- Move to South Beach Phase 2 After Two Weeks - Photo by Colros
Most individuals find success on phase 1 South Beach, but according to Dr. Agatston, phase 1 wasn’t meant to be followed long term. The South Beach weight loss program encourages dieters to follow the plan as written by moving into phase 2 after two weeks. However, many dieters experience weight-loss problems when higher-carb, low-glycemic foods are returned to the diet.
Why Move to the South Beach Diet, Phase 2
Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet is the most restrictive portion of the weight loss program. To correct blood sugar abnormalities and cravings, meal and snack options are limited to nutrient-dense, low-carbohydrate choices like lean meats, vegetables, low-fat dairy, nuts, and beans. With no grains, no fruit, and no starches, most dieters find these restrictions boring.
When keeping to the recommended two-week period, individuals can easily follow the program due to the excitement dieters often feel when they first begin a weight loss program. However, Dr. Agatston writes that trouble begins when a bored dieter attempts to remain on phase 1 longer than necessary.
The South Beach Diet phase 2 encourages good nutrition and offers more variety. With additional food choices generally absent on most low carb diet plans, like whole grains, starchy vegetables, and fruit, phase 2 helps the dieter to stick to the plan more easily.
When South Beach Weight Loss Slows or Stalls
On phase 1 South Beach, the strictness of the diet causes most dieters to lose several pounds. While most of the weight loss is water and glycogen storage, it is a great motivator. In phase 2, when the dieter begins returning some of the carbohydrate foods banned in phase 1, weight loss tends to slow way down. Sometimes it can even stop completely.
Some dieters find the slower weight loss discouraging, and think about returning to phase 1 where the fat lost was faster. However, Dr. Agatston does not recommend doing that. While some individuals have achieved successful weight loss following phase 1 long term, most do not. Rather than returning to a phase whose restrictions may encourage old habits, a safer option would be figuring out which foods are preventing weight loss.
How to Tweak Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet Successfully
While the South Beach Diet book presents a liberal form of phase 2, with one fruit serving and one grain serving recommended for the first week, most dieters need to return to carbohydrates more slowly than suggested. By adding back foods one at a time, then carefully watching how the body reacts to each one, a dieter can discover which foods will allow weight loss to continue.
Grains and fruits are recommended as a dieter’s first South Beach Diet phase 2 additions. However, those suggestions can be the very foods that are giving the dieter trouble. If weight loss slows way down or stops completely after moving to phase 2, the dieter should scan the phase 2 food list and try a different option.
A Successful Weight Loss Program is Individual
Carbohydrate sensitive individuals may not be able to add grains and fruit during the weight loss portion of the diet, but that doesn’t mean a dieter needs to return to total phase 1 restriction. While phase 1 is the foundation of the South Beach Diet, the phase itself is only the starting point from which to build a successful lifestyle. It isn’t meant to be followed long term.
Moving to phase 2 is necessary for good nutrition, but that doesn’t mean a dieter has to eat grains and fruit right away. Phase 2 offers many choices which can help to keep a dieter from getting bored enough to inappropriately alter the diet. While weight loss on the South Beach Diet is slower than other low carb programs, if weight loss stops completely, the dieter can make different food choices to eliminate problem foods.
References:
Daily Dish, from the Official South Beach Diet website, southbeachdiet.com, “Phase 1 Time Limit” (accessed July 6, 2010)
Mayo Clinic, mayoclinic.com, “South Beach Diet” (accessed July 6, 2010)
Advice from Dr. Agatston, from the official South Beach Diet website, southbeachdiet.com, “Why Do People Occasionally Fail on This Diet” (accessed July 5, 2010)
Agatston, Arthur S., M.D., The South Beach Diet: The Delicious Doctor-designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss, Rodale Press, November 2003
Vickie Ewell - Vickie has worked with autistic individuals for 9 years. She has celiac disease and specializes in gfcf living.
