What Your Body Is Doing In the First 2 Weeks (Phase 1) of Your Diet

Dr. Booker’s advice to Amanda via email … being shared here to benefit anyone in a similar dieting journey …

You may have noticed that the hardest part of the first phase of your diet was overcoming your yearning for the usual bad carb breakfast: toast or bagel, pancakes or waffles. For the last 5 days, your breakfast has consisted of eggs and a protein such as Canadian bacon or turkey bacon. The initial goal has been to wean you from the customary morning dose of carbs, but the ultimate goal is to begin reversing your body’s inability to process sugars and starches properly, the condition at the root of most weight problems.

To accomplish this, we must cut off all carbs but the healthiest ones, those highest in fiber and nutrients and lowest in sugars and starches. Additionally, we are getting you in the habit of eating breakfast! We find that skipping breakfast has become all too common in our society, and the results are damaging. When we skip breakfast, it allows blood sugar to drop and hunger to increase over the course of the morning, eventually we reach for the first available food to satisfy our hunger pains, usually those bad carbs guaranteed to keep us overweight.

Understanding Phase One (taken from The South Beach Diet)

“As you know, this phase is the strictest phase of the diet. It’s meant to last for 2 weeks only-just long enough to resolve the insulin resistance that was brought about by eating too many bad (mostly processed) carbs. Phase 1 does not have to be low carb if you eat the right carbs. It is designed to allow ample portions of protein, good fats, and the lowest glycemic index carbs needed for satisfaction and blood sugar control. These glycemic index vegetables, which also contribute fiber, important nutrients such as heart-healthy folate, and other vitamins and minerals. Many salads and vegetables are unlimited. You will also have your choice of proteins from a variety of sources.

By the time this phase ends, your unhealthy cravings, especially for sweets, baked goods, and starches, will have essentially vanished. You’ll notice that each day includes six different occasions to eat. So you should never feel hungry, and if you do, it’s possible that you’re being too stingy with the portions. The South Beach Diet doesn’t require you to measure what you eat in ounces, calories, or anything else. The meals should be of normal size-enough to satisfy your hunger, but no more that that.”

Terms to get familiar with:

Glycemic Index:
The glycemic index or GI describes the difference in carbohydrates by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Low GI carbs – produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels, while the carbohydrates higher on the GI produce larger fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels. Lower GI carbs have been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes and are the key to sustainable weight loss.

Insulin Resistance:
Insulin is a hormone produced by special cells in the pancreas. This insulin is released into the blood stream and travels throughout the body. Simply put, insulin acts to control the metabolism (breakdown) of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Insulin resistance (IR) is a condition in which the cells of the body become resistant to the effects of insulin, and the breakdown of carbs, fats and proteins, doesn’t occur as it should. Your body responds by producing MORE insulin to achieve the desired results. This can lead to Type 2 Diabetes and/or heart disease.