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The South Beach Diet helps you to
lose weight by focusing on a healthy balance between "good
carbs" and the "right fats" to eliminate cravings
while burning away excess fat at the same time.
South Beach Diet
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All the meals in the South
Beach Diet consist of healthy combinations of
carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The South Beach Diet does not
involve counting calories, fat grams, or portion sizes. A major
key to success with the South Beach Diet is the Glycemic index
(GI), which ranks carbohydrate foods based on the effect on
blood sugar levels. The principles of the South Beach Diet -
which include regular exercise - are eating good carbs, lean
protein, and good fats, while eliminating the highly refined
foods that contribute to daily cravings and the onset of
numerous chronic diseases.
The South Beach Diet is not low-carb. Nor is it low-fat.
Instead, it teaches you to rely on the right carbs and the right
fats--the good ones--so you lose weight, lower your cholesterol,
reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and get rid of
cravings without feeling hungry.
The
phases
Phase one:
For a two week period, you must allow normal portions of lean
proteins, reduced or low fat dairy products and vegetables in
order to eliminate all the carbs in your system.
Phase two:
You must reintroduce good carbs in your diet gradually, so I
guess it’s all in the right carb choice. Thus said, you should
keep loosing weight until you have achieved your goal.
Phase three:
Is when your goal is achieved and it will remain up to you to
make the right food choices in order to keep the weight off and
lead a healthier life.
Regardless of which phase you are currently in, you should follow these recommendations:
• Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water, decaffeinated beverages
such as club soda, tea, coffee, or decaffeinated sugar-free soda
every day.
• Limit your intake of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup
each day.
• Take one multivitamin and mineral supplement daily.
• Take 500 mg of calcium for both men and women under the age of
50, and 1,000 mg for women over the age of 50, each day.
7 tips to help you find
success on the South Beach Diet:
# 1
Steam Your Vegetables
# 2 Walnuts are Great Option for Nut/Seed Allotment
# 3 Be Selective on Salad Dressings : Try to find
dressings that have less than 3 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoon
serving.
# 4 Avoid Condiments with Added Sugar
# 5 Avoid Butter and Try Margarine
# 6 Avoid Protein that is High in Saturated Fats
# 7 Use Oatmeal or Pumpernickel Break for Workout Energy
South Beach Diet Tips &
Tidbits:
Caffeine addicts: Coffee is ok! Although it is an appetite
stimulant, you can eat pretty much what you want on the South
Beach Diet, so it's no big deal. Plus, coffee can raise your
metabolism.
Be sure not to add sugar ... use artificial sweetener instead.
If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to have an approved dessert
(e.g. diet jelly) after your evening meal.
This diet is not the cheapest way to lose weight, however
omelettes provide a quick, tasty, and economical meal
(especially with melted low-fat cheese). I put all sorts of
things in there!
Remember, unlike many diets, egg yolks are fully permitted. So,
no more pale anemic looking eggs - you can enjoy the real thing!
Diet soda is OK too, as it contains no carbs. I got quite
thirsty while on the initial phase of this diet, and the diet
soda was a great relief.
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The South Beach Diet is one of the most popular diet plans of all time. But that doesn't mean it's right for everyone. Before you decide if it's the diet for you, take a look at the following facts:
1.
The South Beach Diet -- despite sometimes being referred to as
one -- is in fact not a low-carb diet plan.
2.
The South Beach Diet is based on eating healthy carbohydrates
and good fats while eliminating less healthful foods.
3.
Most South Beach Dieters adjust
to the plan fairly quickly and usually find they are satisfied
by the new food choices.
4.
It is completely acceptable and recommended on The South Beach
Diet to eat allowed foods until you are fully satisfied rather
than focusing stringently on portion control.
5.
The first two weeks of The South
Beach Diet are called Phase 1.
6.
Phase 1 is the strictest part of
The South Beach Diet and provides the fewest allowable foods as
compared to the other two Phases.
7.
The purpose of Phase 1 of The
South Beach Diet is to adjust the way your body reacts to sugar
and starches.
8.
You will lose the most weight
during Phase 1 (up to 14 pounds), especially belly fat.
9.
During Phase 1 you will not be eat bread, rice, potatoes or
pasta.
10.
The first few days of Phase 1 are
the most difficult part of this diet.
11.
Baked goods, sweets, and fruits
are completely off-limits during Phase 1.
12.
Alcohol of any kind is not
allowed during Phase 1.
13.
During these two weeks of The
South Beach Diet you'll eat high-fiber foods such as vegetables
and salads, as well as fish, meat, chicken, eggs, non-fat
yogurt, low-fat cheese, and nuts.
14.
The South Beach Diet allows you
six meals a day: three main meals, two snacks, and one dessert.
15.
You'll find a variety of recipes
in the book, such as Marinated Flank Steak, but you don't have
to cook to follow The South Beach Diet.
16.
The science behind The South
Beach Diet is the Glycemic Index, which measures how a food
impacts your blood sugar.
17.
Since salads and vegetables are naturally low on the Glycemic
Index, you can consume virtually unlimited amounts of them on
The South Beach Diet.
18.
After Phase 1, cravings tend to subside for candy, baked goods
and "bad carbs" like white bread.
19.
Eventually, you can eat anything you want (in moderation) and
still be "on" The South Beach Diet.
20.
If you feel hungry during Phase 1, you can increase the amounts
of allowable foods you are eating. Remember, the plan's author,
Dr. Agatston, says it's "your job" to eat until you are no
longer hungry.
21.
Eliminating "bad carbs" from your
diet is a good way to give your bloodstream a "fresh start" free
of insulin-spiking starches and sweets.
22.
You can quell your sweet tooth: Sugar-free gelatin such as
pre-packaged sugar-free Jello cups are an easy and recommended
dessert during Phase 1.
23.
Dr. Agatston provides recipes for a number of Phase 1 desserts
that use reduced-fat ricotta cheese.
24.
Obese individuals may choose to stay on Phase 1 of The South
Beach Diet longer than the initial two weeks.
25.
Most people should advance to
Phase 2 after two weeks to prevent dietary "burn out" or
fatigue.
26.
Phase 2 of The South Beach Diet is much more liberal than Phase
1.
27.
Previously "forbidden" foods such as whole grain breads, fruits,
and sweet potatoes can return to your diet a little at a time as
they are allowed Phase 2.
28.
Your weight loss will slow down
significantly during Phase 2.
29.
Phase 3 is the maintenance phase
of The South Beach Diet. You can add any foods you wish to your
diet at this point, unless you find that you are gaining weight
when you eat particular ones.
30.
You can start The South Beach Diet over in Phase 1 again at any
point if you gain weight during Phase 3.
What is The South Beach Diet
Like?
The first 14 days of the South
Beach Diet are called Phase 1. It is often referred to as the
"strict" part of the plan as it includes the most stringent
rules about what you cannot eat.
South Beach Diet Phase
1 lasts for two weeks.
During this first phase, you will eat normal meals of chicken,
beef, turkey, fish, and shellfish, lots of vegetables, eggs,
cheese, nuts, and garden salads using 100% olive oil for your
salad dressing. Each day for 14 days, you will eat three,
well-balanced meals. While eating until your hunger is satisfied
may go against most diets, with the South Beach Diet, it is part
of the plan.
When you start Phase 2,
you can begin eating some of those "forbidden foods" again. You
will continue to eat the Phase 1 acceptable foods as well. South
Beach Diet Phase 2 is different from the first in that it will
last as long as it takes you to lose your desired weight. This
phase will last different lengths of time depending on each
individual person, how well they follow the diet, and how their
body reacts.
By the time you reach
Phase 3, you will have
learned all the skills you need to maintain your goal weight.
South Beach Diet Phase 3 begins when you have hit your target
weight. To help you maintain your new weight, you will be able
to enjoy options that are more liberal. Once you get to this
phase, you will stay there for the rest of your life. After
completing Phase 1 and 2, this phase will feel like normal
eating to you. Now you are eating differently – for life! If
your weight starts creeping back up, modify the foods you are
eating and the amounts.
MORE AND MORE TIPS TO GET
SUCCESS...
Re-hydrate regularly
It's the age-old diet adage: drink eight glasses of water a day.
We all know water cleanses the system by flushing out toxins and
re-hydrates the skin to keep it glowing and the South Beach Diet
preaches just that too. If you struggle to follow the mantra,
keep a pint glass or two-litre water bottle on your desk at work
and top it up throughout the day.
Tea for one
The great thing about the South Beach diet is that the majority
of our diet weaknesses aren't ruled out altogether. Case in
point is the caffeine rule. While you
will need to cut down your
intake if you're a caffeine fiend, the good news is you can
still allow yourself one indulgence a day, so make sure you save
it up for that particularly lethargic moment – the 4pm
addiction.
Vitalise with vitamins
As you phase out certain food groups at the beginning of the
South Beach regime and before you gradually reintroduce
healthier alternatives as the diet progresses, it's a good idea
to increase your multivitamin and mineral daily supplement
intake. In addition to your diet changes, start taking one
multivitamin, flaxseed oil for a good dose of omega-3 fatty
acids and a fibre supplement, such as Metamucil, during phase
one of the diet.
Find the right fats
Before you start trying to cut out fats altogether, we all need
them to help nutrient absorption, but consume too many and we
risk weight gain and heart disease. The key is to replace bad
fats with good fats in our diet. Monounsaturated fats are good
fats that lower cholesterol. So that means including more of the
following in your daily meals: walnuts, almonds, avocado, olive
oil, salmon, corn and soy. Steer away from the bad, saturated
fats including meat and dairy.
Eat fibre-rich foods
South Beach Diet creator, Dr Arthur Agatston, recommends adding
fibre to your daily diet to boost weight loss efforts. Fibre
works at weight loss by increasing the rate at which food passes
through the body, plus fibre-heavy foods like wholewheat pasta
and brown rice are more filling, so keep you from snacking in
between meals and control cravings. According to Agatston: 'Most
of us eat half the fibre we really need.
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Eat good carbs
You might not know it yet, but carbohydrates were not created
equal. There are good carbs and bad carbs and thankfully, the
South Beach Diet doesn't rule them out altogether, but does
advocate the good ones. Good carbs not only nourish your body
but also help you lose weight and their biggest signal that
they're the right food to be tucking into? They are still in or
similar to their natural state. So stock up on beans, nuts,
seeds, vegetables, whole grain breads and fruit. The bad kinds
with a high glycemic index, found in sugary, fatty foods like
doughnuts, snack foods, and fast-food meals, damage your body's
ability to burn off what you eat. Worse, eating them actually
triggers cravings and makes you even hungrier!
Lean towards lean
protein
We all know that eating protein is essential to a healthy diet.
However, getting the right type of protein is key. While foods
like hamburgers are high in protein, it is lean protein that you
should be hunting out to follow this plan successfully. Ensure a
good mix of fish, seafood, skinless poultry and high fibre
vegetables like asparagus, green beans, broccoli and spinach are
present in your daily diet. What you might not know?
Protein-rich foods act as a natural appetite suppressant.
Stock up on snacks
Just make sure they're the right ones. Anyone who's halfway
human has that mid-morning hunger pang and late afternoon urge
for a sugar rush, so instead of reaching for the biscuit tin,
pick up a low-GI carbohydrate snack instead – an absolute
essential when exercising and adhering to the South Beach Diet.
Low-GI snacks are made with carbs that break down sugar more
slowly and evenly, which will make you feel full for longer.
Stock up on granola and cereal bars, plenty of nuts and seeds
and the all-important fruit – so easy to keep it all at your
fingertips in your handbag.
Don't forget the
all-important weight loss mantra: exercise, exercise, exercise
Adding cardiovascular exercise to the South Beach Diet will
accelerate your weight loss, but don't panic, there's no need to
sign up to an extortionate gym membership. Try and use what you
have around you – start regular running or power walking in the
park and make use of your local swimming pool with half an hour
dips to keep your heart pumping.
Re-evaluate your goals
After a month on the South Beach Diet and provided you have
achieved the weight loss you desired, it may be time to
re-evaluate your goals, as maintaining the regime long-term is a
tough task. Continue to eat sensibly with the knowledge you've
taken on board, exercise regularly and allow yourself the
occasional indulgences once a week - it's impossible to always
resist the odd brownie.
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