south beach diet

hi wlsgrads, has anyone ever tried or use the south beach diet? and if so didi it work? i want to start it so that i can jump start my weight koss again, i need some good info on what are the best choices of foods to eat while trying to get this weight moving again, i also thought about just eating meats and vegs how does this sound? are we allowed to just follow that routine? is it considered eating healthy?

I am a lap band graduate, so my nutritional needs are a little different from RNYers, etc., but overall, the south beach diet is the perfect diet - actually life style -- for any one, with possible adjustments necessary to meet WLS Bypass nutritional needs (extra protein, etc.). Basically, the diet is simple. I don't try to adhere exactly to it, I just try to follow some basic nutritional rules. On South Beach, you eliminate all carbs from your diet (just like on Atkins) for two weeks, but then you add them back in slowly to the point where your system can handle them. You eat only complex carbs, if possible, with minor exceptions. This means you eat lean protein (chicken, fish, etc.), lots of veggies, and beans. You can then have (carefully) fruits and some cheeses. So, you can have eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast, a south beach protein snack bar for snack, a salad with chicken and kidney beans and dressing for lunch, an apple for snack, fish and veggies for dinner, and fruit and sugar-free topping for desert. I think you will find a lot of people on this site pretty much eat similar diets, even if they aren't called south beach. It's actually just good nutritional eating. But south beach can give you some good recipes and guidance for doing it. I find that keeping the protein intake up (using protein supplements) and eating every 3-4 hours really help keep my metabolism stable. And as long as you keep the protein up, you can occassionally have a higher carb treat without throwing everything out of kilter.

from Linda's reply South Beach sounds just like the same diet as when we had surgery. that makes a lot of sense. Look how well we all did with that. So basicly if we go back to basics and follow our rules we should do good. I use the South Beach Protein Bars all the time. good luck.

Hi Lydia ... I agree with Linda ... in fact, I was told to pretty much mimic the South Beach diet ... that that's about how I was supposed to eat the rest of my life as a post-op (told by my nut prior to surgery). South Beach Diet now has a website that you can join (a la weigh****chers, etc.) ... I haven't been there yet, but I'm sure they have menus, food & weight tracking, journaling capabilities, etc ... I'm sure I'll check it out at some point, but I think that may be a good plan. Good luck to you! Karyn

Hi - I am almost a year out and this is my first posting on this board. I am about 7 lbs. from goal and am now following the South Beach Diet, for the most part. Protein, veggies, fruits and whole grain carbs, also allowing some low-fat dairy, is really a great plan for us after surgery. Also, there are so many South Beach products now that it is also convenient for me. If you go to the web site (just google South Beach Diet), you can sign up and get a daily little e-newsletter for free with great tips and an occasional recipe. Good luck! Barb