South Beach Diet Investigated
I purchased the latest edition of the South Beach Diet and read it anew. The most recent edition has updates to the foods, and a number of other fixes.
South Beach Diet Basics
The South Beach Diet is written by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston. In essence, it's a reduced carbohydrate diet, that emphasizes the value of whole carbohydrates and the glycemic index. Some people have mis-interpreted the diet has being another "low-carb" diet or another version of Atkins. I believe this is incorrect.The South Beach Diet has also been derided as just another fad diet. Only time will reveal whether this is true. It may appear to some as being a fad diet, but I think the South Beach has more value than that. Apart from all our opinions, probably no other book has educated as many people in responsible nutrition. It emphasizes the values of healthy fats, and the blood sugar / insulin response of many of the processed carbohydrate foods that we eat.
The book itself is half filled with recipes and 14 day meal plans for each of the phases. The text is interspersed with testimonies and stories from various people who have used the South Beach Diet.
South Beach Diet On-line
The South Beach Diet has it's own on-line program with all the tools you would expect (meal/menu planners, forums, weight trackers). The only real advantage of signing up to the on-line program is that you get access to about 800 recipes, AND access to a complete vegetarian version of the diet. Quite frankly the extra recipes provide a lot more variation to the diet. You can see the on-line version here.The 3 Phases
The South Beach Diet is broken up into 3 phases: Phase 1 - An induction phase - no longer than 2-3 weeks. Phase 2 - A weight loss phase where Phase 3 - A life-long maintenance phase.Phase 1 - Induction
Phase 1 is most definitely a low-carb phase where most carbohydrates (and all starchy carbs) are completely eliminated. Agatston emphasizes that this phase should never go beyond 2-3 weeks. This phase causes the most weight loss (Agatston claims 8-13 pounds).To be honest, out of all aspects of the South Beach Diet, phase 1 is the only thing that I question. Agatston claims this phase is required in order to "break sugar addiction". I really wonder whether this is necessary. Many people find this phase quite hard, and I wonder whether it is a nod to instant gratification. Dropping carbs out of your diet often results in rapid weight loss for a short period, some will be fat, some may be muscle, and a lot will be loss of water.
Phase 2 - Weight Loss
The second phase of the South Beach Diet is excellent. It reintroduces whole carbohydrates along with good fats and lean proteins. It teaches you how to make good food choices, and how to satisfy your hunger.Phase 3 - Maintenance
I'm really not quite sure of the need of this phase. The foods appear no different than Phase 2. I'm obviously missing something.Vegetarians
The South Beach Diet book has very little about vegetarian options, however, the online version of the diet has a complete vegetarian version with meal plans and recipes.Exercise and Fitness
Agatston devotes a few pages to this, recommending at least 20 minutes per day of cardio activity. He also recommends weight training - particularly for women - not only for it's metabolism-boosting assistance, but also for building strong bones. But make no mistake - this is a diet book, and the emphasis on exercise is small.Criticisms
The South Beach Diet is not about calorie-counting - it emphasizes appropriate levels of fiber and fats in order to feel properly satiated. The opposite effect is eating empty calories (such as sugars) that do not satisfy our hunger but will ultimately convert to fat.Many people argue that to lose weight you must count calories. I believe that calories most definitely count, but not everyone need count them. I for one could not spend the rest of my life monitoring food intake - however calorie counting may be necessary for a short time. It's a personal thing.
Conclusion
The South Beach Diet has it's detractors, and no one diet is appropriate for everyone by any means. However the South Beach Diet has brought about a rebalancing in nutrition. We've come to realize the not all fats are bad, and not all carbs are good.The alliance between the South Beach Diet and food manufacturer Kraft brings Agatston's credibility into question. Considering Agatston criticizes processed food - it seems odd that he would partner with Kraft Foods. However one could also look at is as if Agatston is trying to bring change from the inside - by helping to improve the offerings the food company.
I think the South Beach Diet is worthwhile, but I question Phase 1, and don't necessarily see the need for it.
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BS3, you must be a great student. So many of mine don't care, they just want to party on mommy and daddy's dime.
I hope you have a wonderful birthday. You don't have to make everything for the party yourself. Where I live, you can buy wonderful hummus in the supermarkets, some with garlic, eggplant, etc. Remember, you're supposed to enjoy your own party, not stress!
Which birthday will you be celebrating? I'll be doing the big 5-0 in November. I don't know whether to celebrate that one or mourn. I don't have any wrinkles yet, anyway, and at 15 lbs. lighter, I guess I don't look too bad for an old broad.
I have to go and catch my episode of "Mad Men." The women in that show sure do look great, but the sexism is enough to make you sick! Good thing those days are past! I think young women today forget what some of us had to put up with!
ReplyI consider myself to be a good student yes.I take pride in my work or else I won't do it.And I pay for school myself lol so theres no partying on my money!!
I'm going to be 25.I'm pretty excited.You're right I should just buy things.I get so worked up about my birthday and I should just be having fun you're so right!I remember when my mom turned 50.It was the year Disney turned 50.She went to Cali and got the gold ears and everything hehe it was so cute!I hope you get to do something fun and fabulous!! And yes some woman do forget what our mothers had to go through to put us here we are.Its sort of annoying actually!
ReplyAt 25, you are mature enough to appreciate the value of your education. Sometimes, wonder whether it is better for some of these young folks to just wait a couple years or go to a community college and live at home until they grow up. One of my best students was a 26-year-old young man who realized when he was 18 that he was not ready for the college experience, but when he entered in his mid 20s, his work ethic and performance were way above the younger students.
Well, you're at the quarter century mark, and I'll be at the half! I don't know what we'll do, as I don't have too much money to spend with two kids of my own in college.
ReplyHi Everyone,
ReplyI've been on South beach for for four full days. I started at 157, and this morning I was 152.
I lost like 55 lbs last year...but this year I was at a stand still. No nausea or bad side effects so far.
The calorie counting just is not for me. This seems a lot easier and everyday I weigh a little less.
I do confess that I will be much happier on Phase Two...I'm running out of things to cook.
Any meal suggestions for Phase one?
I got sick of the eggs very quickly, as well as just protein and veggies for lunch and dinner. Some people will eat cheese and lean meat, such as lean ham slices for breakfast. If you crave something carb-like at night, I enjoy the South Beach mashed potatoes made with pureed cauliflower and lowfat half/half -- you can throw some lowfat cheese in, too. I'm also a big fan of the Italian style spaghetti squash. With tomato sauce and cheese, it's very filling, almost like a pasta. I usually get more than one meal out of it, too,and it's inexpensive -- the spaghetti squash and zucchini are cheap and make a lot of servings. I'm not sure if it's phase I or II, but it is not super-starchy like a butternut squash, and it doesn't take much to fill you up.
ReplyHey everyone! Well today I am on day 16 of the SBD and I had a sugar free chocolate which I thought was very good however when I looked on the pack it said it had 17grams of carbs and 180 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat. You must understand I work in a work place where when we are all having lunch together the girls follow up their huge filled rolls with a chocolate bar or crisps and today i thought hmmmm i'm going to get a sugar free one from the health food store and be one of the gang! haha anyways i just wanted to know (since this is the only constructive forum i have found) is my chocolate bar that bad?? I mean it didnt have sugar in it but how many carbs (grams) are we supposed to have per day??
ReplyThanks in advance to a response.....
I don't know if South Beach has a "limit" on carbs. If you're on Phase II, which you should be by Day 16, you are allowed some carbs like fruit and whole grain cereal. It's the kind of carbs, complex vs. simple that is what is important. A bowl of steel cut oatmeal has more carbs than your sugar free candy bar, but it also has more food value nutritionally.
ReplyPhase II does allow small amounts of dark chocolate, up to 75 calories, as a treat. This would be 2-3 squares of a Hershey's "dark special" bar (less than 1/2 and ounce). Thi amounts to about 12 carbs and 6 grams of fat. I would rather have a small amount of the "real thing" rather than a larger amount of "sugar free" or "diet" candy to satisfy my urge.
Hey everyone! Hope everyone is doing well.I am doing as great as I could be i suppose.I went to the neurologist today.He was concerned that after all my headaches and dizziness no one has ever fully evaulated the situation with a MRI or sent me to a cardiologist,anything.So thats where I'm headed.I have like 7 test I have to get done in the next couple of weeks.I'm pretty nervous.But after years of dealing with this I want it to be over with.I am glad that I finally spoke up to my dr and said enough send me where I need to go so i can take care of myself.The rest is in the hand of medicine I suppose
ReplyThanks Rosemarie your comments helped me to understand a little better. It is my first time on a diet so sometimes I get confused! Thanks again! :-)
ReplyGlad to hear you are getting the medical help you need, BS3.
With South Beach, it's not just "a diet" because it works differently. It's not about counting calories, and after Phase I, it's not about counting carbs, but on getting moderate amount of quality, low glycemic carbs that won't raise your blood sugar and make you crave more carbs. And of course, you are also eating low fat foods, olive oil, and lean protein, so it's not like Atkins, which is very high fat. You can also eat protein and most veggies until you're full, so you don't have to do too much portion control. We have made things simple in our house -- we've banned all "White foods" -- white bread, potatos, pasta, etc., as well as cookies, crackers, and the like. There are whole aisles in the grocery store that we don't even visit anymore; we also eat a lot fewer packaged foods.
My husband and I have had some good success on this diet. He lost 18 lbs. in the first 2 weeks, although he has not lost much since then, but he is diabetic, and his numbers have been very good since being on this diet. I've been on it about 3 months and have lost 15 lbs. I have 5-10 more to go. I must admit that my energy level is the best it has ever been, and even with modest weight loss, the belly fat seems to go first. It is a good lifestyle diet, and I like that you get snacks in the morning and afternoon, so you don't suffer from hunger.
I hope the diet works for you!
ReplyHey Rosemarie thanks for your tips and encouragement there, it's great to hear from people that are so positive about it. Well done to you and your husband!
I was wondering though, what I do for dinner or a lunch is I will put some olive oil in the pan (small bit only) then put in the chicken/vegetables/cashews/seeds and then a bit of curry paste to add flavour to it. Anyways i was wondering does it matter if you cook your foods in olive oil? Because i also do my bacon and eggs in the morning like that, I'm careful not to use too much and only use it twice a day but thought i should ask just in case i'm doing it wrong!
ReplyOlive oil is good because it is polyunsaturated. But I would skip the bacon, unless you are using Canadian bacon or turkey bacon, which are low in fat. Animal fat is a no-no, unlike in Atkins Diet. SBD even recommends low fat for dairy -- cheese, yogurt, etc. I use Olivio margarine, which is a "tub" margarine made of olive oil. We use lean ham instead of bacon if we want meat with the eggs. If you have the SBD book, you will see that eggs are OK, but not bacon, except for Canadian bacon, which is more like a lean ham.
ReplyHey everyone!! Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend.I'm sick again and its annoying.I get sick right before my birthday every year like clockwork.Oh well.I bought groceries for work and suprisingly no one ate it.So it made it so much easier to have my lunch and not worry what I was eating.Honestly I had gotten way off track for like 2 and a half weeks.I felt pretty bad about it but then I realized I was being silly.After my ups and downs im down 46 pounds which is so awesome I think.I wanted to be 50 pounds lighter by my birthday party which is so possible.I never thought I would lose so much wieght ever in my life.I know I sound like a broken record but I'm happy about it.I eat the same thing everyday for the most part which is boring,but it doesnt bother me.I feel safe.Oh my gosh TasteyKake(did I even spell that right?) makes these sugar free coffee cakes that are SO amazing.Or maybe since I don't ever really have sugar they taste normal to me.I am SUPER nervous about my birthday.Im going out to dinner Wednesday and Friday is the big party.I know everyone and their mother is going to want to buy me a drink.And theres going to be cake of course.I'm going to try and just have one drink.I also asked that my friend makes me mini cupcakes and not a big cake,then I could have one and not feel bad.:)I'm done being random for now.Hope you're all well :)
ReplyCongratulations and happy birthday, BS3!
I have been indulging in little mini-cheats lately, but I'm being so careful. Like... last night I had about 3 bites of a piece of white flatbread. It was good.
Today, I weighed myself and I'm officially 1 pound under my first goal (250 - which I was trying to hit by 12-1-2008.) I need a new goal! I did it and I did it with like a month and a half to spare!
3-10-2008: 318.8
10-19-2008: 249
I'm going to roll this around in my head for a few days before settling on a new goal...
ReplyThanks chica!! Flatbread never hurt anyone hehehe.Well I say you make your new goal to be 220 which is a nice round number lol. I was really hoping to be 50 pounds lighter by my birthday and hello its totally happening.Its insane.INSANE!! I don't know what to make my new goal either.I suppose I would like to lose 20 more pounds by January 1st.Thats totally doable I think.YAY!!
ReplyCool thanks again Rosemarie! Nice to get my questions answered, I bought the SBD cookbook on the weekend so that should help me with some recipes!! :-)
Reply