the way it works is there are 2 kinds of hunger. The 1st kind is the kind you get about 2 hours after eating a large mcdonalds french fries where you feel like "I have to eat now!!!" This is not hunger it is blood sugar crashing low.

The other kind is a more subtle signal from your stomach to your brain where you just kind of lose interest in the food on your plate. If you do south beach phase 1 for a week or two you will notice you no longer feel the ate french fries type of hunger, but you do feel the other kind of hunger.

If you do phase 1 for a week or two and eat the 3 meals including breakfast and the two snacks you relearn how to feel the real hunger because the blood sugar swings will end. Also you learn to eat slowly and stop when you are full even if you have to throw away 40 cents worth of extra food left on your plate..