South Beach Diet

With so many new fad diets out there, which ones should you trust to actually work? How about one that’s based on sound nutritional advice, that was developed by a doctor, and has had proven results? Then you should definitely try the South Beach Diet.

The South Beach Diet is the latest diet craze to take the world by storm. It claims that you can lose up to 13lbs in just 2 weeks, and even better, a lot of this weight will be fat from your belly. It sounds too good to be true!

But in fact, it isn’t. The South Beach Diet was developed by cardiologist Dr Agatston, who originally created it to help his heart patients. On discovering that a rather beneficial side effect of his diet was extreme weight loss, he decided to introduce it to the world.

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The diet is not a low-fat or low-carb diet, but rather it works on the principles of having the “right” fats and carbs in your diet rather than the “wrong” ones. The right fats are unsaturates or monounsaturates as opposed to saturates, and the right carbs are those with a low GI (glycaemic index) instead of a high one. So, put simply, swap foods like butter and cream for olive oils and nuts, and have pasta, pulses and porridge instead of bagels, white bread and jacket potatoes.

It works like this. Low GI foods give the body a constant supply of energy to keep you full and satisfied, whereas high GI foods give a quick burst of energy and then a sugar dip, where you then crave more carbs and are tempted to overeat. So, low GI foods (pasta, pulses etc) are an essential part of your diet if you want to lose weight.

But, there’s more to the South Beach Diet than that. It comes in three phases, with the first one severely restricting your carb intake, the second slowly re-introducing low GI carbs, and the third phase allowing an even wider variety of foods that you are intended to stay on for life.

• PHASE ONE – Cut out most carbohydrates from your diet. This will give your body a complete rest from fluctuating sugar levels, so ban all potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, biscuits, cakes, sweets, ice cream, milk, fruit, sugar and alcohol. Some low GI foods are allowed such as broccoli and cabbage, but only in moderation. Try to keep the focus instead on eating lean meat, fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, olive oil and nuts. Stay on this phase for 2 weeks, and you could see an 8-13lb weight loss.

• PHASE TWO – Low GI foods such as fruit, granary bread, wholegrain cereal and pasta and low-fat milk can slowly be re-introduced into your diet. There is no time limit on this phase, just stay on it until you have reached your target weight. Weight loss will be less rapid in this stage, and you can expect to lose between 1 and 2lbs per week.

• PHASE THREE – You are allowed to eat an even wider variety of food in this stage. This is the phase that you stay on for life, and is aimed at keeping your weight steady whilst being able to eat a healthy and balanced diet.

In all phases, a real positive to the South Beach Diet is that there are no portion sizes or food limits. Just eat three square meals a day until you are full and satisfied, and allow yourself healthy snacks (such as nuts) throughout the day as well.

The first week will obviously be the hardest to stick to. Because carbs form a major part of most people’s daily diet, it can be difficult to avoid them and the cravings can quickly start. Willpower is essential if you’re going to succeed with this phase, and be prepared to feel slightly more lethargic than you’re used to as well thanks to the severe calorie restriction. This will soon pass though when your body adjusts, and the rapid weight loss through the South Beach Diet will undoubtedly be worth it.

It can also be slightly morale-reducing when your weight loss slows down after the first 2 weeks. But, this is a small price to pay for having achieved so much in the first phase, by which time you should be well on your way to achieving your goal.

The South Beach Diet has a number of benefits. It not only leads to quick weight loss, but it will last as well because it’s teaching you to eat in a healthier way. After the first phase you’re not cutting any major food group out of your diet, but are rather eating a really healthy and balanced diet with none of the junk. This is the key to lasting weight loss.

So, if you’re looking for quick and lasting weight loss in a really healthy way, the South Beach Diet could definitely be the way to go. After the first few weeks it should be really easy to stick to, and is a plan you can stick with for life.