They require the impossible. They make promises that are unrealistic and they tell you to make changes in your life that could never be achieved. This is why the only results you get are disappointments and depression. However, the South Beach Diet is different.

The South Beach Diet was designed by Dr. Arthur Agatston. He is a cardiologist that is very highly respected in his field. He wanted a way to help his patients become healthier and live longer happier lives and this is what motivated him to create the South Beach Diet. The fact that you lose weight with this diet is simply a huge benefit that is associated with eating right. This is the main reason why this diet is so much different form all the others.

It is based on real facts and it does not require you to do the impossible. This diet teaches you a new way of life when it comes to the foods you eat. You are not expected to starve yourself nearly to death nor are you expected to count every single carbohydrate you eat. You are not expected to eliminate everything good completely from your diet like many diet plans require. It is a realistic diet that anyone can adhere to with just a little willpower and self control.

The problem that most people have is that they eat too many bad carbohydrates and fats. When this happens, they get even hungrier than they were to begin with in a very short period of time. This causes them to eat again in only a few hours because they feel as if they are starving. This cycle leads to overeating, obesity and many other related health issues many of which can be life threaten. Once you learn how to take the bad carbohydrates and fats out of your diet or at least how to reduce the amount you eat, you will be on your way to a happier, healthier you.

Once you begin to eat right you will feel better and look better. With the South Beach Diet you will be able to lose up to 13 pounds by the end of phase 1, which is a two week period. The reason you can lose this much so fast is because phase one is used to sort of jump start your diet. You will be eliminating all carbohydrates from your diet during these 14 days. This will allow your body to regulate its blood sugar levels and help to stop the cravings you are having that were caused from eating all the bad carbs. It will also reduce the amount of water gain most people suffer with due to having so many carbohydrates in their diet.

During the phase 2 you will be able to add carbohydrates back to your diet but very slowly and moderately. In other words, you do not want to go back to you old eating habits but instead eat the foods you love in moderation. By reducing the amount of bad carbs and fats in your diet you will also be reducing the cravings for food and the desire to overeat. You will stay in phase 2 until you lose the amount of weight you want to lose and until you reach the point that you feel better.

At this time you will enter into phase 3 which is simply continuing to eat in moderation the way you have been training yourself to do in phase 2. This will allow you to maintain a healthy weight that you can be proud of. You will not feel like you are being deprived of the foods you love because you can still enjoy eating them, you just don’t overindulge and eat the same foods day after day. You will never go hungry because this diet consists of three normal proportioned meals and two snacks a day. It is even flexible because you get to choose what you want to eat on any given day.

The South Beach Diet is the one that offers you everything you have been searching for. You have plenty of great foods to eat including your favorite desserts, you choose your own meals and you lose weight. All you have to do is have a little willpower to get the diet started and eat in moderation. What more could you ask for?

The South Beach Diet is made up of three phases. The first one is the most dramatic even though it only last for two weeks. You will have to give up all carbohydrates during these two weeks but by doing so you can expect to lose between 8 to 13 pounds. That is a lot of weight to lose when first stating a diet and it is definitely a great motivator. Just imagine being able to be up to 13 pounds lighter in only two short weeks.

After you reach phase 2 you can expect to continue losing between 1 and 2 pounds a week as you begin to slowly introduce good carbohydrates back into your diet. You will continue with phase 2 of the diet until you reach your desired weight. As long as you continue to eat good carbs for the most part and only eat bad carbs moderately you will keep losing the weight. Once you reach your desired weight you will move on to the third phase that will allow you to maintain the weight you have worked to achieve.

One thing that makes this diet so exciting and appealing is that initial weight loss that is promised in the first phase. Since the stomach is the problem area for most people any diet that claims to help you lose up to 13 pounds in a couple of weeks is sure to be popular, especially when most of that weight is suppose to be leaving your midsection. Now, you may be wondering how a diet can promise that you will lose all the weight you need to and still be something that really works. Well, the answer is simple.

This is no ordinary diet. The South Beach Diet was not originally created to help you lose weight. In fact, Dr. Arthur Agatston created the diet to help the patients in his care lead a healthier life. He was concerned with the fact that so many people suffered from heart related diseases that were mainly the result of eating a poor diet for many years. So he created a diet that would help a person improve their health and reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

As it turned out, not only did the South Beach Diet help to improve a persons overall health but it also helped them to lose weight in the process. That is what makes it so unique from all the other diets. You are not expected to stop eating foods you love or count every gram of carbohydrates you consume. Instead, you will lose weight because you are controlling the amount of bad carbs and fats that you eat and this in turn helps you lose weight while improving your health.

The South Beach Diet is not a low-fat, low-carb diet. It is a diet that teaches you how to eat the “right” carbs and fats that can benefit your body instead of harming it. This diet also suggest that instead of eating saturates you switch it for unsaturates to help improve your health. The South Beach Diet is not the first one to be based on the Glycaemic Index of the foods you eat but it is the first one that allows you to still eat these carbohydrates in moderation. If you are interested in losing weight and getting back to a healthy size, you should give the South Beach Diet a try. You will be glad you gave it a chance.

There is no gimmick and no special circumstances, it works for anyone. So who is responsible for coming up with the South Beach Diet and giving everyone a chance to live a happier, healthier life.

His name is Dr. Arthur Agatston and he is a cardiologist who practiced in Miami South Beach Florida. Dr Agatston set out to create a diet that would help his cardiac patients become healthier so they could enjoy a more productive life. His diet is based on the belief that consuming to many bad carbohydrates causes the body to not have the ability to process fat or sugar correctly. Foods that are considered to be the bad carbohydrates have a high “glycemic index”. This means that the blood sugar level in your body tends to go wild because the foods you eat are preventing it from staying regulated. Foods that contain bad fats put your body at risk for diseases such as diabetes, heart conditions and strokes.

The purpose of this diet is to eliminate or greatly reduce the amount of bad carbohydrates and fats in your diet so your risks of suffering from the medical conditions above are greatly reduced. When Dr. Agatston first set out to create this diet he was not trying to come up with a way to lose weight. He was trying to create a diet plan that would help people become healthier and in the process he developed a diet that really works with a side effect that helps you shed those extra pounds. This just goes to show that what you eat really does affect the way you look.

This diet is not very complicated and is designed to work in three phases. The first is designed to help you get started and cleanse your body of the unwanted bad carbohydrates and fats so the blood sugar levels can begin to regulate. This in turn will help to eliminate those awful cravings you have that make you feel like you are starving to death, even though you just ate a couple hours earlier.

Many people confuse the South Beach Diet with the Atkins Diet but they are not the same thing. Granted they are very similar. For example, they both were created by a doctor and they both have a “best-selling” diet book but there are important differences. The main difference that you will find between the two is that the South Beach Diet plan is designed to eliminate bad fats while promoting healthy ones. Instead of counting the grams of carbs that you eat this diet seeks to eliminate the bad carbohydrates, which are the ones that have a high glycemic index but allows the good carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index.

During the first phase of this diet you will need to eliminate foods such as potatoes, corn, bread, fruit, pasta and cereal. However, you will be allowed to introduce them back into your diet when you begin the next phase of the plan. You don’t count the number of carbohydrates you eat so, the South Beach Diet is not put in the same category as a “low-carb” or a “low-fat” diet. While Dr Agatston goal was to create a diet that would help improve your health and reduce the risk of heart related medical conditions, he successfully achieved this along with a great weight loss diet.

One thing that this diet is not is another scam making promises that it can’t deliver just to make a buck. It may surprise you to learn that it was not even originally designed to help people lose weight. That just ended up being a fringe benefit. The South Beach Diet was originally created by Dr. Arthur Agatston who designed it to help his patients. Dr. Agatston is a cardiologist who wanted a way to help control cholesterol and make people healthier. He wanted to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in his patients so they could be healthier and live longer happier lives.

He tried recommending other diet plans to his patients that were already well-know but found that these did not produce the results he was searching for. After sometime he decided to create his own healthy diet to help his patients and the South Beach Diet was born. It was a coincidence that the diet he designed to help control cholesterol also helps lower your weight, but a very good coincidence that everyone appreciates. Due to the fact that the diet was designed to improve your health instead of making you lose weight it works where other weight loss diets fail.

Dr. Agatston had his office in a clinic that was located in Miami South Beach Florida at the time this diet was created so, it was given the name South Beach Diet. It is unlike all other diets because you will not be expected to starve or to count every carbohydrate that you consume. You do need to pay attention to the amount of carbohydrates you eat but you don’t have to completely give them up. Instead you will learn how to separate the good and bad carbohydrates and how to eat them moderately.

In other words, you will learn how to proportion your meals and consume a well-balanced diet so you can get enough to eat and still lose weight. You can still enjoy the same foods you have always eaten but things will be put in perspective so you know how to prepare more nutritious meals. One of the problems that many people face is that they eat meals that are made up of all carbohydrates and little or no protein. Most of these carbohydrates are the bad ones that promote hunger. This is why a couple hours after eating you feel like you are starving and end up eating more. There is no wonder there are so many overweight people in the world. It is a vicious cycle that is very difficult to get out of.

However, the South Beach Diet has provided a way for anyone that wants to improve their health and lose those extra pounds in the process. You will learn how to eat good carbohydrates that satisfy your hunger and last longer and how to limit the bad carbohydrates. Controlling the amount of carbohydrates that you eat will also help to keep your blood sugar levels regulated. This in turn does promote better health with less risks of becoming diabetic or having a heart attack or stroke.

The South Beach Diet offers everything a person needs to stay healthy and look great while still being able to eat good foods that keep your hunger satisfied. It does seem to offer the best of everything and there are many people that testify to the success of this wonderful diet plan.

This will of course, all depend on how much you are use to drinking wine. If you normally only have a couple glasses following a meal, then you most likely will not have a lot of changes to make. However, if you drink more frequently or later at night you may find that you have some adjusting to do.

The biggest adjustment you will need to make will be when you first begin the diet. When you are in the phase 1 of the South Beach Diet you will not be allowed to drink any alcoholic beverages and this does include wine of any kind. However, it is acceptable to use dry table wine when cooking your meals. Dry wine is the only one that you should use because it is almost completely carb-free so when used for cooking it will not have any affect on your diet or body whatsoever. Dessert wines have high sugar content and should not be used during this phase even for cooking meals.

In the second phase of the South Beach diet you can begin to add wine back to your diet although there are still some restrictions that you will need to follow. For example, you will have to limit your intake by drinking wine in moderation. It is suggested that you do not drink more than two glasses of wine per day and the size of the glass will depend on the type of wine that you are drinking. Anymore than this will be hindering your diet and will not allow you to reach the goals you are trying to achieve.

Keep in mind that wine coolers are not the same thing as wine and they are not allowed even in the second phase of the diet. Wine coolers have a lot of sugar added to them. Did you know that the time you choose to drink also makes a difference in the way it affects your body? The best time to drink a glass of wine is during a meal or right after you eat a meal. Your body reacts differently to the wine when you have just finished eating than at any other time. The stomach will not absorb the alcohol as quickly into the bloodstream when it is full.

The reason the South Beach Diet will not allow wine and other alcoholic beverages in the first phase is not because they contain a lot of carbohydrates. Instead, the reason for eliminating it is because your body converts alcohol into sugar causing the blood sugar levels in your body to rise. The whole point of going through phase 1 of the diet is to reduce the cravings you have for the so called “bad” carbs by helping to level out your blood sugar. Therefore, it would be defeating the purpose if wine and other alcoholic beverages were allowed.

By controlling the amount of alcohol you consume when you are on the South Beach Diet you will be paving the road to success. The key to improving your health is making changes in your lifestyle for the better. This is the time that you need to eliminate old bad habits that are not good for you and replace them with good habits that are healthier. Overtime, you will see the difference in the way you look and feel. You will feel so much better that you will most likely wonder why you it took you so long to make a change.

If you don’t already have a snack planned out that is within the limits of your diet you will be temped to eat foods that are off-limit during these times. This could set your diet back so it is better to go ahead and eat that snack, just make it a South Beach Diet snack and you will be doing great.

Another reason why eating these snacks is so important is so that you will not feel so hungry when meal time rolls around. This will help you to learn how to eat more normal sized portions of food instead of overeating for your regular meals. So you can see having a couple of good snacks a day can be very beneficial to your diet.

Below are a few South Beach Diet snack recipes that you can make so you can enjoy a healthy snack between meals. All of these recipes were taken from “The South Beach Diet Cookbook” written by Arthur Agatston, M.D.

Grilled Clams Gremolata

You will need:

• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 24 cherrystone or littleneck clams, scrubbed
• Hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preheat the grill. In a small cup, combine the parsley, garlic and lemon peel. Place the clams on the grill rack over medium-hot coals and cook for 5 minutes or until shells open. Remove with tongs. Discard any unopened clams. Sprinkle the parsley mixture over the clams. Serve with hot-pepper sauce. You can find this one located on page 63 of the cookbook.

Cottage Cheese-Stuffed Celery

You will need:

• ½ cup reduced-fat cottage cheese
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of garlic powder
• 4 ribs celery, cut into 3in pieces
• Paprika for garnish

In a small bowl combine the cottage cheese, scallion, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and garlic and then mix thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into the celery pieces and sprinkle with the paprika. You can find this one located on page 70 of the cookbook.

Peanut Dip

You will need:

• 2 cups chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
• ½ cup fat-free plain yogurt
• ¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• Salt

In a blender or food processor, combine the peanuts, yogurt, lemon peel and salt to taste and process until smooth. This makes a great dip for raw veggies. You can find this one located on page 74 of the cookbook.

Perky Ham Roll-Ups

You will need:

• 8 slices of backed ham
• ½ cup sugar-free cherry preservers

Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Roll the ham slices and place in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Place the preserves in a microwave dish, cover and microwave on medium for 30 seconds. Stir the preserves and heat an additional 15 seconds if needed. Place the ham rolls on plates and drizzle each serving with hot preserves. You can find this one located on page 75 of the cookbook.

There are many different South Beach Diet snack recipes available that can help you accomplish your goals and lose the weight you need to be a healthier person. Many of them can be made in advance so you can grab them when on the go. Don’t forget about this important part of the diet because it not only provides you with a delicious snack but it also helps to ensure your success with the South Beach Diet.

As you probably already know by now the South Beach diet is broken down into three phases. The first one eliminates crabs from your diet for two weeks then in the second phase you slowly start adding them back. The third phase is to continue with the healthy diet plan that you have established through the first two phases.

To help you plan out your meals and make sure you are getting the right kinds of food for each phase of the diet, it is always best to make out your South Beach Diet shopping list in advance. This way when you get to the grocery store you will know exactly what you need to buy. When you have a list to go by you can go directly to the foods you need for your diet. This eliminates walking around looking for what you want and tempting yourself by other foods that should be avoided in the process.

Foods to Be Avoided

During the first two weeks there are certain foods that need to be eliminated from your diet. It is very important that you make sure these foods are avoided during this time.

• Pasta
• Bread
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Honey
• Cereal
• Fruit
• Yogurt
• Chips
• Baked goods
• Sugary foods
• Alcohol

The good news is that after the initial two week start up, these foods can be added back to your diet in moderation.

Foods That Can Make Up Your South Beach Diet Shopping List

Now that you know some of the foods that must be eliminated from your diet for the first two weeks, you need to know what foods you can eat.

Here is a list of the foods that you can put on your South Beach Diet shopping list for phase 1.

• Eggs
• Beef
• Fish
• Turkey
• Canadian Bacon
• Jell-O (sugar free)
• Chicken Breast
• Low Fat Cheese
• Sugar Substitutes
• Nuts
• Certain Vegetables
• Salads

After you make it through the first two weeks, the worst is over and you will be entering into phase 2. At this point your South Beach Diet shopping list will begin to grow. The list above will still be the foundation of your shopping list but now you can pick and choose from the list of foods to be avoided and start adding back your favorite foods.

Now it is very important that you do not add them all back at once. For example, if you love eating potatoes, then you need to add this to your meals two or three times a week. If you love chocolate cake, you can have a slice or two during the course of a week but do not eat it every day. You need to add these foods back gradually and moderately so when you are sitting down to make your South Beach Diet shopping list, be very careful how many of these off-limit foods you add during each trip. If you don’t have the temptation in your home, it will be much easier to stick to your diet.

Before you know it, you will have established a new healthy way to eat and live that will become the best habit you could ever have.

However, the South Beach Diet is different. You are allowed to eat desserts with this diet, which is one thing that makes it easier to stick with this one. You may be surprised to learn that there are many low carbohydrates and sugar free desserts available for you to enjoy.

Here are a few great South Beach Diet Recipes for Desserts that you can try out. All of these recipes were taken from “The South Beach Diet Cookbook” written by Arthur Agatston, M.D.

Strawberries with Velvety Chocolate Dip

You will need:

• 6 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt
• 6 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate syrup
• 1 teaspoon thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
• 2 pints medium strawberries, hulled

Use an electric mixer on medium speed to whip the yogurt, chocolate syrup and orange juice concentrate together in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to eat. Use the strawberries for dipping. You can find this one located on page 301 of the cookbook.

Frozen Strawberry Dessert

You will need:

• 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 package frozen unsweetened strawberries, partially thawed
• 1 cup low-fat frozen whipped topping, thawed

Use a small bowl to gradually blend the mayonnaise and the cream cheese and mix well. Add the lemon juice and strawberries, ¼ cup at a time. Fold in the whipped topping. Evenly divide the mixture into 6 molds and freeze for two hours or until firm. You can find this one located on page 306 of the cookbook.

Chocolate Pie with Crispy Peanut Butter Crust

You will need:

• 3 tablespoon unsweetened natural peanut butter
• 2 cups toasted-rice cereal
• 1 package sugar-free reduced-calorie instant chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups fat-free milk

Coat an 8in or a 9in pie pan with cooking spray. Use a saucepan over low heat to warm the peanut butter until it has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cereal. Press the cereal mixture into the pie pan and up around the sides. Freeze for an hour.

Prepare the pudding according to the directions and pour immediately into the prepared pie crust. Refrigerate for one hour and serve. You can find this one located on page 316 of the cookbook.

New York Style Cheesecake

You will need:

• 4 cups reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup sugar substitute
• 3 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup low-fat graham-cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl beat the cheese until smooth. Stir in the egg yolks, honey, sugar substitute, cornstarch, vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined. In a medium bowl whip the egg whites with a clean beater for 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Fold the whites into the cheese mixture.

Coat a 9in springform pan with cooking spray and cover the bottom with cookie crumbs. Pour the cheese mixture into the pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and set. You can find this one located on page 321 of the cookbook.

These are just a few of the wonderful desserts that you can enjoy when you are on the South Beach Diet. With so many great desserts to enjoy it will be easy to forget that these foods are good for you to eat. Being on a diet no longer means doing without all the good food when it’s the South Beach Diet that you are following.

To give you an idea of some of the fabulous meals you have to look forward to in your future, here are a few South Beach Diet recipes for beginners. These recipes were taken from “The South Beach Diet Cookbook” written by Arthur Agatston, M.D. The recipes listed here are for the phase 1 of the diet.

Breakfast Recipes

If you find that you have a hard time sitting down and eating breakfast, then the following recipe would be perfect.

Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups

You will need:

• 4 ounces of turkey sausage or crumbled turkey bacon
• ½ chopped green bell pepper
• ¼ chopped onion
• 5 eggs
• 1 12oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
• ½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 6-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Cook the sausage, peppers and onions for 5 minutes over medium-high heat or until the sausage is not pink. Next, spoon the mixture into a bowl and let it cool down. Stir in the eggs and mushrooms, then divide the mixture into the muffin cups and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the egg is set. Makes 6 cups. This one is located on page 49 of the cookbook.

Turkey Patties with Fennel

You will need:

• 1 pound 99% fat-free ground turkey breast
• ¼ grated onion
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
• ¼ teaspoon finely crushed fennel seeds

Combine turkey, onion, egg, pecans and fennel together in a bowl. Next, shape the mixture into 8 patties. Heat a non-stick skillet coated with spray on medium heat for 1 minute. Cook each patty for 5 minutes on each side or until a cooking thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the center of the patty and the meat is no longer pink. This one is located on page 54 of the cookbook.

Main Course

Ginger Chicken

You will need:

• 1 piece (6 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1in. pieces
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup South Beach Teriyaki Sauce
• 2 -3 pounds chicken breast on the bone
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Preheat over to 450 degrees.

Use a blender or a food processor to combine the ginger, garlic and oil until it is finely chopped. Keep the machine running and add teriyaki sauce until it forms a mustard like mixture. Place the chicken in a bowl and cover it with the ginger mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Place the chicken on a broiler pan and season with the salt and pepper. Bake about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Lower the over to 350 degrees and bake for 25 more minutes or until a cooking thermometer reads 170 to 175 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken and the juices run clear. This one is located on page 219 of the cookbook.

Side Dish

Surprise South Beach Mashed “Potatoes”

You will need:

• 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 tablespoon trans-free butter spray
• 1 ounce fat-free half-and-half
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan with ½ cup water. Place the cauliflower in the steamer and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Puree in a food processor, adding the butter spray and the half-and-half then season with salt and pepper. This one is located on page 154 of the cookbook.

Salads

Chicken Salad

You will need:

• ¾ cup fat-free sour cream
• 3 minced scallions
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• 8 large leaves lettuce

In a medium bowl combine the sour cream, scallions, parsley, lemon peel and the salt and pepper to suit your taste and toss well to blend together. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves. This one is located on page 120 of the cookbook.

Snacks

Salmon Balls

You will need:

• 2 cups canned salmon, drained, flaked. Skin and bone removed
• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
• ½ cup chopped almonds
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients above except for the almonds and parsley. Mix it together thoroughly and refrigerate for 4 hours or until it is firm enough to form a ball. In a small bowl combine the almonds and parsley. Shape the salmon mixture into balls and roll in the almond mixture, then refrigerate for 1 hour. This one is located on page 65 of the cookbook.

These recipes are specifically selected and designed for the first phase of the South Beach Diet. There are many more exciting and delicious meals available just waiting for you to enjoy.

After this two weeks is over you will be ready to move on to the second phase of the diet. This phase does not have a set time frame. Instead it will last until you have lost all the weight you need to lose. How long this will take will depend on each individual person and how their body responds to the diet. It will also depend on how strict you continue to follow the diet once you reach phase 2.

When you reach the second phase you will be introducing carbohydrates back into your diet. How many you add back and how often you eat them will determine how long you will be in this phase. If you follow the advice of the diet you can expect to lose between 1 and 2 pounds a week. It will be easier for you to adhere to the diet than you might imagine at first. This is because you have just went two weeks without any carbs in your diet so when you start adding your favorite foods back to your meals, it will be like a treat.

Since you will be carbohydrate free when you start this phase your body will not be craving food all the time like you may have been dealing with in the past. Another thing that will help you take it easy on the carbs in phase 2 is the fact that you will be between 8 to 13 pounds lighter by the time you reach this stage. You will notice the difference in the way you look and feel, which will be great motivation to only eat good carbohydrates.

The other thing that will make the second phase easier is the fact that you will have a different outlook on the way you eat by the time you reach this stage. Phase 1 corrected the negative way that your body was reacting to foods that was making you overweight and unhealthy. Your bad eating habits will be in the past and you will have the willpower and desire to eat healthier than ever before.

The South Beach Diet is a practical diet that does not require you to abandon the foods that you love. You will not be eating less food than you did before but the foods that you do eat will better for you. When you eat a lot of bad carbohydrates and fats you are consuming food with a high glycemic index that causes your blood sugar levels to go up and down dramatically. This in turn causes your body to have strong cravings for food that makes you feel like you are starving within a couple hours after eating.

The second phase helps you to establish a healthy way to eat so that when you reach your desired weight and move into phase 3, you will be able to maintain that weight. You will still be able to enjoy that piece of chocolate cake you love or indulge in eating those bread sticks that taste so great. During this phase you will be eating whole-grain breads, high fiber carbohydrates and carbs that have a low glycemic index to help you maintain your weight. This is the perfect diet to help you improve your health and lose the weight you desire.