South Beach Diet Review

South Beach Diet was created by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston in the mid-1990s when he became disillusioned with low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets that didn’t work for his patients in the long run. His main concern wasn’t his patients’ appearance, but finding a diet that would help prevent or reverse heart disease.

South Beach Diet is not low-carb or low-fat. It teaches you to rely on the right carbs and the right fats so you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and get rid of cravings without feeling hungry.  South Beach Diet is tackled in 3 phases:

Phase 1: Two Weeks of Restraint
This is the strictest part of the diet and is meant to last for 2 weeks only. You can lose up to 13 lbs, depending on your starting weight. This phase allows ample portions of protein, good fats, and the lowest-glycemic index carbs needed for satisfaction and blood sugar control. By the time this phase ends, your cravings for sweets, baked goods, and starches will have vanished.

Each day includes six different occasions to eat, so you should never feel hungry. Meals should be of normal size, enough to satisfy you, but no more than that. No need to measure most things.

Phase 2: More Liberal Meal Plans
In Phase 2, you gradually reintroduce certain healthy carbohydrates into your diet: fruit, sweet potatoes, whole grain bread, whole grain rice, whole wheat pasta, etc. Weight loss will slow a little. A healthy average rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 lbs per week over time. You will stay in this phase until you hit your target weight. If you regain some weight, you can switch back to Phase 1 until you lose it.

Phase 3: The Rest of Your Life
Phase 3 is the maintenance phase.  You'll stay in this phase for the rest of your life. It's the most liberal stage. You can continue to eat snacks if you need them, but most people find that they are satisfied without them.

There will always be times when you overindulge a little, even after years on the diet. Those are the times when you'll switch back to Phase 1 for a week or two. You'll get back to where you were, and then you'll return to Phase 3.