The South Beach Diet

I’ve never tried out The South Beach Diet, but I did hear a lot of things about it. To make sure it is the right one for me, I did a little bit of research. The first thing I found out was that it is a low carb diet that comes in three phases:

Phase 1: Eliminating cravings and starting to lose weight.

This phase takes only two weeks and helps you lose weight and get rid of all your cravings. Supposedly you won’t feel the need to eat sugar or other refined starches. You can achieve that by eating foods rich in nutrients and fibers.

Examples of aliments allowed: lean meats (fish, sea-food, skinless poultry), high fiber vegetables, low fat cheese and diary, eggs and unsaturated fats (found in avocados, nuts, seeds, extra virgin olive oil and canola oil)

Phase 2: Losing weight steadily.

According to this diet, the second phase is a long term one. You should be i this phase for as long as is needed to get to the desired weight. You can eat everything from phase one and add good carbs.

Examples of aliments with good carbs: brown rice, whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, fruits and one surprise: chocolate, but the dark type.

Phase 3: Maintain for life.

If you get to this phase you are very lucky, because this means your weight is a normal one now. According to this diet, this is a phase where you can eat practically everything from phase one and phase two, plus occasional indulgences.

During the three phases healthy snacks are recommended to keep your appetite and hunger at low levels.

Strong points:

It is healthy for your heart
It is not very strict, indulgences are allowed in the third phase
You can snack when you are hungry (twice a day during second phase)
You can even have chocolate
In the third phase you can eat practically anything you want.

Weak points:

It is a diet ( you cannot be on a diet all your life)
The first phase is very restrictive and you need willpower to get beyond it
Being so restrictive in the beginning you may lack essential vitamins and minerals
The weight loss is too rapid in the first weeks (if you give up on the diet you would definitely gain back those pounds immediately plus a few more)
It is a fad diet and it should be followed only with your doctor’s approval.

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