According to MayoClinic.com, the South Beach Diet encourages lifestyle changes that lead to weight loss and better health. The diet works by teaching you how to incorporate the right kinds of carbohydrates and fats into your eating routine to help you reach your goal weight and keep you healthy. You should talk to your doctor before starting any diet, especially if you are nursing or pregnant or have any other health conditions. The South Beach Diet works in three phases that you will follow to lose weight and stay there once you have lost it.
Step 1
Figure out how much weight you need to lose to get to your goal. You will do this by inputting your height, weight, target weight, gender and age into the diet's profile maker. This will give you information specific to your weight-loss needs.
Step 2
Follow Phase 1 for two weeks. In this phase, you will cut most carbohydrates out of your diet. The idea is that cravings for carbohydrates will subside during this period of time. Foods you are allowed to eat are lean meats, meat substitutes, beans, tofu, high fiber vegetables, reduced-fat cheese, eggs, low-fat dairy, avocados, nuts, seeds, extra virgin olive oil and canola oil. Eat these foods in such a way that you are staying within the recommended number of calories each day.
Step 3
Move to Phase 2 until you reach your target weight. Add good carbohydrates back into your meals. Good choices include whole-grain bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, fruits and additional vegetables. This phase will help you lose weight slowly and in a healthy way that allows better success at keeping the weight off.
Step 4
Stick to Phase 3 for lifelong success. This phase is a maintenance phase that encourages you to use the tools you gained in the previous phases to continue making healthy food choices day after day. By this phase, you will understand how to choose good foods in healthy portions so that you don't regain any of the lost weight.
Step 5
Eat snacks and desserts. The South Beach Diet encourages snacking and indulging every day once the initial phase is complete. The idea is to choose ones that fall within a healthy calorie range so you don't derail your weight-loss efforts.
Tips and Warnings
- The South Beach Diet does not emphasize exercise as part of its plan, but daily physical activity burns calories and has a wide range of health benefits and should be included in a healthy lifestyle. Very low carbohydrate diets have caused some controversy among doctors, so be sure yours goes over with you any potential risks from following the diet.
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