South Beach Diet Review

Popular among celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Kim Cattrall, and Oprah, the South Beach Diet is a rapid weight loss solution often described as a food lover’s diet. Unlike many other weight loss programs, it does not force you to give up on carbs completely and it does not solely focus on diet transformation. It is a complete lifestyle guide designed to help you achieve lifelong results and never struggle with extra pounds again.

To date, more than 11 million people have opted for the South Beach Diet. Now you can enjoy all of its benefits with virtually no effort thanks to the South Beach Diet meal delivery service. In this South Beach Diet review, we explore how this diet works and how effective it is, reveal what kind of food you get to enjoy while on the program, and discover whether it constitutes a healthy and budget-friendly weight loss solution.

What Is The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet originally designed by a famous cardiologist by the name of Dr. Arthur Agatston. It is meant to reprogram your body, kick-start your metabolism, and help you start burning fat almost immediately.

The program focuses on lean protein, nutritious veggies, and healthy fat. It is less restrictive than the Atkins diet and allows you to enjoy some of the good, unrefined carbs. Essentially, it helps you shed pounds by switching to a healthier diet and eliminating your refined-carb and sugar cravings. To help you achieve and sustain visible results, it encourages you to drink more water and incorporate moderate physical activity into your everyday routine.

Getting slim and staying fit with the South Beach Diet is a three-step process. The program is designed to help you reboot your metabolism and put it into a fat-burning mode during the first 2 weeks of the program. After the initial 2-week period, it helps you adjust to your new diet and keep shedding pounds steadily until you are happy with the way you look and feel. Finally, in the third step of the process, it allows for easy maintenance after you have reached your goal weight.

The South Beach Diet For Weight Loss

While the South Beach Diet certainly sounds good so far, there are a number of facts you need to examine before you decide whether it is the right choice for you. We are dedicating this part of our South Beach Diet review to a detailed exploration of this program’s ability to transform your body and lifestyle.

In the following sections, you can learn how much weight you can lose with the South Beach Diet, what makes it effective, what your day would look like if you opted for the program, what foods you would get to eat, and what effects the diet could have on your health.

Does The South Beach Diet Work

According to a clinical study examining the South Beach Diet’s effectiveness, dieters who followed the diet lost 7.08 pounds on average during the first 2 weeks of the program. In the subsequent weeks, the estimated weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week.

In addition to shedding pounds, the positive effects of the program include significant changes in body fat mass and waist, hip, and total body circumference. It is important to note that these positive changes occur throughout the weight loss program.

While research has shown that the typical result is 7 pounds lost in the first 2 weeks, numerous users report a more substantial weight loss in the first phase of the program. Some of them report shedding as many as 14 pounds, 1 for each day during Phase 1. The average total weight loss on the diet is 20-40 pounds, depending on the initial weight.

On the South Beach Diet, your daily calorie intake is lowered to about 1,200 – 1,500 calories until you reach your goal weight. The number of calories you consume per day depends on your gender. Namely, men require and eat more calories than women.

As you can see, the South Beach Diet is not as restrictive as some other low-carb diets that eliminate carbs altogether and require you to consume no more than 1,000 calories per day. For this reason, it is easier to follow while still allowing you to shed pounds.

Why Does The South Beach Diet Work

The South Beach Diet program almost invariably produces visible results because it combines 5 crucial factors known to induce weight loss. These include frequent meals, portion control, mindful eating, proper hydration, and regular physical activity.

During the program, you learn how to appreciate healthy food more, avoid refined carbs and other foods that negatively affect your health and waistline, and enjoy a heart-healthy lifestyle. You eat 6 times a day, decrease the amount of food and calories consumed per meal, drink more water, and adapt your physical activity to your needs.

The company’s carefully designed food products are enjoyed at regular intervals, provide your body with extra proteins, and lower your carb and sugar intake. They work to reset your metabolism and prevent unhealthy cravings. They allow you to feel satiated and slowly stop needing carb-loaded fattening foods that you normally crave more the more you eat them.

All these diet and lifestyle modifications are in line with scientific findings that show that a reduced calorie intake results in weight loss, reduced carb and sugar intake helps eliminate cravings, and increased hydration and physical activity lead to better health and improvements in body composition.

Your Typical Day On The South Beach Diet

As mentioned earlier in this South Beach Diet review, your journey with this program is divided into the following 3 phases:

• Phase 1, the most restrictive weight loss phase dedicated to accelerated weight loss and metabolism reboot;
• Phase 2, the less restrictive weight loss phase dedicated to steady weight loss until the goal weight is reached;
• Phase 3, the weight maintenance phase with minimized restrictions.

Phase 1

Phase 1 lasts for 2 weeks and it limits your carb intake to just 15% to 20% of the total calorie count. You need to avoid refined carbs altogether, as well as grains, fruit, legumes, sugary drinks, and alcohol. Diet sodas and artificially sweetened drinks can be enjoyed at times but in moderation. Your day during this phase includes:

• 3 ready-made South Beach Diet meals;
• 3 homemade snacks;
• At least 64 ounces of water;
• At least 30 minutes of exercise of your choice;
• Tracking progress with the planner included in the diet kit.

For all the snacks you prepare at home, the South Beach Diet provides strict guidelines. Namely, in addition to the ready-made meals, women can enjoy 3 servings of lean proteins, 2 servings of healthy fats, and 5 servings of non-starchy vegetables a day. Men can enjoy 4 servings of lean proteins, 3 servings of healthy fats, and 5 servings of non-starchy veg per day.

Apart from 6 meals and snacks, both men and women can enjoy free foods (no-calorie foods) and 3 servings of extras (e.g. condiments) per day. The service provides a dedicated food list that includes all the groceries approved for use during this phase. We will go over this list in the next section of this South Beach Diet review.

Phase 2

During Phase 2, your carb intake is increased to 30% to 35% of the total calorie count. This phase is not time-limited and it lasts until you reach your goal weight. Your weeks comprise 5 standard days when you enjoy ready-made South Beach diet meals and homemade snacks and 2 practice days when you make all your meals and snacks on your own, following the South Beach Diet guidelines.

A typical standard day during Phase 2 includes:

• 3 ready-made South Beach Diet meals;
• 3 homemade snacks;
• At least 64 ounces of water and unsweetened beverages;
• At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise;
• Progress tracking with the South Beach Diet planner.

If you are a lady, your 3 snacks should include 1 lean protein serving, 2 healthy fat servings, 5 vegetable servings, 1 fruit serving, and 1 good carb serving. Gentlemen can make their 3 snacks using 3 lean protein servings, 2 healthy fat servings, 5 veggie servings, 2 fruit servings, and 1 good carb serving.

During practice days, you get to enjoy:

• 6 homemade meals and between-meal snacks;
• At least 64 ounces of water and unsweetened beverages;
• At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise;
• Progress tracking for motivation and better results.

For women, 3 homemade meals and 3 snacks combined should include 3 lean protein servings, 3 healthy fat servings, 5 veggie servings, 2 fruit servings, and 2 good carb servings. During the day, men should consume 5 lean protein servings, 3 healthy fat servings, 6 vegetable servings, 2 fruit servings, and 2 good carb servings.

Like in Phase 1, you can enjoy 3 extras per day along with unlimited amounts of free foods. You make your meals and snacks using a dedicated food list, which we will take a look at in a minute.

Phase 3

Phase 3 begins when you achieve your weight goals. It does not include dedicated diet plans, it is far from restrictive, and it lasts forever, that is, for as long as you want to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.

There are no food lists you should stick to – unless you feel you need a reboot, in which case you can revisit food lists for Phase 1 and Phase 2. You can eat everything, but make sure you are eating mindfully, in adequate portions, without overeating.

If you want to stay fit and healthy, your typical day should still include 6 small-portion meals and snacks, 30 minutes of moderate exercise, and plenty of water to keep you hydrated. You can use the South Beach Diet handbook available on the company’s website to get workout inspiration for Phase 3 or refresh your memory on proper meal structuring and foods to eat and avoid.

The South Beach Diet Food List – Phase 1

Previously in this South Beach Diet review, we promised that we would introduce you to the foods that you can use as your lean protein, healthy fat, veggie, fruit, and good carb servings, as well as all the free foods and extras that you can enjoy. Let us get started with the foods allowed during Phase 1, which are limited to lean proteins, healthy fats, and veg, plus a few extras and free foods.

Lean Proteins

Foods that fall into the lean protein category include meat, seafood, cheese, eggs, and dairy. You have a variety of options at your disposal, but you have to be sure to consume them in the right quantities.

A serving of meat normally amounts to 3 ounces, with several exceptions. Your serving of meat can include:

If you opt for deli meats, you should make sure that you limit your serving to 2 ounces and choose lower-sodium, nitrite-free, and nitrate-free options. For example, you can go with:

• Regular, smoked or peppered chicken or turkey breast;
• Boiled and uncured smoked ham;
• Lean roast beef.

When it comes to cheese, 1 serving is limited to 1 ounce. Exceptions to the 1-ounce rule include certain high-fat and low-fat cheeses. You can enjoy:

When consuming eggs, you can opt for egg whites only or whole eggs. Your serving of eggs can include 3 large egg whites or 1 large egg.

Finally, when adding dairy to your meals, keep in mind that the daily limit for dairy is 2 servings. One serving is normally equal to 1 cup. Here are the dairy options at your disposal:

• Buttermilk;
• Plain, full-fat Greek yogurt (5.3 ounces);
• Plain kefir;
• Whole milk;
• Unsweetened soy milk.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats include nuts, seeds, nut butters, salad dressings, oils, and fats. However, not all options can be enjoyed in equal quantities.

Nuts, seeds, and nut butters can mostly be consumed in 1-ounce portions, with several exceptions. You can have 1 serving of nuts, seeds or nut butters per day. Here is what your serving can look like:

Salad dressings are mostly off limits, with the exception of regular Italian dressing and balsamic vinaigrette. One serving of salad dressing amounts to 2 tablespoons. You need to stick to full-fat, oil-based options with up to 3 grams of sugar per serving.

A serving of oils and fats invariably amounts to 1 tablespoon. The oils and fats you can use include:

Finally, in addition to everything listed above, your serving of healthy fat can contain any of the following:

• ½ avocado fruit;
• 2 tablespoon of plant sterol- or stanol-based margarine;
• ¼ cup of guacamole;
• 1 tablespoon of olive-oil-based mayonnaise;
• 15-19 black or green olives.

Vegetables

During Phase 1, your choice of vegetables is limited to non-starchy veg. The general rule is that 1 serving amounts to 1 cup of raw veg or ½ cup of cooked veg. You can consume:

Extras

As mentioned previously in this South Beach Diet review, you can have 3 servings of extras per day, with each serving containing up to 35 calories and no more than 3 grams of carbs.  Here are some examples of 1 serving of extras:

• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar;
• 1 tablespoon of reduced-sugar ketchup;
• 1 tablespoon of cream (half-and-half or whole milk);
• 1 cup of sugar-free gelatin;
• 2 tablespoons of salsa;
• 1 teaspoon of seeds;
• 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

Free Foods

We have come to free foods, that is, foods that contain up to 10 calories and no more than 1 gram of carbs per serving. You can have as many servings of free foods as you need. The allowed options include:

• Beef, chicken, and vegetable broth;
• Capers;
• Fresh or dried herbs;
• Lemon or lime juice;
• Any kind of mustard except for honey mustard;
• Low-sodium soy sauce;
• Low-sodium spices and seasoning blends;
• Any vinegar except for balsamic.

The South Beach Diet Food List – Phase 2

During Phase 2, you can enjoy all the foods you consumed during Phase 1. These include lean proteins, healthy fats, non-starchy vegetables, extras, and free foods.

However, you can also start reintroducing some of your favorite carbs like bread, pasta or fine wine. More specifically, your menu is expanded to include starchy veg, fruit, and good carbs, including legumes and certain types of alcohol.

While this is great news, you still need to stick to the guidelines to make sure your choices do not impede your weight loss progress. In this part of our South Beach Diet review, we will introduce you to all the foods that were forbidden during Phase 1 but are allowed during Phase 2.

Starchy Vegetables

When you first start eating starchy veg, you should not consume more than 1 serving per day. Over time, you can increase your daily intake to 2 servings. Still, it is important to note that some starchy veg like pumpkin should always be limited to 1 serving per week.

One serving of starchy veg can contain:

• ½ cup of raw or cooked carrots;
• ½ cup of raw or cooked green peas;
• ½ cup of cooked pumpkin (1 serving per week);
• ½ cup of cooked rutabaga (1 serving per week);
• ½ cup of cooked sweet potato;
• ½ cup of cooked turnip;
• ½ cup of cooked winter squash;
• ½ cup of cooked yams.

Fruit

A serving of fruit normally contains 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit or 2 tablespoons of dried fruit. You can enjoy:

Good Carbs

When eating good carbs, you can usually enjoy ½ cup of cooked carbs or 1 slice of bread per serving. Here are the options that count as a single serving of good carbs:

If you decide to drink alcohol during Phase 2, you should limit your intake to 2 servings per week. Your serving can be:

• 12 ounces of light beer;
• 4 ounces of dry red or white wine;
• 1 ½ ounces of bourbon, gin, rum, sake, tequila or vodka.

Is The South Beach Diet Healthy

The South Beach Diet is a doctor-designed program created to help you improve your health while you are shedding pounds. It can help you lower your cholesterol as well as reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, heart attack, and certain forms of cancer.

Since the diet eliminates unhealthy foods from your diet, provides structured nutrition, and encourages physical activity and proper hydration, it can have a number of positive effects on your body. In addition to the health benefits mentioned previously, it can improve your metabolism and fat-to-muscle ratio, increase your energy levels, and improve your heart health. Furthermore, in individuals with type 2 diabetes, it can supplement regular treatment and help keep blood sugar levels in check.

Based on the information currently available, the South Beach Diet is both healthy and safe and it does not cause any significant side effects. Like other weight loss solutions, it may cause transient issues like nausea, headache, bad breath, and dizziness.

However, these minor side effects are normal in individuals who radically change their diet and they do not occur in all dieters. If you experience such or other issues, like fatigue or dehydration, you should increase your water intake and you should not worry unless these problems persist. You should consult with your doctor if you experience recurring issues. They are normally easily solved with vitamin supplements and similar solutions.

It is important to emphasize that while the South Beach Diet is safe for the biggest majority of dieters, some individuals should avoid this and other weight loss programs due to their special dietary needs or health conditions. Sensitive demographics include individuals under the age of 18, dieters allergic to peanuts, soy or latex (latex is used when handling food), people suffering from anorexia, bulimia nervosa, celiac disease, severe epilepsy, kidney disease or other serious conditions requiring a specialized diet, and nursing mothers whose babies have not yet incorporated solid foods into their diets. Individuals whose body mass index is under 19 kg/m2 should not follow this or any other weight loss program.

How Does South Beach Diet Delivery Work

With South Beach Diet meal delivery, you get to enjoy a variety of ready-made, chef-inspired dishes, including healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and guilt-free snacks. You can opt for one of the 4-week plans – Simple, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Your choice of meal plan depends on how much money you want to spend, how much you value menu variety, and whether you want to receive snacks and protein shakes in your deliveries. All the plans are available in both men’s and women’s versions. We will explore each plan in greater detail in the following section of this South Beach Diet review.

In case you need more ready-made food or supplements while on the program or just want to create your menu on your own, you can opt for a la carte ordering. You can place your orders as often as you wish, get as much food as you need, and receive your delivery in 4 to 10 business days. However, you should keep in mind that the meal plans allow you to pay significantly less per serving in comparison to a la carte ordering.

With the meal plans, you can decide between auto-delivery and one-off purchases. Auto-delivery lets you enjoy major savings and allows you to delay, cancel or modify your deliveries in accordance with your needs.

If you decide to cancel, you should reach out to the company’s customer support via phone no later than 6 PM ET the day before your next order is scheduled for processing. Since the company offers a $125 discount on your first auto-delivery shipment, it only allows you to cancel charge-free after you receive your second box. If you cancel before you pay for your second delivery, you are charged $125 for the initial discount.

South Beach Diet Meals And Recipes

South Beach Diet has a rich menu including about 30 breakfasts, more than 20 lunches, and over 50 dinners, as well as about 2 dozen healthy snacks. Most of the items on the menu are healthier renditions of classics and traditional favorites, like chocolate shakes, muffins, pancakes, omelets, frittatas, sandwiches, comforting soups, chili, fajitas, BBQ chicken, and more.

The menu is designed to accommodate certain types of special dietary needs. Some of the items on the menu are gluten-free, many of them are shellfish-free, and for individuals allergic to wheat, the service can create a wheat-free menu. Vegetarian, diabetic-friendly, and keto-friendly items are available as well. The program is not suitable for vegans and individuals with nut or soy allergies.

Apart from meals and snacks, the menu features special sections dedicated to meal replacements and supplements. These include a variety of tasty and nutritious shakes and bars, along with heart health infusions and vitamin packs for men and women.

Now that we have covered the basic facts about the menu, let us explore the service’s meal plans in greater detail and find out what you get to enjoy with each of the 4 options at your disposal.

Simple

The Simple plan is a relatively recent addition to the company’s offer. It is the most budget-friendly option available. It is designed for dieters who want to prepare their meals themselves and rely on the service to provide healthy snacks to complement their meals. It includes 4 weeks’ worth of South Beach Diet’s keto-friendly shakes and bars that can serve as a snack or meal on the go.

The dedicated Simple plan diet kit features pre-selected shakes and bars. You get:

• 9 cinnamon bun entrée bars;
• 9 double chocolate entrée bars;
• 10 peanut butter chocolate entrée bars;
• 15 chocolate shakes;
• 15 vanilla shakes.

The plan does not include any extras, but you still gain access to useful tools and resources, including the free tracker app, the keto-friendly meal planner, and various tips, tricks, and recipes available on the company’s website.

Silver

The Silver plan is the second most affordable plan. It allows you to choose from a slightly smaller assortment of meals in comparison to the menu available with the other two plans. You can choose the meals yourself or let the South Beach Diet experts choose them for you.

The plan includes 4 weeks’ worth of ready-made breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Ladies can purchase snacks in the form of an add-on while the Silver plan for men includes snacks since men need more calories.

Gold

In comparison to the Silver plan, the Gold plan allows you to enjoy greater menu variety with 101+ items at your disposal and it comes with snacks included. Just like the Silver plan, this plan provides you with enough food for 4 weeks.

Unlike other plans that are only available in versions for men and women, the Gold plan comes in 2 additional variations particularly designed for men and women who suffer from type 2 diabetes. The products available with the diabetes-friendly versions of the Gold program can help with blood sugar control and lowering A1C levels. However, individuals who suffer from diabetes should talk to their doctor before getting started with this or any other weight loss program.

Platinum

The Platinum plan offers all the benefits included the Gold plan, with one important bonus. It provides you with 20 South Beach Complete shakes that contain 20 grams of protein each. They contain just 3 grams of net carbs per serving and have zero added sugar.

How Much Does South Beach Diet Cost

South Beach Diet products are highly affordable. The company’s diet plans start at just $3.57 to $12.86 per day. If you are ordering a la carte, you can expect to pay between $2.49 and $6.99 per serving, depending on the products you choose to order.

With the meal plans, the total cost per delivery depends on whether you are ordering the men’s version or the women’s version of the plan and whether you opt for one-time or automatic delivery. On average, men pay about $1 to $1.50 more per day than women, as their diet kits feature additional snacks. Auto-delivery includes a 35% discount in comparison to one-off purchases.

As far as shipping costs go, all the plans allow you to enjoy free shipping. A la carte orders come with free shipping if they are worth $150 or more.

To find out how much you pay with each South Beach Diet plan, take a look at our convenient pricing overview below.

Where Does South Beach Diet Deliver

South Beach Diet ships its products all over the contiguous United States. Currently, the service does not ship to Hawaii, Alaska, PO boxes, APO boxes, and military addresses. International shipping is not available. All orders are shipped via FedEx.

You do not have to be at home to receive your delivery. All South Beach Diet products arrive in specially designed boxes that keep them fresh for 6 to 8 hours after delivery.

South Beach Diet Pros And Cons

To make sure South Beach Diet meets all your standards and expectations, it is important to know its biggest advantages and disadvantages. With a short overview of its pros and cons, you can easily decide if South Beach Diet is the right meal delivery service for you.

Sample Dishes

With South Beach Diet, you get delicious meals prepared by pro chefs at affordable prices. To find out what kinds of delights you will receive in your delivery, we have chosen a couple of sample dishes that accurately represents its offer and can help you decide if it is the right service for you.