Average Weight For Women

The book entitled ‘The South Beach Diet’ incorporated the diet strategy formulated by the cardiologist, Arthur Agatston. Its name comes from the fact that he was working in Miami, Florida when he wrote it. It has since become a successful diet plan for millions of women around the world.

Why is this diet different?

The main emphasis of the South Beach Diet is on losing weight while still eating a healthy and balanced diet. Certain types of carbohydrates and fats are required by the body while others result in weight gain. By focussing on the useful carbohydrates and fats you not only lose weight but also lower your cholesterol levels.

High cholesterol levels can lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and other heart diseases. Consuming too many bad carbohydrates has been linked to diabetes. The diet aims to reduce the cravings for foods that contain these bad carbohydrates and fats.

Unlike the Atkins Diet, which cuts out all carbohydrates altogether, the South Beach Diet places the emphasis on eating the right types of carbohydrates. This includes plenty of vegetables as well as allowing lean meat.

The diet may sound simple enough but it needs a lot of will-power and the desire to succeed. As easy as it sounds, this diet does require a lot of determination and self-motivation.

The three stages of the South Beach Diet

The diet plan has three distinct stages. Each one has a specific goal.

This is the first and the most regimented of all three stages of the diet plan. It spans the first two weeks and is the only stage that specifically prohibits the consumption of certain foods. It is this that many people find difficult to adhere to but, if successful, a person can expect to lose between 8 and 13 pounds by the end of the two weeks. It also acts as a detoxification period which makes the body healthier.

The banned foods include full fat cheese, fruit juices, fruit, beef rib steaks, honey-baked ham, yogurt, pasta, rice, oatmeal, bread and other starchy foods. These are compensated for by the foods that are allowed to be eaten in regular amounts.

Shellfish, fish, chicken, turkey and other lean meats as well as nuts, vegetables and eggs are on the approved list. The idea is to eat three decent meals a day to lessen the amount of cravings between meals.

After the first two weeks, some of the foods that were previously prohibited are now able to be eaten. These are specifically the high-fiber carbohydrates found in whole grain bread, for example. These help promote the production of insulin in the body.
Low fat dairy products and some fruits are also back on the menu.
There are limits set on the amounts of certain items including potatoes, honey, watermelon and some refined wheat-based foods. Red wine is also allowed in small amounts. Stage Two is considered complete once you have attained your ideal weight. Then it is on to Stage Three.

The final stage of the South Beach Diet is dedicated to ensuring that the weight loss achieved is maintained. This is why the diet is seen as a change of lifestyle and not a simple plan to lose weight quickly.

The emphasis is on staying healthy and preventing any weight gain. All cravings for foods high in empty carbohydrates or fats should have subsided. If the pounds do start to creep back up then the diet can be restarted from Stage One.

Are there any drawbacks of the diet?

As with any diet, the initial dramatic weight loss most women experience on the South Beach Diet is largely due to water loss. This excess water was being retained in the body by the carbohydrates in foods that are prohibited in Stage One. Once you are free to eat these foods again there is the possibility that the water retention will cause some weight gain.

Before beginning the South Beach Diet, as with any diet, it is important to consult with your medical practitioner.

Summary:

The South Beach Diet is dedicated to ensuring that the weight loss achieved is maintained. This is why the diet is seen as a change of lifestyle and not a simple plan to lose weight quickly. The emphasis is on staying healthy and preventing any weight gain.

In this modern time, people are very conscious for their health, looks and overall appearance. Everyone wants to get rid of fat, overweight and plump body. To achieve a perfect body or figure, people blindly follow fitness programs, diet plans and other fat-treatments. Unfortunately, most of the people end up into wrong paths and don’t find any improvement after spending loads of money and time. Hence, choosing a right diet plan is very necessary for overall personality development.

Which Diet Plan suits to me?

Everyone is aware of this fact that better health can not be achieved without following a right diet. There are lots of diet plans like south beach diet, zone diet, Mediterranean diet and many more that are especially planned according to different dietary needs and objectives. But it is quite difficult to make out which one of these numerous plans is meant for you. Below are some points that will guide you in choosing the best diet for yourself:

Hopefully above tips can assist you finding the best ones for your health!

The South Beach Diet is far more than just a diet. It is life changing. Unlike many other diets that are often only undertaken for a short period of time it needs a lot of will-power and determination to succeed. If you are prepared to change what you eat for the long term it will not only help you to lose weight but it will also help prevent the pounds from creeping back too. The secret behind its success is that your cravings for foods that are high in unhealthy carbohydrates are reduced as you eat only those that are good for you.

Is this diet right for everyone?

Put simply, no. As with any type of diet, the South Beach Diet is not ideally suited to everyone. The main reason that many people find that the diet does not work for them is because it requires a huge amount of will-power and determination to succeed, especially in the beginning of the plan. This is the first of the three stages that make up the diet.

There are a small number of foods that are prohibited on the diet and there are also strict guidelines that need to be followed if the diet is going to prove successful. Many people who start the diet find that they cannot adhere to the plan for long and give up.

Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, developed the South Beach Diet. The main emphasis of the diet is to cut down the amount of carbohydrates that are consumed. Although a few foods are banned from the beginning of the diet, the majority of foods can be eaten. However, Dr. Agatston stresses the benefits of eating ‘good fats’ and explains the effects of processed foods on our blood sugar levels and insulin responses. Although the diet plan might not be one that everyone can adhere to, its philosophy plays an important role in educating us about the value of good nutrition. The diet’s website is full of information to help us eat better and also includes recipes and meal plans, including some for vegetarians.

How to maximise your diet success

There are a number of points that can help increase the benefits of the South Beach Diet. Here are three of the most important:

Water is essential for many of the body’s functions and the recommended minimum daily amount that we should drink is 8 glasses. Sipping water, if you are feeling hungry, can also alleviate your craving for food. One tip for people who do not enjoy drinking water in its natural form is to flavour it with a small amount of juice. Watered down tea or coffee can also form part of your daily intake. Remember that water also helps your hair and skin look healthier as well as curbing your appetite.

The recommended daily intake of caffeine is one cup of tea or coffee a day. If you love your morning tea or coffee you can still drink them to count towards your daily water intake but limit it to one. Throughout the rest of the day why not try herbal teas or decaffeinated coffee. You will probably find that you feel far less stressed too with your caffeine levels lowered.

No matter how well-balanced your diet is the majority of people do not get the full amount of the essential vitamins and minerals from the food that they eat. This can be accentuated when you are on any dietary plan. The simplest way to ensure that you are not deficient in any vitamins or minerals is to take a multivitamin supplement daily.

The South Beach Diet is reasonably simple to adhere to if you are determined to succeed and have enough willpower. There are lots of recipes that you can try out, both in the book of the diet and on the Internet. The choice is sufficient that even the fussiest of eaters is bound to find something that takes their fancy.

The weight loss achieved on the diet can be very rapid, especially in the initial two weeks. This is the first stage of the South Beach Diet and the target weight loss is 8-13 pounds. If you achieve this then it is likely to motivate you even further to continue the diet. By the end of the first stage your cravings for any banned foods should also have lessened considerably. The aim of Stage Two is to achieve your target weight. Once you have reached this, you move into Stage Three where you maintain your ideal weight and prevent the weight from piling back on. This is where the lifestyle change that the South Beach Diet incorporates takes effect and why it has a high rate of success for people who reach the final stage.

Summary:

The South Beach Diet is far more than just a diet. It is life changing. Unlike many other diets that are often only undertaken for a short period of time, it needs a lot of willpower and determination to succeed. If you are prepared to change what you eat for the long term, it will not only help you to lose weight but it will also help prevent the pounds from creeping back too.

For ages, humans have been trying to defy Father Time and Mother Nature. Eternal youth is a myth but you can definitely defy old age with an effective anti aging diet. And contrary to popular belief, anti aging diets do not mean starving yourself.A strict adherence to any anti aging diet not only delays aging, but also prevents a large number of diseases and the ensuing stress and fatality. Such a diet plan is guaranteed to make you look younger and stay healthy too.Anti aging diets are actually a form of calorie restriction. However, it is fundamentally different from the numerous fad diets that are featured in the newspaper daily. In these diet programs, you eat less overall and keep a tab on the amount of fats and carbohydrates you are consuming.How you keep a check on the calories is up to you. You can skip your lunch, or gorge on all kinds of foods for a few days and then go hungry the other days of the week or you can limit your food intake on all days of the week.The anti aging diet plan maintains a fine line between consuming less and being starved. That means you don’t compromise on the essential nutrients by having more of anti aging food like fruits, vegetables and fishes.Fresh fruits and vegetables, except avocadoes, coconuts and olives, are storehouses of essential vitamins and minerals. They’re low on calories and devoid of fat, cholesterol and sodium, the culprits behind coronary diseases, diabetes and hypertension.The anti aging diet program also emphasizes the intake of fruits and vegetables, since they contain antioxidants in large measures. Antioxidants induce longevity by countering free oxygen radicals, which erode cell membranes and life-nourishing proteins. Antioxidants also stem the neural degeneration that comes with senility. It’s no wonder that the National Cancer Institute recommends a daily anti aging diet of five fruit and vegetable portions. But the more, the merrier.You can’t banish fat entirely from your diet, but the anti aging diet plan counsels that fish be the source of this fat. The omega-3 fatty acids contained therein, inhibit the growth of cancerous cells, stimulate the immune system, reduce the chances of cardiac arrest and ward off depression.Anti aging diet has caught on like nothing else and people are already swooning over the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet. Both are essentially low carbohydrate diets.While the Atkins Diet is formulated on the principle that when you are running low on carbs, the body is left with no other choice but to burn the fat, the South Beach Diet recommends complex carbs, which take time to break down so that you have less sugar cravings.The hype surrounding anti aging diet seems justified for nothing less than your health is at stake.

You can lose a little weight with any diet whatsoever and the famed South Beach Diet is no exception, of course. What is more important is whether you lose fat and how much of it. The initial weight loss caused by the South Beach Diet may be of water, and not actual fat. Phase 1 restricts most carbs, and without energy coming into the body in the form of carbs, the body will use energy that’s stored with water in the muscles, and as a result, the water loss may make you appear thinner.

The main problem with this diet is all the low-fat dairy snacks. The book doesn’t provide options for people who don’t like or can’t eat dairy products because the eating plan prohibits soy in the first two weeks. Two options that can make this plan work for you, if you have problems with dairy, are substituting those cheese snacks with healthy nuts, or substituting with whey protein shake and flaxseed oil. This way you still get a protein/healthy fat snack.

Some of the meals that are suggested in the book can take a lot of time to prepare and they are not really fit with an active person’s lifestyle. Some of the foods that the diet recommends can be quite costly, such as pistachios, mahi mahi, and chocolate-dipped apricots.

The diet is fairly new and doesn’t have years of support to back up its claims. Insufficiency of scientific data on the South Beach Diet – there is only one study that Dr. Agatston conducted with some of his own patients, but it was not a long-term study and the patient-sample was not very large. Dieters should be monitored long term, as high protein intake makes the kidneys work harder and strip the body of calcium.

Phase 1 is the most restrictive and has some inconveniences:

- Ketosis might occur due to the lack of carbs resulting in fat burn. Effects include weakness, gastrointestinal problems, fatigue, dizziness, glucose body depletion, dehydration.

- The lack of fruits results loss of vitamins and minerals.

- Eliminating all carbohydrate-rich foods during this phase will also cut out some other good sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Wholegrain breads and cereals are rich in fiber, B vitamins and iron, while milk is an excellent source of calcium and zinc.

Since there are no guidelines as to how much carbohydrates to eat, “carb crash” could also occur, depending upon the individual dieter’s food selections. This diet leaves a lot up to the individual, which is good in the long run, but is probably harder to handle by novices. Also, some people just aren’t all that tuned in to their bodies’ signals and might not be motivated to become so.

And quite a few aspects of the diet don’t really fit together well. Why is more saturated fat allowed in Phase Three? Why say that portion size of low carb foods should be left up to the individual, but then recommend counting individual nuts (and it’s a different number depending upon the nut). You might want what you can’t have. You may find yourself binging on the carbs you couldn’t have in Phase 1 by the time Phase 2 rolls around.

And what’s the deal with couscous? This is a highly processed, high glycemic form of wheat, and yet Agatston recommends it and has many recipes that include it. Other high glycemic foods are in his menus and recipes, which may send, at the least, a mixed message.

You can obtain results with this diet, no doubt. But a lot depends on your own dieting mentality.

If you already have a healthy lifestyle, you certainly don’t need a South Beach Diet to create imbalances in your metabolism by cutting good and bad foods altogether. If you want to achieve a healthy lifestyle, again this diet might not be the best idea after all. People cannot eat plain apples or tomatoes or skinless, boneless chicken breasts. And the theoretic glycemic index of foods is changed by the real-life recipe you use.

Overview. Dr Agatston, a leading American cardiologist, initially created the SouthBeach diet for his heart patients.  While his diet was to improve his patients heart wellbeing, he discovered that a side effect of the diet was that they lost considerable amounts of weight.  He claims this isn’t a low-carb or low-fat diet – instead it focuses on eating the ‘right’ carbs and the ‘right’ fats.  In fact, the South Beach Diet is based on the Glycemic index.  It begins by severely restricting carbohydrates in the first two weeks, before gradually re-introducing those with a lower on the glycemic index. In addition, it recommends swapping saturated fats for unsaturated fats. The South Beach Diet follows the same principles of other diets based on the Glycemic Index.  SouthBeach is divided into three phases.  In Phase One, most carbohydrates are banned to give your body a complete rest from fluctuating blood sugar and insulin levels.  The theory is this will help to resolve insulin resistance.  During Phase One, the banned foods list includes bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, milk, sweets, cake, biscuits, ice cream, sugar and alcohol.  A few low GI vegetable such as broccoli and cabbage are allowed, but the focus is on eating lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, some nuts and olive oil.  You follow this phase for 14 days. In Phase Two, low GI carbs including most fruits, Granary bread, wholegrain cereals and pasta and low-fat milk are reintroduced. The idea is to stay with this phase until you’ve reached your target weight.  Finally, in Phase Three, you introduce an even wider variety of foods.  This phase is aimed at keeping your weight steady and the diet recommends you stay on this for life.What we like about this plan. The South Beach Diet differs from its low-carb competitors, like Atkins, in that it restricts saturated fats, which are associated with health problems like heart disease and high cholesterol.  The plan reduces the cravings for sugars, sweets and other carbohydrates because the diet is supposed to keep blood sugar levels sustained.  Its importance on fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats is an eating plan that is full of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.  Dr Agatston has great support from the medical science community.  There is a new updated book released in 2008, “South Beach Diet: Supercharged”.  The book does an excellent job getting a dieter started and includes great recipes.  There is also a complete line of South Beach Diet foods that can be purchased in your grocery store from cereals to frozen meals.What we dislike about this plan. The plan is tough for a vegetarian and a non-fish eater.  The science behind Dr. Agatston’s assertions about certain foods and their ability to raise blood sugar levels or put on weight is inaccurate.  Alcohol is forbidden in the induction phase and limited in the long-term diet.  The book contains no exercise guidelines.  Recipes rely on a lot of NutraSweet and sugar alcohols, which many find difficult to digest.  To become a member of the website you must join for 6.00 a week.How Healthy Is This Plan? It is a overall healthy plan after the first phase. Its encouragement of eating vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats is marvelous.  Its elimination of white sugar and refined carbohydrates is equally creditable, but not so easy to follow.  Many people have been successful losing weigh following the South Beach Diet and have been able to keep it off.  The South Beach Diet has some scientific flaws and many nutritionists would argue that its promise of losing 8-12 pounds in 14 days is a bit aggressive and is certainly water weight and some muscle, especially since exercising is not addressed.Here Is the Bottom Line. The South Beach Diet only requires serious willpower for the first two weeks during Phase One.  Nevertheless, this phase is extremely restrictive. If you can get past the initial phase, then it will get easier.  No major food groups are eliminated, plenty of fruit and vegetables are recommended and generally the diet follows the use of the glycemic index and taking heart health into consideration.  If you can handle the restriction of carbs, this plan will be a plan for you. © 2008 – 2009 Which Weight Loss

For those trying to loose weight, choosing from the numerous weight loss programs can be quite a daunting task. The best solution to this problem is to decide not on a diet but a nutritional change of life. Dieting for a month or a year will not help if you return to old eating habits. Instead try and choose a diet that can be a consistent way of eating for years to come.

Know about some diet plans below and choose the best for you:

Atkins

The Atkins diet focuses on a high protein low carbohydrate diet. Because carbohydrates are used for energy, eliminating their intake forces the body to use fat stores. If breads, rice, and potatoes favorites then this might not be the right lifestyle choice.

South Beach

The South Beach diet also restricts carbohydrates. The South Beach diet does not allow consumption of bad fats. In addition this diet does not strictly count carbohydrates and allows carbs with a low glycemic index.

The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet plan is based on eating the correct combination of foods, 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbohydrates. For those who can enjoy the bad foods in extreme moderation this way of eating might work well.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet focuses more on keeping the heart healthy than losing weight. It focuses on eating a lot of vegetables and fruits and some nuts and wine and using good oils for cooking. Fish is encouraged while red meat is discouraged. Keep in mind weight loss will be slow.

Macrobiotic Diet

This diet is low fat, high fiber and is mostly vegetarian. In this meal plan whole grains make up about 50% of each meal. Vegetables make up about 30% and beans make up about 10% of the diet. Fish is allowed in very small amounts and meat, poultry and eggs are not permitted. This is a very restrictive diet and might not be a good lifestyle choice.

Gluten Free

A Gluten Free diet is mostly for those allergic to wheat. It avoids all foods containing gluten or from gluten cereals like wheat, rye or barley. In addition this does not promote weight loss.

Detox Diets

Most detox diets are liquid diets whose purpose is to rid the body of harmful chemicals and toxins. There are some special formulated liquids to aid in this type of diet and some people just drink hot water with lemon for a few days and consume nothing else. Obviously there is weight loss but this is not a long term nutritional plan.

While choosing a new nutritional lifestyle is advantageous to weight and health, good fitness programs should also be included. Aerobic activity and weight trains should be included in a fitness routine.

Typically when diet plans and weight loss programs are compared, it’s done to show you things like differences in price, foods you can and can not eat, and which ones are easier to follow. It’s safe to say that this comparison is going to be a little bit different.The Atkins Diet Plan:

The Atkins Diet is a high-protein, high-fat and low-carbohydrate weight-loss diet popularized by Dr. Robert C. Atkins. It is a form of ketogenic diet.

The science behind how the Atkins diet helps you to lose weight is simple. When you eat very few carbohydrates (which are your usual main source of energy), the body goes into what is called a ‘ketogenic state’ where it must rely on stored fat for energy. As a result, you burn fat quickly and begin to lose weight. This process also makes the body produce compounds called ketones, which initially give dieters a ‘buzz’ or euphoric feeling. Most dieters don’t feel deprived on low-carbohydrates diets for the first several days because they are eating meals high in fat.Weight Watchers Diet Plan:

Weight Watchers is a diet program which combines weight loss and exercise ideas. As a membership incentive system it offers special foods, cookbooks and exercise plans for a fee.

Weight Watchers points are awarded for success and the dieter has the support of Weight Watchers groups around the world and chapter members from his or her local group. The advantages are that one can lose weight with others, having the support of others who are fighting the same battles. Weight Watcher products are readily available, and there are hundreds of web sites for support.Jenny Craig Weight Loss Program:

The Jenny Craig program offers personalized diet plans, and offers guidance at weekly meetings at Jenny Craig centers.

Participants must follow their personal meal plan, consisting of pre-packaged ‘Jenny’ meals along with healthy fruits and vegetables. The plan encourages healthy lifestyle changes and moderate eating. Clients get a personal touch as they work with counselors to find out their unique caloric needs, and can adjust their goals accordingly.The Slim-Fast Plan:

Slim-Fast consists of meal-replacement shakes, snack bars and one real-food dinner, giving a total of around 1200 calories in a single day.

Slim-Fast has been designed to make weight-loss as easy as possible. There is nothing to count, no need to measure portions, you don’t need to eliminate anything from your diet; all foods are OK, and no foods are forbidden. The plan involves 6 small meals/snacks per day, using Slim-Fast products for two meals and a snack and the rest of the day you’re on your own, to prepare a “sensible” dinner. Once you reach your weight-loss goal, just replace one meal a day with a Slim-Fast meal and stick with the healthy lifestyle changes that you have made, such as exercising, and you will maintain your weight.The NutriSystem Diet Meal Plan:

The NutriSystem Diet entails eating mainly prepackaged NutriSystem meals until you reach your desired weight. For about $300 you get 28 days worth of entrees, snacks, and desserts delivered to your home.

You begin this diet by selecting the program that best meets your needs: Women’s, Men’s, Silver for Women, Silver for Men, Type 2 Diabetes, or Vegetarian. You can then either let NutriSystem select your meals or you can choose for yourself. Standard programs, such as Women’s or Men’s, offer over 300 different meals to choose from. But subscribers to the other programs have a more limited selection; for example, the vegetarian program lets you choose from about 60 entrees and desserts). Once you enroll in a program, the meals that you select will be delivered to your home. The meals are designed to be quick and convenient and don’t even require refrigeration.The South Beach Diet:

The South Beach Diet emphasizes normal portions of lean proteins such as fish and chicken; unlimited amounts of low-glycemic-index vegetables; ample amounts of healthy fats such as olive and canola oil, nuts and avocados; and small portions of “healthy carbs” found in fruit and less-processed grains.

By following this way of eating, the plan promises positive changes in markers of cardiovascular health: lower cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, along with increased HDL cholesterol levels. There are three phases in this diet. Dieters are encouraged to move back and forth between the different phases as needed to maintain their weight loss.

Phase I is the most restrictive and lasts for two weeks. It emphasizes lean proteins, fat-free or low-fat cheese, nuts, eggs, tofu, legumes, healthy types of fat and low-glycemic-index vegetables. Phase II reintroduces fruit, whole grain bread, rice, pasta and fat-free milk and yogurt. Dieters stay on Phase II until they’ve lost their desired amount of weight. Phase III is for maintenance and should be followed for life.

In summary, there is more than one way to lose weight. Include a fitness routine no matter how small, and you’re guaranteed an easier time bridging the weight loss gap.