South Beach Diet Review | Weight Loss Plan

South Beach Diet Review | Weight Loss Plan

The South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet is a popular weight-loss diet created in 2003 by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and first outlined in his best-selling book, "The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss." The South Beach Diet is a commercial weight-loss diet.
The South Beach diet consists of three phases. For the first two weeks, you are not allowed to eat bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, baked goods, fruit, sugar or consume alcohol. At the next level carbohydrates are added slowly, but it is still important that weight loss continues. In the third phase, when the goal regarding body weight has been reached, carbohydrates are added at the individuals choice.

How Does the South Beach Diet Work?
Agatston theories are based on the same ideology as most other low carbohydrate diets. He believes that too much insulin production is an important contributor to obesity. By reducing carbohydrate intake, there will be less fluctuations in blood sugar levels, and insulin production will stabilize.

Agatston believes that the faster sugar and starch are absorbed and the faster they enter the bloodstream, the fatter you will get. He suggests eating foods and combination of foods ( i.e., proteins, fat and small amounts of carbohydrates) that cause gradual rather than a sharp increase in blood sugar.

Agatston makes distinction between good and bad carbohydrates. This is based on the glycemic index (GI). GI tells you how fast 50 grams of a particular food turns into sugar. 

Carbohydrates with a high GI raise blood sugar levels rapidly, while carbohydrates with low GI do it much slower. Examples of foods with high GI is white wheat bread, potatoes and various kinds of cereals. Green vegetables, whole grains, and beans are examples of foods with low GI.

Phases of the South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet has three phases:

Phase 1. This two-week phase is designed to eliminate cravings for foods high in sugar and refined starches to jump-start weight loss. You cut out almost all carbohydrates from your diet, including pasta, rice, bread and fruit. You can't drink fruit juice or any alcohol. You focus on eating lean protein, such as seafood, skinless poultry, lean beef and soy products. You can also eat high-fiber vegetables, low-fat dairy and foods with healthy, unsaturated fats, including avocados, nuts and seeds.
Phase 2. This is a long-term weight-loss phase. You begin adding back some of the foods that were prohibited in phase 1, such as whole-grain breads, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, fruits and more vegetables. You stay in this phase until you reach your goal weight.
Phase 3. This is a maintenance phase meant to be a healthy way to eat for life. You continue to follow the lifestyle principles you learned in the two previous phases. You can eat all types of foods in moderation.

A typical day's menu on the South Beach Diet

Here's a look at what you might eat during a typical day in phase 1 of the South Beach Diet:

Breakfast. Breakfast might be an omelet with smoked salmon or baked eggs with spinach and ham, along with a cup of coffee or tea.
Lunch. Lunch might be a vegetable salad with scallops or shrimp, along with iced tea or sparkling water.
Dinner. Dinner may feature grilled tuna or pork paired with grilled vegetables and a salad.
Dessert. The diet encourages you to enjoy a dessert, such as a ricotta cheesecake or chilled espresso custard, even in phase 1.
Snacks. You can enjoy snacks during the day, too, such as a Muenster cheese and turkey roll-up or roasted chickpeas.