What would you expect from a diet that is named after a part of the U.S where bikinis are the most popular item of clothing? Of course it doesn’t include anything particularly tasty or those indulgent goodies that we love. This diet, formulated by cardiologist Dr Arthur Agatston, focuses on a healthy balance between fats and carbs. And what are good fats and carbs, you ask?

The diet works according to the Glycemic Index (GI), which ranks foods according to their glycemic content and the effect that they have on our blood glucose levels. This is why low GI carbs are better for you because they cause smaller fluctuations in our blood sugar and insulin levels.

This means that the risk of heart disease and diabetes is infinitely reduced. But the question of whether it aids sustainable weight loss is another matter altogether. I have tried and tested every diet in the book and I was determined to the test the validity of Dr Agatston’s claims.

Could this be the diet that really works? Kim Cattrall and Hilary Clinton swear by it so I thought, why not give it a go?

The diet is divided into three phases, each with forbidden and permitted food types and meal plans. Phase 1, which lasts two weeks, is the most strict and curtails your carb intake by cutting out foods such as bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, certain fruits, sugar, alcohol, and baked goods.

The benefits were that my energy levels were balanced while I also felt full for longer. Although my sugar cravings are yet to subside and I didn’t enjoy the bland selection of foods very much either.

Phase 2 is when you can start adding some of the restricted foods back into your diet, although you must do so with caution. It is recommended that you slowly reintroduce fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods. It is up to you which ones you choose to work into your new eating plan. This gives you free rein over your diet, yet poses the danger of over-eating too. The difficulty comes when trying to limit yourself to only a few of these foods. The key is to stick to low GI foods such as:

• Breakfast cereals with an oats, barley or bran base
• Breads with wholegrains, made with stone-ground flour
• Eat fewer potatoes
• Enjoy various types of fruit and vegetables
• Use Basmati or Doongara rice rather than white rice
• Enjoy a moderate intake of pasta and noodles
• Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing

This phase continues for as long as you wish to lose weight. The third and final phase is the maintenance phase which lasts for life. It is the most liberal and allows you to eat anything you want. Sounds too good to be true right? That’s probably because it is. The third phase is risky because it is tempting to indulge in all the good things we are so used to eating. It is up to you to determine how many carbs is too many and this is realistically not something that is easy to control.

Theoretically the diet makes sense carbohydrates are an essential part of keeping healthy and we need them to survive. However, phase 1 left me feeling weak and drained my energy. At the same time, how long can you last without pasta, bread, potatoes, or that glass of red wine? The diet was particularly difficult to incorporate into my family’s eating regime as kids naturally enjoy carbohydrate-rich foods and need them for energy.

Despite its glamorous name, the South Beach diet didn’t work for me. It had its upsides – unrefined carbs are after all one of the best sources of vitamin B. I have realized that it isn’t the pasta or rice that makes you put on weight, it’s the sauces and portion sizes that are the real culprits. It’s all about moderation.

The South Beach diet is just another fad diet that isn’t actually sustainable in the real world.

Not only are the foods expensive but the meals are time consuming to prepare – something we moms know is a precious commodity as is. It is easy for you to lapse back into old habits, which makes the program even more challenging.