South Beach Diet vs. Keto: What Works Best for Weight Loss?

South Beach Diet vs. Keto: What Works Best for Weight Loss?
(Last Updated On: June 2, 2020)

By now, we’ve all probably heard of the South Beach and Ketogenic Diets. Both are becoming more and more popular as they help people lose weight and get healthier, but which one is the right diet for you?

As someone who has tried both diets, I can tell you that they definitely both help with weight loss, and each brings something different to the table. There are some key things with both Keto and South Beach, that you will want to think about before diving in!

Both diets are based around a low-carb approach to weight loss, but keto could be considered to be more on the extreme end of things, so it’s not going to be for everyone.

With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at both diets, so you can see if there’s one that’ll work better for you.

1. South Beach Diet

the south beach diet frozen meals

The South Beach Diet (read our review here) is another extremely popular diet these days, especially when they entered the meal delivery space.

Now, you can have a whole month’s worth of South Beach diet food shipped right to your front door, so it’s a great option for people who hate grocery shopping, or just want a straightforward and convenient weight loss plan to follow.

The South Beach Diet is also a low carb program, but it isn’t as strict as keto when it comes to your total carbohydrate and sugar numbers, so it can be a good option for people who still want to be able to eat some carbs and sweets – moderate levels, of course.

How Does South Beach Diet Work?

We have a full South Beach review here on the site, so be sure to read that if you want a complete breakdown, but here is a quick rundown of what you can expect when following the program:

Here’s a Look at My First Shipment of South Beach Diet:

Lose Weight in 3 Phases

The diet unfolds in three main phases:

Phase 1

This is your first week of the program, and it’s a time when your body is going to “reset” to prep itself for fast weight loss. During this first week, you’re going to burn fat and get your metabolism back on track by following their high-protein low-carb eating plan.

As a result of following the South Beach Plan, you should see a reduction in your cravings for sugar and bad starches!

Phase 2

At this point, you are on your way to steady weight loss! During this phase, you can eat “good carbs” from things like whole grains, fruit, and a bigger list of vegetables.

You will also add some exercise, to make even more good changes to your body.

Most people following the diet can expect to lose about 1 to 2 lbs of weight per month.

Phase 3

By the time you get to Phase 3, you have hit your weight loss goals and you’re now ready to keep the weight off by eating the right foods and getting enough exercise.

Which South Beach Diet Plan is Best for You?

south beach diet silver plan
  • $8.93 per Day
  • 4 Week Meal Plan
  • FREE FedEx Shipping
  • Everything You Need to Lose Weight!
  • FREE South Beach App!
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South Beach Diet Gold Plan
  • $10.36 per Day
  • 4 Week Meal Plan
  • FREE FedEx Shipping
  • Larger Menu Variety!
  • FREE South Beach App
  • Lose Up to 9 LBS in 2 Weeks!
South Beach Diet Platinum Plan
  • $11.43 per Day
  • 4 Week Meal Plan
  • FREE FedEx Shipping
  • Largest Menu Variety!
  • FREE South Beach Diet App
  • Lose Up to 9 LBS in 2 Weeks!
  • 21 South Beach Complete Shakes

2. The Ketogenic Diet

a keto meal

The ketogenic diet has been skyrocketing in popularity in recent years, and celebrities, fitness coaches, and other well-known personalities have jumped on the keto bandwagon.

It isn’t just the rich and famous who are going keto, though – everyday folks like you and me are taking the keto challenge as well, and the results have been pretty impressive!

I started keto at the beginning of this year, and I have to say the weight loss results have been pretty incredible! I lost more than 10 pounds during my first month on the diet, and have dropped almost 20 lbs as I get close to hitting month two.

One thing to keep in mind here, too – I don’t have a ton of weight to lose – I started at about 174 lbs, and I’m hoping to get to 155 or so.

My goal is to get six pack abs, so we’ll see if I get there with a good strength building program, but so far, I have to say I am loving this diet!

How Do You Keto?

There are a bunch of different books, forums, and websites out there that can give you a complete rundown on the ketogenic diet, but here are just a few numbers that I have tried to stick to when following this program:

1. 20 Grams of Carbs per Day

When you’re following the keto diet, your goal is to get your body into ketosis. There is a bunch of scientific reasoning behind this, but basically, once your body reaches this state then you should be burning fat for energy, instead of sugar – at least, that’s how I understand it.

To enter and maintain ketosis, most things I have read say you need to eat about 20 grams of carbs per day. I have read some stuff that says you can eat 30 grams of carbs per day, but for weight loss purposes I have been doing my best to stick with that 20-gram number.

2. No Sugar

This is the big one here! If you want to go keto, then sugar is completely out of the equation. That even includes sugars from fruit. This means I have stuck to a diet that is mostly vegetables, meat, and some dairy.

With the sugar requirement, you will want to read labels very carefully. Even things like spaghetti sauce have added sugar in them, so you will get very good at finding foods that are healthy, and sugar-free on this diet!

Final Thoughts on Keto

The ketogenic diet is slightly more complicated than what I have laid out above, but these are some of the basic principles about the diet. It’s a great way to lose weight, the results come fast, and it gets easier the longer you’re on it!

If you want a convenient keto-friendly option, Diet-to-Go has a great meal delivery service that will send you keto meals right to your door – they’re currently offering some pretty good deals too.

Learn More about Diet to Go and Their Keto Plan

Summary: Which is One Better?

As you can see, there are some pretty big differences between the ketogenic and South Beach diets. The South Beach Diet focuses on a low-carb approach to eating, but you still get to eat things like whole grains and fruits.

If you decide to go keto, you’re going to be pretty much completely eliminating whole grains, fruits, and sugars, which is something to think about it if you really like fruit and bread!

Ultimately, the choice is up to you, but just know that both programs can be very effective ways to lose weight, you just have to figure out which one fits your needs and lifestyle.

Our Winner? South Beach Diet…

That said, our top pick would be South Beach Diet. They have a keto-friendly plan, offer an easy follow path to weight loss, and it’s topped off with the convince of home delivery.

Sound like a good fit?

Learn more and check current South Beach Diet prices.


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