The Supercharged Diet claims to help you eliminate food cravings, gradually lose weight and maintain your weight loss for the rest of your life. Unlike a fad diet that you only use temporarily, the Supercharged Diet helps you adopt a dietary and fitness lifestyle that you can use every day to manage your weight and experience better overall health, says the diet's website.
Identification
"The South Beach Supercharged Diet" is a weight-loss program written by Dr. Arthur Agatston, who also wrote "The South Beach Diet." Agatston is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. He is also a practicing preventive cardiologist. You participate in the Supercharged Diet by buying the book and adhering to Agatston's dietary and fitness recommendations to shed your unwanted pounds, then maintain your ideal body weight.
Theories/Speculation
The South Beach Supercharged Diet is an updated version of the "The South Beach Diet," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Agatston says his blend of low-carbohydrate, high-fiber, low-fat dairy, lean protein and healthy unsaturated fat consumption helps you quickly lose weight, especially abdominal fat, and decrease your cravings for starchy and sugary carbohydrates, says Blatner. In addition, Agatston says the Supercharged Diet will help lower your cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and improve your overall health, adds Blatner.
Methodology
The Supercharged Diet consists of three distinct phases. During Phase One, you remove whole grains, white potatoes and fruits from your diet for two weeks, and eat three meals per day and two snacks per day. Your meals include proteins such as skinless white-meat turkey and chicken, salmon, shrimp, tofu and eggs. Your meals also include unsaturated fats such as extra-virgin olive oil; vegetables such as spinach and lentils; and reduced-fat cheeses such as cheddar and mozzarella. Snacks include fresh vegetables and roasted nuts. You are also allowed one dessert per day, such as lemon mousse.
During Phase Two, which lasts until you reach your ideal weight, you eat everything that you ate during Phase One. However, you can also eat "good" carbohydrates such as whole-grain pastas and breads, sweet potatoes and fruit. Once you lose all of your desired weight, you move on to Phase Three, which includes all of the foods from Phases One and Two, plus occasional indulgences such as pancakes and chocolate pie.
While on the Supercharged Diet, you exercise 20 minutes per day with activities that include a body toning program and a walking program that do not require you to join a fitness center or purchase any expensive workout equipment, according to the diet's website.
Considerations
Phase One is not a healthy eating plan because it restricts healthy food groups, says Blatner. However, Blatner says Phases Two and Three of the Supercharged Diet present well-balanced, realistic meals. Therefore, Blatner suggests that you skip Phase One of the diet and follow Phase Two to successfully lose weight on this program.
Warning
Speak with your doctor about the Supercharged Diet in relation to your individual weight-loss goals before you begin the diet. You might have special nutritional needs that this program cannot support, or your doctor might suggest another dietary and fitness program based on your current medical condition.
Member Comments