The South Beach Diet book became tremendously successful as soon as the diet book by similar name was finally published and grew with rapid succession among a dedicated inner circle. Each with their own dieting success stories to brag about, the South Beach Diet book, officially titled as, The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss, continues to grow in popularity, but the South Beach Diet Phase 1 keeps confusing readers.

The South Beach Diet Phase 1 is designed to be the shortest of all phases of the diet, only lasting for a fourteen day period. It was created to be in your face, kick-start your body and your mindset about dieting from that point on. The myth to readers' thinking and one of the more difficult to grasp parts to Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, you do not have to limit yourself only eating low carb foods.

In a nut-shell, Phase 1 force feeds you the thinking to: get rid of bad carbs that are not providing anything nutritionally for yourself, substitute the bad carbs that are overwhelming in quantity in the American diet with substantial amounts of protein, good fats and low glycemic index (G.I.) carbs that entertain your hunger and regulate your blood sugar balance.

Foods that cause you more harm rather than benefit: fruit, candy, cereal, potatoes, grains, etc. all are to be eliminated, or the dieter must wean themselves off of during the South Beach Diet Phase 1. If in doubt, if you should have any confusion, is to consume as much salad, greens, and (most) vegetables you want, as they are right in line because of their dietary benefit.

It's during Phase 1 that Doctor Agatston has proven that your body's resistance to insulin will lower, thus depending on your body weight and current health, you may lose 7 to 15 pounds initially, even in the first 2 weeks alone, as your body begins to eliminate extra body weight.

The major goal of the South Beach Diet Phase 1 is two fold: to test and discipline you into a routine that you can manage that keeps you free from hunger and to lay the groundwork for a mindset that ensures you get rid of the bad foods and move towards the food that will shed pounds, guarantee more energy and better your lifestyle.