Which Diet? South Beach Diet

Over the next few posts I'm going to explore some of the low/controlled-carb ways of eating that I have experienced and some that I have not. I'm still figuring out which one I'd like to use this time around, and I think this will help me narrow it down a bit.

Some of the weight I lost previously was while on the South Beach Diet (SBD). I didn't do it as long as I did Atkins, and I don't remember too much of the diet. So I'm doing a bit more research on this one :-)

Important Note: I am a paid affiliate for the South Beach Diet web site. It is one of many low-carb options out there, and I'm still researching everything. I just wanted to point out that I make a little moolah if you sign up for the web site. This review is not necessarily an endorsement of that diet, just documentation for myself and anybody else who cares to read it. I haven't yet decided which diet I'm going to do this time around!

<--gratuitous plug! ;-)

OK, now back to the really important stuff :-)

The South Beach Diet has three phases (from the SBD web site):

1. Eliminate Cravings and Kickstart Weightloss
2. Lose Steadily
3. Maintain for Life

From what I can tell, the first phase is similar to Atkins' induction phase with a few important differences. There's a list of foods that you can eat during the first two weeks and some rules to follow. The South Beach Diet appears to have the following differences from ANA:

• More emphasis on lean protein sources
  
• More variety in the allowed carbs
• Low-fat dairy is allowed

One thing that I remember not liking about the SBD was that it was too flexible. That's right, I said too flexible! Non-starchy vegetables aren't limited during the first phase of the SBD, which can be a problem for a carb junkie like myself. I do much better at sticking with a WOE if I am given strict limits on certain things (like net carbs!). I like counting my carbs for some reason.

On the other hand, I do like the flexibility of the SBD. And the SBD has menu planning tools and other stuff that might help me set limits on carbs.

The South Beach Diet is definitely still in the running to be crowned "Chrissy's Low-Carb Diet" :-)