RE: Re: High fat vs. low fat?

[Guest guest]

Hey , I agree with you, and as I am

trying to make sense of all of this, I am of the same thinking because I know

what will work for me to stay on track. I have no problem with cutting the fat

as time goes on, but in the initial phase 1, cutting the sugar from my life

will be a hard blow, so I will have to eat things that will compensate for it. Flavor

is important, and I think all we can do is experiment to see what works, and

what doesn’t. I still don’t feel good about artificial sweeteners,

but I will use them occasionally to get over any rough spots. Like you said it’s

the big picture. Whatever it takes to get to our goal.

I’ve been on too many starvation diets, and suffered through losing only

to gain it back, yadda yadda yadda……..I want something this time

that I can have for life. That’s what was appealing to me about SBD in

the first place. Thanks for your input!

Jackie

From:

South-Beach-Diet-Getting-It-Right

[mailto:South-Beach-Diet-Getting-It-Right ] On Behalf Of Noctaire

Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 4:18

PM

To:

South-Beach-Diet-Getting-It-Right

Subject: RE:

Re: High fat vs. low fat?

FWIW, I've always been of the opinion that it isn't just a matter of

WHAT

you eat but HOW MUCH. If you eat a diet that

is rich with saturated fats --

expect problems. If you have saturated fats

occasionally then the

likelihood of problems is far less. The same

can be said of just about

anything we eat -- starch, fiber, protein, sugars,

cholesterol...take your

pick.

The best solution is a solid balance of the

nutrients available. That's not

a complex recipe by any stretch of the imagination

-- it's just good, common

sense. Would I worry because tonight I ate a

lot more fat than usual? Nah

-- it's the big picture, the overall that really

counts.

When it comes to weight loss, you have to look at

the big picture there as

well -- and there are a LOT of variables.

One thing about the low carb &

carb modification diets that stands out -- they

find a way to transition

people from their former, unhealthy eating habits

into healthier eating

habits. That's important because it

increases the chances of success.

There are 3 flavors in food -- sweet, salty, and

fatty. Make no bones about

it; sugar, sodium and fat make the flavor world go

'round. If you

decrease 2, you'd better have the third or the

food's gonna be bland.

Flavorless food is why a lot of folks don't stick

with diets, be they for

weight loss or other reasons.

Consider Atkins for a moment. The Atkins

diet is low carb, high fat (at

least initially). The reason this works is

that there's flavor. It also

doesn't hurt matters that we've been told for

years that fat is bad and

consuming lots of it is kinda like breaking the

rules. The key though

is that there's SOMETHING there to sink your teeth

into!

SBD is no different -- you get carbs. Lots

of 'em if you want. You just

have to steer away from certain ones (basically,

white carbs).

Any successful diet has to take that flavor factor

into account.

Fat's no more evil than carbs or anything else --

it's all a matter of

quantity and quality. Initially, I've been

doing higher fat at times. Why?

It's filling, adds flavor, quick for the wallop,

and works well for me.

Over time, I'll reduce some of the fats out of my

diet to achieve a better

balance. I know full well I can't keep up

higher fat levels and expect to

get to my goal weight and I know how I can lose if

I more closely eliminate

the fat. I've simply chosen not to go to

those extents right away for a

variety of reasons. One of the biggest -- I

did that once and lost 30

pounds. Then I packed back on 50. The

same thing went for sodium -- I

zapped it out overnight and suffered serious

withdrawals until I took the

levels back up and brought them down

gradually.

<Shrug> Just my .02.

Reminder:

The South Beach Diet is not low-carb. Nor is it low-fat. The South Beach Diet

teaches you to rely on the right carbs and the right fats-the good ones - and

enables you to live quite happily without the bad carbs and bad fats.

For more on this Way Of Eating please read

" The South Beach Diet " by Arthur Agatston, MD. ISBN 1-57954-814-8