Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

LizD Posted: Aug 15, 2003 11:29 PM

Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

They seem very similar from what I have hears. I was just wondering what the big differences between the two are.

Teri Posted: Aug 16, 2003 05:40 PM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

Just posted a link to an article from last night's edition of Dateline.

mlp924 Posted: Aug 17, 2003 12:10 AM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

Atkins is low carb but not really low fat. South Beach is low fat and low carb.

yabbobay Posted: Aug 17, 2003 01:38 PM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

south beach you only do the no carb for 2 weeks...

and south beach was designed for health reasons...cardio vascular improvements

Claud2001 Posted: Aug 17, 2003 03:01 PM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

Actually, it's a common misconception that Atkins is not lowfat - in fact, the book recommends that people who follow the plan eat low salt/low fat options whenever possible. But, the main idea behind the plan is to cut back dramatically from carbs and sugars - which is very similar to the SBD.

yabbobay Posted: Aug 17, 2003 04:29 PM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

but my understanding of atkins is that it is always low carb...which cuts out a lot of fruits and veggies (a big no-no in my eyes)

with SBD it is only for 2 weeks...and then you can have multi grain carbs all you want...no counting of carbs...

yabbobay Posted: Aug 17, 2003 05:09 PM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

just found this from the dr...

Member question: What are the biggest differences between this and the Atkins diet?

Agatston: The first difference is our emphasis on the good fats rather than the saturated fats. The saturated fats cause blood to be sticky, they cause vessels to constrict, and they have negative effects on long term on insulin and sugar metabolism. The good fats that we talked about actually help prevent heart attack and stroke and they also improve insulin and sugar metabolism long term. This helps the diet to become a lifestyle with long-term weight loss and improvement in blood chemistries, rather than just a short-term fix.

Another difference with Atkins is we are not counting grams of carbohydrates. We are not so strict in the first phase that we put patients into ketosis. Ketosis often causes excessive water loss early. We found it is unnecessary for significant early weight loss. We teach our dieters to use glycemic index, which is a measure of how fast a carbohydrate raises your blood sugar and if you consume low glycemic index carbohydrates, you can do very well on a high carbohydrate diet.

Diane Posted: Aug 18, 2003 09:23 AM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

Erica...I totally agree with you on the Atkins. Im NOT big fan of it.
Your body needs Carbs, and to cut them out, epsecially fruits. If we just eat them in moderation anyone can do well with it.

Claud2001 Posted: Aug 19, 2003 07:51 AM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

Erica, I agree that it's not realistic for a person to completely cut carbs...that is why I am choosing to do a variation of the plan[Atkins]. I cannot live without bread and pasta, but I also cannot consume a lot of sat fats. So, I am choosing whole grains and low carb options, but still enjoying my cereal, bread and pasta on occasion and a small piece of fruit when I want to. It is working for me...but, I have no choice really. It is medically necessary for me right now.

yabbobay Posted: Aug 20, 2003 01:14 PM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

Claud....I hope everything is OK...

while the first 2 weeks is tough on SBD- no fruits or carbs other than veggies...I can't wait to eat some whole grain bread!!!

Sassyz75 Posted: Aug 20, 2003 01:24 PM

Re: Does anyone know the difference between the Atkins diet and the South beach diet??

I am almost done with Phase 1 of SBD... I love it... I do miss the fruit- but the bread or pasta? NO! I find my skin is SO MUCH better when I don't eat pastas and breads. The insulin really makes me break out.

I will post how much weight I lost on phase 1 Monday :)