South Beach Update

I have been hesitant in adding anything here because I didn't want to get 2 days into the diet and have to say, "Well, I'm giving up on this too." Pride is a serious factor here. But, everything is going really well. Today is Saturday and I started on Tuesday. Thursday I was feeling really down. I was thinking of all the foods I will never be able to eat again if I continue on this path, so then I started wondering if it was even going to work for me. I talked to my sister and she really helped me out of that. We talked about alternatives to my favorite foods. For example, my caramel lattes that I love so much. Have it made with skim milk and sugar-free syrup. Duh. I had one yesterday. Naturally, not as good as the real deal, but close enough to keep me satisfied. And I will continue doing that. I went through my Allrecipes recipe box and put a ton of them into a South Beach Friendly folder and MAN is there a lot of things I can make with little or no alterations. I am very much inspired to continue.

I've been reading through The South Beach Diet book and was happy to read what Dr. Agatston has to say about Dr. Atkins.

"The major problem I have with the Atkins Diet is the liberal intake of saturated fats. There is evidence now that immediately following a meal of saturated fats, there is dysfunction in the arteries, including those that supply the heart muscle with blood. As a result, the lining of the arteries is predisposed to constriction and clotting. Imagine: Under the right (or rather, wrong) circumstances, ether a meal that's high in saturated fat can trigger a heart attack! In addition, after a high0fat meal certain elements in the blood, called remnant particles, persist for longer than is healthy. These particles contribute to the buildup of plaque in the vessel walls. None of this was know at the time Dr Atkins developed his diet. But we know it now.

I know and admire Dr. Atkins [and Dr. Ornish]. They have successfully fought conventional wisdom and have both contributed to the country's growing focus on heart attact prevention via improved diet and lifestyle. They have been criticized for the commercial success of their programs but have persevered. Unless someone popularizes the science of nutrition, American will never get its difficulties with obesity and heart disease under control."

Perfect. He's not trashing the Atkins plan, but he is also making it clear that he does not support it. I so badly wanted to believe that I could eat saturated fats and it was actually (gasp!) good for me.

The difference, as I make it out, is this: The Atkins plan calls for liberal amounts of protein and fats, and very, very few carbs. South Beach emphasizes the importance of lean meats, low amounts of carbs and lots of fresh vegetables. Much more balanced.

So, I will keep working on this thing, and update this blog as I go. If things continue to go along as well as they are currently then I'll probably start a new one, Everyday South Beach, lol!

This is definately a learning experience.