The South Beach Diet book became tremendously successful as soon as the diet book with the fitting name was finally published and grew with fast succession among a grassroots following. Each with dieting success stories to tell everyone about, the South Beach Diet book, authored by Doctor Arthur Agatston, The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss, continues to grow in passion, but the South Beach Diet Phase 1 keeps confusing readers.

The South Beach Diet Phase 1 is the shortest of phases 1, 2 and 3 of the diet, only lasting for a 2 week period. It was created to be confrontational, kick-start your body and how you think about dieting from that point on. The opposite to readers' thinking and one of the harder to understand parts to Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, you don't have to limit yourself only eating low carb foods.

In a nut-shell, Phase 1 force feeds you the thinking to: rid yourself of bad carbs that aren't providing anything nutritionally for yourself, replace the bad carbs that are overwhelming in quantity in most American diets 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 do more harm than benefit: fruit, candy, cereal, potatoes, grains, etc. all are eliminated, or the dieter must wean themselves off of during the South Beach Diet Phase 1. If in doubt, if you should have any difficulty, just ingest as much salad, greens, and (most) vegetables you want, as they are right in line for dietary benefit.

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

The major purpose of the South Beach Diet Phase 1 two fold: to throw you into a routine that you can manage which keeps you from being hungry and to lay the groundwork for a frame of mind that ensures you get rid of the bad foods and move towards the food that sheds pounds, deliver energy and improve your lifestyle.