The South Beach Diet - Pros and Cons

Similar to Atkins, the South Beach Diet restricts the number of carbs you can eat. Also, similar to the Zone Diet, South Beach recommends eating carbs that have a low glycemic index. Dieters cannot eat starchy carbs such as potatoes, fruit, bread, rice, or pasta.

As far as fats are concerned, South Beach promotes “good fats” and unlike Atkins, restricts unhealthy fats.

Like the Sonoma Diet, South Beach begins with an preliminary “Induction Phase” that lasts 2 weeks and prohibits all alcohol, rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, and fruit. Then, dieters phase small amounts of these foods back into their diets. The diet has its share of positive and negative attributes that are listed below.

-Promotes healthy fats and discourages saturated and trans fats
-Smaller portion sizes resulting in 5-6 smaller meals per day
-Initial weight loss
-You eat less refined carbohydrates, due to the emphasis on low glycemic index foods

Cons

-Much of the weight lost during the Induction Phase is water weight
-Eating foods such as fruit, whole grain carbohydrates, and potatoes in moderation provide essential nutrients that you may not be getting because of these food restrictions
-Many of the recipes associated with South Beach are expensive and time consuming
-There are no long-term studies that prove the health benefits
-There is not a lot of emphasis on exercise, a key component in losing weight
-Diets don't work

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