PHASE ONE

South Beach Diet phase 1 is the strictest but most effective one. You can lose up to 13 lbs in two weeks. The objective here is to put the insulin level under control and thus lose weight and eliminate the unhealthy cravings (for sweets, baked goods and food containing starches).

During Phase 1 six meals a day are allowed: three main meals and three snacks, based on protein, good fats and the lowest-glycemic index carbs needed for satisfaction and blood sugar control. The quantity will be enough to satisfy hunger — normal size meals.

Allowed foods
•meat and nuts — tenderloin, sirloin, boiled ham, peanuts and pistachios,
•poultry — skinless chicken or turkey breasts, turkey bacon,
•all types of fish, whole eggs,
•fat-free cheeses,
•green vegetables, legumes — salad, tomatoes, zucchini, snow peas, cucumbers, broccoli, and asparagus,
•canola and olive oils,
•lots of water.

Foods to avoid
•meat beef rib steaks, honey-baked ham, breast of veal,
•all dairy products except low fat cheeses — all yoghurt, ice cream, milk including whole, low-fat, soy, and full fat cheeses,
•carbohydrate-laden vegetables — beets, carrots, corn, potatoes,
•fruits and fruit juices,
•all alcohol,
•all starchy foods such as bread, cereal, oatmeal, matzo, rice, pasta, pastries, baked goods, crackers, etc.
•sweets or sugar — candy, cake, cookies, ice cream

These foods will be reintroduced into your diet again after phase 1 (two weeks). During these weeks you will lose some weight and your body will use insulin more efficiently so that when the carbs will be re-introduced your body will be able to deal with them better.

PHASE TWO

On South Beach diet phase 2 only good carbs are reintroduced — low GI foods.

After the two weeks of Phase 1 many are tempted to stay on phase 1 as it has very good results on weight loss.

It is strongly recommended to get to phase 2 after phase 1 — only two weeks. Dr. Agatston's advice is not to maintain phase 1 for too long because the danger is to lose all results from phase 1.

South Beach diet phase 2 aspects
•During phase 2 the weight loss is much slower, 1-2 lbs/week, that is why people tend to prolonge phase 1 of the diet but cannot strictly observe the eating rules so they cheat — a chip here, a cookie there and so on — losing what they gained during Phase 1. Besides, the body needs the nutrients that are reintroduced during phase 2.
•The slower loss of weight is healthier and will keep the weight off. The accumulated fat is not the result of a short period of time therefore, its correction will need time.
•Reintroducing the carbs and only good carbs should be done gradually, as big amounts of carbs reintroduced all at once will put back on the weight lost during phase 1

Foods containing healthy carbs are back into your diet: fruit, sweet potatoes, whole grain bread, whole grain rice, whole wheat pasta, but not all at once! Start with one piece of fruit a day for lunch or dinner, and continue with some cereal or a piece of bread.
•The second phase of the diet has no time limits and should be maintained until the desired weight is obtained.

Major changes
•on the body level — the way your body reacts to foods that make you overweight is being corrected;
•on your mentality on eating: all cravings for bad foods slightly disappear. The results consist not in eating less but in the fact that you are eating now fewer of the foods that start craving and store excessive fat. Foods with a high content in carbohydrates will be avoided — that is not totally banned but not eaten on a permanent basis.
Should some weight be put back, switch back to Phase 1 until you lose it.

Mind this: For a successful reintroduction of carbs into diet choose only foods with a low GI — whole grain breads, high-fiber cereal, apples, berries, grapefruit — instead of those with a high GI — white bread, pasta, cakes or cookies.

Once the goal reached you can turn to phase 3 and the diet becomes more permissive — thus your weight will remain constant.

PHASE THREE
South Beach diet phase 3 is meant to last for a lifetime. The purpose now is to maintain the desired bodyweight that you achieved through phases 1 and 2. All food groups are allowed in this part of the diet, but the proportions must change. By all means, do not return to the eating habits before the diet. You can eat almost anything but highly processed food that contains “bad” carbs and “bad” fats. The change at the level of your body and mentality should by now help maintain a healthy weight. By the time you reach phase 3 of the diet, a third change happens — the change in blood chemistry that will have beneficent effects on your cardiovascular system.

Rules
Normal foods are allowed in normal-size portions, only the diet's basic rules must be observed:

•eat three well-balanced meals a day.
•replace “bad” carbs and fats with “good” ones.
•always prefer foods with a lower GI.
•keep the portion size within normal limits — enough to satisfy hunger. You should eat more slowly as it takes some time until your brain gets the signal that you are no longer hungry.
•the daily menus should be based on the healthy foods recommended throughout the diet.
Should your weight begin to climb, you return to Phase 1 and repeat the diet plan.

Strong points
•the decrease of carb and fat intake — allowing only unsaturated fats and complex carbs — and a preference for low GI foods;
•it educates people to eat healthy, to find healthy ways of cooking, in such a manner as to reduce cholesterol and avoid heart disease and at the same time lose weight.
The idea of “diet” should be forgotten in South Beach diet phase 3 and should be replaced by the new, healthy way of life.