The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet The South Beach Diet was developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a caRDIologist from south Florida. Dr. Agatston insists that “the South Beach Diet is not low-carb.” With South Beach you are encouraged to eat whole grains, specific fruits and vegetables, some fats such as olive and canola oil, and lean proteins. The book gives you a lot of recipes to follow, and you are expected to eat until you are full. A daily schedule includes three meals, a mid-morning snack, and even dessert! Phase 1 Phase 1 is the strictest part of the diet. It lasts for two weeks, and is meant to jump start your weight loss. During this phase you eliminate fruit, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, sugar, alcohol, and baked goods. The elimination of these foods from your diet is the reason why some people assume it is a low-carb diet. You may eat normal-size portions of lean meat, fish, eggs, reduced-fat cheese, nonfat yogurt, nuts, and plenty of vegetables. Snacks and desserts are also allowed during Phase 1. During this phase the expected weight loss is anywhere from 8-13 pounds. Phase 2 During Phase 2, you are taught how to differentiate between good and bad carbs. In this phase you can begin eating the right carbs again, which are whole grains and most fruits. Some treats are permitted. You will continue on Phase 2 until you reach your target weight. Phase 3 Phase 3 is also called the Maintenance Phase because this is where you learn to make eating healthy foods a part of your daily life. You may begin this Phase after you have reached your target weight. This is the phase where Dr. Agatston says that you can begin to forget you are on a diet, and just think of it as a lifestyle. Pros For each phase, there are no limits on portion sizes - you simply eat enough to satisfy your appetite - and you're encouraged to eat three meals and snacks each day. It's good to see a diet that recommends eating fewer foods packed with saturates and replacing some of these foods with heart-healthy monounsaturates. Once you get past the initial phase, there are fewer dietary restrictions than some other diet plans. Plenty of recipes - over 900, broken into the 3 phases. Cons The extreme carbohydrate restriction in the first two weeks requires serious willpower and may leave you feeling weak. Most nutrition experts are less happy with the recommended weight loss. General guidelines recommend losing no more than 2lb a week for good health and so experts are concerned that this diet promotes such a large weight loss in the first two weeks. Some of the foods that the diet recommends can be costly. The initial weight loss may be of water, and not actual fat. Phase 1 restricts most carbs, and without energy entering the body in the form of carbs, the body turns to energy that's stored with water in the muscles. The diet is fairly new and doesn't have years of support to back up its claims.