South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a weight-healthy lifestyle designed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami. Originally developed as a weight-loss plan for his overweight heart patients, he found additional health benefits that led to further diet research and refinement. Thus the South Beach Diet was born.

There are three basic “phases” to the South Beach Diet:  (1) Eliminate Cravings and Kickstart Weight Loss; (2) Lose Steadily, and (3) Maintain for Life. In the first phase, which lasts two weeks, you will eliminate cravings for sugar and refined starches and jump-start your weight loss. This is done by eating nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods, including lean meats, low-fat dairy, veggies, and eggs. This is similar to the Atkins Diet, where carbs play a very reduced role in the diet.

The second phase of the South Beach Diet is where you will lose the weight. You will incorporate some “good” carbs into your protein-rich diet, still be able to snack, and can either prepare your own food, use South Beach diet recipes, or buy commercially prepared South Beach diet foods.  A bonus of this diet is the website. As a member you will get daily meal plans and food suggestions. You will also have access to a recipe widget and large inventory of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. South Beach Living food products are available in most grocery stores throughout the country and include cereal/snack bars, meal replacement bars, pizzas, wraps, and cookies. South Beach has also teamed with Kraft Foods and has lists of recommended food items that can be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks or dessert, expanding your range of food and making it easier to incorporate into family-style meals.

The final phase is maintenance, adopting the South Beach lifestyle for life. This kicks in once you have reached your weight loss goal. You take what you learned in the second phase—making smart food choices, assessing portion control, learning to cook in a healthy fashion—an apply it to your everyday life. This phase is less restrictive on carbs, but still dependent on a low-carb, high-protein diet. You should be able to maintain your weight loss in this final phase.

In addition to South Beach diet books and cookbooks, the website— rated the Overall Best Diet Website by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute in its February '09 evaluation—offers discussion groups, weight tracker, recipe finder, meal planner and a shopping list generator, among other things.