Jessie James Decker had her third child, Forrest, in March 2018, and she now says she’s back in shape. She didn’t do it alone, though: Decker credits the South Beach Diet for helping her get there.
“I know I just posted a lot of videos and a picture, but I’m just so excited about this program and really feel like it could help anyone who is struggling with weight loss!” The singer recently captioned side-by-side Instagram photos of herself in the gym after having Forrest and now in a bikini. “I know you’ll see a lot of people in the public eye, and they drop weight in what seems like five minutes after having a baby, and I think we all feel like we should live up to those expectations.” Still, Decker says, that’s not realistic for most women.
Decker, 30, says she’s been “every shape and size over the last 4 1/2 years from having children and never had to worry about losing weight until I had kids. I had good metabolism and had always been that way before.” But having children changed that. “I’m so blessed and grateful to have my babies as y’all know, but it definitely can test your self-esteem when you are used to looking and feeling a certain way,” she wrote. “I got up to 165 pounds with my first baby and being 5’1″ it was really hard on my frame, and I definitely struggled self-esteem-wise. I wish I would have known about the South Beach Diet then.”
“This is the fastest I have ever lost weight of all of my pregnancies,” she continued. “I truly think it’s just from educating myself and knowing what to do and having this program right in front of me.” Her goal now, she says, is to be healthy and fit — not skinny. “I really feel like this program can help, and it keeps you on track and is not complicated,” she said.
For the record, Decker is an ambassador for the brand, but she really does seem to love the diet. (She recently shared video of the contents of her freezer with her Instagram followers, and it was pretty heavy on South Beach products.)
What is the South Beach Diet, exactly?
It’s an eating plan that emphasizes eating high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates, unsaturated fats and lean protein, according to the South Beach Diet website. It also categorizes carbs and fats as “good” or “bad” for followers.
The diet is broken into three phases. Phase one lasts for two weeks and is designed to eliminate cravings for foods high in sugar and refined starches, the Mayo Clinic says. During this time followers eliminate almost all carbs from their diet and focus on eating lean protein, high-fiber vegetables, low-fat dairy and foods with healthy, unsaturated fats.
Phase two is a long-term weight-loss phase during which people start to add foods that were eliminated in the first phase, like whole grain breads and fruits. People are encouraged to stay in this phase until they reach their goal weight.
The last phase, aka phase three, is a maintenance phase designed to help people eat healthy for life. This incorporates principles from the first two phases, although people can eat whatever they want in moderation.
How much does this cost? (Pssst … it’s on sale)
The South Beach Diet is on sale. Right now you can get 40 percent off every order plus free shakes and free shipping! There are three major plans for people to choose from. The silver plan starts at $10.71 a day and is a four-week plan that delivers fully prepared breakfasts, lunches and dinners to your door. The gold plan is $12.14 a day and adds more options as well as “junk-free snacks” to the mix. The top-tier plan — known as the platinum plan — is $13.21 a day and includes the perks of the other plans, plus 20 South Beach Simply Fit shakes. (You can check out all the plans on the South Beach Diet website.) You can also buy South Beach products ad hoc.
Nutritionists are fans.
“It is relatively more balanced in food groups than a lot of diet plans,” Beth Warren, a registered dietitian, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl, tells Yahoo. “The South Beach Diet tries to encourage a healthy eating lifestyle long-term versus a quick fad diet.”
Julie Upton, a registered dietitian and co-founder of the nutrition website Appetite for Health, tells Yahoo that “plenty of people do well when they follow it.” The South Beach Diet is “like a modified Atkins diet that highlights quality of calories and carbs, proteins and fats rather than simply suggesting that if you limit all carbs, you’ll lose weight and keep it off for good,” she says. “I like it as opposed to strict low-carb diets because it’s more flexible, which means you can follow it long-term.”
Gina Keatley, a certified dietitian-nutritionist practicing in New York City, tells Yahoo that the diet is a pretty good choice for people looking to lose weight. “The goal of not being hungry while on the diet plan is excellent,” she adds.
The plan offers prepackaged food that can be delivered to your place, which is helpful to get you started but can be tough to afford long-term, Warren says. “Followers ultimately should learn how to use principles to cook on their own and implement into their real life,” she says.
The diet encourages people to cook their own food as well, which nutritionists say is a pro. If cooking isn’t your thing, Keatley recommends taking a local cooking class to help you get up to speed.
So if you’re looking for an eating plan to help you lose weight and keep it off for the long haul, the South Beach Diet may be a good choice for you. And if you order today, you’ll get 40 percent off every order plus free shakes and free shipping.
The editors at Yahoo Lifestyle are committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. At times, we may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.
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