Can I Eat Bedtime Snacks? - South Beach Diet FAQ

Can I Eat Bedtime Snacks? - South Beach Diet FAQ

Q: Are bedtime snacks permitted on The South Beach Diet™?

A: It is perfectly acceptable to enjoy a bedtime snack on The South Beach Diet™. There isn't any evidence that nighttime eating will compromise your weight-loss efforts. A recent study performed at the Oregon Health Sciences Institute, for example, found no correlation between nighttime eating and weight gain.

If you find yourself with a case of the midnight munchies, add a late-night South Beach Diet snack to your South Beach Diet meal plan. This is particularly helpful during South Beach Diet Phase 1 of the diet when you are still getting your cravings under control. For many people, nighttime eating also means bingeing on junk foods and desserts. With The South Beach Diet™, many of these unhealthy foods are off-limits — try raw veggies, nuts, cottage cheese, sliced meats, and hummus instead.

If you modify your meal plan to accommodate a midnight snack, but still find you crave high-GI carbohydrates late at night, try these tactics to avoid bingeing:

• Make sure you eat regular meals and all your snacks during the day.
• When a craving hits, drink water.
• Distract yourself —take a bath or go for a walk…whatever it takes to avoid the kitchen.
• Turn off the TV — commercials can tempt you with unhealthy foods.
• Brush your teeth. This may help to remind you that you're done eating for the day.

South Beach Diet Book or Internet? - South Beach Diet FAQ

South Beach Diet Book or Internet?

Q: I've seen a few conflicts between advice given in The South Beach Diet™ book and on The South Beach Diet™ Web site online. Which advice should I follow?

A: The South Beach Diet™ is constantly evolving to address both the latest research and frequently asked questions from dieters. Since it's difficult to change and reprint a book, my staff and I use the Web site to convey the most current recommendations.

While reading The South Beach Diet™ book will teach you the basic principals of the South Beach Diet diet, you'll need to stay abreast of recent developments with frequent visits to the Web site. You can find updates to the diet by clicking on South Beach Diet Tips on the left side of the home page. From there select Diet Updates, and you will be able to read about any noteworthy changes. Here are just a few of the changes mentioned in the Diet Update section:

• Medium-sized bananas are now allowed in South Beach Diet Phase 2
• Tomatoes are no longer limited in any phase
• Carrots are allowed starting in South Beach Diet Phase 2
• Onions are not limited in any South Beach Diet phase
• South Beach Diet Phase 1 now includes two daily servings of 1 percent or fat-free milk, low-fat plain soymilk, 1 percent or fat-free buttermilk, and fat-free plain yogurt. Phases 2 and 3 include two to possible three servings, based on individual needs.

Continue to check the Diet Updates section often for any additions or modifications to the diet.

South Beach Diet FAQ - Beverages in Phase 1?

Beverages in South Beach Diet Phase 1? - South Beach Diet FAQ - South Beach Diet Beverages

Q: In South Beach Diet Phase 1, what else can I drink other than water, vegetable juice, and decaffeinated coffee or tea?

A: Any diet, decaffeinated, or sugar-free sodas and drinks are allowed on South Beach Diet Phase 1. Be sure to check out the powdered drink mixes offered in your local grocery — there's an increasing variety of flavors South Beach Diet beverages such as ruby red grapefruit, orange, iced tea, and pink lemonade.
In addition, you can enjoy 1 percent or fat-free milk and low-fat, plain soy milk (with 4 grams of fat or less per serving).

You can also drink caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added — just try to limit your intake to one to two cups per day. Caffeine stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. When too much insulin is released at once, it can result in cravings. However, one or two cups of coffee or caffeinated soda a day won't have all that great of an effect on insulin levels — so no need to completely deprive yourself!

South Beach Diet FAQ - South Beach Diet Phase 1 Forever?

South Beach Diet Phase 1 Forever? - South Beach Diet FAQ

Q: How long can I stay on Phase 1 of The South Beach Diet™?

A: The South Beach Diet™ is a three-phase diet. If I wanted you to stay in Phase 1 forever, then I would have made a one-phase diet. In general, I recommend you move on to Phase 2 after two weeks of Phase 1.

Many of our subscribers think that the purpose of South Beach Diet Phase 1 is rapid weight loss. This is not the case. I developed Phase 1 as a method to eliminate cravings, and the majority of your weight loss will actually occur in South Beach Diet Phases 2 and 3. If you remain in Phase 1 for longer than the recommended two weeks, you run the risk of lowering your metabolism and setting yourself up for yo-yo dieting. Instead of shedding the pounds and keeping them off, you may end up making it that much easier to put the weight back on.

That's not to say that there aren't some cases where dieters can stay in Phase 1 longer than the recommended two weeks. If you have a large amount of weight to lose, or if cravings persist past the two-week mark, then you can extend the first phase for up to one month. In rare cases of morbid obesity, you may be able to extend this even further to two months.

Still, the average person should complete South Beach Diet Phase 1 and move on. While it can be tempting to stick with the restrictive and easy-to-follow guidelines of South Beach Diet Phase 1, continuing with the South Beach diet as recommended will improve your overall health and promote continued and sustainable weight loss.

South Beach Diet FAQ - Advice for New Dieters?

Advice for New Dieters? - South Beach Diet FAQ

Q: For my New Year's resolution, I've decided to start The South Beach Diet™. What advice can you give me before I dive in?

A: Congratulations on making the decision to change your life! You've picked a good time of year to start a diet — the holidays are behind you and the spirit of healthy living is in the air. Here are a few things to know before you begin:

You will have more energy and be in a better mood. When you cut out sugar and high-glycemic carbohydrates from your diet, you'll probably find that you have more energy throughout the day. Add exercise to the mix and you'll be unstoppable.

Say goodbye to your favorite foods for a short time — they'll be back later. No food is entirely off-limits on The South Beach Diet™. I've made recommendations for what to eat and what to avoid, but ultimately it's up to you to control your own diet. In other words, it's OK to splurge from time to time as long as you're prepared for the consequences.

Find a diet buddy — having the support of a friend or loved one is the key to success. It's hard to achieve greatness on your own. You can find a buddy on The South Beach Diet™ Online or enlist a friend or a family member. This person should offer encouragement and be there for you when challenges arise.

You can lose weight on The South Beach Diet™ without vigorous exercise — but exercise will help. A mere 20 minutes of walking each day will speed up weight loss, improve mood, and help you sleep better.

Make sure you're ready for the commitment. The South Beach Diet™ is not a quick fix. It's a long-term lifestyle change meant to alter the way you think about food. If you can see yourself following these recommendations a year from now, then you're ready for success.

South Beach Diet Information - What If I Don't Like Eggs?

What If I Don't Like Eggs? - South Beach Diet Information

Q: I do not like eggs. Will this diet work for me?

A: Absolutely. The South Beach Diet was designed to be flexible. You don't have to follow the South Beach Diet meal plans to the letter — feel free to swap meals and ingredients to suit your tastes and needs. Eggs are used in the diet because they are a good source of protein, but there are many other healthy sources of protein. Since you don't like eggs, you can enjoy South Beach Diet foods, such as tofu, Canadian bacon, fat-free or low-fat cheese, peanut butter, or the chicken, fish, or beef from last night's dinner. For more ideas, check out the What to Eat — South Beach Diet Phase 1 section of the Web site. Experiment with new ingredients and South Beach Diet recipes until you find meals that work for you. And if you have questions about specific foods, visit the Ask the South Beach Diet Nutritionist section of the Message Boards for answers.

South Beach Diet Review - How does it differ from the Atkins Diet?

How does it differ from the Atkins Diet? - South Beach Diet Review

The main difference is in the amount and type of fatty foods recommended. While the Atkins Diet advocates unlimited amounts of foods high in saturates such as cheese, butter and cream, the South Beach Diet recommends a diet that's low in saturates. With South Beach Diet, this means lean red meat, skinless chicken and reduced-fat cheeses are still on the menu, but foods like cream and butter are off limits. The South Beach Diet also places far more emphasis on monounsaturates such as olive oil.

The Atkins Diet is also stricter in terms of its carbohydrate restriction, which even extends to limiting fruit and vegetables. In contrast, South Beach diet encourages a diet that includes South Beach diet fruit, vegetables and other low GI carbohydrates once you enter South Beach diet Phase Two.

South Beach Diet Review - What do the experts think?

What do the experts think about South Beach diet? - South Beach Diet Review

South Beach diet: Nutrition experts and dietitians are generally in favour of diets based on the Glycaemic Index, but while most believe in eating more South Beach diet foods with a low GI value, they don't necessarily think all high GI foods should be banned. This is because the GI value of a meal changes considerably when foods are eaten together. That said, few experts would argue with a diet that recommends cutting down on processed carbs and swapping foods rich in saturates for those containing monounsaturates.

South Beach diet: Most nutrition experts are less happy with the recommended weight loss. General guidelines recommend losing no more than 2lb a week for good health and so experts are concerned that this South Beach diet promotes such a large weight loss in the first two weeks. They say this is unhealthy and is simply the result of a severe calorie restriction caused by cutting out all carbs.

As for losing weight specifically from your midriff, most nutrition and fitness experts believe it's impossible to lose fat from just one part of your body. Nevertheless, losing weight will almost certainly result in a reduction in waist size - and this is linked with a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes.

South Beach Diet Review - What are the pros to the South Beach Diet?

What are the pros to the South Beach Diet? - South Beach Diet Review

In today's dieting world where low-carb, high-fat diets are in vogue, it's good to see a diet, South Beach diet, that recommends eating fewer foods packed with saturates and replacing some of these foods with heart-healthy monounsaturates. Diets, South Beach diet, based on eating low GI foods are also becoming increasingly popular and in general, encourage you to 'de-junk' your diet and cut down on carb-rich foods that are packed with few other nutrients such as white bread, sugary cereals and sweets.

And the cons of the South Beach diet?

The extreme carbohydrate restriction in the first two weeks requires serious willpower and may leave you feeling weak and wobbly. Meanwhile, you won't be getting your five fruit and veg each day during South Beach diet Phase One, which may leave you missing out on some vitamins and minerals. Eliminating all carbohydrate-rich South Beach diet foods during this phase also means you'll be cutting out some other good sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals. For example, wholegrain breads and cereals are packed with fibre, B vitamins and iron, while milk is an excellent source of calcium and zinc.

South Beach Diet Review - What's the story with fat?

What's the story with fat? - South Beach Diet Review

As you might expect from a cardiologist, the South Beach Diet certainly includes mention of fat. In fact, South Beach Diet recommends avoiding foods rich in saturates and and instead replacing them with heart-healthy monounsaturates like olive oil and nuts.

So how do I follow the South Beach Diet?

Like many diets, the South Beach diet is divided into three phases. In South Beach Diet Phase One, most carbohydrates are banned to give your body a complete rest from fluctuating blood sugar and insulin levels. The South Beach Diet theory is this will help to resolve insulin resistance.

During South Beach Diet Phase One, the banned foods list includes bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, milk, sweets, cake, biscuits, ice cream, sugar and alcohol. A few low GI veg such as broccoli and cabbage are allowed, but the focus is on eating lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, some nuts and olive oil. You follow this phase for 14 days.

In South Beach Diet Phase Two, low GI carbs including most fruits, Granary bread, wholegrain cereals and pasta and low-fat milk are reintroduced. The idea is to stay with this phase until you've reached your target weight.

Finally, in South Beach Diet Phase Three you introduce an even wider variety of foods. This phase is aimed at keeping your weight steady and the diet recommends you stay on this for life.

For each South Beach Diet phase, there are no limits on portion sizes - you simply eat enough to satisfy your appetite - and you're encouraged to eat three meals and snacks each day.

South Beach Diet Review - What's the South Beach diet theory?

What's the South Beach diet theory? - South Beach Diet Review

The South Beach Diet follows the same principles of other diets based on the Glycaemic Index. When we've eaten, the carbohydrates in food get broken down into sugars, which are then absorbed into the blood causing a rise in blood sugar. In response, the hormone insulin is released from the pancreas to remove the sugar from the blood.

South Beach diet theory, Carbohydrate-rich foods with a high glycaemic index, like bagels, cornflakes, white bread and jacket potatoes cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, resulting in the release of a large amount of insulin to deal with this. This causes blood sugar levels to drop rapidly, leaving you lacking in energy, craving more carbs and quickly feeling hungry so that you eat again. If this pattern is frequently repeated, you're likely to gain weight as a result a constantly overeating. But on top of this, over time the body becomes resistant to the action of insulin and when this happens, the body becomes more effective at storing fat - especially around our middle! No surprises then that to lose weight, foods with a high GI are out!

In contrast, South Beach diet theory, carbs with low glycaemic index such as pasta, pulses and porridge slowly release sugar into the blood, providing a steady supply of energy and leaving you feeling satisfied for longer. This South Beach diet means you get fewer carb cravings, don't constantly feel hungry and so are less likely to overeat. Plus there's less chance that your body will become resistant to the effects of insulin with the result that it continues to burn fat efficiently. Foods with a low GI are therefore recommended if you want to lose weight.

South Beach Diet Review - What sort of diet is it?

What sort of diet is it? - South Beach Diet Review

Dr Agatston, a leading American cardiologist, originally created the South Beach diet for his heart patients. While his main aim was to improve their heart health, he discovered that as a side effect of the South Beach diet they also lost significant amounts of weight. He claims this isn't a low-carb or low-fat diet - instead it focuses on eating the 'right' carbs and the 'right' fats. In fact, the South Beach Diet is based on the GI Diet. In practice, the South Beach diet severely restricts carbohydrates in the first two weeks, before gradually re-introducing those with a low glycaemic index. Plus South Beach Diet recommends swapping saturates for unsaturates.