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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Is the South Beach Diet healthy and/or safe?
A: This question is subjective and hard to answer. Safe is relative to
how safe your current situation is. If you are obese or overweight, you
are at an increased risk of heart disease and other health related risks;
therefore any threats caused by a diet could pale in comparison to the
threats of remaining overweight.
But aside from this, the South Beach Diet is considered by many to be
safe. The most common concern is for the period you refrain from carbohydrates;
and about minor items like increased consumption of milk when not aware
of an allergy to dairy. The overall risk is pretty low, since it was designed
by a heart doctor with health and combatting heart disease in mind. The
pros outweigh the cons in this regard. If you're still unsure of it's
safety for you, ask your doctor.
Q: Do I really need to avoid ALL carbs in the first phase of the diet?
A: Yes. You should be eating only incidental carbs, but literally avoid any carb you can! Fruits, carbs, sugar, bread, pasta, fruit juices, etc. There is no room for wiggling, no exceptions! If not, the main focus of the phase is lost and worthless, making the rest of the success of the diet impossible to come by.
Q: What happens if I break down and eat carbs in a meal, or start to regain weight in the third phase of the diet?
A: The plan of attack is simple - go down a step in the diet. If you are in phase two and have a meal with more carbs than you're supposed to, start over with phase one for two weeks. This will reset the process of de-carbohydrating your body, and then you will be in the same position to lose weight as you were before the slip.
