I need some advice

[sweetz0625]

Okay so in the past years ago I was on atkins. went from 175 to 132 gradually within years. I was happy, and then I got married and then I fell off of the band wagon, and now I am 25 lbs heavier 158. I am just so mad at myself, and I NEED to lose this weight none of my clothes will fit me anymore. I am living in stretchy clothes. Anyways, so I thought that I would try south beach, and I have been on it for now about a week, and I am just not seeing the progress that I saw on atkins I lost 3 lbs initially, and then gained 2 back today. So my question is, should I just go on atkins. I know this might be the wrong group to ask, but I am really struggling. The only difference between the 2 is on SB they believe in some good carbs so you can eat beans, and milk. So please help I CANNOT afford to get ANY heavier.

[sweetz0625]

Re: I need some advice

ps. disregard my stats please. I actually would do anything to be that weight right now lol

[julirama723]

Re: I need some advice

Atkins believes in good carbs too.

One of the main differences between Atkins and South Beach is the speed at which these good carbs are added back in. On both Atkins and South Beach, you have a beginning restrictive phase, called Induction (Atkins) or Phase 1 (South Beach). After this initial 2-week period, Atkins followers begin OWL. This is a series of rungs designed to add food back in gradually, based on Glycemix Index and the impact said foods will have on blood sugar. During this time you really get to know your body well, deciding which foods work for your palate as well as for your body, and you also learn how many carbs you can eat each day while losing weight (CCLL). It's also a time when many learn about food sensitivities and allergies they never realized existed before! By gradually working up through the rungs, almost all foods can be added back in to an Atkineers diet. The only that do not get added back are the "whites"; white flour, white sugar, white rice, etc.

The South Beach equivalent, phase 2, lets you add back in the carbs you like, but not in any particular order. Many people find that by doing this, they once again have cravings, or it may be hard to pinpoint what food or foodgroup is causing them grief.

Both diets also have a "pre-maintenance" phase, and a "maintenance" phase.

Atkins is NOT only about induction. It's about eating healthy, whole, unprocessed foods, and finding out what works for you and your body.

[sweetz0625]

Re: I need some advice

So what you telling me is that they are basically the same, so it doesnt matter which one I am on? I really didnt get your post, I understand what the diets are. I am just wondering if I should do south beach, I am not seeing as good of a weight loss then I did on atkins. So I guess you lose more weight on atkins? Well to me experiment I think

[julirama723]

Re: I need some advice

They're not the same. They have similar ideals and foods.

If followed correctly, each plan works. One plan might work better for one person than it does another. It depends on personal preference.

Atkins is not a DIET--it's a lifelong change. Just as South Beach isn't a diet, but a change in eating habits for the rest of your life. The best way to learn about Atkins is by reading Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution (2002 edition). This explains each phase in-depth, as well as the science of the diet and why/how it works.

[Tiggerdagibit]

Re: I need some advice

I agree with what Julie said and wanted to add that you say you've only been on SB for about a week.. no matter what plan you choose, you need to give it more time than that to see how it's going to work. I don't know much about SB other than it's also a LC plan, but I like that Atkins has a laid out plan instead of just adding in whatever I want. I think the OWL rungs keep me more focused.

[attek]

Re: I need some advice

I think the main difference is that on Atkins you add foods back very gradually and in a particular order, and you monitor how foods and carbs affect your body.

As far as I can tell, on South Beach you add back a large number of food groups in Phase 2 without any sense of order. Our members have had a surprisingly large array of foods which have stalled their weight loss. Everything from tomatoes, cucumbers, nuts, berries, cottage cheese, the list goes on and on. When you add these back into your diet very gradually as in Atkins, you can easily determine if a particular food affects your weight loss or causes cravings.

If you simply add in a large variety of foods immediately, as in South Beach, it would be very difficult to determine why you are not losing weight. Maybe it's the cottage cheese you ate for breakfast, or maybe it's the whole-wheat pasta you had for lunch, or maybe it's the almonds you had for a snack... There are too many variables.

Another principle of Atkins is that each person has a limiting number of carbs they can consume and still lose weight. The range varies from <15g carbs for someone who has a high metabolic resistance to weight loss, 15-40g carbs for someone with average resistance to weight loss, 40-60g carbs for someone with low resistance to weight loss, and 60-90g carbs for a regular exerciser.

In a South Beach cookbook that I borrowed from the library, there is a Phase 2 recipe for Creamy Chicken Paprikash with 47g net carbs per serving. Another one is for Arugula and Basil Pesto Linguine with 61g net carbs per serving. Many of our members will tell you that their maximum daily level of carbs to be able to lose weight is less than that, and that's only for one meal. So if you're someone who can lose weight only by eating less than 40g carbs per day, you might have a difficult time losing weight on South Beach depending on which recipes you are using. You could even gain weight if you eat too many carbs, even though you are following Phase 2 perfectly.

Maybe you liked the idea that you could eat a wider variety of nutritious carbs in South Beach. You can do the same in Atkins, just in a more scientific and slower manner. By the end of 8 weeks on Atkins, you could be eating beans and milk, as long as they don't affect your weight loss.

You have to make your own decision which diet suits you better. I hardly think a week is a long enough trial of a diet to tell. A month would be more reasonable for a comparison.