The South Beach Diet – What Can You Expect In It
The book entitled ‘The South Beach Diet’ incorporated the diet strategy formulated by the cardiologist, Arthur Agatston. Its name comes from the fact that he was working in Miami, Florida when he wrote it. It has since become a successful diet plan for millions of women around the world.
Why is this diet different?
The main emphasis of the South Beach Diet is on losing weight while still eating a healthy and balanced diet. Certain types of carbohydrates and fats are required by the body while others result in weight gain. By focussing on the useful carbohydrates and fats you not only lose weight but also lower your cholesterol levels.
High cholesterol levels can lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and other heart diseases. Consuming too many bad carbohydrates has been linked to diabetes. The diet aims to reduce the cravings for foods that contain these bad carbohydrates and fats.
Unlike the Atkins Diet, which cuts out all carbohydrates altogether, the South Beach Diet places the emphasis on eating the right types of carbohydrates. This includes plenty of vegetables as well as allowing lean meat.
The diet may sound simple enough but it needs a lot of will-power and the desire to succeed. As easy as it sounds, this diet does require a lot of determination and self-motivation.
The three stages of the South Beach Diet
The diet plan has three distinct stages. Each one has a specific goal.
- Stage One
This is the first and the most regimented of all three stages of the diet plan. It spans the first two weeks and is the only stage that specifically prohibits the consumption of certain foods. It is this that many people find difficult to adhere to but, if successful, a person can expect to lose between 8 and 13 pounds by the end of the two weeks. It also acts as a detoxification period which makes the body healthier.
The banned foods include full fat cheese, fruit juices, fruit, beef rib steaks, honey-baked ham, yogurt, pasta, rice, oatmeal, bread and other starchy foods. These are compensated for by the foods that are allowed to be eaten in regular amounts.
Shellfish, fish, chicken, turkey and other lean meats as well as nuts, vegetables and eggs are on the approved list. The idea is to eat three decent meals a day to lessen the amount of cravings between meals.
- Stage Two
After the first two weeks, some of the foods that were previously prohibited are now able to be eaten. These are specifically the high-fiber carbohydrates found in whole grain bread, for example. These help promote the production of insulin in the body.
Low fat dairy products and some fruits are also back on the menu.
There are limits set on the amounts of certain items including potatoes, honey, watermelon and some refined wheat-based foods. Red wine is also allowed in small amounts. Stage Two is considered complete once you have attained your ideal weight. Then it is on to Stage Three.
- Stage Three
The final stage of the South Beach Diet is dedicated to ensuring that the weight loss achieved is maintained. This is why the diet is seen as a change of lifestyle and not a simple plan to lose weight quickly.
The emphasis is on staying healthy and preventing any weight gain. All cravings for foods high in empty carbohydrates or fats should have subsided. If the pounds do start to creep back up then the diet can be restarted from Stage One.
Are there any drawbacks of the diet?
As with any diet, the initial dramatic weight loss most women experience on the South Beach Diet is largely due to water loss. This excess water was being retained in the body by the carbohydrates in foods that are prohibited in Stage One. Once you are free to eat these foods again there is the possibility that the water retention will cause some weight gain.
Before beginning the South Beach Diet, as with any diet, it is important to consult with your medical practitioner.
Summary:
The South Beach Diet is dedicated to ensuring that the weight loss achieved is maintained. This is why the diet is seen as a change of lifestyle and not a simple plan to lose weight quickly. The emphasis is on staying healthy and preventing any weight gain.
Brooke Hayles
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Comments
I'm starting the south beach diet today, what should I expect out of the first 2 weeks?
Any good tips, and can I drink regular coffee on the diet?
you shouldn’t drink coffee
http://www.best-diet-food.com
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I’m following Atkins, so I don’t have diet-specific info, but I know that during the fist 3 or 4 days of severely reduced carb intake you’ll have what is known as the "Induction Flu" — basically, you feel like crap while your body switches over to burning fat, but then you’ll feel great afterwards! Make sure you get enough water!! And in this case, water means water–no flavorings added, no diet sodas, nothing. Coffee may or may not be ok–it all depends on how your body handles the caffeine. Most low-carbers, regardless of the plan they follow, suggest avoiding all caffeine during the first 2 weeks, because it seems to make the rest of the plan much easier.
Try this website, it has LOTS of ideas, support, and–most important–recipes!!
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com
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http://www.lowcarbfriends.com
Actually, you can drink all the coffee and tea you want during Phase 1 (two weeks).
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a BIG bill!
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i did south beach about 3 years ago and have started it up again since giving birth to my son. when i first started it i lost about 5 pounds the first week and i barely exercised! it really was quite amazing ecause i always thought- imagine if i was exercising howmuch better the results would be. but it is different for everyone and you have to have a lot of willpower. you may also expreience some headaches due to lack of sugar and/or caffine- i got that. the coffee thing…i went to starbucks practically everyday but i always got a tall DECAF iced coffee with SPLENDA and SKIM milk…i hope i got the point across! lol.. good luck and i wish you success the wait eventually wIll come of steadily but dont get iscouraged if you hit a plateau. good luck!
o and i felt the healthiest while on southbeach than i ever have! i never got that flu or what ever that guy is talking about!t
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personal experience
o.k. here is the thing, people and i mean it seems like everyone is loosing grip on reality when it comes to wieght loss. diets are to the point of making me mad, most do more harm than good. see what you eat is not near as important as how you use it. here is a fact, and remmeber this because as i just said it is fact. there is only one thing that burns fat…only one….it’s called muscle. thats is fact. even cardio, yep your heart is a muscle.. and your body when hungry will first burn muscle first if it is not in use… so dieting without excersise is a step back wards. seriously.. and i have heard "but i dont want to be a muscle women/man" i’ll tell you what when you start to look that way back off, i”ll garantee by then you will be skinniy. And its not hard seriously, just focus on using muscles, and you’ll start loosing inches. i say inches because muscle wieghts more than fat, so initiallly you may gain wieght, but loose inches, and that is something to get excited about. Because that means you have more fat buring potential. and the inchest will go faster. Eventually you will balence out and the wieght will drop. Why do you think it was easier when you were younger?, it’s not age, it’s strength.
It can be anything lift your hands over your head till your arms are tired. hold your leg out straight till its tired, press on the wall, stand on your toes… these are things you can do anywhere anytime that will help strengthin your body..and ultimately make you loose wieght.. Trust me its fact. the problem is society is lazy, new inventions make life easier and easier, thats why as a whole we are getting fat because life is requiring less strength.
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