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One of the forerunners of the sudden boom in the diet industry is the South Beach Diet. Since its birth as diet program for the people with heart problems in a small clinic in South Beach (you guessed it!), the diet has gained a lot of following across the country.

Where it all started

The South beach diet program was created by Dr. Arthut Agatston, a cardiologist, for his patients. Despite the perception, South Beach diet is not a low carbohydrate diet. Instead, it is based on the Glycemic Index, a scale where in people can find the effects of various carbohydrate-rich food on their blood sugar level. South Beach diet focuses on finding a balance on the foods that bring in the good carbohydrate and fats and the foods that don*t.

Phases to go through

South Beach diet involves different phases that dieters must take in order to complete the program. The first phase is the most crucial and the strictest part as it involves a major change in the eating lifestyle of the person. In this phase, the person on a diet is forbidden to eat anything but fish, shellfish, meat, chicken, turkey, vegetables, nuts, eggs and cheese. They are not allowed to take in carbohydrate-rich food such as bread, rice, pasta and cereals. Ditto with sugar-rich food such as candies, ice cream, cakes, and even fruits. This phase will last for a period of two weeks.

What is different from other diets is the fact that people under the program are allowed to each as much as they want. There is no restriction when it comes to the quantity. In fact, they are even allowed to take three meals a day plus an added boon, the additional morning and afternoon snacks and the dessert. Of course, they are advised to drink lots of water, coffee and tea.

The second phase in the program involves an unspecific period of time as it depends solely on the progress of the diet. It will run until the person reaches his or her ideal weight. In this phase, the dieter will have to incorporate the carbohydrates back into the daily diet but only in moderation. This takes patience as dieters can only lose about two pounds a week, which can be really frustrating as they have lost as much as 13 pounds in the previous phase.

After reaching the ideal body weight, dieters will go through the third phase, which is actually the maintenance of the new eating lifestyle. Creators of the South Beach diet hopes that through the program, the body has changed the way it craves for food.

For instance, because the body has not taken in much carbohydrates; it will cease to crave foods that are rich in carbo. The aim of the third phase is actually quite simple. Dieters need only to maintain the ideal weight that they have achieved in the second phase.