The South Beach Diet touts many benefits, including substantial weight loss, stabilized blood sugar, reduced cravings, and increased energy. When following the South Beach Diet, you can expect a drastic change to your diet, at least in the first phase. There are three phases of the South Beach Diet. Phase 1 is the most restrictive no fruit, grains, starches, or alcohol and lasts one to two weeks to help your body reboot and get used to burning fat instead of carbs for fuel. During Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, you will be able to eat many of the foods you currently enjoy, including ground beef and a variety of vegetables. You’ll cut carbohydrates during this phase, and that will help you to reduce excess water weight. You may see a five-pound change on the scale or even more in the span of a week. During Phase 1, these are the foods and ingredients you can incorporate into your diet. Here’s what you’ll want to avoid. The goal of Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet is to find the right carb level for you.
It is true that one of the major effects of caffeine is that it causes a rush of insulin but a recent study shows that people who drink more coffee are less susceptible to diabetes. However, caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee or caffeinated sugarfree sodas are fine on the South Beach Diet — as long as you do not surpass the limit of one cup a day. Although an appetite stimulant, South Beach Diet allows you to eat as much as you want, so you can enjoy your cup of coffee. Moreover, coffee can raise your metabolism, which is a plus for the diet. Of course, no sugar added, use artificial sweetener instead. The South Beach Diet caffeine limitation is one coffee or other caffeine drink per day. Drink lots of water. Water or pure fruit juice diluted are the best and healthiest diet drinks, as they quench thirst and contain no calories or few with the juice and besides, they have beneficial metabolic and physiological effects. Alcohol contains sugar and other carbohydrates thus, heavy drinking can cause a serious weight problem. That is why it is forbidden during South Beach Diet Phase 1. Still, consumed with a meal, wine does help slow stomach emptying, and therefore slows the rise and fall of blood sugar. One or two glasses of alcohol are allowed beginning with Phase 2 of the diet on the condition that they are consumed during or right after a meal, since a full stomach will slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.
Staying hydrated will help you feel fuller for longer. Choose a degree. Check with your doctor or dietitian before starting any weight-loss diet, especially if you have any health concerns. But in the two weeks on Phase 1, you also learn to eat and hopefully enjoy healthier options. After Phase 1, you can expect to lose a sustainable pounds per week until you reach your weight loss goal. This is the way you should eat until you reach your goal weight and are ready for Phase 3. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. A weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is the typical recommendation. How much and what types will vary between individuals.