Diets That Work - The South Beach Diet

A great number of people growing obese by the day because of the abundance of great food and the proliferation of fastfood restaurants. With this, more and more individuals are looking for diets that work, and diets that work fast. A lot are desperate to find solutions to their weight problems. Some are willing to pay the price of hard work and sensible dieting; a great majority, however, would prefer to just find crash diets that work. They want to see results, and would prefer to see those results right now.

However, not all diets are created equal. For example: the two major low-carb fad diets, the South Beach Diet, and its predecessor, the Atkins Diet, may be similar in that they are low carb diets that work. However, you can see and feel the difference in the overall state of your health that the better diet leaves you.

The South Beach Diet was developed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, in partnership with dietician Marie Almon. Dr. Agatston had developed this diet plan for his cardiac health patients who needed to lose weight, fast. Some medical procedures need to have patients under a certain weight, thus, he needed to put them on a diet what would help them shed off pounds pronto. He patterned his diet after the Atkins Diet, which is low in carbohydrates but high in protein. Dr. Agatston had concerns about the Atkins having food choices that could prove to be disastrous for his patients in the long run: the Atkins Diet encouraged high-fat food choices. It also did not limit the intake of eggs, which could lead to patients' blood cholesterol rising. With this, Dr. Agatston had to develop a diet program that would make more sense for his patients in the long run: a diet that would make them lose pounds, keep them off, and even condition them to unlearn unhealthy eating habits, and learning better eating habits that would keep their hearts and arteries healthy in the long run.

The South Beach Diet became a success because people started losing weight, from 8 to 12 pounds in the first week, then 1-2 pounds per week thereafter. The South Beach Diet consists of eating no carbs in the first two weeks, then gradually adding carbs from healthier sources as the weeks wear on.

The South Beach Diet - An Easy Alternative

This is a weight loss diet that doesn't make the dieter obsessed about the calories counted or the portion size of the food he/she eats. The only restriction that the dieter will encounter will be that the meal plans have to be religiously followed. Though there are food options, these are very limited. However, putting up with the meal plans has its great rewards in the end, as the dieter sees the body fat just melt away, thanks to the deliberate body chemical reactions planned in the South Beach Diet.

You can also trust that the South Beach Diet has carefully planned nutrition that backs it up. The food choices there are fully healthy: options like yogurt, greens, nuts, and even ricotta cheese are welcome and healthy indulgences that the eager South Beach Dieter can eat. Over time, as the South Beach Diet adherent gets used to these healthy food choices, they'll find that their lives will reflect the careful, deliberate, healthy food choices. Instead of reaching for that bag of chips, you may find yourself reaching for roasted nuts! A welcome treat, indeed! Not only do you get to satisfy your cravings for the munchies, you also give your brains a much-needed boost in the Omega-3 oils, which also help keep the heart pumping vigorously.

The Atkins Diet, on the other hand, is similar to the South Beach Diet in that there are no carbs in the first two weeks, and there are deliberate meal plans as the weeks pass. The similarities end there, however, as the Atkins Diet permits an unlimited amount of eggs consumed, as well as red meat and cholesterol-laden indulgences. The rationale is that fat doesn't convert to fat anyway, so it's safe. However, choosing red meat and cholesterol-laden eggs constantly may prove to be disastrous for your heart in the long run.

Thus, prefer to use the South Beach Diet, which is the Atkins, refined. Not only would you lose those pounds, those love handles and all that flab; you also get to keep your heart healthy, letting you enjoy life longer.