The South Beach Diet has become very popular over the last few years and is considered to have the same clout as both the Atkins Diet and Jenny Craig. While well known, one of the things that has kept this diet in the public eye is that many dieters swear by its effectiveness.
What is the South Beach Diet?
The South Beach diet is a diet program that was developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston. It was first intended for his patients who are suffering from diabetes as well as hypertension, but because of its effectiveness in helping a person lose weight, it has been introduced to the dieting community, and from then on, it became one of the most popular diet programs available, claiming to help you lose close to 10 to 15 pounds in just 14 days.
The South Beach diet is just like many diet programs available, it emphasizes that you eat specific types of carbohydrates and fats. There are both bad carbohydrates (ones with are rapidly absorbed and have a high glycemic index) and bad fats (such as trans-fats and saturated fats). The rationale behind the diet is that when you eat both good fats and good types of carbohydrates you will stay satiated, lose weight and have more energy.
Three Phases of the South Beach Diet
The South Beach diet consists of three phases.
- Phase One. Phase one of the South Beach diet usually lasts for a period of two weeks and is considered to be the strictest phase wherein all kinds of carbohydrates are limited in your diet. In this phase, you only are allowed to eat lean meats. You can also choose to eat vegetables, but only if they have a low glycemic index. This phase is not only the strictest part of the diet, but also is where most dieters can experience the biggest weight loss.
- Phase Two. The second phase of the South Beach diet consists of slowly reintroducing good carbohydrates into the body. For those looking to lose weight, this phase helps you lose weight at a slower rate- about 1 to 2 pounds per week. You stay at this phase of the diet until you have reached your weight loss goal.
- Phase Three. Once you have reached your weight loss goal, you can enter the third phase of the South Beach Diet. This phase is the maintenance phase where you continue to eat healthy and according to the South Beach Diet principles to keep the weight off and stay healthy for the long term.
If you happen to gain weight later down the road, with the South Beach Diet, you can simply go back to phase one to lose weight once again.
South Beach Diet Pros
The advantages of this program is that not only does the South Beach Diet offer a way to lose lots of weight in the short term, but it also includes a mechanism to continue to lose weight and keep the weight off for the long term.
South Beach Diet Cons
While this diet has worked for many individuals, for some individuals that have difficulty staying off carbohydrates, this diet can be difficult to be on. In addition, since some foods are frowned upon, it can take more organization, planning and discipline to create meals with the right balance of foods.
