The South Beach Diet promotes a low-carbohydrate, low-fat diet. Even though the diet claims a person will experience a period of significant initial weight loss, the diet is intended to change eating habits for lifetime effects. In the initial phase, dieters eat limited carbohydrates and no sugars, but in the second phase, the person can add whole grains, such as whole wheat pasta and brown rice. Due to the strict food limitations, dieters on the South Beach Diet need to plan ahead for the best success.
Step 1
Discuss the South Beach Diet with a health practitioner. Certain medical and nutritional conditions may make the South Beach Diet inappropriate. A health practitioner will help determine if this is the case.
Step 2
Remove all sweets and processed carbohydrates from the home. If a dieter has family members not on the diet, she may choose to put all snack items she can't eat while on the diet in a certain cabinet that she will not go to. This will help her avoid food temptations.
Step 3
Make a weekly menu. Write down what to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Seeing weekly meals will aid planning and will also offer the added benefit of the dieter not having to decide what to fix for a meal when she feels hungry. This could help eliminate the temptation to eat foods not allowed on the South Beach Diet.
Step 4
Purchase vegetables, low-fat cheese and other allowable foods. Use the weekly menu as a guide for what to purchase at the store. Stocking the refrigerator will help keep healthy, allowed foods accessible.
Step 5
Fix multiple meals at once. If the dieter has a meal already prepared, she may feel less temptation to grab something unhealthy. Multiple meals do not require a great deal of effort. For example, make extra salad and grill an additional chicken breast.
Step 6
Put together lunch and snacks the night before. This could help a dieter avoid the temptation to grab an "easy," unhealthy lunch later in the day.
Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Paper
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