“A diet for life”
This phase deals with the life long period, maintaining your desired weight with a healthy balanced diet. The South Beach Diet phases provide a plan that you can easily stick to in order to maintain a healthy weight. You will have minimal cravings for bad foods and will have already settled into a eating plan that you’re happy with. If you find you’re putting on weight, you can simply go back to previous phases until you’re back to your ideal weight. You can then return to South Beach phase three again.
“Reintroducing Carbs”
In this phase the the good carbs are introduced back into your diet, you continue to lose weight until you reach your target weight.
You should use the glycemic index to pick foods that are low in carbohydrates in terms of how they effect your blood sugar levels (low glycemic index foods). Compared to the south beach phase 1, you will find that your rate of weight loss will slow down a little as the aim is to continue losing weight whilst increasing your carbohydrate intake. This should not tempt you to simply stay on phase one. The aim of the south beach diet is to focus on your health as well as your figure! .If you do find you’ve put on some more weight on phase 2 then the ideal thing to do is to return to phase 1 for a short period of time to lose the extra weight.
This is basically a monitoring phase on which you monitor your weight and how you react to certain carbohydrate containing foods.
Back In: Fruits except bananas, pineapple, raisins and watermelon. Limited amounts of granary bread, wholegrain cereals such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta, low-fat dairy products, wine and limited amounts of bitter-sweet or semi-sweet chocolate.
Banned foods: Refined breads and cereals, white potatoes, beetroot, carrots and corn.
“Banishing your cravings”
This is a 2 weeks of “strict” dieting and is the initial weight loss period. Nearly all carbohydrates are avoided but do not get the wrong idea. The South Beach diet states that you should never be left hungry. Suprisingly it actually includes six different times you can eat throughout the day. While you are on the South Beach diet, you should eat normal size portions that satisfy your real hunger. But certainly you should not go for more than that. However the food you do eat should be limited to “good fats” and foods with the lowest Glycemic Index needed for blood sugar control.
Dr Agatston (developer of the diet: states:
“For the next 14 days you won’t be having any bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or baked goods. No fruit, even. Before you panic: You’ll begin adding those things back into your diet again in 2 weeks. But for right now, they’re off-limits.”
Banned foods: Bread, potatoes, pasta, rice or baked products. Fruit, fruit juices, milk, yoghurt, full-fat cheese, butter, alcohol, sweets, cakes and any sugary foods.
You’re allowed: Lean cuts of meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, low-fat or fat-free cheese and some nuts. Low glycaemic index vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, celery), olive or rapeseed oil.
For snacks, you’re allowed to have low-fat cheese with celery,cucumber, turkey slices, and for desserts, sugar-free jelly and dishes made with low-fat ricotta cheese.
The South Beach Diet Meals help you to eat healthy and tasty food in the same and will not deprive you of the delicious food. Some of the quick meals you can try are:
Favourite Breakfast:
Two egg omelet made with Omega-enriched eggs, sauted sliced mushrooms, fresh cilantro, and chopped green onions.
Two slices of bacon (organic pork)
8 ounces of V8 juice (calcium enriched)
(Phase II - add slice of nine-grain toast or 1/2 cup seedless grapes)
Favourite Lunch:
1/2 avocado
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup black beans
1 chopped romano tomato
(Phase II - add Rye crisp craker with hummus spread)
Favourite Supper:
Grilled halibut
Roasted vegetables– asparagus, bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow), red onion, zuchinni, and yellow squash, olive oil, salt and pepper. Sponsored Links
Zone Diet Meals
Favourite Snack:
Roasted or raw almonds (15 count)
The South Beach Diet is not difficult for beginners also. One can easily adjust to the right carb, bad carb thing.
South Beach Diet for beginners phases
There are basically three phases in South Beach Diet. You eat normal portion sizes In Phase 1, but all carbohydrate are restricted. This is the strictest phase in the diet and will last for two weeks. It emphasizes lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish. Low-Glycemic-index vegetables are allowed as well as low-fat cheese, nuts, eggs. Dieters should expect to lose somewhere between 8 to 13 pounds. In Phase 2, some of the banned food are slowly introduced while weight loss continue to around 1-2 pounds per week. You should remain on it until you lost your desired amount of weight. Phase 3 is for maintenance and should be followed for life. Is all about maintaining your desired weight with a healthy balanced diet. Should your weight begin to climb, simply return to Phase 1.
Tips for south beach diet for beginners
- South beach diet beginners should drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water, decaffeinated beverages such as club soda, tea, coffee, or decaffeinated sugar-free soda every day
- South beach diet beginners should limit their intake of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day
- South beach diet beginners should take one multivitamin and mineral supplement daily
- South beach diet beginners should take 500 mg of calcium for both men and women under the age of 50, and 1,000 mg for women over the age of 50, each day