The South Beach Diet The South Beach Diet™ is not low-carb or low fat. Instead, the South Beach Diet™ teaches you to change the balance of food you eat to emphasize health and weight-loss! You'll do away with bad carbs and bad fats, and start eating good fats and good carbs. It all started when Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston wanted to find a way for his heart patients to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way. His research at Mount Sinai Medical Centre became the foundation for the diet that became a phenomenon - especially in South Florida: home of string-bikinis and speedos. The Three Phases Phase one start losing weight During the first two weeks of the South Beach Diet™, you'll learn how to eat in a new way. Whether you're shedding a few vanity pounds or working on a major weight-loss goal, this is the realistic and delicious way to start losing your extra pounds. What you'll eat: You'll eat normal-size helpings of meat and seafood (like chicken, beef, fish, and shrimp). You'll have plenty of vegetables, eggs, cheese, and nuts. You'll have salads with real olive oil in the dressing. You'll have three balanced meals a day. You'll eat great foods and satisfy your hunger. The South Beach Diet™ will also help you banish cravings and avoid the sensation that you need more food. You'll be urged to have snacks twice a day. You can have dessert after dinner. You can drink diet soda. You can even eat out! What you won't eat: For the first 14 days you won't have any bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or baked goods. No fruit, even. Before you panic: You'll begin adding those things back into your diet again in two weeks. But for right now, they're off-limits. You also won't eat candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, or sugar for two weeks. Also no beer or alcohol. After this phase, though, you'll be free to drink wine again and eat a wider variety of desserts. It may sound tough, but you're going to be shocked at how painlessly two weeks will pass without these foods. The first day or two may be challenging; but after that, it will seem like the only way to eat. The South Beach Diet™ may be new to you, but it has existed for several years, and has helped literally thousands of people start losing weight and eating right. Phase 2 Reach your Goal During the next phase of your diet, you'll begin adding back some of foods you cut during the first two weeks. You'll be adding them back in a healthy way, though. By eating the right balance of carbs, you'll continue losing weight instead of gaining it! What you'll eat now: Now that you have rebalanced your diet and body, you'll be able to bring back a number of foods. You'll still be on a diet, but if it's bread you love, you'll have bread again. You'll bring pasta, rice, cereal, and potatoes. You'll bring back fruits, wine, and even chocolate. The South Beach Diet™ will teach you exactly which carbs are good and which are bad. You'll make the smart-carbs a part of your everyday meals! You'll remain in Phase 2, eating all these delicious foods until you reach your target weight. How long it takes depends on how much you need to lose. But no matter what size you target is, this is a healthy and delicious way to get there. Once you reach your target, you'll be able to bring back even more foods, and eat in a way to keep your weight exactly where you want it. Phase 3 A Diet for Life The South Beach Diet™ can be your solution for permanent weight-loss. Unlike diets that offer short-term weight-loss, the South Beach Diet™ teaches you a healthy way to eat for life. Once you reach your ideal weight, you be able to add even more foods back into your daily meals. When you get to this point, you'll notice that this plan feels less like a diet and more like a way of life. You'll be eating normal foods in normal-size portions, just rebalanced to keep your weight exactly where you want it. The final change: Not only will you maintain your weight, but also you'll be eating right. The foods that the South Beach Diet™ emphasizes are almost universally considered healthy eating choices. Your diet will be rich in minerals and vitamins. You'll eat healthy fats like olive oil and omega-3 oils from fish. You'll eat whole grains, smart-carbs, chocolate, wine, and more. You'll eat well, look good, and maintain your ideal weight life-long!