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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this is my third week on the sb diet, i dont think i have lost nearly the 8-13 pounds promised. i was able to fit into these pants that weeks before i could not get into, though. i have not weigh myself, just afraid.. i walk 4 times a week and do weights 3 times a week...why is my weight loss so slow???? i remember doing the atkins diet 2 years ago and i lost weight rapidly.... i must say i like this diet, but it does get boring after a while...you have to be very creative, very creative... with preparing meals....i am 5 feet tall with 166 pounds. i only want to loose 20 pounds. any suggestions, please post. thanks
Replyeveryone keep up the good work. we can do it....
Hi there
ReplyI started the SBD this past January after being on the depo birth control shot for three years... At first I thought the SBD was way too much work - I tried it once before and quit after a week, but I tried it again in January and stuck to it. I realized that one of the reasons for my weight gain was lack of time for cooking & I had been eating a lot of processed pre-made foods. I am now in phase 3, which just seems to be a glorified version of phase 2. This is the only point where I have noticed low energy, probably because I'm now super cautious about carbs and oddly enough, am not eating enough of them. I do yoga 3x a week and run outdoors once or twice a week. I love the SBD. I have lost 20 pounds. I only have 5 more to go. I will make it :) Be creative with your meals and take the time to enjoy cooking. My husband and I cooked together on it. In fact he said that some of the SBD meals were some of the best I'd ever made. I agree that not one diet works for everyone, but for me, this is the best I could have ever imagined. I feel great and I love it. It has totally changed the way I eat. I look great and feel secksi again :)
I have been on the South Beach Diet for almost 4 weeks. I have followed the phases exactly. After 3 weeks I only lost 2 lbs. and now in my 4th week, they are back.
I work out 3 times a week at Curves (can't do much more because of back and knee problems). This has been very frustrating. Any suggestions????????????????
ReplyHi,
Replyim on the 7th day of my diet and i cheated yesterday,feeling discouraged,i had chinese fried rice and hunan chicken,i couldnt resist it,please help me to get get back on track
Anyone?
ReplyI am a newbie with SB. I have a question on salad dressing. I do not care for the baslamic. Can I have the Marie's salad dressings? They have high calories (19 g. per serving) but they have 0 carbs and 0 sugar. Please advise.
Replysbd works for me, this is the second time i'm trying to lose weight with it, and still without fail, i am able to lose 9-10 lbs. after two weeks. phase I result is great, but i have to say that there is really not much variety as to what i can eat and i get so bored at eating. so i consider a large part of my weight loss may have come from i starving myself because i don't want more cheese sticks or a handful of nuts. anyways, i look forward to the coming of phase II where eating may become more of a joy to me again i suppose! :) best luck to all the dieters!!
ReplyYou could be writing about me.... The only thing you'd need to add is quitting smoking too. I feel great, and I have kept the weight off since January on this ( also my second attempt) diet. I even cheat on the weekends. You have got to keep a positive mindset and also relax... one cheat won't undo all of the good you've done. But I also believe that the regimend of exercise (in my case yoga and swimming) is very important too. Also, I spend a lot more money at the grocery store, but I like the challenge of trying to make healthy food taste great. I have a couple of friends who have had success on the SBD and we trade recipes whenever we find one we really like. I surpassed my target weight a couple of months ago so I'm just chillin now. Definitely a lifestyle for me more than a diet. Good luck everybody! Stick with it and be positive!
Reply
In 2005, I went on the SBD, in 4 months I lost about 30 pounds. From 198 to 170. I was also walking everyday for about an hour. I loved milk and still drank a glass or two 2% per day and a couple of spoon fulls of peanut butter was a must. I think I lived on McDonalds grilled chicken salads for lunch and string cheese, for the most part. However I took a trip and had a negative emotional experience and I stopped the SBD and gained it all back... I have missed wearing the size 12 paints that hang in my closet. So here I go again... I bought 2 large packs of chicken breast which contained about 7 large breast. I marinated them in olive oil and various herbs and baked them and then cut them in half and placed them each into zip lock bags two per day for a whole week. Then I cut up some veggies (Red bell pepper, squash, onion)and tossed them also in olive oil and herbs and baked them and did them same. Wah-Lah my meals were prepared for a week. I eat different salads on the side and mixit it up so I don't get board. I think the trick to prevent the withdraws from sugar and bad carbs is to eat as much fresh RAW veggies as possible so to get all the live enzimes to help digest the meat and cheese. I recently went on a raw food no meat diet which was a very fast weight loss as well. But until I can get off the large amount of weight I have I am going to continue with the basic SBD. I plan to eat as much raw as possible. I juiced a cucumber and a bunch or celery this am to get alot of live food into me with out the carbs or calories. Try RAW nuts and RAW nut butters. Good luck to all.
ReplyCheers,
Gigi
Unfortunately, I find this diet to be impractical. First, and foremost, this diet is EXPENSIVE! Second, you need to be willing to invest alot of time in food preparation. I guess that's why it's called the "South Beach Diet" (for all the rich people that either have a personal chef (with a large budget) or own a restaurant. Much of the food you need to purchase goes bad (i.e. cilantro, turkey for the wraps, etc.) before you can eat it all. Also, alot of wine is used in the preparation of meals. Unfortunately, I don't like wine. The only other recommended fluid is water, except for vegetable or tomato juice at breakfast. I don't drink soda (never have), but I like milk (even skim milk). Very little is mentioned about exceptable beveragesPerhaps this diet would be more effective if I was sharing the expense with a mate, but, I'm single. But, to say something nice, the meals taste good and are filling. Before I bought The South Beach Diet book, I lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks by simply cutting out all sugar and most (not all) starchy carbs (potatoes, corn and rice). I only want to loose 7-8 more pounds, whereupon my body fat will be less than 6-7%. I guess I just need to start jogging.
ReplyHi! I started the South Beach Diet 3 days ago. So far I don't feel hungry at all and I feel like it's going so well that I'm wondering if I may not be doing it right. For breakfast I've been making an egg white omelette with turkey, alpine lace swiss and 2 slices of turkey bacon. It keeps me so full that I eat lunch much later of turkey and salad and a little vinegar and for dinner I have been making stir fry with olive oil, red, yellow, orange peppers, zuchini with tomatoe sauce and chicken. I had a sugar free fudgcicle (1) night for dessert and a slice a alpine lace for a snack the other night. Am I doing this right so far? Please confirm, I want to make sure I'm on the right track.
ReplyDoes anyone ever respond to our inquiries about the diet on here????? Between my questions and the 4 or 5 before me, not one person was responded to.
ReplyCan anyone tell me if the kraft meals can be used in phase 1 of the sbd
ReplyAfter the first week on SBD, I've lost 7lbs. Definitely a good amount of water weight but I tend to bloat so I don't mind. Feeling good and inspired... I did NOT cut back on caffeine - I have a toddler - and still am losing weight and each day have fewer cravings.
When I do have sweet cravings I have sugar free jello pudding and/or diet pop. Diet Root Beer is a real treat.
For carb cravings, I pulled a Sex and the City stunt (when they took the trip to L.A.). I took a bite of lasagna, chewed it, spit it out and rinsed my mouth. That was enough. I tried the same with a dessert.
I feel good about the strict guidelines of Phase I because I was enjoying too much wine anyway and the calories were adding up. Happy to report I am not missing that relaxation technique.
ReplyJenny - the Kraft meals will indicate on the box whether they are appropriate for Levels 1, 2 or 3 (or all).
ReplyYou are on the right track, but you should buy/read the book. It explains what you can and can't eat and then you don't have to rely on anyone to answer these questions for you. Another benefit of having the book is that it gives you a variety of foods to eat from in the first phase, which is the strictest. In my opinion, variety is the key to making it through the first phase.Keep up the good work. I lost 20 pounds 6 months ago. You're in the hard stage now, but it'll get easier.
Reply
Lisa, I'm not trying to be harsh or mean or anything like that, but c/s (chewing and spitting) is an Eating Disordered behaviour. Please, for the love of god, do not keep on doing this.
ReplyOk, so I got the book with the lists of good and bad foods, also got the recipe books, but nowhere do I see HOW MUCH of this stuff can a person eat!!! I mean, how many salads can I have per day? so I just eat until I feel full? what are the parameters? Anyone know? The recipe book states how many servings each recipe makes (usually 4 servings) so does that mean I can eat all 4 if I'm hungry, as long as it's all aproved ingredients from the good list?
ReplyI am on the 2nd day of the SBD. I have been diagnosed with PCOS about 7 years ago. When I went to the OB/GYn the other day and she said she thinks the South Beach Diet will help me tremendously... she did say she thinks its a great way of life, not so much a diet! With that being said. I am looking forward to losing weight that is so hard for me to lose despite my 5 days a week in the gym. If you don't know about PCOS, it is an insulin sensitive, ovarian, fertility disorder that makes it very hard to lose weight and get pregnant. Hopefully once the wieght and insulin are in check that will mean great things for me as a potential mom!!!
I do work 5 days a week, so I am curious as to how my energy will hold up! Hopefully good, bc I do love to work out! (not many people really enjoy it)
I will keep you up to date. Does anyone on here have PCOS? I saw one person ask about it months ago with no responses. Just wondering what anybody has experienced with the combined. I am also on Metformin. This might be a huge help when it comes to losing the weight also.... those with dibetes know what Metformin is.
Any advice is always good?
ReplySarah, I have PCOS and I'm on metformin. Although I'm not on the SBD, I do try to eat lower-glycemic. It has helped me a lot with the PCOS symptoms, mainly the abdominal weight gain.
ReplyOkay, it's a week for me on Phase I and I've lost 5 lbs. I guess that's good. It hasn't been that hard, definitely a little boring but I haven't really been hungry at all. I have the book but it doesn't really tell you all you need to know. On the foods that your allowed to eat I've noticed that their are some missing. Because if you look at the recipes for Phase 1 they have items that are not on the list of foods we can eat. Like Chick peas/Hummus, or cesar salad and a few others. So I guess to see what your allowed to eat you need to look at the list plus browse the recipes to help. The only part that I'm confused with now is does the diet still work if you don't eat your meals so regimental. For example I may have breakfast be very full and not eat lunch until much later, then a small snack then dinner. I'm guessing and hoping this is right. I also read in the book that if you have a significant amount of weight to lose you can stay on Phase 1 for a while. So I am going to really try to do this. If anyone has input please let me know.
ReplyI found this site because I have been having a problem with diahrea since I began the SBD. I think I may make an appointment with a doctor to see if I have food allergies. All I know is, about 30 to 40 minutes after I finish eating, it's a race to the bathroom. I want to lose 50#. I began the diet four days ago, and so far, the scale says I have lost 4#. I too have lost a lot of water. I am awakened each night with at least one bathroom trip. At first I thought that the diet was too limiting. But I am trying some of the recipes and have picked a Quick SBD cookbook at the used book store. Tonight I took a pork loin roast, sliced off several thin pieces, cooked them in a skillet with pam after I had seasoned them with lemon pepper, them squeezed some lemon juice on them on my plate. I accompanied that with a hot spinach salad from the new cookbook. For tomorrow, I ground up the remaining pork loin and am making a stuffed pork burger from that same book. The ground up meat is mixed with store bought pesto sauce, salt and pepper, and a 1/2 oz piece of mozzerella cheese in the center. If I make an effort to try different recipes, I don't hate the diet. I must say that eggs are getting a little old. I may do a level 1 and 2 combo and allow myself the oatmeal, good cereal, or a piece of whole wheat toast with the egg. However, the rest of the day I will stick with Level 1. Anyone out there been on this program more than 2 months???
ReplyHello Everyone, I just gave birth 3 weeks ago and planning to go on diet to loose the fat I gained during my pregnancy.
Question: I am nursing, should I skip Phase 1 and start on Phase 2?
I never like eating cold food (i.e. salad), what other meal can you guys recommend?
Thanks
ReplyI think anyone that doesn't see the need for Phase 1 is probably a person that does not have intense, excessive cravings for carbohydrates. I have always had carb cravings and they can be overwhelming. Phase 1 elminates these cravings, therefore eliminating the distraction from healthy eating that they caused. The books state that if you do not experience such carb cravings, you do not need to start in phase 1 and can start in phase two. That if you have bad carb cravings, you can continue past 2 weeks, not to exceed 4 to stop cravings. There for Phase 1 is something someone without these intense carb cravings would see no need for.
ReplyAbout the question whether you should skip Phase 1 while nursing, YES! Start in Phase 2 but talk to your doctor first. Your body needs proper nutrition to make breastmilk and to take care of your own body during this time.
ReplyAbout combining phase 1 and phase 2. My opinion on that is to just go to phase 2. If you eat cereals and breads while in Phase 1 it will take your body out of ketosis, the point of phase 1 and the way you lose a lot of fat first. There are so many variations on eggs that if you get creative you might be able to stick it out the rest of Phase 1. good luck roseanne!
ReplyHi Everyone - In my search for SBD answers I found an awesome website which is actually updated and moderated often:
Replyhttp://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/forum/index.php
In phase 1, can i drink as much skim milk as i want? For a snack, can i go and have a big skim latte??
ReplySHIFT WORK HINTS??? - I am new to SBD (Day 3) and work shifts (8 hours - day, evening or nights)... does anyone have any helpful hints?
I'm on evenings this week and have been having my big dinner at lunch and barbecuing enough meat to put on a salad which is easier to eat as my break at dinner. It seems to be working okay but wonder if the switch is throwing me off.
Also what about night time snacks? Sometimes at the end of a crazy shift I'm famished.... (I work in an emergency department so I'm usually racing the whole time) but want to go to bed right after.
ReplyI find it interesting that the exercisers lose less weight than those who don't seem to exercise. I guess this really means you are only losing water weight in the first 2 weeks.
I just started today and it was hard! I'm eating all the time, which I realize now is because, well, I'm hungry and I should eat when I'm hungry. I used to kill hunger pangs with sugar, but I'm learning to cut that out.
I'm extremely addicted to caffeine though and I need the coffee! I need it! I'm trying to change, but . . . one step at a time.
I'm going to exercise too though. I think I'll merge Phase 1 and Phase 2 together in some way to give me the energy I need to workout. I get now that it's kind of reality to have to adjust a diet in order to stick to it.
Hopefully this will work for me.
Replyhello all, I just started phase one on monday, I feel wonderful, no nausea or anything, I have been following the diet plan and drinking lots of water and decaf tea w/ no sugar... Its a challenge for me, because I as well been on diets and diet pills, so I look forward to see how this one will work for me... next week is probably when it will hit me that I have not been eating carbs.
ReplyI went on the SBD my senior year of college and lost alot of weight. I had my Gall Bladder removed the year before because of all the poor food choices I was making. A doctor recommended SBD after I almost hit 200 lbs on the scale. I started at 198 and made it down to 160. I stayed on Phase 1 for about 4 weeks. I stopped driving across my campus and walked EVERYWHERE oonce I switched to Phase 2.
I'm now at about 165 and getting married in 3 months. I'm 5'9", and a size 12. I would really love to get down to a solid size 10 for the wedding. I'm in very good health now and work out 3-4 times per week. But I've found that calorie restriction just isn't working. I've started back on SBD today, and for the first time in 3 years I'm back on Phase 1.
I didn't plan well, and I am going grocery shopping tonight to restock the cabinets. Its hard because my fiance isn't good about not tempting me with yummy carbs when we eat dinner. Especially because he is a professional arena football player who gets paid to keep his weight up. NOT FAIR! I wish I could get paid to be fat! lol
Wish me luck! I'll keep ya'll updated with my progress. Hopefully I'll make it down to 150 for the wedding!
ReplyHey Everyone.
I started the SBD on Monday so I'm on Day3 of Phase One now and I'm finding it difficult because I really don't like much vegetables and salads are a big no no. I'd rather go hungry than eat them. Is it ok to eat plenty of protein and just a small amount of veg??
My typical diet has been:
Breakfast:
one egg
2 slices of lean bacon
Lunch:
Some sort of meat and very little veg
Snack:
30 pistachios of a chunk of low-fat cheese
Dinner:
Some sort of meat and very little veg
I cant seem to find appetizing veg anywhere. I think I have tried everything and everything I like seems to be banned from Phase One (like peas and sweetcorn). Does anybody have any ideas or is in the same boat as me?
I haven't weighed myself as of yet because I feel I'll be really disappointed (causing me to give up) because I'm feeling so bloated and my bowel isnt working half as well as it used to. Why is this?
Thanks....
ReplyI started this about two weeks ago after losing 40 lbs on Weight Watchers- I felt nauseous and heart burn on Weight Watchers, relied on bread and pasta to fill me up- a very "Beige" diet with a big bowl of veggies once a day- I just couldn't stick to it any more, I was feeling so confined in what I ate- hungry all the time
I like South Beach- I started by getting some deli turkey slices and some light cheeses (Mozz, jack, cheddar and havarti)- not non-fat, as SBD advises against- and happily eat those through the day, eggs and veggies a couple times a day with a light protien meal like tuna salad or grilled chicken salad for dinner- lost 6 lbs, some water but clothes are fitting better- had cramps after a cheat one day (full sugar chocoalte puding)
I call this a 'no crap' diet- not low carb, not low fat or fad- just 'no crap'
If you don't like the traditional dieters plate of raw veggies (I don't) then try sauteeing chopped veggies of your choice in seasonsing salt, with broth or water or lemon juice to help them cook- very yummy! IT recommends 4-5 cups of veggeies a day, don't miss out or your body will feel BAD
Lots of liquid too- I drink tea with milk all day (I'll deal with caffeine addition another time)
ReplyYou need to find veggies you'll enjoy- try cucumber, tomato and red pepper s slices with either store bought dip or hummus
If you want to make a yummy dip mix some light sour cream or plain yogurt with salsa- delicisious with veggeis
Try cooking green beans, asparagus, broccoli florets or slices of zucchini until they are bright green in a frying pan with some water, salt and pepper and even some lemon juice
Veggies will taste better than they did when you were a kid, I promise
You can cook pieces of red or yellow pepper this way till soft as well- cover to cook faster, add more water if it boils away
ReplyDay 1 on the SBD and I am so hungry. I did not have 3 meals. I had breakfast and dinner. Is that bad to do? Will I still lose the weight or will I gain? It has been a really rough day!! Any suggestions?
ReplyHi Joy--
ReplyI'm not an expert on South Beach Diet, but you are probably hungry because you're not eating enough! 2 meals a day is probably not enough for you. If you are not taking in enough calories, you're more likely to get so hungry that you overeat. Also, if you take in too few calories for a longer period of time, your body thinks that you are starving it and holds on to every calorie you eat, so you will not lose weight. (or you'll lose muscle and not fat, which is not good!)
I am on day 5 and i weigh exactly the same. I have been following the rules, but yet no weight loss.
I was wondering though, if sugar free Jell-O pudding was ok. Anyone?
ReplyOne more thing...is diet soda ok?
ReplyHello Different Nic
Day 2
Thanks for the advice. I had breakfast and lunch so far today. I find it a little bit easier today, but I feel like I have gained. Maybe because I should not have skipped a meal yesterday. I am going to give it a week and see how I feel.
Joy
Reply