Developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, The South Beach Diet touts itself as teaching dieters to eat the right carbs and the right fats. The diet has three phases. In the first dieter's banish their bad carb cravings and induce rapid weight loss. In the second phase, some types of carbs are reintroduced and weight loss is slower. The final phase is the 'Diet for Life' phase. This is the maintenance diet and will be followed for the rest of the dieter's life. If at any time the dieter begins to gain unwanted pounds, then he simply goes through the induction and pre-maintenance phases again.
The first phase emphasizes protein from high-quality meat sources with lots of fresh vegetables and salads with real olive oil dressing. Bread, rice, pastas, potatoes, baked goods, soy milk and cheese, yogurt, beets, carrots, corn and all fruit are forbidden in the 14-day induction phase. This includes all candy, cake, ice cream and sugar, plus meats that are cured in sugar or molasses.
The diet encourages three meals a day with a mid-morning and a mid-afternoon snack. There is also a daily meal plan. This plan includes strict portion control in the induction phase. An example of a daily snack is 20 peanuts. And 30 pistachios is another snack option.
Unlike Atkins, unlimited protein consumption is not advised or allowed on this diet. However, during the later phases of the diet some of the strict portion control does end and dieters are able to eat until satiated.
Some of the forbidden foods can be slowly reintroduced, sometimes in modified form in the second phase of the diet. The second phase lasts until the dieter's goal weight is reached. However, white flour products, potatoes, corn, carrots, beets and sweet fruits like banana and pineapple are still forbidden.
After dieters reach their ideal weight, they proceed on to their Diet for Life or maintenance diet.
In this phase the forbidden foods are processed foods, white flour products, sweet fruits, and foods with a high glycemic index in general.
During the 14-day induction period, Dr. Agatston predicts a weight loss of between eight and 13 pounds, with belly fat being the first to go. In the second phase dieter should continue to lose 1-2 pounds each week as long as they do not go overboard with the carb reintroduction.
About the author: Article by Beverley Brooke Visit http://www.healthandfinesse.com for more on the souc h beach diet
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Diet & Exercise Tips
Make your New Healthy Diet a LIFE STYLE!
Stop going on and off your diet! View it as a complete life style change. That way you'll never yo yo diet ever again. And there will be no diet to go off of. And remember it only takes 21 days to develop a habit. Even if you have developed a habit of over eating or eating all the wrong foods for the last 50 years. It only takes 21 days to change it!
Plan the Details
Since the first day will be the hardest, plan every detail possible the day before. For example: outline exactly what your going to eat, where your going to be, and what activities you have planned, for every hour of the day. Keep this outline with you and stick to the plan 100%.
EAT!
Many people make the mistake of thinking they have to stop eating to lose weight. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your body is programmed to speed up your metabolism and burn calories when you eat. The key is to eat healthier and drink plenty of water.
Eat Early!
When you do eat, do it as early in the day as possible. First, eating right when you get up gets your digestive system going. Second, your metabolism slows down as the day goes on. You don't want food sitting in your stomach overnight.
Breakfast
Doctors say that your metabolism doesn't really kick into gear until you eat your first meal of the day. Make it a point to have a good nutritional breakfast to start the day.
The Importance of Exercise
Many dieters mistakenly fail to include exercise as part of their diet plan. Losing weight involves two parts: eating less and exercising more. Make sure you properly plan exercise into your daily life and you will see fast weight-loss results.
Gain Muscle, Lose Fat!
Everyone thinks of Cardio exercise when they think of losing weight, but lifting weights should be part of your program too. Weight lifting builds muscles which makes you look more firm and helps you burn more calories! You don't have to lift heavy or long, just enough to start tiring out your muscles to get good results.
More Than Weight
Don't just use the scale to measure your success, there may be reasons you are gaining weight and still losing fat (such as gaining muscle or retaining water)
Vitamins
Taking a multi-vitamin can help supplement some of the nutrients your body misses, now that your not eating as much.
Cleanup Your Life!
Although they appear unrelated: clean out your car, your home, your desk, etc. As you diet, you are cleansing your body and getting healthy and right along with that comes cleaning out your entire life. From a mental standpoint, you are eliminating all that is dirty and impure and change your lifestyle completely.
And Last but Not Least, Water, Water and Water!!!
You've heard it before and you'll hear it again. Water is the best way to keep your metabolism going and keep your body healthy. Don't underestimate drinking water!
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"Self delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scale."
- Paul Sweeney
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