The South Beach Diet Enters the Meal Delivery Space – Are Their Meals worth Eating?
Low-carb diets are still the most popular techniques for shedding pounds before swimsuit season approaches. There are two huge low-carb diets that you can’t turn on your TV without hearing about. The first and oldest of the two is the Atkins diet. The second option is the South Beach Diet.
Though both of these are considered low-carb diets, they manage to tackle the same problem with very different approaches. On one hand, the Atkins diet aims to eliminate as many carbohydrates and fats as possible. In contrast, the South Beach Diet chooses specific carbs and fats to eliminate while leaving others free to be consumed.
A Closer Look At The South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet focuses on shedding fat and improving heart health. It does this through a low-carb strategy where select sources of carbs are eliminated and others remain. The concept of “good” and “bad” carbs isn’t entirely new. It’s been around for a while and has seen mixed results with other fad diets.
The underlying science of the diet is very solid. After all, it’s now common knowledge that not all carbohydrates are processed the same by the body. The same goes for different types of fats. As a matter of facts, most nutrients come in a variety of forms that will have different impacts on the body.
The creator of this diet took the time to look through countless food sources and find meals that included primarily “good” carbs or fats. At the same time, it aims to eliminate those foods that contain “bad” carbs. The good foods are often low on a glycemic index. This index rates how the carbs will impact your blood sugar, which in turn impacts your metabolic rate.
How It Works
Many people who use this diet claim they have lost between 10 and 15 pounds during the first few weeks of use. This isn’t the case for everyone, but it certainly seems to have a high rate of success. How exactly does this diet work?
It is broken down into three separate steps. However, people who want to lose less than ten pounds can actually skip the first step. Everyone else is advised to follow the steps in their correct order if they want to see results. Each step is slightly less restrictive than the last.
Unlike many other low-carb diets, you won’t need to waste your time counting calories and doing the math. You will create a simple dieting routine that contains three meals a day, two snacks, and a dessert that’s high in protein. You can stick to the diet as long as you like until you see the results you were looking for. Many people stay on the diet even after getting the results they want so that they can keep the weight off.
The first of the three phases is the most restrictive but also the shortest. The goal of this phase is to stabilize the body’s blood sugar levels and to eliminate excessive cravings. During this phase, you eat a lot of lean sources of protein such as fish, turkey, and chicken. There are no fruits, starches, or whole grains during this phase.
The second stage focuses on introducing good carbs to the diet. Good carbs include foods like whole grain bread and fruits. Each day you can have up to three servings of fruit and then three servings of starches. You no longer need the two daily snacks from the first phase, but they are still recommended.
The final phase is the maintenance phase. No food is considered off limit during this phase. Instead, the focus is on eating healthy servings. Servings should include no more than four servings of starches and fruits per day and two tablespoons of good fats.
Does It Work?
Many people have had great success with this diet. Of course, as with any diet, regular exercise will greatly improve your results. There’s no investments, special products, supplements, or equipment needed. That means you’re at no financial risk.
If you want to lose weight, then give it a shot and see if you get the results you want. You may find yourself among the crowd of people who have lost a lot of weight and improved their lifestyle.
