The South Beach Diet Supercharged is nearly identical to the wildly popular South Beach Diet created in 1995 by Arthur Agatston, MD, a preventative cardiologist—and that’s not such a bad thing. This upgraded diet plan keeps its signature carb-controlled three-phase eating program but adds an exercise regimen.
The Program: Like the original South Beach Diet, this ramped-up version is divided into three phases that allow you eat three meals and two snacks a day. You won’t be counting calories, but you will be controlling your carb intake. In the 2-week, carb-restrictive Phase 1 period, you cut out sugar, alcohol, and starches. This means no grains—even the whole wheat kind—and no fruit. During Phase 2 you can reintroduce whole grains, most fruit, and light amounts of alcohol over a period of time. Each week you introduce one serving of carbs back into your daily intake—building up to 6 servings a day over 6 weeks (ideally 3 servings of fruit and 3 servings of grains). If you start to gain weight during Phase 2, you’re supposed to go back to the previous week’s daily carb load. Agatston advises you to stay in Phase 2 until you reach your target weight. At that point, you’ll switch to the maintenance Phase 3 period, during which you can eat whatever you want. There aren’t any real guidelines to Phase 3, but the theory is that you will take the eating habits acquired from Phase 2 to find a balance of carbs that’ll keep weight gain under control. So what makes South Beach supercharged? South Beach 2.0 features the addition of a corresponding three-phase exercise program that includes a 20-minute interval walking routine and resistance training, as well as an expanded recipe archive.
The Claim: According to Agatston, Americans are overweight largely because we eat too many processed carbohydrates. Flooding your body with highly processed carbs causes insulin levels to spike, which in turn triggers more cravings. By essentially going cold turkey on sugars and starches in Phase 1, you’ll stabilize blood sugar levels and tame food cravings. (Search: How to curb cravings) Slowly reintroducing carbs into your diet during Phase 2 is supposed to help you determine how much you can eat without gaining weight and without triggering a wave of cravings. These good eating habits ideally should spill over into Phase 3.
The Facts: Although experts point out that Phase 1 may be overly restrictive when it comes to cutting out fruit and whole grain options, the South Beach Diet gets their stamp of approval. “I like that the South Beach Diet focuses on eating high-fiber carbs, lean protein, and healthy vegetables,” says Marisa Moore, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “I think it’s a diet that people can maintain over a longer period of time.” The three-phase diet seems to work, too: A small study in the Journal of Nutrition found that by the time people finished Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet, they had lost an average of 11.4 pounds and 2 inches from their waist. (Learn more ways to trim your gut when you pick up a copy of The Flat Belly Diet!)
Still, just because the needle on the scale moves during Phase 1, don’t take that as justification to stay on it for longer than 2 weeks. “If you stay on Phase 1 for too long, you’re in jeopardy of vitamin and mineral deficiencies,” says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Plus, if you’re following a more intense exercise routine, you need carbs to replenish your body’s glycogen stores before and after cardio and strength training sessions.
The complementary exercise program—also divided into three phases of intensity—is a welcome addition, although it’s probably best suited for beginners. The 20-minute interval walking routine mixes up fast and slow walking and the three total body workouts are basic, at best. The Phase 1 workout routine is more grounded in improving flexibility than strength, and the most challenging exercise is a wall squat. While you can always use heavier weights, the fitness routine recommends 1- to 3-pound weights for moves such as biceps curls. Adding exercise to your weight loss program will allow you to eat a bit more without gaining weight, says Gerbstadt. If you add even 20 minutes of running to your daily routine, you can eat an additional 200-calorie snack without gaining weight and get other health benefits. (Video: Strengthen your bones with this 10-minute workout)
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