Week 6 Meeting (February 11) - Page 3

Patina wrote:
"I HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO HAVE A WT LOSS IF I ALLOW MY BODY TO HAVE A STARCH LIKE BREAD OR TOO MANY BEANS,
I HAD LOST 70 LBS BUT DO TO DR's MEDICAL CHANGED HAVE REGAINED HALF OF THAT . I AM WORKING OUT MORE BUT AM HAVING LITTLE SUCESS, SHOULD I GO BACK TO A STRICT PHASES 1. I HAVE BEEN ON THIS FOR A YEAR. I HAVE OVER 200 TO LOSE.I WILL NOT GIVE UP BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YOUR GUIDELINES,"

I'm not completely clear of the sequence of events that have lead to plateauing, but I would suggest staying away from the starches and beans if they are associated with weight gain. You should continue to exercise, including adding in more interval exercise. Hidden fats, such as too much olive oil or too many nuts, may also be the problem.

HappierThin2009 wrote:

"I love the SB diet and appreciate all the work that you have done to make it so good for all of us. My mother was very ill most of January and I had to be away from home until the end of the month and away from any computer, so although I registered for the Challenge, I never got to take part in any of it until today, so I am glad that I figured out how to get on board and to keep up with the "conversation".  I haven't gained weight, but I have been away from my exercising and am not fully following my SB food plan.  I want to regain my enthusiasm and get back on track. I have lost 20 pounds since I joined and I have 20 pounds to go. Should I return to Phase 1 for a week and hit the exercise pretty hard or what is the best way to get back into being healthy? I plan to spend more time on the message boards because they are very encouraging, but I want to return to "feeling great!"

If cravings have returned, then Phase 1 is a good idea. When we talk about exercise and interval exercise, its important to remember they are important not only for individual sessions, but over weeks and months. Its normal and healthy to exercise more vigorously some days and not others. So I do like your idea as you return to the diet doing more vigorous exercise. The exercise should remain constant, but not always at the same level of intensity.

Laurie wrote: "Marie - Can you give us a feel for what SB foods are the most common "triggers" for people in P2. We often advise people to journal their food and note their reactions and the main culprits we have seen are fruits by themselves, brown rice, oatmeal and breads. What have you seen?"

Usually adding too many carbs too quickly--which is why it's so important to start out gradually. Going from Phase 1, with no carbs, to Phase 2 and adding foods too agressively, can be too much. That's when cravings can return. So don't shy away from the selection and variety, but limit the serving size.

Do you recommend strength training as well, or if faced with a plateau should I focus on the intervals only, and come back to strength training in a week or so?

Dr Agatston, How do you suggest we deal with the psychological reasons that make us eat (binge). For me, one of my triggers is (and  I am almost ashame to say ) when my hubby travels, I get a tremendous amount of anxiety and it makes me binge. I am this week going thru this and I am writing my journal, I am going thru my lists of barriers and reasons why I want to loose weight, I take actions, call friends, work out but it does work very much. Any idea?

winefairie wrote: "Excellent.  I remember reading this many years ago. I did Macrobiotics for health reasons and one thing it explained is that as we maintain a healthy lifestyle with healthy foods we will maintain the healthy weight for our body.  A number on a scale was only that, a number...and not necessarily healthy for that individual. Thank you for explaining this phenomena in a much better version."

That is one of the most important points to make in nutrition today. Our body compositions are different, and it is certainly not one-size-fits-all. This is far from a theoretical concept, but again, one that Marie and I see in our office every day. We can look at various cultures around the globe, where there are none of the chronic diseases of the Western world, there is plenty of exercise, and a healthy diet, yet there is always a considerable variability in people's weight and their appearances.

Oh, great question I have been doing this sometimes so I cannot wait to hear the answer.

TeresaLynn wrote:

"Do you recommend strength training as well, or if faced with a plateau should I focus on the intervals only, and come back to strength training in a week or so?"

Strength or resistance training I believe is very important as a part of overall, functional core training. This training maintains maintains muscle mass which helps our metabolism and also helps prevent injuries. Much of what I consider an epidemic of back problems are from a lack of core, functional resistance training. What we don't like to see strength training that isolates a single muscle group, like a bench press or with certain exercise machines that isolate certain individual muscles.

Dr. Agatston, I can't resist commenting on your comment about Phase 1 "with no carbs"...

Had you posted this on the Phase 1 message board, one of the volunteers or community leaders would have been quick to jump in and point out that we get PLENTY of carbs on Phase 1, with all the vegetables we eat, as well as lowfat dairy and starchy beans!  And then we would remind you that this is not a low carb plan (or a no-carb plan), but a good carb plan.

Of course, you already know that!  :)

I do want to say a quick "thank you" for an eating plan that is clearly designed for healthy eating for life, rather than for short term weight loss.  It's the "good carb" aspect of it, as well as lean proteins and good fats, that make it so easy to understand as a healthy way of eating for life, not just for losing weight.

SophieL wrote: "Dr Agatston, How do you suggest we deal with the psychological reasons that make us eat (binge). For me, one of my triggers is (and  I am almost ashame to say ) when my hubby travels, I get a tremendous amount of anxiety and it makes me binge. I am this week going thru this and I am writing my journal, I am going thru my lists of barriers and reasons why I want to loose weight, I take actions, call friends, work out but it does work very much. Any idea?"

Stress hormones can exaserbate swings in blood sugar, and blood sugars give us cravings. This certainly occurs before test-taking and other of life's stresses. I find that exercise is one of the best methods to counteract this burst of stress hormones. While stress hormones are increased during exercise, they are descreased after exercise, and they increase less when we are in better shape. So my main suggestion would be to increase exercise during these periods of stress.

HappierThin2009 wrote:

"What other food are we supposed to eat when we eat fruits?  Aren't we supposed to combine carbs with one of the other food groups?  There is a way to balance carbs so they do less harm to the body - I think I read this on the message boards."


For snacks, it is helpful to have some protein with fruit, such as low-fat cheese with an apple, because this will have a longer influence on preventing our cravings in the hours following your snack.

Thank you for this program. It is fantastic and feasible. The message boards are great.

Here's my last question - inquiring minds want to know.  What's your favorite healthy dessert indulgence?

Dr. A -
I have to get to that # 2 Job now but also wanted to say a BIG THANK you for promoting awareness about Heart Disease being the # 1 killer of women. We then to take care over everyone else and overlook signs of danger for our own health. It was great to see you on the MSNBC News Show.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY from your CC gals and thanks for being here !
L

We can eat fruit by itself for snack if it does not generate cravings, correct?

~TeresaLynn~ wrote: "Dr. Agatston, I can't resist commenting on your comment about Phase 1 "with no carbs"... Had you posted this on the Phase 1 message board, one of the volunteers or community leaders would have been quick to jump in and point out that we get PLENTY of carbs on Phase 1, with all the vegetables we eat, as well as lowfat dairy and starchy beans!  And then we would remind you that this is not a low carb plan (or a no-carb plan), but a good carb plan. Of course, you already know that!  :)  I do want to say a quick "thank you" for an eating plan that is clearly designed for healthy eating for life, rather than for short term weight loss.  It's the "good carb" aspect of it, as well as lean proteins and good fats, that make it so easy to understand as a healthy way of eating for life, not just for losing weight."

Very well said, and thank you for those important points. Since our first book in 2003, our first lines were that we're neither a low-carb or low-fat diet. But since people pigeonhole diets into low-carb and low-fat, we were often referred to as a low-carb diet. We continue to have to counter this perception. In recent years, there has been more and more evidence in medical lit about the importance of variety of good carbs, mainly good vegetables and low-glycemic fruits and whole grains. And our recommendations for Phase 1 is always to have at least a minimum (no maximum) of carbohydrates in the form of vegetables. I do like to reiterate that the diet debates are over, as far as low-carb vs. low-fat. The answer is the principles of the South Beach Diet from day one, which is healhy carbs and fats, lean sources of protein, and plenty of fiber. While we continue to learn more about individual nutrients, such as pomegranates and vitamin D, the basic principles of the Diet are set in stone.