Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in South Florida, originally developed the South Beach Diet to help overweight cardiac patients lose weight. After experiencing significant success with his diet, Dr. Agatston made his diet plan available to the general public. The diet stresses the importance of "good" carbohydrates, such as whole grains and fiber, versus "bad" carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour.
Diet Basics
The South Beach Diet is based on the theory that to be successful with weight loss, you must love what you eat and feel full and satisfied while doing so. The diet focuses on the correct balance of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, lean protein, low-fat dairy and healthy fats. While on the South Beach Diet, you will be allowed to eat three meals, two snacks and a small calorie-controlled dessert every day.
Phases
The South Beach Diet is divided into three phases. The first phrase lasts for two weeks and is meant to help you eliminate cravings and stabilize blood sugar. The phase eliminates most carbohydrates and focuses on lean protein, vegetables, reduced-fat dairy and unsaturated fats.
The second phase is meant to be the long-term phase of the diet. During this phase, you will be allowed to consume everything you ate in phase one, plus good carbohydrates, such as whole-grain bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, fruit and starchy vegetables.
The third phase of the diet is the maintenance phase. This is meant to be your lifetime eating plan. It focuses on smart food choices with an occasional indulgence.
Online Resources
The South Beach Diet has an online community you can join for $5 per week. Online resources include customized meal plans, tools that allow you to track your progress and goals and recipes. There is also a 24-hour support area where you can go to talk with other dieters at any time of the day.
Exercise
The South Beach Diet also stresses the importance of exercise as a part of any healthy weight loss plan. The South Beach Diet website states that physical exercise can help boost your metabolism and avoid weight-loss plateaus that may cause you to stray from the diet.
Considerations
Although prepackaged meals are not required for your success, the South Beach Diet also offers frozen meals, meal replacement bars and snack bars. These items can help you stay on track when you are on the go.
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