Carol is a happy individual. However, this was not always the case. A year ago, she was suffering from depression. Her frame of 5'7? was under pressure. The reason ? her weight of 87 kilos was too much for her body to bear. Doctors had classified her as obese and she was suffering from chronic backache, high levels of cholesterol and heart problems.

That is when she read about the South Beach diet. She tried it out and successfully lost as weight. So, what is South Beach diet?

South Beach diet is one of the few diets that have managed to attract thousands of loyal followers. Devised by Miami based cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, the diet first hit the American shores in form of a book titled The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss.

The cornerstone of South Beach diet is the regulation in the type of carbohydrates and fats that enter the body. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are the main components of food. However, different food items contain different kinds of carbohydrates and fats. The kind of fats and carbohydrates ingested by you creates a negative or a positive impact on the body.

South Beach diet stresses on restricting the consumption of bad carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates are complex in nature and rank high on the glycemic index. Most processed foods, soft drinks and bakery items made from refined flour contain bad carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates are rapidly broken down and get absorbed into the blood stream. The body releases high doses of insulin to regulate the glucose levels. However, once the carbohydrates get burnt up, the insulin still present makes you carve for more food and you end up gulping more. Similarly, the saturated fats tend to be sticky and may increase the risk of arteriosclerosis and other heart related ailments.

South Beach diet restricts the consumption of bad carbohydrates and saturated fats. The three phases of South Beach diet also ensures that you are able to shed those extra pounds. In the first stage ? which lasts for two weeks- the dieter can expect to lose weight of around 8-13 lb. There is no fixed period for the second stage of South Beach diet and one can continue with it till the time the weighing machine displays the figure you want, in other words till you have achieved the desired target. Usually, people lose anywhere between 1-2 lb per week. The third phase is to be continued for lifetime. For more info see http://www.southbeachdietclub.com/sbdclub/south-beach-diet-recipes.html on south beach diet recipes.

Thus, South Beach diet has helped thousands to regain a slim and a healthy body. However, South Beach diet asks the sacrifice of burgers, pastries, pizzas, soft drinks, and many other yummy food. This is a small ask for a life long of health and fitness.

The third phase can consist of meals that are recommended for phase one and two. But remember to steer clear of fats, and anything that contains bad carbohydrates. Adhering to the rules of South Beach diet can launch you on a path to a healthy self.