The South Beach Diet is a moderately low-carbohydrate diet with an emphasis on healthy choices, and it includes Phase 1 for fast weight loss, Phase 2 for steady weight loss and Phase 3 for maintaining your goal weight. Despite its potential benefits, be cautious about Phase 1 because it is a low-carbohydrate diet that eliminates many foods from your diet. Talk to your doctor before starting this diet or its recommended fitness program.
Rapid Weight Loss
A benefit of Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet is that it can help you lose weight fast. The South Beach Diet claims that you may lose up to 8 to 13 lbs. Phase 1 only lasts for two weeks, and this rate of weight loss is faster than the 1 to 2 lbs. that you might expect to lose during Phases 2 and 3. Although it is appealing, quick weight loss may be partly from losing water weight, not body fat.
Improve Cholesterol
Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet may help improve cholesterol levels in your blood, which can decrease your risk for heart disease. The diet emphasizes healthy, unsaturated fats, which may lower your cholesterol levels when you use them instead of saturated fats, such as butter. Monounsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil, can be especially beneficial in helping to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet includes daily physical activity; exercise helps increase your "good" HDL cholesterol levels.
Begin Healthy Habits
A benefit of Phase 1 is that you start to develop the habits that you will maintain during the second and third phases. Your meal patterns will be the same as the rest of the South Beach Diet, with six meals or snacks each day. Phase 1 also includes making a commitment to a new lifestyle by getting rid of foods that you are not allowed to have, and stocking up your kitchen with foods that are allowed on the South Beach Diet.
It is Low-Glycemic
Another benefit of Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet is that it is low-glycemic, so it can help you control your blood sugar levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, a low-glycemic diet may help lower your blood sugar levels and keep them steadier throughout the day. This phase does not include high-glycemic foods that may lead to rapid spikes in your blood sugar levels. Examples of high-glycemic foods are refined grains, such as white bread, starchy vegetables, such as beets, and foods with added sugars such as soft drinks and pastries.
References
- South Beach Diet; South Beach Diet Phase 1: Getting Started; 2011
- South Beach Diet; FAQs; 2011
- South Beach Diet; How It Works; 2011
- Mayo Clinic; Cholesterol: Top 5 Foods to Lower Your Numbers; May, 2010
- South Beach Diet; A Guide to South Beach Diet Food; 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Glycemic Index Diet: a Helpful Tool for Diabetes?; Maria Collazo-Clavell; March 2010
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