South Beach Diet Review

Diet Review

By Karen Asp

While there are some drawbacks to this diet, it's overall healthy approach to eating higher quality meals.

Of the three phases in the South Beach Diet, the first is the most difficult to stick with, namely because it's the least flexible. During this two-week phase, you'll cut out bread, cereal, oatmeal, pasta, rice, baked goods, yogurt, all fruits and fruit juices, and some vegetables. Many of these foods are processed carbohydrates, which Agatston believes cause weight gain. Yet there are several healthy foods in this list, and many nutrition experts don't agree with such restrictive eating. Plus, losing a large amount of weight -- like the eight to 13 pounds this phase promises -- in a two-week period, isn't considered the most effective approach for long-term weight-loss success.

In phase two, you'll reintroduce some of the previously prohibited foods into your diet, but with several caveats: For starters, you can eat pastas and breads, but only if they're whole grain and although you can eat most fruits, you'll still need to avoid bananas, juices, pineapples, raisins and watermelon. You’ll also need to steer clear of certain vegetables, including beets, corn and potatoes. Fortunately, you'll be losing only one to two pounds a week, which most studies show is the safest, most effective way to lose weight and keep it off in the long term. You’ll stay in phase two until you reach your goal weight.

By phase three, which you'll maintain for life, Agatston claims your blood chemistry will have improved and your unwanted weight will be gone. This is the most liberal part of the diet, as there are no food lists in phase three. If you want something, Agatston says have it--as long as it doesn't make you gain weight.

Meal plans and recipes are included in all phases, making this an easier diet than others to follow. And if you fall off the wagon, Agatson recommends going back to phase one for a week or two before returning to phase three. One of main drawbacks to this diet? Although exercise is encouraged, the book includes only general guidelines.

Is the diet healthy?

Yes, but only if you follow phases two and three. Phase one is too restrictive, and the weight-loss expectations aren't effective for long-term success. However, if you start with phase two, you'll be eating high-quality, wholesome foods, taking in about 1,400 to 1,500 calories a day, which will help you lose weight at a steady rate without feeling deprived.

What do the experts say?

"Generally speaking, the South Beach Diet is healthy and can help you not only lose weight, but also overcome health conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., author of "The Flexitarian Diet" and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "However, some parts are healthier than others." Phase one, for instance, is considered taboo by most registered dietitians because it eliminates food groups and isn't well balanced. "You should also avoid reading the theory behind the original diet, which is all about how sugar digests in the body and how that affects weight loss, when in fact, it's really about calories," Blatner says, adding, though, that the newest book, South Beach Diet Supercharged, does address calories. However, phases two and three are healthy, encouraging wholesome foods like whole grains, fruits, and unsaturated fats. "I've never seen a diet that pushes such wholesome foods, including lean proteins and dairy, unsaturated fats, and fruits and veggies," she says, adding that she loves the meals and recipes in these two phases. One big negative? The lack of guidance in the exercise plan, but fortunately, the South Beach Diet Supercharged addresses this, offering a comprehensive exercise program. "

Who should consider the diet?

Anybody who wants to lose weight, improve health conditions like high blood pressure and cholesterol and sample new recipes.

Foods

Because the diet is divided into three phases, you'll be following three different food plans, moving from more to less restrictive eating.

In phase one, you'll be eating six times daily, fitting in breakfast, lunch, dinner, two mid-meals snacks and a dessert. During the course of the day, you'll eat plenty of protein, good fats and low-glycemic carbohydrates. Choosing what you can eat will be easy, as you're given two lists: Foods to enjoy and foods to avoid. Enjoyed foods include lean cuts of beef, skinless poultry, seafood, pork, fat-free or low-fat cheese, nuts, eggs, dairy, tofu, vegetables and legumes, fats, spices and seasonings, and 75-calorie sweet treats. Foods you should avoid include all fruit and fruit juices, certain vegetables, all starchy food (think bread, cereal, oatmeal, rice and pasta), certain types of dairy, such as ice cream and frozen yogurt, and alcohol.

In the second phase, you'll still be eating the same six meals as you did in phase one. However, you'll gradually introduce healthier carbohydrates into your diet. For instance, you'll be able to eat some vegetables and legumes, some fruits, bread (multigrain, oat and bran, rye and whole wheat), some cereal, chocolate, and red or white wine. You'll still, though, avoid some vegetables and fruits and refined starches and breads.

It's party time in phase three, as you have no food lists to follow. By now, Agatston believes you know the tenets of the South Beach Diet well enough to enjoy flexibility in what you eat, as long as your choices don't make you gain weight. You'll also ditch the two snacks and eat only breakfast, lunch, dinner and a small dessert.

Bottom Line

If you want long-term success in losing weight, give this diet a go. Just skip the first phase and start with the second phase.

See the South Beach Diet at a Glance