Is the South Beach Diet the New Star in Protein Diets?

“Space diet” by Sergei Sivokho: without denying himself anything, the comedian lost 42 kg in 3 months

The South Beach diet for weight loss was developed by American cardiologist Arthur Agatston to combat obesity and heart disease. At the same time, it has become popular among people who want to get rid of extra pounds.

The South Beach Diet is more about following a healthy lifestyle that promotes weight loss and becomes a habit. Arthur Agatston's nutrition program does not imply strict calorie counting and calculation of grams. The daily diet consists of 3 main meals, 2 snacks and 1 protein dessert (for example: almond pie with maple syrup).

The South Beach diet for weight loss has no restrictions. You can follow it as long as you want without harming your health.

Disadvantages and contraindications of the South Beach Diet

The protein load on the body increases the vulnerability of the kidneys, so the diet is contraindicated for people with kidney pathology. The rest need to follow a drinking regime in order to minimize the harm from rich protein foods (phase I).

Lack of fiber at stage I can lead to constipation. To avoid this, you should again drink a lot.

If you are prone to constipation, you should include fiber in the form of bran in your daily diet. They can be added to soup, yogurt, kefir, and vegetable dishes.

Phase I is the most difficult stage, at this time a restructuring of the body occurs, often accompanied by a deterioration in well-being (headaches, drowsiness or insomnia, irritability, decreased ability to work). As a rule, such symptoms are noted at the very beginning of the diet, after which the body adapts and health improves.

Diet features

The diet includes three key phases. The first two rebuild your metabolism, allowing you to lose a few extra pounds. They adapt the human body to a completely new style of healthy eating. In the third phase mode, the result is consolidated, which allows you to maintain the achieved harmony.

The South Beach diet belongs to the group of protein diets. During its execution, the amount of fat and carbohydrate components is limited. In terms of its diet, this method is somewhat reminiscent of the well-known system of Michel Montignac . The only difference is in limiting the consumption of highly processed foods, because the consumption of such products helps to significantly slow down the metabolic processes in the body.

The South Beach diet is considered quite effective due to the predominance of protein products in the diet, which are an essential building material. And proteins help get rid of the feeling of hunger, saturating our body, and restore cells. It is not typical for this technique to count calories consumed. Only certain foods are allowed to be eaten, but the body does not suffer from hunger. Fluid intake during the diet is also not limited.

Having familiarized ourselves with the theory of the South Beach Diet in its most general format, we can now move on to a more in-depth look at each phase individually.

What products are allowed?

During Phase I the following are allowed:

• lean meat;
• fish;
• seafood;
• poultry (without skin);
• eggs;
• low-fat dairy products: cheeses (fat content no more than 14%), cottage cheese, kefir, natural yogurt without additives;
• sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts;
• olives, avocado (no more than 1/3 per day), herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and other non-starchy vegetables;
• mushrooms;
• legumes;
• pepper, soy sauce, horseradish, lemon juice;
• bran;
• vegetable oil for dressing vegetable salads;
• cocoa, black natural coffee, black and green tea, herbal teas, freshly squeezed tomato juice.

During phase II, the following products are added to this list (which, however, are consumed in moderation):

• fruits and berries;
• starchy vegetables;
• rye and whole grain bread;
• whole grains: oatmeal, buckwheat, brown rice;
• pasta from durum wheat;
• black chocolate;
• natural red dry wine.

In phase III, it is allowed to consume any foods, avoiding only high-calorie foods (confectionery, fatty foods, fast food). The basis of the diet is low-fat meat and dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruits.

Weight loss phases

According to the American doctor’s method, the diet is designed in three stages. Their duration may vary depending on the patient’s well-being. There are no strict or generally accepted rules. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the person.

First stage

This period can last from 1 to 3 months. For good results you need to hold out as long as possible.

It is during this phase that significant weight loss occurs. Because the body gets rid of excess fluid and adjusts to a new regime.

So, all carbohydrates are excluded from the diet (including cereals, wholemeal bread, etc.). The diet includes:

• greenery;
• non-starchy vegetables;
• protein (in the form of eggs, meat and seafood);
• milk products;
• nuts.

You are allowed to consume 1 unsweetened fruit per day before 12-00.

The food should be very light, but at the same time a person should not feel hungry. Therefore, it is important to eat 4-5 times a day in small portions.

For clarity, the doctor gives the diet for one day. Of course, it can be modified depending on taste preferences.

Menu

• Breakfast: salad of cucumbers, tomatoes and bell peppers, dressed with olive oil - 200 g.
• Snack: 1 small green apple.
• Lunch: baked zucchini with cheese cap - 100 g, chicken fillet - 70 g.
• Snack: a glass of kefir and 3 walnuts.
• Dinner: 150 g of cottage cheese with sour cream.

Second phase

This period continues until the person reaches the desired weight. Here the menu is not so strict; slow carbohydrates are gradually introduced into the diet. It is allowed to add cereals, rye bread, and sweet fruits to any meal once a day.

The doctor says that at this stage the weight loss will not be that significant. Therefore, you will have to stick to this diet for quite a long time. For some patients this takes 3-5 months.

Arthur Agatston also recommends that his wards introduce light physical activity. It can be:

• gymnastics;
• yoga;
• swimming;
• walking.

It is necessary to perform at least some physical activity for 30-40 minutes at least 2-3 times a week. This will help tighten your body and strengthen your muscles.

The final stage

This phase is the final one. At this stage, correct habits and eating behavior are finally formed. Therefore, the cardiologist advises sticking to it all your life.

Here you can consume all the listed permitted products. The menu is based on three meals a day. Snacking is acceptable, but not recommended. It is also important to exercise 3-4 times a week.

The doctor introduces his patients to sample menus for every day. They are as follows:

The first day

• Breakfast: oatmeal with milk and banana, sandwich with cheese, green tea.
• Lunch: buckwheat with skinless chicken drumstick, cabbage salad, lingonberry juice (no sugar).
• Dinner: lentils with stewed beef, cucumber and herb salad.

Second day

• Breakfast: two scrambled eggs, a slice of rye bread with tongue, natural coffee with milk.
• Lunch: vegetable salad with arugula, pasta with seafood, black tea.
• Dinner: grilled turkey breast fillet, green beans, rosehip broth.

This is just a sample diet. You need to take it as a basis and navigate when creating your own menu.

South Beach Diet Menu

Sample menu for one day of phase I:

Sample menu for one day of phase II:

Sample menu for one day of phase I:

Why diet helps you lose weight

The diet developed by the cardiologist and his team is very useful for losing weight. Maximum weight loss is observed in the first stage of the diet, which lasts 2 weeks. At this time, you completely exclude from your diet foods that contain sugar in any form. Consequently, the body begins to use its reserves by burning accumulated glycogen. Glycogen is nothing more than sugar dissolved in water. After it is digested, only liquid remains, and in its pure form it is very easily removed from the body.

It turns out that we lose weight to a large extent by removing excess water from the body. This is very useful because it helps not only to get rid of several kilograms, but also to relieve swelling and improve metabolic processes.

Diet

It depends on the stage of the diet. The first one has the most restrictions. On the second you can add some products. The third is proper nutrition, which you can stick to for an unlimited amount of time. The first and second stages last two weeks.

First and second weeks

At this stage, the emphasis is on foods high in protein.

The basis of the diet is meat and fish.

The following products can be consumed in any quantity:

• meat (poultry, veal, lamb);
• seafood and fish;
• mushrooms;
• chicken, quail, duck or goose eggs;
• tofu;
• Mozzarella;
• Parmesan;
• feta;
• ricotta;
• low-fat or low-fat cottage cheese;
• zucchini;
• tomatoes;
• cucumbers;
• cauliflower;
• eggplant;
• any greens (parsley, lettuce, dill, cilantro, etc.);
• turnip;
• onion;
• legumes;
• pepper;
• radish;
• asparagus.

What to remember

The South Beach diet was invented by a cardiologist from America. He developed this technique for his patients who had problems with excess weight and diseases of the cardiovascular system.

This nutrition system involves a complete rejection of sugar, canned food, fast carbohydrates, etc. The doctor divided it into three phases. The first is the most effective and at the same time tough.

The American doctor claims that his method is not a diet at all. This is proper nutrition. However, many colleagues do not agree with him.

The South Beach diet (in particular the first two phases) is unbalanced and lacks complex carbohydrates.

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The second phase of the diet continues until your weight and health return to normal.

The following can be added to the first phase products:

Vegetables – potatoes, green peas

Dairy products – skim milk, soy milk, low-fat yogurt

“Goodies” – dark chocolate, low-fat pudding

Alcohol – red wine

Fruits – apples, apricots, blueberries, honeydew, grapes, cherries, kiwi, mango, oranges, pears, plums, strawberries, grapefruit

Bread – rye, whole grain and multigrain bread

Cereals - oatmeal, whole grain pasta Usually, during the first and second phases, the body gets used to normal food and no longer wants to consume harmful foods, so the restrictions of the third phase are easily accepted.

American boom

They say that the South Beach Diet has been very popular all over the world for five years. This technique was developed by American cardiologist Arthur Agatston from Florida.

He created a unique diet aimed at reducing weight in patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system.

The diet helps you lose weight smoothly and without any stress. And this, in turn, will lead to a reduction in the risks of the occurrence, development and recurrence of diseases.

Agatston actually used “South Beach” on his patients. Local television learned about the magnificent success and immediately spread this information throughout the country. And soon almost all Americans began to follow this diet.

Rules

A person losing weight is recommended to drink a lot of water (up to 1.2-1.6 liters), since a predominantly protein diet leads to dehydration.

In 2008, the diet included a 20-minute interval training routine, while the Academy of Nutrition recommended eliminating the first stage of the diet and eating according to the second stage plan. Morning jogging is recommended to speed up the weight loss process (jogging leads to an increase in calorie consumption and at the same time helps speed up metabolism). It is also recommended to perform a complex of morning exercises, which should prevent sagging skin.

History of the new health system

The developer of the fashionable South Beach diet is an American cardiologist, Arthur Agatston.
Together with his colleagues, he analyzed the problems of his patients and drew parallels between gastronomic addictions, high cholesterol, excess weight and problems in the cardiovascular system. In his technique, he focuses not only on weight loss, but on completely changing his diet. His main goal was to replace unhealthy fats and carbohydrates in the daily diet with unsaturated fats that are healthy for the body, helping to normalize cholesterol levels and have a beneficial effect on metabolic processes in the body. The result of following his nutrition program is both complete recovery and significant weight loss.

A spoon of tar

Friends, I learned that not all of Arthur Agatston’s colleagues agree with his weight loss method. Many say that this diet contradicts the canons of proper nutrition.

Thus, according to some nutritionists, the South Beach menu is unbalanced. This applies to the first two phases.

There are no (or very few) slow carbohydrates in the diet. As a result, the body does not receive enough necessary nutrients.

The Girlfriend's Diet

Have you watched all the episodes of the once popular series “Desperate Housewives” and know for sure that female friendship exists? Then this diet is for you! Its authors, the editors of the series, rely on Mediterranean nutrition. And they encourage you to lose weight with your friends. The technique is designed for four weeks. You gradually replace some foods with others and reduce the calorie content of your diet - initially it is 1400–1600 kcal per day. A book of the same name with recipes, nutrition and fitness tips has already been published, although so far only in English. However, it won't be needed. Gather your girlfriends, create a training schedule at someone’s home or in a fitness club convenient for each, agree on what meals you will prepare, and keep food diaries. Come up with common goals - main and intermediate. And let the one who achieves it first receive a nice prize or bonus. Can't organize your friends? Go, for example, to the Sekta Ideal Body School - they know firsthand about group weight loss.

Healthy recipes

By following the Arthur Agatston diet, it is not at all necessary to deprive yourself of the opportunity to eat deliciously. You can prepare many original dishes, which contain only approved products. The most popular are:

1. Greek salad. To prepare the dish, you need to mix chopped tomato, cucumber, half a red onion and 8 lettuce leaves. It is better to cut the onion into half rings, the tomato and cucumber into cubes, and tear the salad with your hands. Season the dish with a mixture of salt, dried oregano and lemon juice. Place pieces of low-fat cheese on top.
2. Chicken in parchment. To prepare the dish, chicken breasts should be salted, lightly peppered, and placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Place zucchini slices and orange zest on the breast, wrap the edges with parchment paper and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
3. Tuna salad “Miami Beach”. To prepare a delicious dish, you need to place pieces of tuna, canned in its own juice, on lettuce leaves. Around the tuna, place slices of fresh cucumber, slices of avocado and finely chopped celery on lettuce leaves. The dish should be poured with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, garlic and salt.

General rules of the method

The diet is considered a protein diet, so the menu should include more protein foods, limiting the amount of foods containing carbohydrates. This rule applies throughout the entire weight loss period, but at all stages the restrictions will be different.

When following a diet, you not only need to include some foods in your diet, but also take into account that not all cooking options are allowed. Food should not be fried. You can salt your dishes, but within reasonable limits.

Coffee consumption should be limited. You can only drink natural coffee without added sugar. Pickled and salted vegetables should not be eaten. Alcohol is prohibited, but during the last stage it is permissible to drink an occasional glass of wine.

You must drink at least 2 liters of water per day

During active weight loss, you need to drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day.

It is advisable to give preference to pure water and herbal teas without added sugar. You can drink both during meals and between them.

At the last stage of the diet, you should switch to three meals a day, and in the first two, meals should be five times a day.

What should you eat to lose weight?

Despite the efforts of the beach service to stuff vacationers with food up to the roots of their hair, learn to resist the temptation. Easy to say! By the way, it’s also easy to do.

Cucumbers will save the world! Let's leave an exclusive to Hollywood, a simple Russian beach diet is based on cucumbers. They should be everywhere. They are sold on every corner and in every country. To lose weight in a couple of weeks of vacation, you need to eat a carload of cucumbers.

Yes, it sounds big, but if after a week it becomes clear that you are losing weight on vacation, the incentive will be to eat a whole carload of cucumbers