How Did It Begin?

The south beach diet is a diet that was started in Florida by a doctor named Arthur Agatston. The south beach diet lays emphasis on consuming of good carbs and fats and eliminates the consumption of bad carbs and bad fats. The south beach diet is made up of three phases.

Phase one of the south beach diet is where it all begins. You should check with your doctor before you begin the south beach diet or any other diet program. Phase one last 2 weeks. Dieters learn to eliminate insulin resistance by avoiding high or relatively high-glycemic carbs. These are foods like dairy foods, sugar, bread, candy, potatoes, and grains. For these two weeks, those on this diet consume normal size meals three times a day with snacks in between. Dieters are encouraged to eat until their hunger is taken care of. Alcohol should be avoided during this stage of the diet.

The Do’s And Don’ts

Some foods that you can have during the first phase of the south beach diet are lean cuts of beef, poultry, seafood, pork, veal, low fat luncheon meat, fat free cheese, nuts, peanut butter only 2 tbsp, eggs, vegetables, fats like olive oil, dairy only 2 cups of non fat milk or plain low fat yogurt, seasonings and spices like hot sauce, salsa, soy sauce, steak sauce, and light whipped topping.

Some foods to avoid during the first phase of the south beach diet are the fatty cuts of beef, processed chicken wings and legs and duck and goose, veal breast, honey baked ham, cheese that is non fat, corn, beets, carrots and sweet and white potatoes, avoid all fruit and fruit juice, all starches and carbs, alcohol of any sort should be avoided, no cocktail sauce, no ketchup, no pork rinds, no jerky, and limit your intake of coffee.

After you complete phase 1 you can move on to phase 2. In phase 2 of the south beach diet dairy products and whole grains are added back in, slowly. In smaller amounts than they were likely eaten before you started the south beach diet. Sweet potatoes and red wine are also added back in.

Phase three is known as the maintenance phase because this is the phase you are in, when you have reached your desired weight. You go to phase 3 so that you do not just stop dieting and gain all you weight back. Phase 3 includes adding three servings of whole grains and fruit a day.

Going Shopping

When you into your local grocery store you may see south beach diet foods on your grocers shelf. All of these foods are approved for dieters on the south beach diet. All guidelines are on the package so that they tell you how much you are suppose to eat. This also makes getting you south beach diet foods easy and convenient.

As with every diet the south beach diet takes commitment and will power. If you have gotten to the point where you have to do something because you are not happy with the way you are looking then you should consider the south beach diet.