Designed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, the South Beach Diet stresses the importance of avoiding simple sugars. While it is a low-carb diet, the South Beach Diet differs from others since it doesn't restrict carbs quite as heavily, but does restrict saturated fat due to its connection to heart disease and other health problems. The diet is broken into three phases.
Phases
The South Beach Diet is broken down into three phases. The first phase lasts only two weeks, and is meant to help you eliminate cravings and begin to lose weight. Instead of getting the recommended 45 to 65 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates, you get only about 10 percent.
The second phase is the long-term phase of the South Beach Diet. People who only have 10 pounds or less to lose are encouraged to skip phase one and start here. Carbs now account for about 27 percent of your daily calories.
Once you hit your goal weight, you are at phase three. You will continue to follow the eating philosophy that you learned in the first two phases. But, since this is about a lifetime of dietary decisions, you can include basically any food in moderation. About 28 percent of your daily calories are carbohydrates. If you happen to gain weight, you can go back to phase one.
Food Choices
Like some branded diet programs, the South Beach Diet comes with prepackaged foods that you can include in your daily menu. The South Beach Diet has its own snacks, and they also have a relationship with Kraft Foods, which labels some of its meals "South Beach Diet Recommended."
Prepackaged foods include everything from oven roasted turkey for lunch, to salsa, reduced fat cheeses and chicken breast strips. Snacks from South Beach Diet include cookies, cereal and meal replacement bars.
If you fancy yourself a bit of a chef, you can widen your culinary choices with some help from suggestions on the South Beach Diet plan. The company's website has recipes that fit in for each phase of the plan.
What to Expect
The first two weeks on the South Beach Diet are the toughest, which is when carbohydrates are most restricted. According to the diet, you will lose 8 to 13 pounds in the first two weeks. This is much higher than the traditional recommended weight loss rate of 1 to 2 lbs. a week. If you survive this phase, you are in good shape to make it to your goal weight.
While there isn't a great emphasis on exercise, the diet's creators recommend a daily walk of 20 minutes to boost metabolism.
Expert Insight
The South Beach Diet is centered around the Glycemic Index, which ranks carbohydrates according to how they affect blood glucose. According to the index, the lower the number, the better the food choice.
But, the experts are divided over its relevance. Some back the GI philosophy, while some, like a study at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, find that the Glycemic Index may not help people determine the foods that they should eat.
So, is the South Beach Diet worth your money? Much of the answer depends upon your personality. If you lack will-power and prefer guidance, you may want to sign up for the official diet. Otherwise, there is so much information available online that you can develop your own plan of attack based on the South Beach Diet approach.
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