South Beach Diet Weight Maintenance Explained

Article posted in: South Beach Diet
phase 3

Once you’ve met your goal weight, it’s time to transition into weight maintenance on the South Beach Diet. You’re feeling healthy, strong and amazing in your new body. You have the hang of eating the South Beach way and following the basic principles of the plan is like second nature to you!

How does this translate to the rest of your life? Well, that’s exactly where the South Beach Diet maintenance phase. It’s all about using those basic principles to live and enjoy the rest of your life—and help you keep the weight off by making smart food choices, enjoying social gatherings with ease and living that fit, healthy lifestyle you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

So let’s dive in and see how it works—we’ll show you what makes maintenance unique, review healthy eating tips and outline how to fit fitness into your life.

Weight Maintenance at a Glance

It’s true: When you reach your goal weight, you can enjoy all foods in moderation. So yes, that means the occasional treat is just fine—but that’s not an open invitation to eat whatever you want all the time. You’ll keep things balanced with the same South Beach principles you know so well. Here’s how it works:

  • You can continue to eat six times a day (with three main meals and three snacks ) if that works best for you. However, you may find that three larger meals work best for your lifestyle. Rearrange your daily layout to suit your preferences and fit your schedule.
  • You can choose to stick with 50 grams of net carbs per day (Very-Low-Carb meal plan) or increase to 75 to 100 grams each day (Low-Carb meal plan).
  • Keep up your water habit. We recommend drinking half of your body weight in ounces of fluid each day. However, please note that this is just a recommendation and you may need more or less fluid based on your activity level or other factors. Speak to your doctor to ensure you are hydrating properly for your specific needs.
  • Fitness will remain a big part of your life, too. For maintenance, we recommend increasing your daily activity to 60 minutes. Check out new workouts right here if you need inspiration! >

What to Eat for Weight Maintenance

While most of the foods in the maintenance phase look familiar—Proteins, Healthy Fats and Vegetables—you now get to add in Good Carbs and Fruit.

You’ll also be adding in more food to increase your calories for weight maintenance. The specific meal plan you choose to follow for maintenance will determine how much you eat from each container. Some people may wish to increase their net carb intake to 75 to 100 grams each day (Low-Carb meal plan), while others may prefer staying with 50 grams of net carbs per day (Very-Low-Carb meal plan).

So, which weight maintenance meal plan is right for you?

Increasing your carbohydrate intake will allow more variety in your meal plan, while still letting you live a low-carb lifestyle. However, some may find success keeping their net carbs at 50 grams per day.

If you’re prone to being insulin resistant (meaning you’ve been diagnosed with pre-diabetes and/or tend to regain weight around your midsection), are a post-menopausal woman or find that sugar cravings increase when you try to add more carbs, our Very-Low-Carb plan might be your best bet. Even if you don’t meet this criteria, sometimes going back to the Very-Low-Carb plan for a few days after a vacation or occasion can help you get back on track.

Not sure how much you should be eating on your specific maintenance meal plan? Click the link below to learn more:

Weight Maintenance & Healthy Living: How Much Should You Be Eating?

Read More

Tips for Success

Once you’re following your South Beach Diet Weight Maintenance Phase meal plan, take note of how your body responds:

  • If you continue to lose more than one pound a week, add in one lean protein or one healthy fat per day, your choice.
  • If you start to gain one to two pounds per week, remove one good carb from your day.
  • If you’re maintaining your goal weight but are still hungry, add in more vegetables, but be sure to choose from lower-carb, non-starchy options only.