Here’s How To Succeed The Phase 3 Of South Beach diet.
The south beach diet phase 3 is a stabilization phase, its goal is to guarantee a permanent weight loss. During this phase you can occasionally eat foods that are prohibited in the previous phase.
Principles Of Phase 3 Of the South Beach Diet
- More balanced with more food choices
- Foods with a low glycemic index: here we are no longer talking about a low-carb phase, but about the quality of the carbs. During this phase, more foods are introduced, but always with a low or moderate glycemic index.
- Stabilization of your desired weight that you had during phase 2. to not regain your weight.
- No time limit, you can keep it as a lifestyle.
- Always pay attention to the quality of the food: A good quality of food remains the main basis of this diet: No processed foods& good quality of fat.
How does Phase 3 affect our body?
The goal of this phase is to adopt new eating habits in the long term, even for life. Phase 3 of the south beach diet is closer to the principles of balanced diet :High quality of food & Eat very occasionally sweet foods and minimize refined foods and high glycemic index.
It will make your body get used to the good eating habits and the good quality of the food, like that to keep your current weight and not to take back the lost weight.
Do I still lose weight during phase 3?
No, phase 3 is designed to stabilize your desired weight so that you do not gain weight again ( avoid yoyo effect).
Weight loss stops in phase 2, where the goal is to lose weight gradually until you reach your ideal or desired weight.
Phase 3, on the other hand, has no time limit, you can continue this phase for life, with the goal of eating healthy. You can eat other forbidden foods but occasionally.
Why am I gaining weight again after the South Beach Diet? ( the end of Phase 3)
Few people regain weight after the South Beach Diet and this is sometimes obvious for certain reasons.
- You did not respect the duration or the principles of phase 1.
- You experienced rapid weight loss during Phase 2.
- During phase 2 you must go slowly, the weight loss during this phase must be slow, so that your body does not activate the revenge system and does not ask to double your plate during the 3rd phase.
- You have not respected the rules of hygiene during phase 3.
Also, during phase 3 you must apply the principles of a balanced diet for a better physical & mental health.
Practice a regular physical activity
You can apply a brisk walk during the first two phases, and increase the intensity of sport during the last phase such as: running, boxing, jumping rope and why not weight training if only you are in ideal weight.
But I always prefer a sport that you can practice often and regularly in the simplest conditions like jumping rope, jogging or fast walking.
Then you need to get enough sleep for the regulation of the satiety hormones (leptin), I talked about this in the previous phase, phase 2.
What if I gain the weight back during the last phase of the south beach diet?
In this case, I recommend that you repeat the first phase with the same duration and the same principles to lose the few pounds you have gained, until you reach your desired weight, then you start the last phase.
How many carbohydrates per day during phase 3?
During phase 3 of the south beach diet you can eat up to 140g of carbohydrates per day, but here we don’t focus on the quantity, but on the quality of the carbohydrates, I don’t mean 140g of sugar from potatoes and white pasta, you should often choose foods with a low glycemic index: like wholemeal pasta and wholemeal bread.
What Can You Eat For Phase 3 Of South Beach Diet?
You can eat a little bit of everything, but make sure you eat good quality food, good fats and good carbohydrates with high glycemic index. Foods that were banned in phase 2 can be reintroduced but only occasionally.
Allowed foods
- All foods allowed during phase 1 and 2
Others:
- Polyunsaturated oils: sunflower, corn, soy, rapeseed.
- To know if the oil is polyunsaturated: you observe that they remain liquid at room temperature and do not freeze when refrigerated.
- Margarine in moderation
- Butter: 2 nuts per day.
- Alcohol: 2 glasses maximum per day for the woman, 3 glasses for the man (preferably to avoid).
- Fresh cream
Foods to avoid
- Juices and soft drinks: occasionally.
- Pastries and pastries: occasionally
- Camembert cheese
- Cookies and all types of industrial cakes
- Fried food: occasionally
- Refined foods
- Yogurts contain additives.
- Some vegetables with a high glycemic index should be avoided but not occasionally banned: potatoes, corn.
Cooking modes
- You can use all cooking modes.
- avoid frying
Tips to finish your diet south beach
Choose the right sugars:
The glycemic index (GI) of a food indicates its ability to raise blood sugar. The higher the GI, the higher the blood sugar level, the more the hormone called insulin is secreted, knowing that insulin is the hormone of sugar and fat storage, so more insulin, more fat storage!
Favour sources of carbs rich in fiber because they generally have a low glycemic index, for example: vegetables, fruit, whole grain cereals and their derivatives (wholemeal pasta, for example), and pulses are among them.
Avoid refined sugars that are low in fiber: white sugar, white flour and derived products, parboiled white rice, white semolina promote storage.
Avoid consuming dairy products in the evening: although the presence of their sugar (lactose) is not very high, they tend to cause a lot of insulin to be secreted at that time.
The longer the duration of phase 3, the more successful your diet will be.
Note: During phase 3 of the south beach diet, it is obvious that you will want to consume something sweet, it’s not bad if it is occasionally, provided that you take it just after lunch.
Conclusion
So the last phase of the South Beach diet is a phase that consists of eating everything with an emphasis on low GI sugars and good fats. Some habits will certainly help you succeed in your diet, so you should not neglect them.Preferably follow this phase for life but do not worry as long as it is a very healthy and balanced phase. Don’t forget to help your body eliminate it by drinking a lot of WATER.
