Like any diet plan, the South Beach Diet requires you to understand the guidelines before you begin. This will help you make sure you make the best choices for weight loss, as well as for your overall health. The first two weeks on the diet, also known as phase one, has many restrictions, but following these eating recommendations may help you see a quick drop in weight before you start the next phase of the plan.
Allowed Foods
In the first phase of the South Beach Diet, you have specific foods that you can eat. Choose lean sources of protein that contain 10 g of fat or less per serving. These choices include lean cuts of beef, skinless chicken breast, pork loin and all types of seafood. You can eat low-fat cheese, low-fat soy products and eggs. Select low-fat dairy products such as milk and plain yogurt. During this phase, you can also eat beans, nuts, seeds and a variety of vegetables. You may also have certain types of oils, such as olive oil and canola oil. If you want a dessert, you can select sugar-free items such as candies and gelatin. Caffeine, diet soda and tea make up some of the allowed drinks you can have on in these two weeks.
Allowed Amounts
You can eat some foods until you reach a feeling of fullness, but you must consume others within a set guideline amount. Foods that you can eat without measuring or monitoring include meat, eggs, cheese and soy products. Even though you can eat as much as you need to ease your hunger, listen to your body and avoid overeating. You can also eat as many allowed vegetables as you like, and the plan encourages you to eat at least two cups with your afternoon and evening meal.
The first phase allows you to have two cups of low-fat dairy products each day. If you eat beans, you can have one serving each day, approximately a half cup, but if you follow a vegetarian diet, you can have more than one serving to ensure you have the right protein intake. Eat one serving of nuts each day, carefully counting the serving size. Examples include 15 almonds or cashews or 3 tbsp. of sunflower seeds. Also, you may have 2 tbsp. of healthy oils each day.
Foods to Avoid
During weeks one and two of the South Beach Diet, you will need to eliminate certain foods from your diet. The foods you need to avoid include fatty cuts of meat such as prime rib, liver, bacon and dark poultry meat. You cannot eat any fruit during the first phase, and you must also avoid carbohydrates such as bread, rice and pasta. Do not eat vegetables with a high sugar or starch content, such as carrots, potatoes and corn. You should also avoid drinking alcohol during this phase.
Weight Loss
Dr. Arthur Agatston designed these strict food guidelines to help eliminate cravings for sugar and unhealthy carbohydrates. The South Beach Diet claims that by restricting your diet during these first two weeks, the plan can help you lose between 8 and 10 lbs.
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