The South Beach Diet

I can't go a day at the studio without someone mentioning the South Beach Diet. Clients tell me about their friends' success (or failure) with the diet, they ask me if it works, if it's healthy, and if they should go on it. This fascination with the diet spreads well beyond the studio. People everywhere are talking about it. While some of this is certainly due to clever marketing, there is no doubt about it: The South Beach Diet is sweeping the nation.


So what is the South Beach Diet?

The South Beach diet is a three stage eating plan focusing on eating the right foods in moderate quantities. The first stage is a low carb, low calorie meal plan. You will eat meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, eggs, cheese, and nuts, but not much else. All starches and fruits are off limits during this phase. Although it is similar to the Atkins diet, there are some crucial differences. For starters, you can't eat endless quantities of bacon, cheese, and other high fat foods. Portions are controlled, and high fat processed foods are off limits. In addition, you are encouraged to eat most vegetables in almost unlimited quantities. And because saturated fat and cholesterol intake is kept reasonably low, you don't have the same health concerns associated with a typical Atkins diet.

One claim made by the author is that your cravings for starches and sweets will disappear after a few days on the diet. I've experimented with various low carb diets for over a decade, and I have never noticed this effect. Most people I have spoken with who have tried low carb eating have never noticed this effect either. So, just like other low carb diets, you will need some will power and personal motivation to succeed.

During the first phase, you will drop weight. Fast. There is no doubt about it, the combination of low calorie, low carb dieting will produce dramatic results. Of course, as with an Atkins diet, you will start eating fruit and starches again. With the Atkins diet, this is where most people fail, often canceling out the fat loss resulting from weeks of carb depletion with a few days of splurging.

However, the South Beach Diet takes this tendency into consideration. Instead of leaving you high and dry (and carb depleted), the author offers two more stages of dieting, each becoming less restrictive.

In phase two, you will re-introduce some starches back into your diet. Fruits, whole grains, and brown rice are all allowed in moderation. Ideally, you will stay in phase two until you reach your weight loss goals.

At that point, you will switch to phase three, which is designed as a lifestyle plan that will last the rest of your life.

While in general, I prefer lifestyle changes to diets, the South Beach Diet is actually both. Phase one is a highly restrictive, low calorie/carb diet that can be very hard to stick with. But if you can make it two weeks and then slowly re-introduce eliminated foods back into your diet, it can also be a great jump start to any fat loss plan.

It wouldn't be uncommon for someone to lose eight, ten, or even twelve pounds in the early stages of this program. On the other hand, it could also be another bad yo-yo dieting experience.

If you are thinking of giving it a try, make sure to set yourself up for success. Follow some of our expert advice to help ensure you reach your goals. Even if you're not going to try the South Beach Diet, we're sure you can still utilize some of the tips listed below.

1) Make a plan. Success doesn't just happen. Plan your meals in advance. Make shopping lists and make sure you healthy food choices available at all times. Decide what you are going to eat before you get hungry.

2) Buy only foods allowed on your eating plan. If you feel the need to buy snack foods for your family, that's fine—just don't buy your favorites. Besides, it won't hurt them to avoid chips and ice cream for a few weeks anyway.

3) Don't beat yourself up if you stray. Winner's need to have bad short term memory. You need to forget about your indiscretions and get right back to your healthful eating plan.

4) Don't let yourself get hungry. Hunger almost always assures overeating in the near future, so avoid it at all costs. Have snack foods pre-portioned in zip lock bags and take them with you everywhere. Eat them before you get hungry to bridge the gap between meals.

For information on the possible downsides of an unrestrained low-carb diet, see the article "Low Carb Diets... not the healthiest approach" by Joye Willcox, Ph.D., R.D., LDN of Healthy Diets, Inc. www.healthydietsinc.com