Low-Carb Diets For Weight Loss: The South Beach Diet

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The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a three-phase eating plan for losing weight. The last phase is ongoing in order to keep the lost weight from coming back.

Basic concept

The South Beach diet promotes eating “good” carbohydrate and “good” fats.

How it works

• Phase 1: During Phase 1, you eat three meals a day, plus snacks. You eat no high-carbohydrate foods during this time.
• Phase 2: Phase 2 slowly adds fruit, whole-grain breads, and pastas back into your diet.
• Phase 3: After you reach your weight loss goal, you move into Phase 3. You take the information you learned in the first two phases to create an individualized eating plan for life.

On the menu

• Lean meats and shellfish
• Meat substitutes and tofu
• Eggs, cheese, nuts, and beans
• Vegetables

Off the menu

• Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta (none in Phase 1, added back in later phases)
• Fruit (none in Phase 1, added back in later phases)
• Baked goods
• Sugar
• Alcohol

This diet is very high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and low in fiber and whole grains. The minimum recommended intake of carbohydrate is 130 g.

For more information, see the topic Healthy Weight in Related Topics.

Last updated:	February 23, 2007
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition, Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC