shouyld I try this diet? Is tofu, couscous, yogurt and brown rice REALLY delicious? Or do you "enjoy" it because you feel you must to succeed?

For those of you who have had significant success at this diet, do you honestly intend on making stage 3 a permanent part of your life...for the duration? Be honest. I'm trying to decide to give this a try or not.

pookiebear · Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:52 am

Hi...

Interesting questions. Ones that, I believe, deserve to be answered before ANYONE really commits to this way of life. And that leads to my first point. This would need to be a way of life for you - not a diet. ;) Or else you WILL end up gaining it back if you stop doing it. That's what happened to me. This is my second time around the block, but I'll get back to that later....

Quote: So far, what I've read about the food here, confuses me. A diet that leaves out certain foods and concentrates others seems like a fad to me. It also seems like a lot of time is spent in the kitchen cooking. Add this to a family who has no desire to eat anything that might be labeled as "diet food" and then I have double the work at suppertime.

The only time that you "leave out food" is when you're on P1 (Phase 1). You're "detoxing", retraining and preparing your body for P2. P1 only lasts 2 weeks and then comes P2. P2 you reintroduce good carbs and good fats into your body... and then you continue to eat that way for the rest of your life, with the occasional treat here and there. But you don't have to stop eating certain foods totally. It's more of a "monitoring" system to see which foods spike your levels to eat more and which foods react well to your body.

Cooking? Yes. There IS a lot of cooking. Because most of what you'll be eating is whole foods, fresh fruits and veggies. Pre-packages and highly processed foods aren't a part of this way of life because they're FILLED with so many things that aren't made for your body to even digest properly.

As for your family not eating the same foods? My husband is not on the south beach with me. So, for dinner, I make a protein (chicken, beef, etc.) along with my veggie... and I'll warm up a can of corn or make him white potatoes or something. Once you get the hang of it, it's not really that bad. You could even work in a salad or sweet potatoe for you and your family every once in a while... it won't kill 'em. ;)

Quote: Is tofu, couscous, yogurt and brown rice REALLY delicious? Or do you "enjoy" it because you feel you must to succeed?

Honestly, I don't eat things I don't like. I don't like tofu - so I don't eat it! I've learned to like brown rice and appreciate it's texture. :) So, I have that every once in a while. But my day isn't filled with foods I hate by any means! There's such a wide variety of foods you CAN eat... that you just make your meal plans around those foods and leave out the ones you don't like. (That doesn't mean you can omit the entire veggie isle though!) ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am now on P3. I've gotten to a size 6, around 127 pounds and I feel great! I still exercise regularly and I couldn't imagine my life any other way. Last week, I went on vacation with my family and had 1 day that wasn't extremely beachy.... the next day, I felt HORRIBLE! I was so eager to get back to the beach! Eating this way and exercising has changed the was I feel on a daily basis and I now have so much energy!!! I don't think I could go off the beach now, even if I wanted to.

That's my answer to your question "What makes this diet different from the others."

I hope you will consider being on the beach... there's a wonderful support group here that can answer your questions or point you in the right direction. Good luck to you.

~ PB

Texas Sadie · Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:05 am

Thank you for your quick and honest reply. As you can see, I'm tired of diets, but the desire to lose this once and for all is of high importance to me. That's why I'm researching. My doctor's lack of support disappoints me. And I keep reading that "diets don't work" And the book calls this a diet. So my antennae went up.

What about the descrepancies between what the American Heart Assoc. says is a healthy diet and this one? I see a lot of eggs here, beef, and dairy.

I don't like red meat (I hate steak!) and I don't like milk or much dairy at all. I might have an egg in a month's time. The only veggies I dislike are asparagus and turnips..the rest I love. Beans are marginal Nuts..no way.

Do people use SB for losing a LOT of weight?

pookiebear · Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:14 am

I don't blame you! I was never really on a diet, but I wouldn't ever want to try it!

People use SB for losing weight and keeping it off. Fast? Everyone differs. I CAN tell you that my weight came off faster with exercise (5-6 days/week, 30 min.)... and the consensus of the board seems to say that as well.

Hmmm, I don't really know too much about the American Heart Assoc. Maybe someone else can take a stab at that one. What I DO know is that SB is about eating a variety of foods. Not just all eggs and meat. SB is very much into whole grains... you don't have to eat red meat if you don't want to. You can get your protein through dairy, fish and nuts (peanuts, peanut butter, etc.).

Quote: I don't like red meat (I hate steak!) and I don't like milk or much dairy at all. I might have an egg in a month's time. The only veggies I dislike are asparagus and turnips..the rest I love. Beans are marginal Nuts..no way.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, may I ask what you've been eating up until this point? :)

Texas Sadie · Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:28 am

I love my carbs! I know that. I love potatoes, breads, pastas, stuff like that. Being a Texan, we love our Tex Mex food...enchilladas! And that is why I'm looking into SB. The idea of restricting to good carbs after "detox" appeals to me. If it works.

And its odd, but IF I eat breakfast, I'm absolutely ravenous by lunchtime. If I ignore breakfast I'm fine and can eat in moderation. So the idea of having to eat breakfast spooks me a little. I'm also not a snacker. So it must be the wrong combination? I haven't a clue..and I was skinny thin until I got pregnant with my son. He's THIRTY...so what does that tell you. The battle of the bulge has been fought for a very long time. My family are all large people. All TALL and large. I'm almost 6 foot tall.

My mom was large and died of cancer 8 years ago. She also had type 2 diabetes. I don't want that! I've been told by my endocrinologist that I'm "borderline".

My job involves sitting at a computer 8 hours a day. So I SIT. I do, however try to and usually do fit my cycling in each day. I try for 2 miles an evening.

Beyond that I must have the metabolism of a snail.

I feel the most desparation over this. I just turned 55 and am now considered a SENIOR CITIZEN and I'm a fat one. sigh. I want to live to be old. I worry about my chances unless I lose this.

RedRox · Thu Aug 18, 2005 4:48 am

Maybe it is what you are eating for breakfast that may be part of the problem. A key concept of SB is eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. This tends to stabilize blood sugars and helps keep your body from getting too high or too low blood sugars, both of which can trigger hunger cravings. Think of keeping a fire going with solid hardwoods instead of soft pine and kindling. Another concept of SB is the glycemic index of foods. The GI is a measure of how carbs affect our blood sugars. Those that are quickly absorbed and digested create blood sugar spikes, which provokes insulin generation, which in turn makes us hungry again. So if (assuming we're in P2) we have a bowl of high fiber, low sugar cereal for breakfast with a little protein and good fats, then we tend not to get hungry as quickly because we've just loaded up the boiler room with hardwoods and not kindling. Add in a small snack midway between breakfast and lunch and it's a whole lot easier to make it to lunch without feeling hungry at all.

And the thing about it being called a "diet" is misleading. He means it in the primary and more scientific meaning of the word, namely, the foods and beverages you typically consume on a regular basis. In the USA we have kind of co-opted the term to simply mean something we do to lose weight for short periods of time, which is a secondary meaning if you look it up in a dictionary. So when you think of it this way, the South Beach Diet is simply the collection of foods and beverages we consume to lose and manage our weight according to generally accepted nutritional and scientific concepts as propose by Dr Agatston in his book. It is indeed a complete lifestyle eating program (I never use the word diet to avoid confusion) and is not intended to be a quick weight loss or short term weight loss program.

You asked earlier if anyone actually intends to eat this way for the rest of their life. For me the answer is absolutely yes. I eat well, I eat a lot, I enjoy the foods I eat and I like the results. I explained it this way a week or so ago in a different post. I can eat foods from Food List A, be in the obese BMI category, have a very high coronary risk ratio, triglycerides through the roof and feel like a slug and miss doing things I could when I was younger. Or I can eat from Food List B, be 40 pounds lighter and at a very healthy weight, have a minimal coronary risk ratio, have cholesterol levels near ideal and have a lot of energy and a desire to exercise and reincorporate activities in my life that I love to do and look forward to exploring new things to keep me going later in life.

I do not have a good answer to your question about the AHA, except that there are folks here who would simply tell you the AHA is all wet and they followed that program and couldn't lose weight to save their lives and they switched to this one and got results. To be fair, there are probably some people who could say the same in reverse, you just won't find them here! ;)

Despite the "fad diet" label, which I feel is very unfair, here are the basics of SB once you work into a full Phase 2 and pretty much even Phase 3.

EAT
Lots of vegetables (4.5 cups a day)
2-3 fruits per day (lower GI preferred)
2-3 grains per day (whole grains, lower GI, higher fiber)
Good oils/fats in small but regular quantities (This is probably the greatest divurgence from AHA and ADA. But there are a lot of studies that show consuming poly and mono unsaturated fats in place of saturated fats is VERY heart healthy)
Lean proteins (white meat chicken, lean pork, lean beef and fish)
Beans/legumes for soluble fiber and general nutrition
Nuts/seeds for snacks if you like them, but not required.

AVOID
Refined sugars and flours
Pre-packaged foods
High GI carbs like white potatoes, other root vegetables, winter squashes and some higher GI fruits like watermelon.

What I suggest to everyone contemplating this way of eating (WOE) is to go to Kimboroni's P2 FAQ page. (I keep a link at the bottom of all my posts to her main thread and there are links to her other ones from there.) Look for links to both the Phase 2 and Phase 1 Updated food lists and look at them. The more foods you see on the list that you like or are willing to try and incorporate I think the easier you will find it is to eat this way and stay with it. If there isn't much there you are willing to eat or try, I think it just makes it that much tougher because you're really self limiting the foods you can use to provide variety and different tastes. For me, I just really liked the food choices and it wasn't all that different than what I was used to and I could find new ways to make old favorites. My wife and I kept looking at each other and commenting things like, "I can't believe we're on a diet!" And of course we weren't. We just didn't know it at the time. What we were doing was making a lifestyle change and choice to be healthier. Diets don't work, and this one won't either if you think of it as a short term "diet". This does work as a lifestyle eating program. Combine it with some regular exercise along the way, whatever you can do to start, and it really makes a difference.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

pookiebear · Thu Aug 18, 2005 5:21 pm

Excellent advice, Redroxco ;)

I also wanted to add something...

Quote: And its odd, but IF I eat breakfast, I'm absolutely ravenous by lunchtime. If I ignore breakfast I'm fine and can eat in moderation.

If you're use to eating carbs carbs and more carbs,... that could trigger your eating, just as Redroxco said. So, for breakfast, if you're having, say... sugar filled cereal with a doughnut or something - that would spike your sugar levels and make you THINK you're hungry and actually eat more! You've apparently found over time that it's now SAFER for you NOT to eat breakfast and that's not good. ;) If you were to start eating the SB way,... I would STRONGLY suggest you start eating breakfast and don't forget your am snack. That will get you through to lunch and even out your sugar levels. As I'm thinking about it more and more,... I'm really thinking this WOE would be terrific for you!

Quote: I love my carbs! I know that. I love potatoes, breads, pastas, stuff like that. Being a Texan, we love our Tex Mex food...enchilladas! And that is why I'm looking into SB. The idea of restricting to good carbs after "detox" appeals to me. If it works.

After your first initial 2 weeks, when you go into P2, you can start incorporating "good carbs" into your diet. So, some good carb versions of the things you mentioned are:

~ You can still make homemade enchilladas with WW (whole wheat) tortillas! They don't really taste that much different. But the WW breaks down in your system better than the white floured ones... thus, WW being the "better"/SBD choice. ;)

~ You can have sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes

~ WW pasta instead of white pasta

~ WW, rye, sour dough breads instead of white

So there ARE other similar choices out there to the foods you're use to eating. When you're on P2, you can allow yourself a piece of white bread or a baked potato every once in a while - but you don't need to convince yourself you can never have a potato again! And in P3, once you've reached your goal, you can "indulge" every once in a while and not feel bad about it. Kinda understand what I'm saying?

Quote: My job involves sitting at a computer 8 hours a day. So I SIT. I do, however try to and usually do fit my cycling in each day. I try for 2 miles an evening.

That is so GREAT! 2 miles almost every night is a WONDERFUL habit!!!! You should be proud of yourself! :D

~ PB

workingirl · Sun Aug 21, 2005 5:52 pm

I'm so glad that you stopped by to find out more information on the SBD, Texas Sadie! Everyone who has responded has given excellent info. and feedback, but I'd also like to add my $0.02.

You seem to have some conflicting ideas on this diet, that it's all either tofu & wild rice or steaks, bacon & eggs. Unfortunately, SBD seems to get lumped together with Atkins a great deal when I have found that they are very different. Atkins does emphasize that you can eat all the steak, bacon, butter, etc... you want, and from reading the book, they actually encourage full fat products. However SB emphasizes lean meats along with low fat cheeses and dairy.

On SB, you are more than welcome to use egg substitutes (eg. Eggbeaters) or just egg whites, if you like. This is the really the first diet plan I've ever been able to stick with for more than 2 days. It just made a lot of sense to me - in phase 1 you're leveling out your blood sugar which in turn reduces cravings for refined carbs and sugar and preparing you for phase 2 which is the real weight loss phase. In phase 2 you can introduce some good carbs & sugars until you reach your goal weight. Then you go to phase 3 which is maintenance.

Of all of the diets I have read about, this one seemed to be the healthiest and made the most sense. Therefore, to me anyway, it's not a "fad" or a route to quick weight loss. It is just a way of eating healthier.

Oh, and I totally second the motion that you should read kimboroni's FAQs: http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26395

peggy_63015 · Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:17 am

Try it for 4 weeks and see how you feel. Four weeks isnt a very long time and from what I have read here after 4 weeks most of the people are happy. The first week isnt easy. (Im on day 3 of P1). Im eatting lots of veggies and I have found some ways to make them taste better. ( Dont tell anybody but I have lost 1.5 kilos in 3 days. I couldnt be happier) The cravings are starting to drop a bit. Usually I want sugar after lunch and last night I wanted it after dinner too but today lunch has come and gone and no craving. What have we got to lose but weight?

Grumpy · Thu Aug 25, 2005 8:17 am

Some good replies posted here, I think.

To me (others will probably disagree), the "root" of the SBD (and, arguably, Atkins) is the following, mentioned above:

Avoid heavily processed sugars, grains, and oils.

If you think about it, that seems like good advice to anyone, even the healthiest, slimmest person (it does to me, anyway). And, if you research some of the reasoning behind that recommendation, you'll most likely find it's also wise in regards to diabetes.

Quote: SB is supposed to be heart healthy, yet the American Heart Association suggested diet has you lower your eggs and meat consumption and eat more whole grain carbs. So which is it?

No one knows. Or, perhaps more to the point, it differs from person to person. Research the history of egg recommendations by the AHA and other agencies over the last 30 years, and notice how much they flip-flop. (By the way, SBD does in fact recommend eating whole grain carbs, and a significant amount of them, along with leaner meats).

Quote: Why is this one so appealing to everyone?

For me, it's because it "makes sense" (see above), it appears to work, and it's a lot more convenient than stricter similar diets, like Atkins.

Quote: Is it really "doable" as a life change instead of a short term weightloss program?

That remains to be seen, but I don't see why not. It's not really that restrictive in Phase 3, that I can tell (still losing in P2 here). Seems like basically, "eat good food, and avoid the processed junk".

Also, although I'm guessing, it seems that later on, with a healthy eating routine, having the occasional potato, order of french fries, or perhaps even the dreaded Snickers bar probably isn't going to trigger Weight Gain Armageddon :). But, we'll see.

Quote: Is tofu, couscous, yogurt and brown rice REALLY delicious?

Personally, I don't like tofu (except in hot sour soup), and don't care for yogurt that much. However, I like couscous, and it makes some interesting dishes (I've made a killer couscous jambalaya for years).

Quote: For those of you who have had significant success at this diet, do you honestly intend on making stage 3 a permanent part of your life...for the duration? Be honest.

Sure thing. At this point, I plan to make something very similar to SBD Phase 3 my lifelong routine. Does that mean I plan on never eating french fries, barbecued ribs, or getting a chocolate malt, or a Coke? No, that seems pretty unrealistic. But I plan on considering those "extra-special treats", and limiting them severely.

Lastly, I find it odd that you find your doctor not giving you much support in your goal -- especially with your thyroid problems. Sounds like a warning sign to me (based on extremely limited info, of course).


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