Home Diets to lose weight South Beach Diet, a very famous diet but … does it work?

South Beach Diet, a very famous diet but … does it work?

by Georgia Ede
Published: Last Updated on

Miami’s most popular diet

The South beach diet is a diet whose name comes from an area of ​​Miami that was carefully chosen by its creator to make it more commercial, since it is known as a beach area; what our mind associates with a beautiful body, at its ideal weight, tanned … in short, what everyone wants, a body to show off.

This type of diet is easier to make famous after a commercial name that anyone remembers and it is easy to recommend, which makes it spread and acquire followers and people really seek it without knowing what it initially consists of.

Its creator, a cardiologist named Arthur Agatson, decided to address the issue of overweight in a book in which he explains the weight loss plan, the purpose of which is to lose weight quickly and healthily.  Here we detail what type of diet it is, how to carry it out, how much weight you can lose with it, what side effects it can have, and everything you need to know to get going.

A plan based on a low carbohydrate load

The South Beach diet is a modified eating plan, a plan that significantly restricts carbohydrate intake to reduce caloric intake. As we have already commented on other diets that act under this same system, the abusive use of carbohydrates (mainly simple ones) in our diet makes an important restriction quite simple; since we consume them in excess.

Generally, carbohydrate restrictions can be a health problem if we talk about a balanced diet, but generally we make an exaggerated use of these, so a simple medium adjustment can mean that we make our diet a balanced diet and also get us to do lose weight , as it would reduce the caloric intake in the diet.

In addition to restricting carbohydrates , the diet proposes a higher protein consumption and a normalized consumption of healthy fats, eliminating saturated fats and processed products from the diet.

We have to bear in mind that it is not a hyperprotein diet , or anything like that, in short it is a balanced diet with a lower intake of carbohydrates than the current, which makes us lose weight quickly, since the fact of restricting simple sugars from our diet makes us subtract calories from our contribution. You can find other similar diets such as the Low Carb Diet or the Pronokal protein diet .

Fases de la dieta South beach

The diet is divided into 3 clearly differentiated phases, basically because a different objective is established during the phases.

During the first phase , a “detoxification” of those foods that are more difficult to eliminate, are present in our diet and are an obstacle to weight loss is intended; They are known as processed foods, simple sugars, refined foods, etc.

The idea is a crash plan , because not only do we intend in this phase to eliminate all that type of food that we should not consume more, but we also propose an exhaustive restriction of carbohydrates, in order to make the body detect that they are not provided. sugars and do a ” reset ” of your metabolic system, which will last two weeks.

You must base your diet on meat, fish, seafood, eggs, etc., basically proteins . You can consume vegetables, but it is recommended to do it raw. The food cooking system must be steamed, cooked or grilled.

Forbidden foods in the South Beach diet

  • Animal fats.
  • Pre-cooked and processed foods.
  • Sugars
  • Refined flours, cakes, cookies.
  • Sweet.
  • Rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, tubers.
  • Fruits and juices.
  • Sugary soft drinks.
  • Alcoholic drinks.

This kind of reset is a stage that lasts two weeks in which our body experiences a series of metabolic changes in which a rapid weight loss occurs. During this stage it is not a balanced diet, it is a hyperproteic diet such as the Dukan diet or the diet without carbohydrates , a safe bet for rapid weight loss, but healthy?

What happens when we noticeably restrict carbohydrates in our body?

The body needs carbohydrates for energy, so an important restriction produces important metabolic changes. When we do not have carbohydrates to burn in the body, we turn to the fat accumulated in the adipose tissue to obtain energy; For this, the body enters a state of ketosis , this favors weight loss by burning accumulated fat . You can find more information about this process on the ketogenic diet . 

This state for a period not exceeding two weeks does not produce significant damage to the body and motivates effective weight loss, but we should not exceed this time because it can have harmful consequences on our body.

During this first phase you will lose 4 to 6 kilos of weight , an important loss that will motivate us to start the second phase with enthusiasm and thus improve our physique quickly.

Second phase of the South beach diet

The second phase is a food reintroduction phase in which we will gradually include fruits, bread, pasta and cereals and we can consume more carbohydrates. It is important that we do it progressively to accustom the body to the reincorporation of carbohydrates progressively so that the body does not detect that they are being consumed again and decides to store them in the form of adipose tissue, in case we leave them again to consume as we have done previously in phase 1.

It should be a long-term stage in which we will continue to lose weight although more slowly, around 1 kilogram a week. It is an effective and healthy weight loss . During this stage we will achieve our ideal weight , it does not have a specific duration, it depends on the weight we want to lose.

Once the ideal weight is achieved, we will start the third phase. If you want to know how to calculate your ideal weight and how to get it, click here .

Third phase of the South Beach diet, maintenance

Once the ideal weight is achieved, the dietary restrictions are over, we can consume foods that have been prohibited until now but we must bear in mind that they are not healthy, and therefore we must consume them in moderation or occasionally.

Recommendations to lose weight in a healthy way

It is important to lead a healthy lifestyle based on a healthy diet that guarantees a correct amount of nutrients that allow the body to develop. The balanced diets are ideal for losing weight gradually and healthily avoiding the rebound effect of this type of extemal or strict diets or with significant restrictions of the major food groups .

From TakeDiets.com we always recommend carrying out healthy slimming systems, if you want to know more about how to lose weight in a healthy way you can consult the guide to lose weight in 5 steps .

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