Hi There,

I do Atkins so I need your valued help on this one. My mother would like to start Low Carbing. She is still very afraid of fat and would probably be resistant to giving up fruit until the later part of a WOL, so I suggested SB to her. I would rather see her follow some plan rather than go onto Atkins, get bored and fail. I bought the SB book for her and will give it to her tomorrow.

My question (and hers) is this. She is a Paramedic with crazy hours and is sometimes awake for 24 hours at a time. How would she begin to calculate her daily allowances? Should she just eat when she's hungry and keep it to the acceptable foods? She is hypoglycemic, like me, and says she NEEDS carbs so she doesn't faint (I know this isn't true anymore, I have found that protein is better when I feel dizzy)...but this is her mindset.

She says she will gag if she has to eat alot of veggies to keep her sugar stable and I think your diet allows more of a selection than mine. Am I right and do you have any suggestions for her? Thank you soooo much!

do you think she could be convinced to give up fruits and carbs for just phase 1?

I think in the short term it would be okay for her. But to have to continue to limit until the final phase would be anathema to her.

There aren't any daily allowances per se. SB encourages you to (1) eat when you're hungry and (2) have 3 meals and 3 snacks. The book even gives a little discussion (p.66 is one I found) about why "good carbs" and snacks are better for you if you want to keep insulin levels in check.

One word of caution... the book isn't written very well. It gives some kind of "overall feel" for the plan, but it never really says "okay, here's what ya gotta do..." You kind of have to hunt for the information. I suggest printing out some of the stickys at the top of the forum. There's one with a meal planning guide, and another that takes you to the mizfrogspad site, which has updated SB food lists for Phases 1 and 2.

Also, I usually remind people new to the plan to go into Phase 2 slowly. Start by adding, say, a serving of fruit a day for the first week. The next week, try adding in one grain serving. How much you end up adding in total is up to the individual. As long as she's happy with her weight loss and/or doesn't get any cravings/hunger, then she can add in some more of the newly allowed food. I believe there's a suggested maximum on the meal planning guide in the sticky. For myself, I still have a lot of weight to lose, so I have a serving of fruit a day (if I want it), but I only have a serving of grains a few times a week (at most). It all depends on your mom's weight loss goals, what her body can handle, and what she can live with!

Lots of luck to your mom!

Hi Kryssi!

I've found this chart to be very helpful in getting used to eating this way. If you print it tout and give it to your mom with the book, I think it will help her to see how it works.



Also, there are updated food lists at mizfrogspad.com.
http://www.mizfrogspad.com/south_beach_diet.htm

If you can, print up the food lists for phase I and II and give them to her with the book also. It helps alot to put these pieces of info together with the book. I love the plan but the book can be a bit confusing!!

Good Luck!

Oh thank you so much for all your help! I just want my mom to be healthy too and this is perfect for her!

She just found out that she has to work on Mother's Day so I'm going to give her all this wonderful info with the book on Monday. I'm also going to cook her a wonderful LC lunch so she can see how easy it is and yummy too!

You guys are great. Thanks again.

another helpful site
http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/shoppinglist_p1.htm

Thanks for that link Justagirl!!

I went there and am confused about their meal plan chart for phase I. It says no dairy in phase I and then it includes dairy in the phase I food lists.

I really like that chart I posted above as it reflects the plan as it is written and works well with the food lists.

Another good site... I'm confused as well. I bought the fat free milk today and also the fat free, no sugar yogurts. Is it true that you can have 2 cups of dairy per day? I don't want to start off on the wrong foot!


Jen

The book actually says to avoid dairy for the first phase. I think the good doctor should have had a proof reader or someone go over his book to see if it made sense. I find it very confusing!

Don't worry Jen, you are allowed up to 2 cups a day of dairy on phase I. This is something that I've confirmed by going to the official South Beach Diet online site.

The above link is not the official site!!!

The info in the book has been updated since the book first came out. Thats why the info at mizfrogspad.com is so valuable as it has all the updated official information from the official SBD site.

Wonderful, thanks!!! I am so relieved to hear that, I really feel good about this WOL.

Jen

Kryssie. I am a mother, I have a wonderful daughter and your mother would be thrilled with you making her a lunch within limits of her WOE. The biggest support in my life besides my husband is my daughter, even before my mother. Those are the three biggest support systems in my life in that order. So, I'm sure your mother would love what you have planned for her.

so is fatfree cheese considered dairy and thus limited in phase 1?