All weight watchers must have heard of the South Beach Diet. This diet plan is almost as popular as the Atkins’ diet. Designed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, the South Beach Diet is one that places restrictions on carbohydrate intake. However, good carbs are permitted and there is no need to count the grams of carbohydrates consumed. Here is a quick overview of this popular and effective diet plan.

As in other diet plans like Atkins and Sugarbusters diet, you will have to restrict yourself to foods with a low glycemic index (GI). Such foods do not cause blood sugar levels to peak dramatically. The South Beach Diet focuses on maintaining a healthy balance in the intake of good carbs and fats. Unhealthy fats and processed foods are banned in this diet plan.

The South Beach Diet is essentially divided into three phases.

Phase One: This is the strictest and most difficult part of the diet. Once you get through this phase, the rest of the diet plan should be a breeze. Phase 1 lasts for 14 days and during this time you will have to eliminate most carbohydrates from your diet. Foods like potatoes, pasta, rice, pastry, baked items and alcohol should be strictly avoided. Dairy products like low fat milk or yogurt are permitted. Little wonder this is called the most difficult part. Proponents of the South Beach Diet feel that once you get used to avoiding the bad carbs and sticking to healthy carbohydrates, you will no longer have a craving for unhealthy carbohydrates.

Phase Two: You can slowly re-introduce certain foods which were forbidden in the first phase. You cannot re-introduce all these foods at the same time. You will have to choose which ones you wish to add to your diet. Moderation is the key word here because overeating foods with high GI will promote, not reduce weight gain.

Phase Three: This is the easiest part of the diet. Now that you are done with the first two phases, eating foods low in GI should be a habit.

The South Beach Diet does not ban you from snacking. As a matter of fact, it promotes healthy snacking in moderation. Another advantage is that you don’t have to keep counting calories and figuring out how much calories watch portion contains. You will just have to learn to avoid foods high in sugar and choose healthy and low GI foods. There is no specific limitation on portion sizes but that does not give you permission to binge either. You can eat but do so in moderation. The South beach Diet recommends eating "normal" portions sizes. That means, eating just enough to make you feel sated.

If you are looking for a simple, healthy and effective diet plan, the South Beach Diet is the one for you.

Jonathan Pitts

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