South Beach Diet
Not all weight loss programs through dieting are created equal. Over the years, you might have already seen your share of diet programs which are popular one minute, and forgotten the next. These are also called fad diets.
Fortunately for those who wish to undergo a weight loss program through dieting that has withstood the test of time, there are a few ‘mainstays’ in the fitness industry. These mainstays are the diet plans which did not just gain overnight popularity. Instead, they stayed and stuck as long as they have, simply because they work.
Let us take a look at one such diet program which has managed to stand out from the rest of the pact: the South Beach Diet.
A Brief Background of the South Beach Diet
It’s probably only those who have been living under a rock who have not heard about the South Beach Diet. This popular weight loss book – which has spawned scores of others – was penned by Arthur Agatston, M.D.
He is a cardiologist and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. So how did he come up to be the bestselling author of the South Beach Diet?
As a cardiologist, Dr. Agatston’s original goal was to help chronically overweight heart patients to get their diets under control. He took one look at the existing diets in the fitness industry and decided that they were not good enough for his patients, so he set out investigating diets on his own.
The South Beach Diet became an international bestseller and has spawned other South Beach-based books.
The Premise
The premise of the South Beach Diet is to restrict your carbohydrate intake, so you need to cut down your consumption of potatoes, fruits, bread, pasta, rice and similar food items during the first two weeks of the program.
Basically, what the program tries to do is put a stop on your consumption of unhealthy fats and quit your craving for carbs. With the strict first phase of the South Beach Diet, the cycle of carbs craving will be broken, and you will slowly but surely be introduced to eating lesser, but healthier and better food.
How it Works
Whether your basis for the diet is the bestselling book or enrolling in the online program that they have, the same basic principle applies. According to their official website, the South Beach Diet works in three phases:
1. Eliminate cravings and kick start your weight loss.
This is a critical part of the South Beach Diet wherein you will get to lose as much as 8 to 12 pounds. The first phase lasts for two weeks and it aims to stabilize your blood sugar and minimize your cravings.
2. Lose steadily.
This is the not-so-stringent part of the South Beach Diet which focuses on long-term and steady weight loss.
3. Maintain for life.
Once you reach your healthy weight, you can adapt the principles that you have learned during the first two phases of the South Beach Diet. As a result, you’ll develop a keener sense in recognizing which food items are good for you and which ones are not – so that you can maintain a healthy weight for life.
What’s the ‘Price’ that I Have to Pay?
You can purchase the hardcover version of Dr. Agatston’s “South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight” book at Amazon.com for $16.47.
Or, you can register for the South Beach Diet online program. You will get the first 7 days for free, and then just pay $5 per week after that. You are free to cancel anytime and the website allows you to get a customized meal plan, tools to track your weight, phase and diet goals, and have 24-hour online support.
South Beach Diet: In Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, fad diets have come and gone – but the South Beach Diet has managed to stay on since the time that it became an international bestselling book. This means that Dr. Agatston has hit the mark when it comes to coming up with a weight loss program through dieting that actually works.
The South Beach Diet program is not at all the type of diet which will make you starve – which is great for all the food lovers out there. Instead, it manages to ‘teach’ you how to restrict your consumption of carbs during the first phase, maintain a regular and healthy weight loss pattern over the next few weeks – and maintain a healthier weight for life through the principles that you have learned from the South Beach Diet.
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