The South Beach Diet book became extremely successful when the diet book by similar name was finally published and grew with rapid succession among a grassroots following. Armed with their own dieting successes 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, is still growing in readership, but The South Beach Diet phase one keeps confusing readers.

The South Beach Diet phase one is the shortest of phases 1, 2 and 3 of the diet, lasting for a fourteen day period. It was created to be intense, kick-start your body and how you think about eating from that now on. Contrary to popular 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, replace the bad carbs that are abundant in the American diet with large amounts of protein, good fats and low glycemic index (G.I.) carbs that entertain your hunger and regulate your blood sugar balance.

Foods that do more harm than benefit: fruit, candy, cereal, potatoes, grains, etc. all are to be eliminated, or the dieter must phase themselves off of during The South Beach Diet phase one. A safe bet, if you should have any confusion, is to eat as much salad, greens, and (most) vegetables you want, as they are right in line because of their nutritional benefit.

It is during this stage that Doctor Agatston believes that your body's resistance to insulin will decrease, so depending on your current weight and current health, you may lose 5 to 14 pounds initially, initially in the first 2 weeks right off the bat, as your body begins to shed surplus body weight.

The major goal of The South Beach Diet phase one two fold: to test and discipline you into a routine that you stick with that keeps you feeling full and to lay the groundwork for a frame of mind that ensures you rid yourself of the bad foods and gravitate toward the food that will shed pounds, deliver energy and improve your quality of life.