They may seem similar, but the South Beach diet is more than just a heart-friendly version of the Atkins diet. All the same, they have a lot in common.
Both South Beach and Atkins diets are the creation of medical doctors. The father of the South Beach diet is cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center in Miami Beach, Fla.
Both the South Beach and Atkins diets are best-selling diet books. Only someone living in a cave hasn’t, by now, heard of Agatston’s The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss.
Both South Beach and Atkins diets restrict carbohydrates — carbs, as diet dilettantes like to say. True, “good carbs” are allowed. But South Beach dieters must say goodbye to potatoes, fruit, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beets, carrots, and corn for the first two weeks. After that, most of these foods remain strongly discouraged.
Both South Beach and Atkins diets have a more severe induction phase, followed by a long-term eating plan.
The difference, really, boils down to two things:
* Fats. The South Beach diet bans unhealthy fats but strongly promotes healthy ones.
* Carbs. The South Beach diet doesn’t count grams of carbs. The Atkins diet seeks to change a person from a sugar-burning machine into a fat-burning machine. The South Beach diet looks at how much sugar is in a carb. Low-sugar carbs — those with a low glycemic index (they don’t cause the blood sugar levels to rise and fall as quickly) — are good (this point may sound very familiar to fans of the Sugar Busters diet)
As Agatston says, this means his diet is not — exactly — a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet.
What You Can Eat
You won’t go hungry. In fact, like the Body-For-Life diet, the South Beach diet promotes strategic snacking. You’re not doing it right if you don’t snack.
There’s no counting calories or strict portion sizes. But there’s no gorging, either. The idea is to eat normal portions. To many of us, normal portions will seem small at first. They are enough to satisfy hunger, but no more.
As noted above, sugar-rich carbs are off the menu. These include rice and potatoes, and vegetables — such as beets and corn — with high sugar content. Also, there are no pastries or other sugar-filled desserts. And alcohol is forbidden in the induction phase and limited in the long-term diet.
What’s on the menu? There are three phases.
The 14-day induction phase bans bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, and fruit. And you can’t have even a drop of beer, wine, or other alcohol. The diet promises that after a couple of days, you really won’t miss this stuff. As for dairy, two servings of low-fat or non-fat milk, yogurt, or buttermilk are now allowed during this phase.
The “reintroduce the carbs” stage gradually adds back in some of the banned foods. Not all of them, but if you are a pasta maniac, have some. Carrots used to be on the “foods to avoid” list in the first two phases, but you can now have them at the beginning of phase two. Tomatoes and onions, previously limited, are now fine in any phase. Fruit makes a comeback, too. Just pick and choose. A little now and then, no more. How long does this last? Until you hit your target weight.
The final stage is your diet for life. Eat normal foods in normal portions, following a few basic guidelines.
How It Works
The diet is based on the observation that Americans are carb crazy. That’s the reason for the induction phase. Those first two weeks are meant to help people quit craving carbs. And it’s why carbs are minimized throughout the diet.
Highly processed carbs, according to the South Beach theory, get digested too quickly. That makes insulin levels (a hormone the body makes to process sugars) spike. And once those fast-burning carbs are used up, your high insulin level makes you crave more food. So what do you tend to eat? More carbs, of course.
By breaking this cycle, the South Beach diet promises to make you want to eat less food, but better food.
What the Experts Say
Cindy Moore, RD, a director of nutrition therapy at The Cleveland Clinic and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, discussed the South Beach diet in a May 2003 interview with WebMD.
Moore said the diet truly does meet several of the criteria for a healthy diet. It’s rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein, she said. Most importantly, it doesn’t leave out any major food groups.
Moore warned that during the induction phase, much of the lost weight is water weight. Losing this much water can throw your electrolyte balance off. So if you’re following the diet, it’s a good idea to work closely with a registered dietitian or your doctor.
Despite the popularity of the South Beach diet, Moore warned, there’s no one-size-fits-all diet. A dietitian can help you individualize the South Beach diet to fit your health needs.
Food for Thought
Most popular diets work — at first — because of their novelty. Also, the first pounds lost usually are water from your tissues, not fat itself. Over time, your tissues will rehydrate. That’s no reason to get discouraged. If you’re eating less, eating better foods, and getting enough exercise, you will become leaner.
One big plus for the South Beach diet is that it doesn’t leave you in limbo. It recommends healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle long after you give up on ever getting back a loaned-out copy of the book.
The reason you diet may be to look better. There’s nothing wrong with that. But the reason to become healthy is to have a strong heart, strong lungs, and healthy bones. There’s nothing wrong with that, either.
Hi, I'm a dietitian with experience in hundreds of weight loss programs and fad diets. When forming my list of the
sbd works for me, this is the second time i’m trying to lose weight with it, and still without fail, i am able to lose 9-10 lbs. after two weeks. phase I result is great, but i have to say that there is really not much variety as to what i can eat and i get so bored at eating. so i consider a large part of my weight loss may have come from i starving myself because i don’t want more cheese sticks or a handful of nuts. anyways, i look forward to the coming of phase II where eating may become more of a joy to me again i suppose!
best luck to all the dieters!!
After the first week on SBD, I’ve lost 7lbs. Definitely a good amount of water weight but I tend to bloat so I don’t mind. Feeling good and inspired… I did NOT cut back on caffeine - I have a toddler - and still am losing weight and each day have fewer cravings.
When I do have sweet cravings I have sugar free jello pudding and/or diet pop. Diet Root Beer is a real treat.
For carb cravings, I pulled a Sex and the City stunt (when they took the trip to L.A.). I took a bite of lasagna, chewed it, spit it out and rinsed my mouth. That was enough. I tried the same with a dessert.
I feel good about the strict guidelines of Phase I because I was enjoying too much wine anyway and the calories were adding up. Happy to report I am not missing that relaxation technique.
I started this about two weeks ago after losing 40 lbs on Weight Watchers- I felt nauseous and heart burn on Weight Watchers, relied on bread and pasta to fill me up- a very “Beige” diet with a big bowl of veggies once a day- I just couldn’t stick to it any more, I was feeling so confined in what I ate- hungry all the time
I like South Beach- I started by getting some deli turkey slices and some light cheeses (Mozz, jack, cheddar and havarti)- not non-fat, as SBD advises against- and happily eat those through the day, eggs and veggies a couple times a day with a light protien meal like tuna salad or grilled chicken salad for dinner- lost 6 lbs, some water but clothes are fitting better- had cramps after a cheat one day (full sugar chocoalte puding)
I call this a ‘no crap’ diet- not low carb, not low fat or fad- just ‘no crap’
If you don’t like the traditional dieters plate of raw veggies (I don’t) then try sauteeing chopped veggies of your choice in seasonsing salt, with broth or water or lemon juice to help them cook- very yummy! IT recommends 4-5 cups of veggeies a day, don’t miss out or your body will feel BAD
Lots of liquid too- I drink tea with milk all day (I’ll deal with caffeine addition another time)
Today was my first day on this diet. I am craving a piece of cake or even a piece of bread !! BUT..I did not feel tired today like I normally do. I did not feel hungry either. I haven’t eaten much today, but I guess the things that I have eaten were so good for me they fueled me through out the entire day. My mother who is shaped exatly the same way as I am(a lower abdomen pooch) has been on this diet for about a month and a half and she has no more pooch!! I am dying for carbs right now..but when I see my mom, I know that I too will be rid of my belly very soon!!
I started the South Beach Diet over two weeks ago. I’m in phase 2 now, and love phase one. My Brother in law and mother in law have been on this for 4 months and he has already lost 62 pounds. They have been going 2 weeks phase one and then two weeks phase two and say that it speeds up the weight lost process. So far I have lost 13lbs and my husband has lost 15. We love it, and find that there are many things that we can eat now, just substituting many ingredients. Still have to finish reading the book thought. I love this new lifestyle. It’s not a diet but a heathly lifestyle.
I have been the on the South Beach diet for approximately 2 years now, but I have lately fallen off the diet. It is very easy to remain at your goal weight if you stay within bounds of Phase 2 of the diet. I feel Phase 3 is a little too liberal because it is easy to slip into old eating habits once you start to consume sugars again.
My reason for being on the diet was because of a high cholesterol problem, the SBD was recommended by my doctor instead of the Atkins because it is a more enjoyable way to eat. The hardest part is staying in control on Phase 1. Considering the alternatives, it’s an excellent diet.
I was on the the south beach diet for 5 months and lost 50 lbs. I stayed on phase 1 for 1 month and lost 25 lbs. during that time. I exercised 3 times a week for 1/2 hour. The 1st. week on the south beach diet I lost 13 lbs. and 15 1/2 inches. I found it easy to follow and stick to. My energy level increased and my bad cholesterol lowered to normal levels. After trying so many diets all my life I finally found one that really works if you want to achieve weight loss that shows instead of waiting 2 wks. to lose 3 lbs. then this may be the diet for you.
My husband and I began the South Beach Diet about a week ago and have been faithfully following the Phase I, with the small exception of my niece’s 1st birthday and a small piece of cake that ended up making me very sick to my stomach. So far I have lost 10lbs and my husband has dropped 15lbs.
We are under no delusions that this is anything but bloat and water weight but it feels great to see any kind of progress for a change. The best part of the South Beach Diet for us has been the creative way in which we plan and prepare foods. Previously we were in a fast food and comfort food rut. We would eat the same things nearly every week and lived on what we could get on the go.
Now we are having to get creative in planning and preparing meals and snacks that will accommodate our busy lifestyle. The only draw back that we have found is the price difference in buying healthier foods versus the junk food. However, I am willing to bear the expense for good food now and spare the expensive of medical bills in the future.
My husband did the South Beach Diet. He lost 65 pounds. It really works great if you stick with it.He has kept the weight off now for 2 years.he also exercised 3 days a week for 1 hour a day.
I have been on the South Beach Diet for 2 weeks now, and will be starting Phase II at this point. I have lost 6-7 lbs in 2 weeks. Not quite what I’d hoped for, but still I have to admit that’s a lot of weight loss for 2 weeks in comparison to other diets.
I will say, the first several days are really tough!! My husband and I really weren’t terrible eaters, but we did eat carbs every day and did drink beer/wine most evenings. Cutting all vices out at once is not easy, I felt starving and irritated all the time. However, once you get past that point, you really don’t notice it. Main drawback is, I get a little tired of eating salads for lunch every day and meat/veg every night for dinner; not too much variety or excitement there. But overall, not too bad.
Will be interesting to see if the weight loss continues as I move into phase II.
I am starting my third week on South Beach Diet, feel great & have lost 6 lbs. (the most I’ve lost in 2 weeks ever!). I’ve decided to do one more week on phase I as I’d like to lose a bit more weight prior to starting phase II. I am not bored w/ phase I as I try to take advantage of the wonderful recipes & eat all of the allowed foods.
The only difficulty I had was overdoing it on some nuts several days. They also were salted. I will stay away from that! I did, however, not feel well at times early on phase I. The first few days in late afternoon I’d feel weak & irritable but it would pass. Day 4 was the worst. I was at work & felt weak & light headed early in the day. I work in a hospital so I popped into a kitchen area & had some peanut butter & a few mouthfuls of cranberry juice. I felt immediately better. I believe my blood sugar had dropped. However, those feelings kept returning. A friend who has lost 50 lbs & kept it off for 1 year suggested I increase my water intake. It worked & I now feel great! I believe my body was detoxing & adjusting to the decreased carbs.
I have not been hungry & no longer crave carbs. I also find I have no difficulty eating in moderation. I’m satisfied (new experience!). I look forward to continuing & eat this way for the rest of my life.
I have been doing South Beach for about 3 weeks now. So far I’m loving it!!! I’m in phase 11 but I kinda lean more towards the phase 1 rules & just have a little healthy carbs once in a while… but I’m so glad to have carrots back!!! So far I’ve lost 9.6 pounds, way better than any other diet I’ve tried before. I guess I was lucky. I never went through carb withdrawl like alot of people. Seems funny but dinner would come around & I would actually crave a steak!!! That’s never happend to me before. My husband will be away for the next 5 1/2 months & I’m hoping to have made a big difference in my weight & health. The biggest problem that I’ve had is eating as many times a day as I’m supposed to. For a few days I slacked on eating often & I hit a set back. Once I started eating more, my weight loss continued.
I have been on the Dr. Atkins diet for years and the South Beach diet is FAR superior! It’s a diet for life, because it focuses on more low fat meats.
A doctor friend of mine reminds me that NO DIET will work unless you burn-off more calories than you intake! There are no magic diets or pills. It just comes down to good ole common since! But the South Beach diet is the best that I have ever been on. (And I have been on every diet from cabbage to grapefruit!)
JA
I love the South Beach diet lifestyle. You’re always eating so you’re never hungry. In my first 10 days I lost 11 lbs!
That was just the motivation I needed to keep me going. It’s true what they say “you are what you eat.” Now when there’s cake in front of me I just think about how I’m going to feel in an hour and pass.
I have a friend that did it with me that has crohns disease. She lost weight and felt good the whole time. The only negative I have is the cost in the beginning, all of the spices and fresh foods are not cheap, but definitely worth it!
I went on the south beach diet with my brother about five years ago when I was 24. I recommend partnering with someone through phase 1 at least, because it makes it easier to stick with it when you have the support. I managed to lose about 15 pounds in the first 3 weeks.
We extended phase 1 a little due to the fact that a memorial day barbecue stood in our way. We didn’t really continue intentionally into phase 2 that summer. I continued to slowly lose another 10 pounds over the next month, bringing me to my target weight of 155 pounds. I managed to keep my weight off up untill about 6 months ago when stress involving my wife’s job as well as my own, caused her and I to both gain weight putting me back at my pre-south beach number from years ago.
I decided to start the diet again and bring my wife on board with me. Anticipating the start I bought some of the proper foods and we started eating them before officially starting the diet. Without even realizing it we had started losing weight. We officially started the diet 3 days ago and I’ve already lost 8 pounds while my wife has lost 5 pounds.
This diet really is a great thing, I’m already feeling better and seeing the pounds fall off does a ton for one’s self esteem. We plan on moving on to phase 2 and sticking with it. Remember also to get some lite exercise along with the diet. It will definitely help your body to slim out. Particularly if your work requires you to sit down most of the time. Simple exercises in your office when you feel tired and sluggish will get your blood flowing, wake you up and help you lose weight.
Today was my first official day on the South Beach diet and it wasn’t so bad!
I actually enjoyed it and feel good about this diet (life change). I’m an hispanic and am used to all the rice, tortillas, tamales etc. and know that when holidays come around it will be hard but sure i can do it!
I hope to report in the future all the wieght i lost
oh and no cravings, yet!
I have been on the South Beach Diet for 6 days now, and despite the fact that I can’t seem to give up ketchup, and have been eating protien between meals, I have still managed to loose 4 pounds. I still feel hungry sometimes but that may be because I’m doing it wrong. After reading this article I am cutting out the ketchup, and lets see how I do from there. But this diet doesn’t seem to be that hard.
I first started South Beach Diet after my Sophomore year of college. I was an avid athlete my whole life until after my freshmen year. When I stopped working out up to 4 hours a day, it really hit me that I had no concept of “healthy eating.” It hit me because I quickly started to pack on the pounds.
While I was at home for the summer, I begged my mom to do the diet with me. After two weeks I had lost 10 pounds, she had lost 13, and my father (who was roped along by default) lost 15! We have all kept up with the “good carbs” lifestyle. I have managed to lose 35 pounds in three years, with out really trying hard after those initial two weeks.
I am a true believer in the South Beach Diet way of life and recommend it to everyone.
I have been on the South Beach Diet for Phase 1 and Phase 2. I lost a total of 27 lbs so far. On Phase 2 more latitude is given and other comfort foods are reintroduced into your diet. The best aspect of the South Beach Diet is that it retrains you to eat healthy and control the ups and downs of sugar levels. From 3 large meals a day to 5 smaller eating times it means one’s nourishment without going hungry and binge eating. This diet has done wonders for me to start and now 7 close relatives each having lost 7 to 29 lbs.
My husband and I started the South Beach Diet the day after Easter (4 days ago). I have already lost 7 pounds and he’s lost 9.
We are inspired and will keep going! I find it has taken more work to figure out what to eat (recipes, etc), however, the meals are very quick to make. I started while I was on spring break from school, so I had more time to read the book, shop for foods and prepare meals. It was a nice way to start (however, very difficult for the first few days of craving carbs!.
Our kids are eating the dinners with us and not complaining too much (they don’t need to lose weight), so I’m not feeling like I need to cook 2 different dinners. My hubby and I love carbs, so this is a wake up call to why we’ve gained so much weight after 17 years of marriage! Good luck!
I just started the South Beach Diet 3 days ago. I haven’t lost any weight yet, but am CRAVING carbs like crazy! Other people’s posts have kept me motivated. I hope to lose the weight like everyone else. Thanks guys!
Lots of good comments. Does anyone out there have any reviews of diabetics who have gone on the South Beach Diet? How fast does it affect the blood sugar?
I had seen several people have impressive levels of success with South Beach Diet. I went on-line and read and printed the different phases.
The first four days was difficult, however, after that it wasn’t too bad. I lost 16 lbs the first time I did phase 1. Ended up losing 40 lbs. That has been 14 months ago. I put 10 lbs back on. I always kept South Beach Diet foods in mind, that is why I think I didn’t gain it all back or more. I am on my 4th day of phase 1 now. I truly forgot how much better I feel when I am eating the right foods.
Believe me I would love nothing more than to eat my husbands chips and Crunch Berry cereal. Don’t get me wrong, I am not having bad cravings, I just like to eat all the time. One thing I have found that really helps me is that a girl at my work and my best friend in another state is doing this as a team. Everyday we check in with each other to tell how we did for that day.
Another thing I do is first thing in the morning I weigh. I know experts tell you not to do this, but everyday I know the number and keep that in mind throughout the day. I find I don’t “cheat” with the little indulgances.
In closing, finally I know, South Beach Diet is the only thing I have found that has ever worked or me and I have never felt healthier!
I went on the south beach diet and it took me 1 year to lose 35 pounds. However, I chose to think of it as a way of life, so I allowed myself to cheat with one thing once a day, and then it wasn’t a diet anymore, it was a lifestyle. So even though it took me longer to lose the weight, I never felt like I was missing anything, and I felt so much better with the weight off it was incredible. I got a little off track for a while and so I am starting over with Phase 1 and I am having my mother, my sister, my best friend, and two of my sister-in-laws join me with a diet and exercise program so that we have a support group to get this done right. We are all excited about getting started. I will check back in a few months with the results. Recommend this diet to everyone! It worked for me, and that is a miracle!
Both my husband and I are starting the South Beach diet today (June 1st,08). We both have stomach issues so the doctor recommended this diet. I have been on diets before but never been able to lose weight. Will let everyone know after phase 1 how much we have lost.
Only low-carb diets seem to work for me and I’m leaning toward South Beach this time for I can’t stay on Atkins for even one day. This is my 2nd day on SB and as bad as I hate eggs and eating so much meat, I’m sticking to it. The only slip up has been eating more almonds than allowed. I already feel better than I did when I ate everything I wanted, but time will tell.
Question: If we choose to have the alloted portion of one kind of nut, does that mean we can’t have any other type of nut that same day or any peanut butter that day?????
Hi, I went on the southbeach diet 3 years ago and lost 25 pounds over 9 months with minimal exercise. I gained most it back slowly over the last 2.5 years and just restarted this LIFESTYLE today. It really works but it is hard not to have cake and ice cream at birthday parties or office lunch desserts….. other than that eggs, veggies, meats, cheeses and berries/whole grains later on really is the way to go. Diabetics would stabilize their blood sugars on this diet and it does lower your “bad” cholesterol. Eggs, salad, and meat and veggies for dinner with sugar free jello here I come! 10 LB wt. loss is expected in 3 weeks because last time I lost even more than that in just the first couple of weeks.
Hi to all that read my comment:) I would like to start off by saying that South Beach WORKS!!!! I lost 35+ pounds in just shy of 2 months, and kept it off until pregnancy #2, which was followed by #3. LOL I have just started again on 6/9/08, and I will post again in one week to follow up on my progress. To all in the battle of weight loss: GOOD LUCK!!!
My husband and I started South Beach diet from yesterday June 10. We go to gym almost everyday. I hope we will loose weight in phase one.
But I do miss carbs, as I used to eat bread and rice a lot.
Hi,
My hubby is training for a marathon, so he’s trying to lose the belly fat. I, on the other hand are just trying to lose the fat. We just started today and I’m already amazed that I’m not starving or craving as I usually do throughout the day. This is probably the easiest diet to follow and it was fun cleaning out the “junk” from the pantry & fridge. Somehow, that initself was freeing….:o)
Hi to ALL …
I am a newbie. About 3 weeks ago I started The Paleo Diet Plan. This is very similar to Adkins & South Beach. It is going very well. I’m doing this not actually to lose weight, but for better health. I’ve always been a processed food junkie. The reason I’m writing this is to urge anyone starting out on low carb to make sure you do the 2 week “detox” to start. I didn’t realize the importance of this. I couldn’t understand why I continued to have such sugar cravings, until I found an article that explained it. Basicly your body sees all carbs as sugar. The fruit I was eating was keeping my desire for sugary food high. I’ve backtracked into the “detox” phase, omitting the fruits, and keeping the carbs under 20grams per day. This has already wiped out my desire for sweets … Yippee! Good Luck on your low carb plan.
After struggling with my weight on Weight Watchers I need something different. I heard about South Beach Diet, and decided to try it.
Today was day one. Not bad at all! I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything! I am looking forward to see the results after stage one is over. And, I still need to buy the book, I got the “do’s” and “don’ts” online. I will buy the book tomorrow though. Good Luck to EVERYONE!!!
I started South Beach 12 days ago, and have lost about 3 lbs so far. I was already eating pretty healthy, so I think phase 1 is taking longer with me. I have always had small, balanced, low glycemic foods through out the day. The major difference is not eating complex carbs with dinner. I do feel great, and I am telling myself to be patient in regards to losing lbs. A neighboor told me she did not see any results for two weeks, and on her third week lost a lot….but I keep reading about all these people that lose 10 lbs in a week! My husband has lost about 7lbs just from me being on it!!