The South Beach Diet

Not totally unlike the Atkins diet, Dr. Arthur Agatston’s South Beach diet advocates an overall cut in carbs and teaches you to rely on low glycemic index carbs for those that you do eat. It allows ample por­tions of protein and good fats, relying on the low glycemic carbs to provide blood sugar control and hunger sans ac­tion. Chicken, turkey, and fish are recommended, along with nuts and low-fat cheeses and yogurt.

The strictest part of the South Beach diet is me last for two weeks, where there can be significant weight loss. At this point, your cravings for sweets and starches are supposed to have vanished. Of course if they don’t, stay­ing on this—or any—diet won’t exactly be “a day at the beach.” Covering your nutritional bases can help you stick to it by keeping your spirits up while you keep your weight down.