south beach diet for vegetarians

    Hi, what do you guys think about the south beach diet for vegetarians? Do you think it's realistic and achievable for someone who doesn't eat meat to be on low-carb diet? like i could eat yogurt, nuts, tofu, veggie burgers and soy ground beef, right? and does it work? i've been trying to stay under 1000 calories a day and all that food scares me...

yes, vegetarians can lose weight.  vegetarians can be very healthy.

why do you have to limit yourself to 1000 calories?  What is your age, height, gender, current weight, and goal weight?

My advice is to not lower your calorie intake below what would be necessary to maintain your goal weight.  It doesn't have anything to do with the starvation mode, I just believe goes against  common sense to deprive your body of the nutrition it could be having, or to train your body to live on less calories than would be necessary to maintain your goal weight?

i'm 18, 5 4, female, 127 and my goal weight is 110. I find that the only way i lose any weight is by going under 1000 calories. I've tried 1400 and i actually gained. I always try to get all the nutrients i need by taking supplements and eating a wide variety of food. 

I'm not too familiar with the south beach diet.  I think it would be difficult to eat low-carb as a vegetarian unless you eat a whole lot of eggs and dairy.  I eat beans at least one meal a day, often two, and I still wind up with about 60% carbs every day.  The diet you're suggesting is a little heavy on the soy; a variety of beans and legumes would be more nutritious.

Your current weight is at a very healthy point in the BMI scale.  Your goal weight will put you at a pretty good underweight level, which is not healthy.

Eating under 1000 calories on a consistent basis, at your age, probably made your body fall into starvation mode or survival mode.  Being in this mode, when you up your calories even slightly, and with them still being under maintenance, your body, while trying to get healthy, will put on some weight.  This is temporary and normal.

I would look at eating a healthy MAINTENANCE level of calories and be active and exercise. 

Calorie counting to lose weight does not seem like the right solution in your case.

you should not be trying to eat below 1000 a day. take manewell and bigtwinky's advice and eat more... what's the point of having a skinny body if you have to suffer malnutrition to get it?

what happens when you reach your goal weight? you will not be able to eat more because your body will be used to getting way too little calories and your metabolism will be shot. i suggest upping it slowly until you reach at least 1400... yes, there may be some initial gain but it will come off soon enough and it will be worth it in the long run, which is what this is all about. :)

i'm not saying this in a judgemental way, i'm saying it as a 5'3" person whose weight fluctuates around 110-112. i can eat 1600 and not gain and i feel much better for it. if you're 'scared' of food perhaps something deeper is going on.

I know that this is over a year later, but I'm a vegetarian and trying the South Beach, and I found that I had to modify it. 

Most vegetables have carbs in them, so once more, that is unavoidable, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't work.

In phase one: I allow myself 1-2 pieces of fruit MAX per day, and that's it.

- Variety is the spice of life and so far, that has been a real lifesaver.  The diet really pushes you to think outside of your normal foods. I use a lot of eggplant, beans, spaghetti squash, eggs, dairy, tofu, soy, all vegetables.

- I would suggest to look through some of the South Beach Diet Books and I've found some inspiration for some dishes in there.

I have a hypothyroid, and I understand what it is like to work twice as hard to lose some weight, but I do like the advice that I've gotten here so far.