Originally developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston in an effort to help control insulin and cholesterol levels, the Southbeach Diet had the welcome side-effect of inducing healthy, lasting weight loss. Many ex-Atkins devotees, unhappy and frustrated at having to stick so diligently to carb-free meats for every meal, have turned to the Southbeach Diet and its liberating carb and sugar attitude. While endorsing a similar pro-protein health agenda that Atkins does, this diet is much more forgiving of carbohydrates and employs them freely into meals and snacks. Rather than warning its subscribers to stick to “low-carb” and “low-fat” items, Southbeach is careful to refer instead to the “right carbs” and the “right fats.” Fruits, nuts, and other foods off-limits to those participating in the Atkins diet are frequently integrated into the Southbeach plan. These foods can be a very welcome addition to the protein and leafy green staples, and allow for far more interesting diet-friendly recipes. This variety also makes the Southbeach plan a bit more friendly to vegetarians and other non-meat eaters than the Atkins program, which finds these individuals unfortunately (and monotonously) stuck eating tofu and little else several times a day.
It’s true that the South Beach Diet is easier for vegetarians to follow, but only after a very salad-heavy introductory period. The Southbeach Diet consists of three phases: craving banishment, carb reintroduction, and a lifetime plan for healthy eating. The first phase is unique among all diets, Atkins included, in its strict no-carb policy. You are allowed three meals a day in which you may eat to your stomach’s content, but no carbohydrates can pass your lips for two solid weeks: no bread, no rice, no pasta, no ice cream, no chocolate, no alcohol … not even any fruit. The idea is that you are reteaching your body to eat, to depend less on carbohydrates and more on proteins and vegetables. The fact that you are eating your fill prevents you from feeling that I’m-on-a-diet starvation (and submitting to any resulting episodes of bingeing), while the total carb deprivation over fourteen days helps you to mentally and physically let go of automatic carbohydrate reliance.
The second phase, carb reintroduction, is just that: a careful, measured, and controlled reintroduction of carbohydrates into your diet. Bread, pasta, sweets, and especially fruit are welcomed back with open, if disciplined, arms. In the meantime, the diet’s meal strategies strike a balance between these carbohydrates – which definitely play a much smaller role during meal and snack time than they did two weeks previously, but are nevertheless welcomed back to the plate – and the proteins and vegetables you were subsisting on during phase one. According to the plan, you will continue to lose weight during the carb reintroduction phase, provided you stick with the six balanced, small-portioned meals a day the diet dictates and participate in a recommended exercise program. When you reach your goal weight, you move on to phase three, which is a simple continuation of the plan to help you maintain said weight over the long haul.
By Rachel Campbell