Welcome to This Forum!

[Mindy moves on!]

A lot of dieters have been coming to South Beach from low carb diets and many are still low carbing but are curious as to what exactly is involved in doing South Beach.

We hope this forum will give those viewers a place where they can post and to ask any and all questions they might have on what it would be like to do the South Beach diet for them, coming from a low carb diet back ground.

I personally came to SB after doing Atkins for 3 years and while I loved doing Atkins, I stalled out for two of those 3 years. If you've been stalled for way too long now on your low carb plan, South Beach may be just what you need to stoke your metabolism once again.

[Sadie147]

Great idea for a forum Mindy! :Clap:

[Mindy moves on!]

Thanks! And I know you and Karen would probably be able to add your thoughts, findings and even debates to this forum!!!

[Lynne]

Confession time.
You know, I can't lose on Atkins any more. Some of my problem is that I take beta blockers which is a known staller, and some of it is my addiction to food. I can go on an eating rampage quick as a wink and it is generally after eating a carb and that is what scares me about going on SB. Adding those carbs
But moving to SB is so hard, because I have a kitchen full of fat. I have bacon in the freezer, I have high fat milk and yogurt and ricotta and cream. I have nothing that fits the plan, except veggies. The thought of tossing it all out and restocking my shelves makes me crazy...
In my heart I know that eating high fat isn't working for me, so I need to make the change. This forum is perfect for me and I thank you for all the hard work. It is going to be my lifesaver.

[Mindy moves on!]

Awe Lynn!

Because we eat frequent, small meals on SB, I don't think you'll have the time to even think about going on a binge, LOL!!! Since it is emphasized to snack on legal foods between meals, your next meal is never far away. Eating regular meals and snacks really does a lot to control feelings of binging. I think this is your key to gaining control over your eating habits.

How about this. Take your time to work through the Atkins type foods you have in your house and then little-by-little replace those products as they run out, with lower-fat choices.

Then maybe go on to Phase 1 for a couple of weeks to acclimate to the SB plan and on that phase you will still be eating up to rung 6 on Atkins OWL, just with lower fat choices.

This would be the time to experiment with the lower fat foods and find the ones you like. We're finding that lower fat foods have come a loooooonnnnngg way! Most are really good now. I think Splenda has helped a lot in that regard, as foods made with Splenda tend to taste like they were made with regular sugar. And other foods seem to taste better now too.

Once you feel good about your choices and want to move on, step into Phase 2. Since you start slowly with grains, try adding one piece of toast or one bowl of cereal to you your meal plan each day and see how your body reacts. If it triggers cravings, immediately drop back to phase one then try a different carb. Do the same thing with fruit. Just like when you tested out new foods on each rung of OWL. But do make sure you eat well rounded meals from all of your allowable food groups. Sitting down with one item (other than at snack time) can lead to overeating that item. And at snack time, measure out the food and put the rest away. Only eat that portion.

I'm guessing you'll be able to find something that doesn't trigger you. Portion control is essential though. I find if I surround myself with everything I am allowed to eat at each meal, then I have a LOT of food on my plate, which stops me from thinking about binging on just one food.

For instance, I just had lunch -- pork tenderloin, 1 cup of red peppers and onions - sautéed in olive oil, with 1/2 cup of brown rice (w/teaspoon of earth balance) and 1/2 cup of black beans. I am so full and content I'm not even thinking about food anymore. And I could have even added another 1/2 cup of veggies to this meal!

Good luck with this. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that feel just as you do. I wish we could use this forum as a support tool!!! Let's hear from you guys!