Sarah Jessica Parker at ‘Tower Heist’ Premiere

Sarah Jessica Parker is a fan of The South Beach Diet and it seems to be working well for her! Here’s how you can follow the South Beach Diet (below).

There are 3 phases to the South Beach Diet Plan:

Phase 1 – 2 weeks of strictness: This happens over a 2 week period of time (and is the most strict part of the diet), where you only eat the following foods: eggs, reduced-fat cheese, beans, vegetables, nuts, and lean meat. Foods that are completely banned in phase one are: rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, fruit, sugar, and baked products.

Here is a typical day with meals during phase 1:

Breakfast: glass of V8 juice, and poached eggs with spinach
Lunch: low-fat feta in tuna salad
Dinner: fish fillet or chicken breast with steamed veggies
Snacks: celery with low fat cottage cheese, nuts
Drinks: water, herbal teas

Phase 2 – Slow liberation of meals: This phase allows you to slowly add whole grains and fruit to your diet plan. The idea is to monitor your weight loss after Phase 1, and gradually add in the amount of grains and fruits that you want to your diet, at a comfortable level. Phase 2 is meant to increase your carbohydrate intake while continuing to lose weight, or staying at a comfortable weight. If you start to gain weight during this phase, return to phase 1 for a short period of time, and then slowly transition back to phase 2.

Phase 3 – All your life: At this stage you are happy with the changes that phase 1 and phase 2 have made to your lifestyle. By this time you should be comfortable with the diet plan you are following, the weight you are maintaining, and the minimal cravings that you should be having. If you start to gain weight again, you can always change this by starting at Phase 1 again and going through the phases to try and return back to your ideal weight.