Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: south beach diet phase two

Question:
I just started phase II of the South Beach Diet. My goals are to lose a little weight but mainly to eat healthier than I normally do. I have lost 10 lbs. and 2 inches off my waist which was my goal, so already I am pretty happy. But I am still confused about the portions sizes. I have read The South Beach Diet ISBN 0-312-99119-3 for the overview. I use the The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook ISBN 1-59486-292-3 for all my meals, and I use The South Beach Diet Good Fats, Good Carbs Guide ISBN 1-59486-198-6 to make my grocery lists. But these books don't seem to paint the whole picture unless I am reading something wrong. For example, Multigrain bread is listed as 1 slice under the portion column of the Guide. Does this mean I can have only 1 slice per meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner)? If so what about as a snack? In the Cookbook, there is a Phase II recipe for Multigrain Watercress and Cucumber Tea Sandwiches. This recipe uses 2 slices per portion for a meal and 1.5 slices for a snack. So these seem to contradict each other. This is just one example, but there are others. Other than nuts, I can't find a lot of information on portions. I am not overly concerned because the way I am following the diet seem to work for me. However, I do prefer to understand rather that just blindly follow things. Can anyone shed some light on this or point me to the right resource?

Answer:
The original South Beach Diet did not contain portion sizes or worry specifically about the level of fats, carbs, or GI values past what was on the original lists. The revised edition of the book was reportedly changed because people wanted more structure than the original format, which basically included following the foods on the list. From your post, it appears you are trying to make this very simple diet more difficult to follow than it is