South Beach Newbie...
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| Mon, 03-01-2004 - 10:48am |
I'm new to the SBD and while I don't have a large loss goal the idea of revamping my diet to get rid of the bad carbs and introduce the good ones is my long term goal.
Anyhoo...
I'm on my first day of Phase 1 and have a few questions?
1. Phenylalanine/Aspartame, Splenda etc. Are these sweeteners expected to be used for the long term? I've never been fond of artificial sweetners, is it ever considered "okay" to go back to traditional sweetners later in the diet? Please note, that I hardly ever used white sugar before deciding to do SB. I have the sugar free Jello and fudgecicles as treats because this phase is so restrictive, but I don't think I want to incorporate them into my diet for the long term.
2. Because I'm not a coffee drinker and I rarely drink tea (that needs sweetening), it seems my choice of beverage for this phase will be limited to water. I know fruits aren't allowed in this phase but could I add a squirt of lime/lemon juice to my water? (I use the squeegie lime) to flavor the water. I will sacrifice and drink plain water (2 weeks, yikes!) but if I can use the lime, I'd prefer to.

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Hi cyberisis, welcome to this board!
By traditional sweetners I meant cane sugar and honey.
I have a tendancy to dislike the prepared drinks i.e. Crystal Light, Crystal Bay water because although they don't contain "white sugar" they seem to taste wayyyy too sweet for my tastebuds--which is what prompted my question. So it looks like I'll be an even bigger water drinker. As for general sugar usage, no, I don't use it regularly, if I was making a dessert then I'd use white sugar/brown sugar as the recipe called for it, but baking only occurs during holidays/special occasions.
What's the word on molasses? I'm trying to imagine making baked beans w/o brown sugar and molasses and it's not going over well. LOL! I guess I'm getting anxious anticipating the changes I plan to make and how to incorporate them.
I guess my "confusion" is that though the diet calls for you to gear yourself towards the road of healthy eating and eliminating the bad stuff, it's okay to use artificial sweetners?? Is a sugar packet of regular sugar so much more worse than using a Splenda packet?
Thankfully, I can add zest to my water by using the lime.
Thanks again for all your help.
~~Isis~~
Hi Isis,
Cane sugar, brown sugar, molasses and honey are all sugars and aren't part of the South Beach diet.
Here's a post about other sugars that might be of help!
Seems like the board offers WAY more CLARIFIED info than the book does.
Keep posting those informational tidbits.
~~Isis~~
As far as the sugar inquiry, I don't believe that it is ever officially ok to start using regular sugar. But as you move to phase 2 and 3 sometimes you may want a sundae with real sugar and chocolate syrup. Thats ok in moderation. Eat it when you crave it so you don't binge later on. The diet is designed so if something happens and you do go off the diet you can head back to phase 1. Splenda, I've found is actually a great replacement for regular sugar. Even my husband enjoys it occasionally. Sometimes in later phases you may want to have a treat, and in moderation that is ok. ;)
~Kristina
What you'll eat: During Phase 1, you'll eat normal-size helpings of meat, chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish. You'll have plenty of vegetables, eggs, cheese, and nuts. You'll have salads with real olive oil in the dressing. You'll have three balanced meals a day, and it will be your job to eat so that your hunger is satisfied.
Nothing undermines a weight-loss plan more than the distressing sensation that you need more food. No sane eating program expects you to go through life feeling discomfort. You'll be urged to have snacks in the midmorning and midafternoon, whether you want to or not. You'll have dessert after dinner. You'll drink water, of course, plus coffee or tea if you wish.
What you won't eat: For the first 14 days you won't be having any bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or baked goods. No fruit, even. Before you panic: You'll begin adding those things back into your diet again in two weeks. But for right now, they're off-limits. No candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, or sugar for two weeks, either. No beer or alcohol of any kind. After this phase, you'll be free to drink wine, which is beneficial for a variety of reasons. Not a drop during the first two weeks, however.
Now, if you're the kind of person who lives for pasta or bread or potatoes, or if you believe that you can't get through a day without feeding your sweet tooth (three or four times), let me tell you something: You're going to be shocked at how painlessly two weeks will pass without these foods. The first day or two may be challenging; but once you weather that, you'll be fine.
It's not that you'll have to fight your urges-the cravings will virtually disappear during the first week. I say this with such confidence only because so many overweight people who have already succeeded on this program tell me so. The South Beach Diet may be new to you, but it has existed for several years—long enough to have helped hundreds of people lose weight easily and keep it off.
Phase 2: Reintroducing Carbs
How you'll change: After two weeks, you will be lighter than you are today. Right away you'll notice the difference in your clothes. It will be easier to zip your jeans than it's been for some time. That blazer will close without a bulge.
But this will be just the noticeable difference. What you won't be able to see during those two weeks is how you'll have changed internally. You will have corrected the way your body reacts to the very foods that made you overweight.
There's a switch inside you that had been turned on. Now, simply by modifying your diet, you'll have turned it off. The physical cravings that ruled your eating habits will be gone, and they'll stay away for as long as you stick with the program. The weight loss doesn't happen because you're trying to eat less. It will happen because you'll be eating fewer of the foods that created those old bad urges—fewer of the foods that caused your body to store excessive fat.
What you'll eat now: As a result of that change, you will continue losing weight after the 14-day period ends; even though you will have started adding some of those banished foods back into your life. You'll still be on a diet, but if it's bread you love, you'll have bread. If it's pasta, you'll reintroduce that. Rice or cereal, too. Potatoes. Fruit will definitely be back. Chocolate? If it makes you feel good, sure.
You will have to pick and choose which of these indulgences you permit yourself. You won't be able to have all of them all the time. You'll learn to enjoy them a little differently than before—maybe a little less enthusiastically. But you will enjoy them again soon.
You'll remain in Phase 2 and continue losing weight until you reach your goal. How long it takes depends on how much you need to lose. Once you hit your target, you'll switch to an even more liberal version of the program, which will help you to maintain your ideal weight.
Phase 3: A Diet For Life
This is the stage that lasts the rest of your life. When you get to this point, you'll notice that this plan feels less like a diet and more like a way of life. You'll be eating normal foods, after all, in normal-size portions. You can then feel free to forget all about the South Beach Diet, as long as you remember to live by its few basic rules.
The final change: As you're losing weight and altering how your body responds to food, a third change will be taking place. This one will significantly alter your blood chemistry, to the long-term benefit of your cardiovascular system. You will improve invisible factors that only cardiologists and heart patients worry about. Thanks to this final change, you will substantially increase your odds of living long and well—meaning you will maintain your health and vitality as you age.
You may start on the South Beach Diet hoping just to lose weight. If you adopt it and stay with it, you will surely accomplish that much—but you'll also do a lot more for yourself, all of it very good. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this diet can, as a fringe benefit, save your life.
Here's a list of something I found on thesouthbeachdiet.com Notice it says in P2 you can add back what you like to a certain extent.
Hope this helps!
What I do as far as beverages go, in the morning to replace my OJ is I have Diet V8 Splash. It comes in a variety of flavors and is actually quite tasty.
Hi Kristina,
I'm sorry to say, but the V8 "Splash" drinks aren't approved on the South Beach Diet.
Regarding alot of the artificial drinks being too sweet, I have the same problem. I tend to add more water in when making things like crystal light. If the little mix package calls for 2 liters, I'll make a jug and add in about 2 cups of water until it's at the point where I like it. It almost starts to taste like water with some flavor in it ;) Just a suggestion.
V8 I can't do, just don't like it. For Phase 1 I'm just going to stick with water with lime and drink the Crystal Bay water I have left. Once I move into the other phases I plan on doing spritzers--little juice a lot of water.
As you stated, I'm just going to regulate my sweet stuff. I've noticed as I've gotten older I'm not as stuck on "treats" as much but I just didn't want to police myself to the point I'm not enjoying my eating plan. Moderation is essential and I recognize that. I'm trying to develop a healthy eating plan more than anything :)
~~Isis~~
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