On the advice of my doctor, I am about to embark on a low carb diet. I need to lose about 60 pounds. I have read Atkins but I haven’t yet read SOUTH BEACH. If there are any Dopers who’ve tried both, could you explain the basic differences and do you have a recommendation for or against either diet?
Thanks
J
before everyone starts, keep in mind that light exercise at the very least in imperative for weightloss.
Atkins won’t make you super healthy over the long term. Good exercise is the only way to do this.
I believe that South Beach is a bit more moderate in terms of carb restriction, and therefore that’s the one I’d go with, personally. I know Atkins works for a lot of people but I’ve always been a little dubious about how good the super-low-carb “induction phase” of Atkins really is for you.
Good luck with the weight loss! And like the previous poster said, don’t forget to exercise!
I have not tried both, but I have read and followed Atkins. From what I understand of South Beach, they stress more low fat than Atkins (such as low fat cheeses and possibly skim milk) and more fruits, which would indeed give you more carbs in a day.
My unprofessional suggestion is that if you have read the Atkins book and agree with it, and are ready to start, then start Atkins. At the same time it would be helpful to read South Beach and pick up some ideas from that book and come up with a plan that suits you. In my experience, if you do Atkins long enough by the book you will know exactly what works for you and what doesn’t. Personally, I started watching calories too and that helped.
Good luck!
South Beach isn’t low fat, just low saturated and trans-fat. You are allowed liberal amounts of olive, nut, or canola oils for cooking and salad dressings, as well as avocados and nuts.
One major difference is that going into ketosis is not a goal on South Beach, and is, in fact, to be avoided. The most severe carb restriction in the first two weeks is really just to give you the psychological kick-start you get from rapidly dropping a few pounds and to help you reduce cravings for simple carbs.
I like South Beach. The only problem I had was that I started about this time of year last year and felt kind of ridiculous passing up the gorgeous summer fruit for two weeks.
If you don’t want to buy the book, you can get a pretty good free introduction and the Prevention Magazine website.
My vote is eat less, exercise more, but nobody ever listens to me.
South Beach dieters get all angsty when their diet is compared to Atkins, or called “low-carb”, but the truth of the matter is that it is a low carb diet. But it is also a moderate fat diet.
What alarms me with Atkins is the high amount of saturated fat that many dieters eat (though they still successfully lose weight). IIRC, The Atkins Foundation has advised limited saturated fat, though you can still go liberally on egg-yolks, fish oils and vegetable oils.
South Beach alarms me because it seems to mention “low fat spreads” - many of these margariney-based things are packed with nasty additives and chemicals.
Neither diet is officially calorie controlled, but generally speaking - at least in the early stages - you will end up eating less calories. Unless you are munching pork rinds for snacks on Atkins, some days you may find it hard to get past 1000 calories (I know this from http://www.fitday.com calculations - a great site for all dieters or healthy eaters).
My experience with Atkins: amazing skin - my skin got eerily good when was following Induction strictly, it should be noted I was eating all the nutritional supplements recommended and drinking all the water, which for me was the hardest thing. Appetite was hugely reduced. Weightloss was very rapid at the start. Ditto South Beach - though I didn’t do it for so long. (Having a bit of break while my wisdom teeth extractions heal - everyone deserves ice-cream and milkshakes during that!)
On the balance, I would probably recommend South Beach. But to be honest, if you follow these principles:
then the chances are, if you were eating the average western diet before, you will lose weight. The first few days will be hell, because your body will crave sugar. It will soon get used to its absence, and things will start to taste dramatically different. Try raw onion or a fresh raspberry after a couple of weeks of no sugar, and the sugar in the fruit just screams out at you.
Since Atkins is quite dangerous, no one on a MB should recommend it for legal reasons.
I’m with Ethilrist. I lost 40 pounds in less than 3 months a few years ago. All I did was eat less and move more. That’s all there is to it.
You already know what all the Bad Foods are. So lay off the doughnuts and ice cream.
There is no trick, there is no magic diet, you don’t need to buy a book.
Did you ask your Dr. which low-carb diet he would recommend?
I’ve got the South Beach book, but I can’t afford the diet.
It does emphasize ‘good’ fats like olive oil, and tells dieters to lay off the margarine like spreads, unless it makes you eat better (say you like your tuna with lots of margarine. if you’re not going to eat it otherwise, eat the margarine and get the benefits of the tuna). I know that’s a weird example, but I think you know what I mean.
I also like Agatson’s approach to dieting. I was reading a Q&A about the diet and a woman craved popcorn every night, she was still losing and it helped her not to smoke. He told her that as long as she was happy with her weight loss and it helped her with her smoking… eat all the popcorn she wants.
It seems flexible and simple. Now… to find some money.
Say what now?
Yeah, I’d like a little clarification on that statement. I’ve done Atkins for just over a year now, and I don’t think it’s dangerous, **provided you consult with your doctor and that you read the book, ** as with ANY diet.
I lost 70 pounds on Atkins. I started it with the guidance (and blessing) of my neurologist, and I’ve had all the bloodwork done and I’m fine. I don’t gorge on red, fatty meats and I don’t eat any of the franken-foods advertised as “LO-CARB!!” in big screaming letters like the shakes and candy bars so prevalent today.
I eat mostly chicken and fish, and tons of veggies. I drink only water (coffee or tea in the morning); I don’t have soda, refined sugar, and simple carbs like pasta, bread and potatoes.
This is a little hijack from the thread:
Are the simple carbs from bread and potatoes really “Bad” for you? I don’t have time to cook lots of veggies and I can’t stand the taste of most of them really. I have two jobs and most of the time I only have time to eat a sandwich between jobs 
Should I just eat the meat instead?
Uh, oh! Now you’ve done it. While I’m waiting for the firestorm, I’ll put my two cents in:
I would argue that bread and potatoes aren’t harmful, provided they are eaten in proper portion sizes. However, since white bread is far more processed than, say whole wheat bread and brown rice, and both white bread and regular potatoes are far less nutrient-dense than vegetables or sweet potatoes, they are probably not as good a choice as something less processed or loaded with vitamins & minerals. Also, since they are more refined, I think the idea is that your body quickly breaks them down into sugar, storing them in your cells as fat. So, since it takes longer for veggies and less refined products to break down, and they’re so much more nutrient-rich, you’re getting a lot more “bang for your buck” if you eat them rather than white bread & potatoes.
I don’t think that anything is really “BAD” for you provided you’re eating it in sensible portions. For example, having five packets of peanut butter cups a day is bound to be bad for me, but if I substitute 3 mini-peanut butter cups for that, I will probably not hurt my diet, but will still satisfy my craving for peanut butter cups without all the fat, calories & whatever else is in there.
Eating whole-wheat bread and potatoes isn’t as good as eating high-fiber fruits and vegetables, but for most Americans, it’s better than what they are eating.
<boggle> It is for TWO whole weeks…and it serves to get you into benign dietary ketosis…it is really difficult to get malnutrition in 2 weeks…
After the 2 whole lon*g weeks, you start adding 5 grams of carbs in the form of veggies [like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers…] per day back until you stop ketosis, then drop back 5 or 10 grams of carbs a day. Stay at this level for the amount of time it takes you to get within 5-10 lbs of your end weight, then add back a few carbs [or not, up to you] and when you hit your target weight you add carbs until you stop losing weight, but not so many that you start gaining weight…
I can do between 45 and 60 grams of carbs a day, depending on if I am having a good back day or not [relative movement ability…if i am able to get up and move around the house, i can do 60, if i can stay flat on my back on good drugs, 45.]
As someone who’s tried both I’d like to chime in here and say that the first two weeks of Atkins is very similar to the first two weeks of South Beach.
As far as Atkins being “bad” for you in the long haul. Anyone who thinks that hasn’t really read the book or understood the program (but then this is the ignorance Dr. A was fighting all his life) I’ve never met anyone, MD or otherwise, who’s read Dr. A’s book and understood it that believed this. Read the book, try the diet then let me know how bad it is.
South Beach is a bit more restrictive of fat intake and more liberal with carbs.
My personal rule is always eat food that is as close as possible to its natural source and has requires minimal processing to make it edible. In other words don’t eat food that doesn’t look like where it came from. An apple just looks like an apple. A piece of steak, while not looking like a cow does indeed look like a piece of steak. Bread, however doesn’t look like wheat, neither does pasta. Sugar doesn’t look like sugar cane.
Good luck on your diet and don’t forget to exercise. If you’re interested in a message board for Low Carb dieters try www.thinner.com It’s a very friendly forum and you’ll find lots of help and support there.
I thought you were supposed to be able to eat veggies during the induction phase. Did I read it wrong?
Yes, you most definitely are supposed to eat veggies during Induction. I think it’s 3 cups of veggies that you are allowed each day, but I can’t be certain - I loaned my book to a friend, or I’d look it up, and I have to leave to go pick up my kids or I’d go look it up on the website. I’ll do that later if no one else does. Be back later!
Atkins stressed in his book that the diet should not be a do-it-yourself project, but people should consult with a physician before and and while following the program.