Hi Gary.

Are you also on this "Sounth Beach Diet"? When I answered Bill's post I didn't even looked at the program's name. I agree with you. The idea is loosing fat, of course, and that's the way it works. But normally, in all diets, the first thing that happens in the first weeks is a reduction in water retention in the body, which produces spectacular results in the short term. After this period, if you are disciplined, you continue to loose weight through a real fat loss, but at a slower pace. Of course, there's no danger of dehydration as long as you keep water flowing in your body. In fact the water plays an important role in the diet besides keeping you well hydrated: it's the water that carries away fat particles and toxins acumulated in it.

Now, the real challenge is making permanent the new eating style. I lost about 15/20 pounds during a period of 5/6 months with no special method, but with some knowledge of the function/energetic content of the several nutrients, and with absolutely no starving at all.

Good luck for your programs and for the time after them!

-- José.