For those of you who are completely unfamiliar with this diet and are wondering “how does the south beach diet work?” it is quite simplistic. The basic idea of the diet is to abandon untested methods of weight loss and return to the basics. This is achieved by replacing the bad carbohydrates and fats that you consume with good ones. This process is broken down into three phases (below) that all have their own benefits.

How does the South Beach Diet Work?

Phase #1: The first phase, like the others, is very easy and will not prove to be difficult when trying to transition from your old dietary routine. The first phase consists of three meals a day and will last for two weeks. The types of meals you should be eating include beef, chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and lots of vegetables. The meals should be sided with a garden salad using 100% olive oil as a dressing. Unlike other diets, the south beach diet instructs you to eat until you feel full.

Phase #2: Phase two, unlike the first phase, has no set time limit. This means that phase two will last as long as it takes you to lose your desired amount of weight. The main goal of the first phase was to make your body re-learn what foods are good for it as well as starting to phase out the cravings that are associated with some of the sugary foods that you have cut out of your diet. During phase two you will continue the routine from phase one however you can start to have some sugary foods once or twice a week in small portions. By the time phase two is completed you should feel as if you have complete control over your cravings and thus the food you eat.

Phase #3: Phase 3 begins once you have reached your target weight during phase two. Phase 3 will actually become your new diet for the rest of your life. If the first two phases are followed correctly the third phase will just feel like your normal eating habits. No longer should you be wondering “how does the south beach diet work”, instead you’ll be enjoying the benefits of it.

The weight loss rate promised by the South Beach Diet isn’t actually realistic. There could be an 8- to 13-pound weight loss registered on your bathroom scale after two weeks of following the South Beach Diet — but the weight loss will be more than half excess water loss rather than a real reduction in body fat.

That said, I find the South Beach Diet to be a very wholesome and healthy diet with a good variety of food choices. It’s a diet you can learn to live with — permanently. It affects a lifestyle change in that you learn to make better food choices.

The idea behind the South Beach Diet is a three-phase eating program that was designed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a highly respected cardiologist. The first two phases of the diet last for specified periods of time and affect loss of body fat. The third phase is supposed to last for the rest of the dieter’s life. (That’s the part that helps you maintain your ideal body weight rather than regain weight you’ve lost.)

The South Beach Diet puts the emphasis on the consumption of “good carbohydrates” and “good fats” as opposed to “bad carbohydrates” and “bad fats.” I do like the fact that there is a lot of instruction offered to dieters about food and how your body deals with different foods. When you understand the process, it’s so much easier to make effective changes.