South Beach Diet Facts

South Beach Diet Review

The South Beach Diet was created by Dr. Arthur Agatston. as a way for his heart patients to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way.

This weight loss program is set up to teach you to alter the balance of food you consume by eliminating bad carbs and fats and replacing them with good carbs and fats. The program is set up in three phases.

Foods You Can Eat

Phase 1 - Two Weeks - Start Losing Weight

You will consume regular portions of seafood and meat, such as fish, shrimp, beef and chicken. You will also eat eggs, cheese, vegetables, nuts, and salads with salad dressing containing olive oil.

This phase will consist of three meals each day and two snacks. You can drink diet soda, have dessert (but only after dinner) and eat out.

You won't be able to have rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, baked goods or fruit and you will eliminate cake, candy, ice cream, cookies, sugar, alcohol or beer. These foods will be reintroduced after the first two weeks.

Phase 2 - Reintroduction - Until You Reach Your Goal

Now you'll be allowed to have pasta, bread, cereal, rice, fruits, potatoes, beer, wine, and chocolate. You will be able to choose one carb to introduce into one meal daily for a week.

If you aren't gaining weight after a week, you can incorporate another carb into another meal until you can incorporate 2-3 healthy carbs daily.

Phase 3 - Maintence

After reaching your best weight, you can add more foods. You can eat regular foods in regular portions. Rebalancing the meals keeps your weight precisely where you want it to be.

Cost

The purchase of The South Beach Diet.

The Benefits

Emphasis on healthy eating and eliminating trans-fats and refined sugars.

Highly supported program with a maintenance plan.

The Cons

Eliminating some fruits, carbs and sugars may make it harder to stick with the program long-term.

There are no substitutes for the foods on the plan. If you are unable or don't like certain foods, it could be a problem for long-term dieting.

Summary

The South Beach Diet is one of the better "fad" diets out there. It actually teaches you a new lifestyle and how to make healthy choices. It's also a high profile diet so there are many products in your local grocery store that are made specifically for people on the diet. This makes meal a lot easier.