Is the South Beach Diet Safe? What Every Dieter Needs to Know

On quick glance, the south beach diet seems fairly safe and overall, pretty healthy cuisine. It does offer a way to eat healthy for life which is not the norm for fad diets. Support is also available through online communities and direct advice from the doctor who formed the diet and his nutritionists. Sounds good, right? But look a little closer and you'll see its pitfalls.

The biggest pitfall of the south beach diet is found right at the beginning. The first two weeks of the south beach diet are excruciating. Absolutely no fruit, bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar, alcohol or baked goods are allowed. If the dieter is accustomed to eating these things, this will be extremely difficult to get through. This fact alone makes the south beach diet a potential failure.

In addition, the south beach diet in the first two weeks puts the body in a state of ketosis. Ketosis occurs when adequate carbohydrates are not taken in and ketone bodies are produced. If ketosis continues, then ketoacidosis can occur leading to coma and death. This will be amplified in anyone with kidney problems, but is certainly a problem even in healthy people. Moreover, the majority of weight lost in a state of ketosis is water weight and it will be regained when normal eating resumes. Lowering calories to this extreme also reduces metabolism thereby making weight loss more difficult in the future.

Designed for lowering cholesterol in heart patients and also for diabetics, the south beach diet is basically a low carb diet. After the initial two weeks, healthy carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables are gradually added back in. The potential for gaining back pounds lost in the first two weeks is high at this point. It's very difficult for a person to deny themselves of something and not go overboard when the item is reintroduced. Again, a great deal of self-resolve will be needed.

Another pitfall to the south beach diet is rather subjective, but nevertheless, an issue. The south beach diet offers books and advice by the ton creating somewhat of a complicated plan. A lot of people will simply not make it through learning the diet and become frustrated when things become too complicated. If a person has a difficult time understanding a diet, he or she will have an even more difficult time sticking to it.

The south beach diet, overall, is just too strict. Eating healthy for life doesn't have to mean giving everything up. There aren't many allowances for occasional indulgence. This, in and of itself, will make it difficult for a person to stick to the south beach diet.

Though it's not the worst fad diet ever, the south beach diet just isn't the best way to achieve healthy weight loss and keep it off for life. The best way to achieve healthy weight loss is by learning the basics of nutrition, some of which we learned quite simply in kindergarten with the food guide pyramid. Seems a bit simpler than memorizing the Glycemic Index, doesn't it?

Rather than following the south beach diet, try a more straightforward approach. Make a list of all the items you eat that are high in fat and sugar. Eliminate most of these from your daily intake and only allow a small amount now and again. Read food labels and try to understand portion sizes. You may be surprised at what you find. For instance, a serving of ice cream is only half a cup for a total of about 300 calories. Can you see how easy it would be to serve up a cup or even a cup and a half? Now that "serving" of ice cream is 600 to 750 calories! Try to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. This could be a standard exercise such as running mixed up with some fun like dancing.

Remember the key to a healthy diet: Everything in moderation! The south beach diet may work for some people, but it certainly won't work for everyone. Following a generally healthy diet and exercising regularly is a less complicated approach to weight loss.