The South Beach Diet was created by a Cardiologist named Arthur Agatston, M.D..   He introduced a diet that was based around balanced eating.  There are three phases to the South Beach Diet, and in each phase you learn what type of foods are good for you.  Like what type of fats you should be eating, plus what type of carbohydrates you should be eating.

The principle behind the South Beach Diet is that bad fats and carbohydrates can actually make you hungrier by spiking your blood sugar levels, which is why you gain weight.  By eliminating those bad fats and carbohydrates, you will feel more full and live a healthier lifestyle.

As I mentioned before there are 3 phases to the South Beach Diet.

The First Phase – You pretty much eat normal size portions of food, but you will eliminate all carbohydrates.  This will probably be the toughest phase, to get through, because a lot of your really good foods have carbohydrates in them.  This strict first phase lasts for two weeks, and in this two weeks, you will eat lean meats.  Turkey, chicken, shellfish are all accepted in this first stage, some selected vegetables, nuts and low fat cheese are also accepted in this first phase of the South Beach Diet.

The Second Phase – The first thing you need to know about the second phase is, you decided when it’s over.  The second phase starts introducing more foods into the mix, foods that have better fat and good carbohydrates.  You will not lose as much weight as you did in the first week, but you should continue to see a small weight loss every week.  You continue Phase Two of the South Beach Diet until you reach your desired weight.

The Third Phase – The Idea behind Phase 3 of the South Beach Diet, is that Phase 3 lasts the rest of your life.  You have learned in the first two phases what is good for you and what is bad for you.  The third phase is the maintaining stage; you just want to maintain your desired weight.  If you begin to put on more pounds, then simply do the first phase again, and return to your healthy lifestyle of eating.

Here’s my take…I actually do not mind this diet, it actually teaches you some very good principles in what you should and should not be eating.  The other great thing about the South Beach Diet is that you can live the rest of your life sticking to this diet, unlike the Atkins Diet.  The only problem I have with the South Beach Diet is that it fails to get people to workout.  If you were able to match this diet with a healthy workout plan, you could really speed up your metabolism, and see some great results.  Sometimes when people lose weight just from a diet change, they become lazy, and look at it as an excuse not to workout.  So match the South Beach Diet with a good workout plan and you should be good to go.

Always consult your doctor before entering into a diet or a workout plan.