What Are the Basics of the South Beach Diet?

Overview

There are many plans, pills and programs out there that claim to help you lose weight. Some of them can be dangerous, such as diet pills, and others are very restrictive, often cutting out entire food groups. If you are trying to lose weight, the bottom line is that you need to consume fewer calories than you burn off each day. This is true whether you are eating fats, proteins or carbs. Any extra calories you consume will be converted to fat and stored by the body. In order to successfully and safely lose weight, you need to follow a healthy, well-rounded plan that encourages weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds per week. One of the popular plans out there is the South Beach Diet.

Overview

The South Beach Diet encourages you to stay away from "bad" fats and carbohydrates. It is broken down into three phases. The first two help you to lose unwanted weight, and the third is to help you keep the weight off. Foods are allowed or not allowed based on their glycemic index. This is a rating assigned to carbohydrates that ranges from zero to 100 and is based on how much they raise your blood sugar levels. Advocates of this diet claim that foods with a high glycemic index make you feel hungry and encourage you to eat more. On this diet, you are also encouraged to find healthier choices for fats and lower your intake of cholesterol.

Phase One

Phase one is challenging to follow and lasts for the first two weeks you are following the plan. During this segment, you need to cut out all carbohydrates, such as bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream and products containing sugar. Avoiding alcohol is also part of phase one. You will focus on eating lean meats, nuts and eggs. Foods such as tofu, fat-free meat substitutes and fat-free dairy products can be included. The plan encourages you to eat shellfish and a high amount of vegetables. During this phase, you will eat enough to satisfy your hunger. Creators of the South Beach Diet claim that you can lose between 8 to 12 pounds during phase one.

Phase Two

The length of time you are following phase two depends on your weight loss goals. You will stay with this phase until you have reached your desired weight. During this process, you are encouraged to lose about 1 to 2 pounds per week. You will begin to add back in some of the foods you eliminated in phase one, however, you will eat them less often then before you started the diet and in smaller portions. You are encouraged to eat certain fruits, whole-grain and whole-wheat products, and beans, and can begin to have alcohol sparingly. Visit the websites below for shopping lists and sample meal plans.

Phase Three

This phase begins when you reach your desired weight and is designed to help you permanently keep the weight off. You will continue to add foods back in to the point that you can maintain your weight. You will build on the healthy eating habits you developed during phase two and learn how to indulge once in awhile without gaining weight. You will follow this phase for the rest of your life to help prevent slipping back into old habits and eating patterns that caused the initial weight gain.

Considerations

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) claims that phase two and three of this plan are generally healthy and well-balanced. However, they recommend skipping the first phase. The first phase of this plan is too restrictive for most, and cutting out carbs completely can lead to headaches, irritability and trouble concentrating. In addition, losing 8 to 12 pounds in one week is too much weight to drop at once and should only be done under the care of a physician. Losing a large amount of weight rapidly could indicate that you're losing water weight or lean tissue, rather than fat. However, following phase two and three will give you a healthy plan to help you lose weight and keep it off. The ADA also states that individuals who followed the South Beach Diet did not lose any more weight then individuals following other healthy weight loss plans. The key is to reduce caloric intake and eat well-balanced meals that are low in fat, cholesterol and focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains.