Arthur Agatston
The verdict is in: those simple carbs we've been living on are killing us. For good health, we've got to get our blood sugar under control and stop the incessant cravings. Or so says Dr. Arthur Agatston, author of
The South Beach Diet. The first half of the book details the science behind the diet. Most of the explanations revolve around why things you thought were healthy—-orange juice, wheat toast, carrots—-are actually evil. To avoid blood sugar surges, Agatston created a modified carbohydrate plan, recommending plenty of high-fiber foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats, while cutting bread, rice, pastas, and fruits. Major differences from other diets include a lack of concern over portion size and a serious indifference to exercise. Feeling full while on a diet is a beautiful thing, but it seems odd that a cardiologist buries his exercise recommendations in a solitary sentence.
The last half of the book covers his three-stage plan; daily diets are mixed with recipes, some of which are from South Beach restaurant chefs. The most restrictive period lasts just two weeks, enough time to stabilize your urges and lose a few pounds; stage two adds fruits and a handful of other carbs, while stage three is meant to last the remainder of your life, with occasional lapses for white bread or birthday cake. While the diet is sound, the book could be better organized. The first half mixes scientific study with anecdote in a seemingly random way, while the mix of meal plans and recipes can be confusing. Still, the recipes are varied and tasty, and you'll never feel deprived, unless you currently happen to live by bread alone. --Jill Lightner
1 All the diets!!!!!!
Agatston is just another version of Atkins! I have been there, I have seen it all! Low carb, low fat, low this, low that... Diets are nothing else but what they are - just diets. I will NOT say they don't work. Sure they work! At least as long as you watch each and every bite you take! At least as long as you maintain your strong willpower. It IS nice to have good looks, but is that all we want from our lives? How about GOOD LOOKS resulting from GOOD HEALTH? Dr. Tombak in his book "Can We Live 150 Years?" cites bad habits that lead people to obesity. Here are some of them:
1. The habit of eating fast and not chewing the food well
2. Drinking fluids at meals
3. Frequent snacking or constant chewing
4. Incorrect combining of food products
5. Lying down after meals
6. Sitting lifestyle
7. Eating while watching TV
8. Eating while irritated
9. Eating before bedtime or at night
10. Eating mostly refined and cooked food products.
Recognize some of them? Mr.Tombak, like Atkins and Agatston, also mentions eating too mach of carbohydrates. But he does not limit the cause of obesity to ONE SOURCE. Why? Because he applies COMMONSENSE. Because he puts GOOD HEALTH before GOOD LOOKS! Not good looks at all cost! Here is how he proposes to lose weight:
1. Correct the alignment of lumbar vertebrae. (Have you ever heard of this one? He explains why.)
2. Gradually and systematically increase the amount of your physical activities. (Nothing new, isn't it?)
3. Combine food products correctly. (We hear often about this one, too)
4. Perform internal cleansing routines and go through regular fasts.
Yes, just periodical short fasts that will cleanse your body, and shake off your cravings. It is nothing new! It is a simple procedure applied by many people around the world throughout ages. Larry Clapp in his book "Prostate Health in 90 Days" advocates the same. None of these unnatural diets throughout your entire life!...
I did a few days of fasting myself, and I strongly recommend this over any kind of diet to anyone who cares about his looks, his health, and his longevity. Periodical fasting energizes; purifies your body and mind; makes it easier to change your eating habits and to get back to natural, fiber-rich foods.
Everybody has his own opinion, but for me Tombak makes much more sense then Atkins, Agatston and all other inventors of "perfect diets"...
Why four stars for "The South Beach Diet"? -- Because it works! But at what cost to your lifelong pleasure, and (possibly) to your health? Be sensible. Read "Can We Live 150 Years?" instead.
2 Frank Addleman, Professsor Emeritus,Nutrition&Fitness
This is a much better diet plan than the Atkins Diet. Experts would agree on that. This diet will get you started but if you want to really become healthy you need the motivation for change. Try my book, GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER, THINK HEALTHY, BE HEALTHY. It will make the complex issues of health and fitness easy to understand.
3 To lose weight, just head South.
This is a diet book whose plan is to get you to lose weight by limiting your carbohydrates- essentially another low-carbohydrate diet. It has 3 phases where your carbohydrates are severely restricted at first, and then re-introduced. These kinds of diets will definitely help you lose weight in the short run, but in the long run, they fare just as well as any regular calorie restricted diet. An easy read, I give it 4 stars. Readers interested in other weight loss books might also want to check out "The No-Beach, No-Zone, No-Nonsense Weight Loss Plan" to see what the published research has to say about losing weight. Happy reading!
4 South Beach Diet is Amazing!!
I read the book one year ago and started phase I 4/25/04. I love this food plan and can definitely see myself eating this way for the rest of my life.
Limiting simple carbs has been a life saver for me, learning about good carbs has been an eye opener. Eating 5-6 times a day has kept me in the game. I used to white knuckle between meals and not any longer. When I'm hungry, I eat!! small things but still real food!!
Learning about good fats has also been a learning experience for me. I love hummus and never would've thought of it as a healthy food until I started on SB. I now eat avocados all the time!!
I've lost a total of 90 lbs and am very happy!! While no food plan is for everyone....this plan is the best one I've been on and I've been on many!!
5 The negative reviews are WAY off!
I have had tremendous success with this diet and I never thought I had the willpower to do it. The fact is however, that this diet works and is one of the easiest to adapt too. Most of the people complaining seem to have not made it out of the first two weeks - which are no cake walk. But like any other diet, it comes down to the mental strength and discipline that you gain from being happy with your weight loss. If you still value those Doritos or Twinkies more than you value feeling or looking good, than you will not win with this diet.
Having said that, I agree with those who say that this diet is not for everyone. I think everyone has different body types and react in different ways. However, I think this diet is perfect for those who aren't good at dieting. They give you menus and recipies for the first 4 weeks (Phase 1 and the first two weeks of Phase 2), as well as 2 weeks for Phase 3 (which is when you hit your goal weight). There is a LOT of upfront work and money involved in buying groceries and preparing the food. But if you are up to it, you will enjoy it.
And for those who say 'there are no cravings' on this diet, they are wrong. There are always 'cravings'. After all, a craving is the desire to eat something. What you won't have is a 'need'. A 'need' is when you want something and NOTHING ELSE WILL SATISFY. This diet gets rid of that quickly. Your blood sugar will also reset itself so you don't get that "I'm going to fall over if I don't get a candy bar -QUICK!" feeling anymore. And the best part is, if you fall off for one meal, you can get right back on. With these results, you'll WANT to get back on.
6 Fast weight loss -- quick regain! :-(
I only had about 8 lbs. to lose when I started this diet. (But unfortunately they were all in my gut and I couldn't zip any of my pants.) Having tried unsuccessfully to lose it "sensibly" by cutting fats, sugar and junk, not eating after dinner, exercising more, etc., I finally got so desperate that I decided to try the SBD even though I've heard all the stuff about how bad low-carb diets are. Well, I stuck strictly to Phase I for exactly a week and didn't cheat once. I did feel very hungry, had trouble sleeping, and breakfast was especially hard because I much prefer grains and fruit to eggs. BUT my pants got loose right away, my gut shrank dramatically, and I think I lost at least 7 lbs. that week. (I don't have easy access to a good scale.) I was delighted. However, after about 2 days on Phase 2 (adding small portions of high-fiber carbs to breakfast and lunch), I could tell I'd gained back a lot -- i.e., just like everyone says, most of my initial loss was WATER. Net FAT loss - probably 2-3 lbs.
I've pretty much given up on the diet and am just trying to eat healthy, low-fat and high fiber. The SBD did help me get off sugar "cold turkey", and I must give Dr. A. credit for good recipes, in both the diet book and the cookbook. All the recipes I tried were very good. Who knows, I may go on Phase 1 again if I get really bloated and desperate!
7 worst diet ever
The south beach diet is telling you not to eat any carbs! That is bad for you! When u reintroduce it you will gain back most of your weight! And to lose weight you just need to eat a balanced meal and excersise. The south beach diet doesnt even put emphasis on excersising, which is a necessity for staying healthy.
8 You'll Lose Weight
It's no simpler than that. Follow the menus and you lose the weight. And this is coming from someone who kept plateauing, even while working out 5 times a week. Honestly, I lost 10 pounds in the first 7 days (and this was even after I swallowed occasional handfuls of M&Ms).
It has a good clean emphasis on eating well (good proteins, good fats, plenty of fresh vegetables) with an admonishment to avoid processed food, fast food, and food with trans fats. And of course, sugar.
Small drawback: In this economy, this is not the diet to go on if you are on a fixed income. My grocery bill doubled during Phase 1 weeks, from having to buy so many exotic vegetables (okay, so eggplants and artichokes were exotic to me...) nuts, olive oil and spices. The bonus is, that with the varied foods, you never really want to binge because the food TASTES great. You feel full, and you even get desserts each day. My doctor recommended this diet to me, and I'm glad she did.
9 One of the most important self-help books ever written.
This is one of the most important self-help pieces in modern history,
on par with classics of the self-help genre such as
How To Win Friends and Influence People
Nothing Down
Awaken the Giant Within
Secrets of Snesual Lovemaking
and tbe DVDs GODDESS WORSHIP and New Sex Now: Life's Ultimate Pleasure
10 An opinion from a nutritionist
I have a degree in Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois. I have worked in hospital dietetics. This diet is soundly based on current nutrition science. I removed 14 diet and cook books from my bookshelves after I read this one. All of my knowledge did not help me with the cravings that undermined my motivation for healthy eating. The sound principles in this book, that I am currently applying to my life, have defeated the cravings that made my excess weight an embarrassment to me. One of the greatest surprises to me was how "not hungry" I am. I had no idea of the degree to which my carb choices were making me suffer (hunger, cravings) until I found out from experiencing the difference on this diet.
It is not appropriate to consider this diet to be a modified Atkins - there are some very important differences.
I would have liked to have had an outline of the daily diet plan, but there was a benefit to having to look through the daily menus that were provided. Everyone is going to have to figure out how to adapt this diet to their own food preferences (does any one else get indigestion from green peppers?). Reviewing the daily menus in order to understand the general rules helped me to open my mind to healthier food choices and to create ideas for my own recipes. I suspect that an outline of the daily diet was omitted for good reasons - one of which may be that having to count and keep track is one of the things that causes diets to fall by the wayside.
Any one who desires the benefits of normal weight, avoiding adult onset diabetes and the consequences of heart disease will love this book. This is not another fad diet - it really is a healthy, practical eating lifestyle.
11 Will lose weight without getting Hungry
Personally I found this diet so much easier to follow than the Atkins, I lost 25 lbs in 12 weeks and never felt hungry. Don't miss the bread nor the sweets. Actually feel energenic and proud that I could follow this plan. My daughter also lost 40 lbs so it can be done!!!!
12 Better organized variation on Atkins
Yes, it's similar to Atkins, but it is very well organized and that makes it easier to follow. The cookbooks are also very useful for the starting dieter to get over 'the hump' of starting the diet. I can say that it's certainly taken some of teh air out of my spare tire...
13 ok, some of the criticism of this diet is warranted...
i was just reading some of the reviews, and i guess i see both sides of it.
i'm on day two. despite my strong aversion to giving up beer, potatoes, honey and chocolate, i'd like to look nice on the beach in a couple of months, so it was time to go on the requisite springtime diet.
i picked up this book because so many people i know were swarming with praise over it.
as some have mentioned, the book could not be called well organized or well written, but were you expecting literature? he's a doctor after all. it's written well enough for him to get the general rules and regulations of the diet across understandably. to the reviewer with the highly detailed criticism (including page numbers) regarding agatson's lack of reference to (or knowledge of) the scholarly and not so scholarly literature: kudos, but does it really matter, considering this book is written for the lay reader who just wants to go on a diet?
well, i think it is a problem that agatson skims over a lot of things that really could and should be gone into in depth, in a seemingly random fashion, so you come away from the book not knowing much at all about trans-fats and why they must be stringently avoided, or why omega-3 fats are absolutely necessary and must be added to the diet daily and immediately, just to give a few fatty examples. because the diet claims to be a diet for life, i think it should focus a little more on the whys of basic nutrition.
another thing that would be extremely beneficial is an extensive chart of the gis of various foods. i felt fairly limited information was provided on this and given the book's aims, i feel it's a necessary addition. agatson provides about 3 and a half pages, which is pretty stingy.
i don't like that agatson suggests using things like artificial sweeteners and fiber supplements before a meal. this is just a personal preference, but in the case of the former i avoid them like the plague and in the case of the latter it just seems extremely neurotic.
also, the poor and scattered writing is compounded in my case by the fact that i bought this book in spain, and it's been translated into british english! did you know that courgettes are zucchinis and biscuits are not light fluffy delicious buttermilk goodness? i didn't, but now i do.
but there are of course lots of good points to the book and the diet. i like the fact that the focus is on lifestyle change rather than "going on a diet". i think this is also why agatson writes the way he does, without really laying the diet out in completely explicit terms but rather leaving you to infer a lot of things and allowing lots of room for your own diet improvisation.
i like the fact that he focuses on the type of carbohydrate without villainizing all carbohydrates. things like sugared sodas and highly processed carbohydrates (and highly processed foods in general) really have no place in anyone's diet and if we stop eating them they'll stop being so ubiquitous. have you noticed how little of the things on offer in the average american grocery store are real, wholesome foods? you could pretty much shop the perimeter of the store and avoid the inner aisles completely.
he doesn't put much stress on exercise, which is vitally important to a healthy lifestyle, because he wants to focus on what you will actually do and keep doing. if you're unlikely to go to the gym four times a week forever, better not to discourage yourself, he says. my personal advice would be to pick something and try it. highly recommendable (by me) are either regular brisk 30 min walks combined with some light resistance training (for which you don't need to join a gym) at least twice a week, or taking up a lifestyle activity, like aikido, tai-chi, or yoga. it's important to move, and you don't need to kill yourself with it. try mixing it up doing things that you don't need the gym for: bicycling, swimming, walking, hiking, taking the stairs.
also, with regards to weighing yourself and whether that first weight lost is water weight: i recommend, instead of weighing yourself, that you take a good, old-fashioned sewing tape measure and measure yourself once a week, waist, chest and hips. this is more satisfying and accurate. or, once you get to a size you are comfortable with, pay attention to how everything fits. when your clothes get a little snug, it's time to watch it again for a little while.
all in all, i wouldn't dismiss this as a fad diet and i would recommend it. but if you're going to read this book and start the diet, i recommend that you not stop there....i highly recommend reading any of dr. andrew weil's books (eating well for optimum health is a good one) in addition to this book, and looking into one of michio kushi's books on macrobiotics.
14 Best low carb diet out there, but not for all
I think alot of the critics of this diet are missing the boat. I've tried counting calories, portion control, but my hunger is always so overwhelming. This is due to the fact that I'm overweight and insulin resistant, and also, fluctuating hormones can put my appetite in overdrive. If I have one chocolate, I can't stop. If I eat sugary cereal for breakfast, I'm out of control the whole day. This is the ONLY diet that reduces my cravings, and allows me to have willpower. I'm no longer irritable, hungry, and I sleep like a baby. I think this diet works best for people like me, not athletic people who train hours a day, you need carbs! It's all about your individual body chemistry!! I think the most important thing is is to first figure out what diet works for you best. The Metabolic Typing Diet helped me determine that low carb is best for me. Then I chose South Beach from there.
15 Wasn't A Lifetime Diet For Me
Although I did lose about 13 pounds in the first two weeks, it was not an easy two weeks for me. I went from a fast food, unhealthy diet to this diet overnight, and my body was initially shocked. I was hungry, going through caffine withdrawls, and at one point got sick. After day three I was fine and had more energy, and grew accustomed to the severly strict regimine of Phase 1 after the first seven days or so.
I didn't lose any weight until after the first seven days, but it quickly dropped after that. I stayed on the South Beach about three more weeks, and even though I adhered to all of its suggestions, I could never give up my carb cravings, and refuse to convince myself that those cauliflower mashed potatoes tasted anything like mashed ones.
If you can give up carbs, or at least talk yourself into substituting them and liking it, then this would be a good route for you. However, if you love food, and have carb cravings that you know won't quit, I suggest doing South Beach every once and awhile if there is something you want to lose weight for or are plateuing on another diet, but this isn't a lifetime diet if you're anything like me.
16 8 reasons not to buy this book.
Remember, with a million dollar advertising budget, this book is proof that anyone can make a diet book a best seller.
Here are 8 reasons this book is promoting bad advice.
1. Does not get the "good and bad" carbs correct. There are good and bad carbs and unfortunately the good doctor gets them wrong.
2. There are ways other than drugs to naturally lower your cholesterol. The doctor is taking statin, a drug with potentially dangerous side effects, to lower his cholesterol. With a healthy diet and lifestyle you don't need drugs.
3. Aspartame is not good substitute for sugar.
4. Does not clearly understand where trans-fats come from and unknowingly misleads the readers into understanding where themselves.
5. Advice on Dairy products is way off and misunderstood as well. regular dairy products are garbage. But Organic Raw dairy products can be very healthy for people.
6. The Doctors advice on other issues around fats are also wrong.
7. He does not inform the readers between clean sources of food and "dirty" sources. Regular peanut butter is some of the most toxic food available. Many fish are now full of mercury. He does not do a good job pointing out the differences.
8. Many people will probably not lose weight on this program.
I have read many books on health and wellness. This book is not worth it. Some other great choices would be my book, The Creator's Manual for Your body, or Dr. Mercola's book The Total Health Program, or simply eat fresh and pure.
If everything you eat is fresh and pure (organic and not in a box or can) many people will naturally start losing weight and being healthy.
17 its work
ating: - It works!
I had so many friends who have lost weight on this diet that I had to try it. The hardest part was giving up my evening wine for the first two weeks, but I love the food. Also -- I sleep better on this diet than I did on the Atkins diet.
Also recommended: Sex and the perfect lover by Mabel Iam, i lost pounds with sex too
18 Not a Great Diet
One knows that there is a problem with this book by page 3, where the Phase One stage of The South Beach Diet - extremely low-carb - is said to produce a weight loss of 8-13 pounds in 2 weeks, but then there is never any estimate given of how fast or how much weight loss is possible after the first two weeks. Atkins followers know that the early weight loss on an extremely low-carb diet is mostly water loss. "You'll eat three balanced meals a day..." is a complete misrepresentation of the ultra low-carb Phase-One. Not that "balanced meals" - roughly equal calorie amounts of carb, fat and protein - were a good idea for many people anyway.
The strengths of this book are the admission that the low-fat diet of the American Heart Association and many other NGOs does not work (p8); that there are good and bad forms of LDL cholesterol (p33); that fruit juice with no fiber is worse for you than whole fruit (p46); that more cooking raises the glycemic index (GI) of many vegetables (p53); that fiber consumption will slow digestion of carbs, which is good (p64); and that the bread basket served in restaurants is a diet disaster because of the high GI carb content of the breads (p86). While he understands the value of low GI foods, he is blank on glycemic load, the amount of high GI carbs in a food.
The weaknesses are: Dr. Agatston claims not to have found literature support for a medium carb diet in the literature in the mid-1990s, showing an appalling inability to read the literature, including books by Richard K. Bernstein, MD, Barry Sears, PhD, John Yudkin, MD, and many others. He parrots the nonsense that high cholesterol is a major factor in heart disease (p7, p96) despite evidence from 1937 that it is not, nor is high LDL. See Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD, "The Cholesterol Myths", 2000. He misrepresents the Atkins Diet as low-fat (p10), and misrepresents most fruits, vegetables and whole grains as containing "good carbs" (p10 and many others places) despite the long-known fact that starches that turn to glucose and the fructose from fruits are not beneficial in large amounts. He claims that low-fat dairy products are not fattening (p11) despite their content of high-GI lactose without enough fat to slow its absorption. See Mary G. Enig, "Know Your Fats", 1999. He recommends polyunsaturated oils, especially the omega-6 ones (p22), which are definitely not healthful, and worsen heart disease. He slams saturated fats with no evidence whatever on their safety. In fact, a recent study showed that high saturated fat consumption reversed coronary artery blockage, while monounsaturated fat (olive oil) narrowed arteries slightly, and polyunsaturated fats (soybean oil) narrowed arteries seriously (Mozaffarian D et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:1175-84). He recommends balsamic vinegar (p29) despite its high sugar content. He claims that "carbs are good for you" despite evidence that there is no nutritional requirement for them at all in humans (Fred & Alice Ottoboni, PhDs, The Modern Nutritional Diseases, 2002). In dumping on beer (p50, p88), he is unaware of low-carb versions. He thinks apple skin has special benefits; there is no evidence given for this, and not eating it spares you all the pesticide content (p55). In pushing red wines (p56), he ignores the high sugar content of most of them, and is unaware that wine does little to reduce all-cause mortality. He does not emphasize that eating fat will slow digestion of carb much better than fiber (p64). His GI table (pp70-74) leaves out all the foods with low GI, such as meat, fish, fat, oil and nuts. He confuses the sugar content in beets with the lack of it in MSG made from beets (p88). He failed to warn of the dangers of extreme exercise (p92); see Henry Solomon, "The Exercise Myth", 1984. He fails to warn of dairy, grain and wheat allergies, and the relationship of these foods to arthritis and cancer (p92). He recommends a form of carb-loading before exercise (p93), contrary to the findings of Barry Sears, PhD (Enter the Zone, by Barry Sears, PhD, and Bill Lawren. New York, NY:Regan/HarperCollins1995).
He lauds both statin drugs and aspirin despite their bad effect on women of higher mortality and their lack of benefit in men (Duane Graveline, MD, MPH, "Lipitor Thief of Memory", 2004). He neglects beneficial effects of vitamin C other than on heart attacks (p94). He mistakes the d-alpha-tocopherol as "the natural form of vitamin E" despite clear research findings that vitamin E is a mixture of 8 compounds (p95). Despite his specialty of medical imaging, he fails to comprehend the findings that the extent of calcified plaque deposits in coronary arteries as found by electron beam tomography has no correlation whatever to serum cholesterol levels (Hecht HS et al., Am J Cardiol 2004;93:101-3).
Most evidence was testimonials, not controlled trials. There were no citations to peer-reviwed journals.
The South Beach Diet is not so great - Bill Clinton used it for years. Some of the most healthful fats are disparaged, and carbs of no value are touted. Grain and dairy allergies are almost ignored. The many recipes given in the book are flawed for this reason. See Joel M. Kauffman, Low-Carbohydrate Diets, J. Scientific Exploration , 18(1), 83-134 (2004).
19 yay
this diet is the only DIET. cause its so up to date and it has the basic conception of what a healthy diet should consist of. so what more do you need?
anyway it really helped me.
20 The Souty Beach Diet
Another FAD diet. Not low carb if you eat kidney beans, black beans, etc. during the first phase. I followed for 2 weeks and exercised 4 times a week and lost 1/2 pound. Atkins is more effective and CALORIES do count. It not what you eat; it's whats eatting you? We tend to eat for comfort... Where's the book that deals with that?
21 Finally, A Diet Book That Makes Sense
The South Beach Diet is the best diet book I've ever read, and I've read many. Dr. Agatston's diet is easy to understand and can be followed by those of us without monumental willpower. The recipes are worthy of a cookbook and seem easy to make. This diet is not like the others; there are nuances that clearly reflect this cardiologist's emphasis on a healthy heart.
22 A revolutionary breakthrough
This book is a tremendous breakthrough in the world of health. One of te reason for this is that it was not only designed by one of the most renowned cardiologists in the country, but it wasn't initially designed to be a diet! It was designed to change the blood chemistry of his patients, and in the process they lost a substantial amount of weight, in a very healthy way. The writing is so simplistic anyone can understand how their body works when it comes to food digestion and weight loss. More people need to be aware of this book. Take my advice, get a copy for yourself.
23 I am a walking example that this diet work
i had never success with any diets in the past. I met in NYC a
personal trainer NYC Joe DiAngelo http://www.musclebomb.com who recommended me this diet. With his help and exercise programs I lost all excess weight and now Im in a great shape
24 It works!
I had so many friends who have lost weight on this diet that I had to try it. The hardest part was giving up my evening wine for the first two weeks, but I love the food. Also -- I sleep better on this diet than I did on the Atkins diet.
Also recommended: Toxic Stress: 7 Steps to Recovery and Sex and the perfect lover by Mabel Iam, i lost pounds with sex too
25 It works.
Since I have been on this diet, all the cravings for junk food has gone. I was someone who lived for sugar and now I do not want any of it. It so easy for someone to tell you to eat less, but if you are craving bad foods, eventually you will fail. In the first five days I was on this diet all the craving ceased and I was already 8 lbs down. If you were like me and cannot wait for your next slice of cake and at the same time really want to change your lifestyle, Try this.
[...]
26 The Good-Carb Lifestyle Bible
If you want low-carb or good-carb, this book offers a life-long plan that real people can stick to. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. The book has a little bit of everything that it should; the science behind the eating plan, testimonials, and detailed food guidelines for shopping and menu planning. Best of all, it has some terrific recipes. Everything that you need to succeed in losing weight, keeping it off and changing your lifestyle is here.
27 It works.
Since I have been on this diet, all the cravings for junk food has gone. I was someone who lived for sugar and now I do not want any of it. It so easy for someone to tell you to eat less, but if you are craving bad foods, eventually you will fail. In the first five days I was on this diet all the craving ceased and I was already 8 lbs down. If you were like me and cannot wait for your next slice of cake and at the same time really want to change your lifestyle, Try this.
28 Not for everybody, but worked for me!
The main criticism of this book seems to be that it skips around too much and is somewhat poorly organized, and that it is just a makeover of Atkins. The first criticism is true, you did have to search around in the book a bit, but he gives Atkins his due, and it is NOT the same. Atkins was always a proponent of ketosis, which, while more inefficient for the body, can be dangerous. Atkins, if anything, has become more like South Beach, in that insulin resistance is the culprit.
I found this diet easy to live with, but I am NOT a vegetarian, for whom this diet may be difficult. My cravings for sweets and refined carbs really did go away, and I easily lost 30 lbs. My LDLs and triglycerides each dropped by at least a third, after the initial 18 lb loss. I am still losing weight easily, but I plan on staying on this plan forever, with some cake thrown in once in awhile. I had zero willpower, but once the insulin resistance was fixed, willpower wasn't a problem. This is NOT a low carb diet per se, as you DON'T count carbs, and complex ones are allowed. Just watch the glycemic index of foods and limit the ones that have the highest GI.
This is perfect for people in their 30's and 40's whose metabolism seems to have slowed down. Another bonus- rapid improvement in the appearace and texture of skin. After comparing notes with several others on this diet, we all reported visibly better skin within about 3 weeks. Pores were smaller, less puffiness, smoother texture.
29 SOUTH BEACH DIET Doesn't Beat Mimi's Common Sense
The SOUTH BEACH DIET along with other fad diet books have been floating around our house lately. Most like SOUTH BEACH present complicated eating plans with complex rationales that are so confusing I'm surprised anyone can loose weight on them. The core of any healthy plan to control your weight is plain and simple. Watch what you eat and be active. My grandmother Mimi, put it best, "Moderation in all things." And she had shapely legs and 7 inch ankles into her nineties. Mimi spent her money on books of love poems and chocolates for Valentine's instead of a diet book, and kept in shape working and loving hard.
30 The common- sense diet
All dieters know the following rule. At some point the most successful diet is abandoned, and one goes back to the old ways. Recently there have been a number of reports saying that around ninety- five percent of dieters are recidivists higher than prison inmates. This means that while many will lose weight with the South Beach diet( As they did with the Pritikin diet and the Atkins diet etc etc) almost all of them will be very far in mind and body from the South Beach diet a year from now. This is not a criticism of the diet itself but of the habit of many people of believing that some ' new idea' is going to provide a miraculous solution for a problem endemic to their lives.
I have a different suggestion.The suggestion is to adopt the common sense diet. The common sense diet is one in which one can eat all categories of foods but nothing in great quantities.And to combine this with exercise. A mild regimen suited for the person and approved by their doctor. It is also recommended to make a small list of high- calorie foods,one is specially prone to. And to simply vow that once and forever one will never eat them again.
Eating in a moderate balanced way, combined with exercising in a way appropriate to one's age and health are a better regimen than any of the miraculous diets which take the tons off as preliminary to putting more tons on later.
I know this recommendation if followed would put a very profitable wing of the book- business out of business. I know it may anger those who now can attest to the miracle the South Beach diet has worked for them. That miracle will disappear in time.
Common sense, restraint, balance and discipline for the long haul. The common- sense diet is the best one of all.
31 Just Like Any Other Diet Book
Can you say, "FAD"? Just like any other diet book out there, you read the blah, blah, blah, look at the restrictions, glance at the recipies, and then put it on the bookshelf. There is actually more and better information on The South Beach Diet web site.
32 How to stick to it?
Great Diet Book. The first half of the book explains why the diet works - the science behind it. Why we must avoid white flour, white sugar, baked potatoes, etc. It also explains why foods you think are healthy (orange juice, wheat toast, carrots...) aren't healthy. The last half of the book is the actual three-stage diet plan. The bottom line for this book is - healthy eating requires getting our blood sugar under control by eating the right amount, and the right kind of carbohydrates. This book is an improvement over the Atkins diet because it's much more reasonable and relatively more easy to follow. However, I'm still convinced that the only way to really stick to any diet long-term is to make healthy eating a part of your lifestyle. This requires changing our eating habits (when we eat, what we eat, how much we eat). When we alter habits, we can create permanent change in our lives. A friend of mine who is a clinical dietitian gave me a book entitled The Power of Habit. She uses this book to help clients change their eating habits to make healthy eating an automatic part of their lifestyles. The South Beach Diet is a great diet book. It provides the "what" and the "why" of healthy eating. The Power of Habit will provide you "how to stick to it." Although your cravings will subside to a large degree by following this diet, it's still not nearly enough to prevent backsliding into unhealthy eating habits. My only other complaint of the book is that I'm surprised the author, being a cardiologist, so badly underemphasizes the importance of exercise. There are no easy fixes or short cuts, and some form of exercise is a must to get the full benefit of any diet plan. Still, I found this to be a fantastic diet book that I highly recommend.
33 Practical without the punishment
Yes, dieting is good for you, but it's hard to do it without feeling like you're punishing yourself. Agatston takes away the deprivation by practicing common sense coupled with excellent menu advice and lists of "allowable" foods that aren't just healthy, they're delicious. Definitely worth trying. Lost five pounds promptly without the pain
34 Resolve the source of the problem and use this diet
I have lost over 50 pounds and kept it off for nearly a year. I tried every diet you can imagine for nearly 10 years but nothing worked. I couldn't stick to a diet for more than 2 months. My life changed completely when I read Optimal Thinking-How To Be Your Best Self and understood why I sabotaged my best interests, and how to master my feelings and be my best in any situation. I immediately bought this book and I effortlessly lost weight. I recommend both of these books if you want to lose the weight and keep it off.
35 its work
I found the diet to be the best I ever tried and with all the foods I love to eat, even in the first two stages. I lost ten pounds the first two weeks and I did lose the belly fat first as told by the DR. A total of 25lbs was lost which was what I hoped for. I recommend it to everyone for a healthy weight loss!!!!!
I also found this book highly informative Sex and the perfect lover by Mabel Iam, is very clear and excelent book for people to want to feel sexy and more confident in sexual relationships.
36 This diet WORKS!!
I lost 15 pounds in six weeks on this diet plan. The first two weeks are the toughest, but I hung in there and the results were fantastic. I lost my belly fat first, as promised, and began feeling more energetic every day. I continued to loose weight even when I finished the six week plan just by following the eating guidelines in the lifestyle plan. Everyone at my job kept asking me what I did and I am getting a little tired of explaining so I just send them to an info site about the diet and to Amazon.com to buy the book and the wonderful cookbook.
The cookbook is a prayer answered because the meals on the diet are so good, you can't help but continue to cook the same recipies, but the downfall is that you continue to loose weight. I totally recommend this diet, but it does involve a lot of meal planning and cooking. If you are serious about losing weight, and want a diet that works; teaches you about good carbs and fats vs. bad carbs and fats, then this is the diet for you. Stick to the lifestyle plan and you will never be fat again. Good Luck!
37 THe best solution I've found
I started the south beach diet after I had gained 20-25 lbs or so after I had gotten married- at a max of like 141-143 lbs. I had started gaining weight before but then lost it right b4 the wedding with all the prep., then regained it in a few months. I was never that heavy, I was always 115-120lb.
After I finally got over the emotional side of weight gain and convincing myself that I needed to return to my smaller days, I looked into the south beach diet.I remember always avoiding the book because it seemd like a fad diet for the ill skinny.
However I started reading about it on the internet, then bought the book. Once I read the book I started the diet. I didn't want to do Atkins because my cholesterol was borderline high, and I didn't feel that unlimited fats were the solution for me.
To be honest the reason I decided to follow the diet was because it was everything I already knew about eating healthy, but I needed the push, to see it in print to stick to it.
The first two weeks were doable but a bit brutal. I found after a few days of basically no sugar I was faint nauseous and felt like i was going to collapse. I would feel better when i would have a piece of fruit. So for the second week I HAD to modify the diet with a piece of fruit a day-a tangerine actually. Because I was exercsing as well, which the diet says you can lose weight withouth,I think was really affecting my sugar levels drastically. Other people I know havne't experienced this problem so i guess it depends.
Anyhow, like the books said- with or without the gym, I was losing 2lbs a week after my initial 7lbs in the first two weeks and I wasn't even hugnry. I did, however, need to eat regularly because otherwise, my body woud let me know very quickly. I never used to have 3 meals a day and definitely not snacks, so once I got used to it, I couldn't do without it.
I stayed on phase 2 until I had lost 20 lbs. Then after that I lost a few more lbs by accident, and I found I can maitain it and I don't look deathly ill.
The best part is I can treat myself occasionally and it doesn't affect my weight.
THe important thing to remember is that this isn't a diet, it's a way of eating that is intended to benefit you long term.
And I wasn't looking for a diet, I was looking for weight loss and health.
If this is what you're looking for I definitely recommend this diet. I also recommend reading the book- instead of copying the list of foods to eat and to avoid, going to the website others have mentioned, and also getting the little $5 book about good carbs/bad carbs that lists things you can eat or avoid, extensively.
I do agree the book is lacking some areas of information, and I refuse to pay monthly for the website, so hopefully the book will be revised, and be a little more detailed in substitutions. But if you follow the principles, you should know if something is substitutable. If you read carefully, you know that you can substitute anything low fat, lean or low in sugar or non-starchy in any of the recipes. It's common sense. And I guess that's the bottom line.
38 Great diet, but the book could be better
The South Beach Diet Book describes the South Beach Diet. While that part may be obvious, what's less obvious is how well it achieves that goal.
The South Beach Diet is not low carb. While it is low carb for the first two weeks of the rest of your life, it does not involve counting carbs. It involves sticking to the right foods, some of which may be carbs, and eliminating others, some of which may be carbs. Some claim that this makes it a low carb diet, since you may not be consuming as many carbs as without the diet. One could probably make the same sort of claim and call this a low calorie diet or even a low fat diet, but that misses the point of the diet's approach.
This diet was originally designed to help people get their blood chemistry in order. It was designed to help with cholesterol and blood sugar problems, and goes into detail about how some of this is accomplished. When Dr. Agatston put his diet together and tried it on patients, he found that it was also an effective weight loss regimen, although that was not his original goal.
The book describes the three phases of the diet. The first phase, which lasts only two weeks, is the most restrictive, yet still allows ample food choices. The second phase allows dieters to reintroduce certain foods, but with emphasis on more healthful varieties, such as whole grains instead of refined grains. The third phase is the maintenance phase, and is described in extremely vague terms. If what you eat doesn't undo the good done by the first two phases, it's allowed.
In his book, Dr. Agatston concentrates on the weight loss benefit of the diet. While the other benefits get a good share of mention, he does not go into enough detail on how reintroducing foods in later phases will affect blood chemistry. If you are using the diet to lose weight, then it's obvious how well each phase is working. If you are getting blood tests every three months, there is no feedback to let you know if you are undoing the good when you get to phase three, and frankly, the book does not help. Since you should spend most of your life on phase three, there should have been a better explanation of why you should leave phase two, rather than just being more liberal when it comes to some of the limited items.
The book describes the first two phases in a lot more detail. Yet Dr. Agatston has managed to confuse many readers, as evidenced by reviews here and by comments in many on-line forums. The book does this by describing food choices in three different ways, yet never manages to reach cohesion or describe how to use each section.
One way the book describes food choices is by describing the general philosophy of the diet. By mentioning specific foods and related properties, it should become clear to any reader why grapefruit is better than watermelon, or why a salad is better than a pizza. A careful reading of these parts should give the reader a very good picture of what is or is not allowed.
Another way that foods are described is with descriptions of how a typical day might go, or through sidebars containing anecdotal tales from dieters. While the descriptions are helpful, a reader might not expect to find anything tangible in the sidebars. Yet some of the anecdotal tales make specific mentions of what should be done that are not repeated elsewhere. For example, one anecdote mentions how a dieter learned that watermelon is full of sugar, but cantaloupe is not. Yet the glycemic index table does not mention where cantaloupe fits in, nor does the rest of the book.
Finally, there is a meal plan. As you can see from many reviews, some dieters are having problems sticking to the daily plan because some foods are not available in their areas or they don't know what to substitute. What's not mentioned in the book is that the diet plan is a SAMPLE MEAL PLAN. A careful reader might notice that the description of a typical first day on the diet is completely different from the first day of the meal plan. Yet the book does not make it clear why, and has confused many readers. Since half the book is meal plans and recipes, how they fit in should have been explained better. You can pick and choose from things in the meal plan, or ignore it completely if you want, as long as what you eat fits in with the diet.
Another confusing aspect for many readers is the glycemic index. It is in the book to give readers a general idea of where different foods fit in. But this diet is not about counting carbs or calories, or about tracking the glycemic index of anything. It's about getting an idea of which types of food are the most healthful and concentrating on them. However, that has been lost on many readers who think that they must know that level of detail for each food. His other book only reinforces that notion.
Much of what is in the book is incidental to the diet itself. Descriptions of other diets don't specifically help you with this one, but they are there to tell you why you should avoid certain things that other diets allow, or why other diets are less likely to work in the long run. Some readers feel that his description of the Atkins diet is dated, and that may be true. But it won't affect your ability to use this diet.
If there were other books describing this diet, I'd suggest looking for a better one. But since this is the only one, the best you can do is read it carefully and avoid the pitfalls created by the problems I've mentioned.
Incidentally, the diet worked great for me, and continues to work. I'm never hungry. My cholesterol has dropped substantially, and is in the normal range. So is my fasting glucose level. Some of the changes are quite dramatic. I manged to do this without adding an exercise program, although I would not recommend that. I also lost weight on this diet. At this point, I'm thinner than I'd like to be, and I don't want to lose more weight. My clothing no longer fits, and my watches and rings are loose. The problem is I don't have a clear idea of what sorts of foods I can add back in that won't hurt my cholesterol.
If you think you can't be too thin, then the last comment may not be a problem for you. My health is great and I'm eating balanced and nutritious meals. It's an easy diet to follow, and there are still plenty of food choices. There are very few things you must give up in the long run, and for those, there's generally an acceptable substitute. Whole grain breads and pasta, as well as brown rice are now easy to find in supermarkets. It might be a while before you can find whole grain pizza, but you can always make an acceptable substitute yourself.
39 Stuff you might want to know about...
The diet is in 3 phases. You begin by getting rid of carbs like fruit, rice, etc. Dietrs usually lose between 8 and 13 pounds the first couple of weeks during this "detox" phase. Then the 2nd phase reintroduces "good carbs". Here you can expect to lose a couple of more pounds per week until your weight goal is reached. Lasty, in phase 3, dieters pretty much just eat in moderation to keep the weight off. When all is said and done, this is just another low calorie diet that seems to be much heart healthier than Atkins.
I'm personally tired of fad diets that provide temporary fixes and await books like "The No Beach No Zone, No-Nonsense Weight Loss Plan" that are supposed to be based more on what the weight loss literature says about things.
40 SOUTH BEACH DIET AND ME
In brief, the South Beach Diet was originally developed by a Cardiologist (DR. Agatson) in conjunction with a Nutritionist as a diet to recommend to his patients who needed a diet to help alleviate their heart problems. It proved successful for many of its target audience. It's a low carbohydrate diet that differentiates between "good" carbs and "bad" ones. Simplistically speaking, good ones are found in vegetables, some grains, etc., while those that we can categorize as "bad" are most often found in flour based products (bread, cereals, cakes, etc.) and in starchy foods such as potatoes and rice.
The diet itself is broken into three phases which I like to compare to the gears in a car:
Phase one, the two week phase, is comparable to first gear. It gets you off to a start from a stndstill, and lasts for about two weeks. It is the most restrictive phase, and the average dieter loses around ten to twelve pounds during this start-up phase.
Phase two, like second gear in a car, is used to get you up to full speed in automobile terms, or down to your desired weight in diet terms. It is less restrictive than the first phase, and lasts, as I mentioned, until you are up to speed, or in dieting terms, down to goal weight.
Phase three is sort of like cruise control. You use cruise control to maintain a steady speed on the open road, and you use the even less restrictive diet in this phase to maintain your weight loss.
Yes, as mentioned in other reviews there are daily meal plans for each phase, and some of the foods are expensive and some of the recipes are complicated. I personally looked at these meal plans as guidelines to be followed, not as absolute requirements. I stay away from all the forbidden foods, eat a few more of the foods I really like, particularly salads, and avoid those too complex menus, etc, and it works out very well.
A little personal background, I am diabetic, have hypertension, and was considerably overweight. I am also not young and not particularly prone to exercise other than taking daily (or almost daily) brisk walks a half an hour or so in duration.
Last May (2004) some routine blood work indicated that my cholesterol was out of whack, and my physician said I really needed to lose weight. He thought weight loss might handle the cholesterol problems without my taking additional medication. After some discussion, we, together, decided that the South Beach diet was probably the best approach for me.
I got the book, read it, and started on the diet. In the first two weeks I lost the ten pounds that are expected. Over the next four months I lost an additional forty pounds for a total of fifty. I have maintained this weight loss easily by avoiding those foods that are "no-nos," and I never go hungry or feeling unsatisfied.
Additional benefits are that controlling my diabetes now requires less medication, and my blood pressure has dropped considerably. This is the only diet plan I have ever tried with which I am comfortable enough to believe that I will never return to my old eating habits.
Are there any disadvantages? Yes. I've had to buy a whole new wardrobe due to my six inch smaller waistline and proportionately smaller chest size, etc., and have had to have my wedding ring resized. Other than that no complaints.
Based on my own experience, I wholeheartedly recommend __THE SOUTH BEACH DIET__.
41 Great DIET but the book is not of Great use!see the web
This is the best diet i have tried. It teaches you many things:
To eat less and stop eating after your Full.
Say NO to Food when you are not hungry and if you feel the food is not healthy.
Treat your body like a temple.
I Love to eat and how i look is not of great importance to me. But due to an urgent trip i was left with no resort but a diet which could help me lost as much as i could in a month. I used to weigh 160 pounds and today i weigh about 144 and its only about 6 weeks back that i started this diet.A friend Suggested the South beach diet and i bought the book.
The first two books teach you more than self control and when yuu see your body lose more and more weight you are motvated to go on. This is what impatient people like me need - Fast Results!
I am not on the diet anymore but i cook and eat very healthy now. I used to eat out about 5 times every week and would not hesiate to eat a pizza or Deep fried food. Today i cook as much as i can at home and dont feel bad when i have to eat a salad.
There were days when i would eat 6 donuts and not feel sad about it. Today i eat 1/4th of it.
I would suggest everyone to go on such a diet atleast for 2 weeks to understand waht bad carbs and oils can do to you. Its like a Boot camp.. only thing its not that strict.
The only thing is that the book is not of much use. I feel its a waste of the ~20$ i spent.
The Recipes in the book are a little complicated so i seldom tried any of them. All you need is a list of foods to enjoy and foods to avoid. You can mix and match them and get creative and make your own recipes.
42 Beach Ball or Beach Bunny
I liked the advice and recipies in this book but found that I couldn't keep myself motivated enough to follow the plan. Different people, body types and lifestyles react differently to diet advice so you have to find a plan that really makes YOU feel good and that you can stick with through the plateaus.
After about six weeks on The South Beach I switched to Perricone Promise which seems to be a better fit for me. It's not that I didn't agree with South Beach, I do like the program, it's just that Perricone fits better with my needs.
I did lose and then maintain weight on both plans. So either will work it's just a matter of personal goals and preferences.
43 Perfect for me
This Guide is a great little companion to 'The South Beach Diet,' with quick references for selecting foods, it helps you craft a lifestyle approach to the South Beach plan with helpful suggestions for healthy eating styles.
Since I have been on this diet, all the cravings for junk food has gone. I was someone who lived for sugar and now I do not want any of it. It so easy for someone to tell you to eat less, but if you are craving bad foods, eventually you will fail. In the first five days I was on this diet all the craving ceased and I was already 8 lbs down. If you were like me and cannot wait for your next slice of cake and at the same time really want to change your lifestyle, Try this.
I found The South Beach Diet to be perfect for me! I love cheeses and am not a bread eater, but I do like pasta. I found the diet to be the best I ever tried and with all the foods I love to eat, even in the first two stages. I lost ten pounds the first two weeks and I did lose the belly fat first as told by the DR. A total of 25lbs was lost which was what I hoped for. I recommend it to everyone for a healthy weight loss!!!!!
I also found this book highly informative Sex and the perfect lover by Mabel Iam, is very clear and excelent book for people to want to feel sexy and more confident in sexual relationships.
44 It's A Keeper For Life long Eating
I started The South Beach Diet with Phase Two and I continue to lose weight steadily. This diet has balanced my cravings for foods high in sugar. I no longer obsess over food or when I can eat again. The South Beach Diet is not based on fads. It is not about eating a diet of fatty meat products, drinking glass after glass of water, eating expensive prepared foods, preparing time consuming recipes, counting calories or counting points. It is about eating familiar, unprocessed foods that are accessible in all grocery stores and all restaurants. Dr. Agatston has researched and developed a diet that is simple and logical. That's why it works.
45 This Diet Really Works
This is a diet that really works, and that I can stay on. I feel good, not deprived, and for the first time, can see myself staying on it for life. The good news is, that you really can eat alot and even cheat sometimes. It's the best.
46 This diet works
My wife lost eighteen pounds on this diet. She didn't lose the weight with seven other diets, but this one did the trick. She credits her weight loss success to this book and another book, Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self which helped her to overcome her self-destructive, self-sabotaging feelings and behaviors.
47 So Tired of the whole South Beach Fad!
Read the first review after reading or trying to read the book and it's true just eat less and exercise. We all know that why do we constantly forget it. Anyway - I've seen far too many South Beach Diet Books perhaps the author whom I believe is a medical doctor could write a new book with a new title and simplify it. We can all use a short reminder!
48 First timer with Excellent Service and so Very Happy
I ordered my book and I had some thoughts about it that were not good. But when I got it saw the quality which was PERFECT!!! The price was a GIVE AWAY, when I looked inside and saw what the cover price was I was so delighted. You must do business with this person....He shipped me a professional shippping order slip and everything.....***** you get your 5 stars from me thanks so VERY MUCH!!!!
49 I Have Finally Dropped Two Sizes!
Finally, after many years of fad diets and yo-yo dieting, I am finally achieving my goal- to be a healthier and smaller individual. I have to say that I feel better and my blood sugar levels are more stable. I am eating less because I am actually not hungry(insulin levels being more stable)
I do have to say that I always consult with a doctor before trying a diet or lifestyle change. This is a lifestyle change for me!
50 the best diet
I had so many friends who have lost weight on this diet that I had to try it. The hardest part was giving up my evening wine for the first two weeks, but I love the food. Also -- I sleep better on this diet than I did on the Atkins diet.
Also recommended: Toxic Stress: 7 Steps to Recovery and Sex and the perfect lover by Mabel Iam, i lost pounds with sex too
51 This is just what this country needed another SB Diet book!
Congratulations Mr. Agatston I hear you're building an empire on this South Beach Diet.
Meanwhile poverty in America has risen over the past two years by 1.3 million people. Unemployment has shot up by 8.2 million.
I'm really looking forward to about forty more of these books all in various size, shapes, colors, titles.
Kind of like Chicken Soup for the soul but minus the soul.
What's next? Greeting cards?
52 It works, and you don't have to be Hungry.
I went on this diet three months ago. I've lost 17 pounds,
and it has been quite easy. I'm still loosing. Best $15
I ever spent on a book!
53 Going, going, gone
I've been on the SBD for almost four months and the weight is just sliding off. Those that crave carbs obviously don't get the program, it's about changing how you eat, what you eat and how you treat food. Carbs aren't out of the question; they just have to be eaten in moderation-and evil carbs such as white bread, white rice, and white potatoes should be avoided on a regular basis (basically, stay away from anything that's been milled so much it has the nutritional value of a boot). There are great whole grain options out there, as well as wonderful modifications to traditional recipes. The greatest part about this diet is that unlike other low-carb diets, you can easily modify it and live within it.
54 Oh please how much money can you make from a book?
Next there will be South Beach Diet food or is there already? I don't have the South Beach Diet umbrella or beach towel. How about a chain of South Beach Diet Restaurants or are you already in discussions about that too?
How much more money can Americans waste on a series of diet books under the same title?
Especially when there are much worthier causes out there. You (the author) should feel ashamed of yourself milking this book as you do. At least turn some of the proceeds over to something worthwhile like American legend and hero Paul Newman!
55 Feeling better already
I can not put into words how amazed and ecstatic I am. I am so grateful that I decided to buy this book.
I've been overweight my entire life, and no matter what I did, I could never seem to shed more than a few pounds, which I never kept off long-term. In fact, I seemed to add a couple of pounds every year.
Well, I finally got fed up. I knew I had to get this weight problem under control now, just looking at myself in the mirror made me cringe. So I figured why not try the South Beach Diet? I've heard decent things about it, and it certainly couldn't hurt!
I have been following this diet for a little over a month now, along with beginning a 30-minute per day exercise regime. I have lost 18 pounds. For the first time in years, I'm actually under the 220 mark. The first week was a killer, I'll admit. I have been a chocoholic for years, and to have to cut that out completely...well, let's just say the lack of sugar was making my coworkers a bit leery of being anywhere me.
Now, though, I'm handling it well. When I think of having to stay on this phase of the diet for the next year or so, it doesn't make me anxious. I can do it.
A few other's at my work have gone on the diet as well. Some have been disappointed when they have only lost a couple of pounds, but I say stick with it! Even if you don't lose a lot of weight right away, you're eating much healthier than you have in probably years. Is that really a bad thing? Besides, I can't help but think that sneaking those sodas and fried chicken in when you don't think anyone is looking (yes, I did see that!) was definitely a setback to your diet.
My advice? Try it. Now is the time to start eating better. Things can only get better; you'll feel it.
Besides, who really needs all that fast food anyway?
56 Outstanding read and very understandable!
I am no nutrition or cardiology expert but this book made me understand the dynamics of nutrition and explained the importance of understanding the same. Dr. Arthur Agatston in 'The South Beach Diet' is lucid and understandable -- simple but not simplistic -- even for a hard-core chronic sugar and flour lover like myself. So I am writing not as a dietician but as reader.
The book is divided into two parts: the explanation of the 'South Beach Diet' and a set of recipes that follow for each 'phase.' I am highly appreciative of the efforts of Dr. Agatston both as a scientist and as a writer. The idea that good eating can also mean healthy eating is more common sense than anything. However, contrary to 'common sense' the way we find comfort has a lot to do with it. We might need to refer to Pierre Bourdieu for how we create 'habitus' but we only really need to look down at our belly to see the risks we carry with us.
Dr. Agatston works from the premise that certain foods -- those high in the glycemic scale -- that when consumed result in obesity set the stage for the dangerous end result -- heart attacks. Now, instead of subjecting us to a rigid diet of do's and don't he simply tells us that it is a matter of choosing one set of options over the other. A clear example is bread -- whole grain over white. The former is simply harder to digest than the latter -- preventing our blood sugar level from spiking -- makes sense. I would add (and I know Dr. Agatston would agree but not require) that a healthy dose of exercise would round out a healthy program. Understanding the effects of certain foods on your body will allow you to make the right, uncomplicated food choices. An old adage puts diets as 'die' with a 't' but a diet that advocates eating whole grain, olive oil, vinegar, and red wine in my mind is not a diet. Bon appetite and good reading.
Miguel Llora
57 Fat Be Gone
I have lost 27 pounds in seven weeks. I'm never hungry. I have more energy now than I have ever had before. This book is smart and easy to read.
Dr. Agatston teaches you how to eat right, not just how to crash-diet and feel miserable (and eventually begin binge-eating to put more weight back on than you've lost!)
I still have 23 pounds to lose but I am sure I will meet my goal thanks to the South Beach Diet.
Buy this book!
58 An easy diet unlike others
This diet has swept the world because it works. I have lost 45 pounds over the past 5 months and it was easy. I feel great, have lots of energy and look forward to my meals. And I am never hungry. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. I need to acknowledge another book called Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self that helped me to overcome my self-sabotaging eating habits. I recommend each of these books if you are serious about losing weight and living your best life.
59 Great Book but not Necessary
This is a great book that gives you alot of good recipes. The recipes are the only good part of the book. Truth is, both Atkins and the South Beach diet are making tons of money off common sense. IF YOU EAT LESS SUGER, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT. Simply put SUGER=CALORIES. The basis to all these diets is cutting suger. In mainstream America, the average american consumes over 19 teaspoons of suger a day. Most of this is from processed foods.
Cut out the suger and you will lose weight!!! If you eat less calories than you burn during the day your body will have to burn it's excess fat to make energy. This is very simple and no-one needs a book to tell them that.
Chris
60 I like it.
Number 1) THIS IS NOT ATKINS! I tried Atkins. In the first 2 weeks it limits you to 20 grams of carbs per day. After that phase, you add back a small amount (5 grams or so) of carbs each week. Within two days of Atkins, I couldn't think, I was lethargic and I was miserable. I wasn't hungry, but I wasn't satisfied either. I followed the plan for two weeks, lost a few pounds(mostly water weight), felt sick and absolutely hated the high fat food.
There are no such "carb counting" limitations in this diet. You do not go into ketosis, and if you do, you are doing it wrong. I did track my calories, carbs, and other nutrients, to make sure I was eating well. I ate about 70 grams of carbs per day, almost entirely from vegetables, which is far more than Atkins allows. I never felt sick, and always felt healthy. I enjoyed the variety of vegetables, and lowfat meats and cheeses and could care less about the lack of butter (I hated most of my high fat meals on Atkins, but that's just me).
Alot of people freak out that fruits are not allowed in the first two weeks, and limited in Phase 2. They seem to think this is unhealthy. I followed at least 20 essential vitamin and minerals in my diet, and was not severly deficit in any of them (70-100%). A multivitamin covered any small losses. I had 9-20 grams of fiber a day in the first phase, and about 15-30 grams since then. That's more than most people get.
2) After 2 weeks, I lost 4.5 pounds. That might not sound like much to you, but I'm only trying to lose 10 pounds here. The promise of 8-12 pounds is ridiculous unless you are obese, not overweight. I was very happy with my success. I'm still following Phase 2 right now, and I'm enjoying it. I did lose my carb cravings. I have cheated, slightly (a scoop of ice cream here, a beer there), but the need to cheat is not strong. I did lose belly fat first. My waist size is down. My pants are too loose. Oh darn.
3) I like this diet despite my issues with it. I think the explanation in the book is weak. But I think the general principles work well for most people and are healthy when followed properly.
Following the menu plan is timely and costly. I liked that aspect, personally. It revived my love for cooking, I've tried some new foods and found some new favorites. I personally love the ricotta cheese desserts and in phase 2, I often substitute them for other options.
This diet is about calories. Dr. Agatston does not want his dieters to think about them, because its more important that you learn to eat well than learn to cut calories. However, I calculated an average of 1000-1400 calories a day in those first 2 weeks. So, yes, I lost weight because I cut calories. BUT I wasn't ever hungry. That's the difference from other low cal diets...you eat your 3 meals and 3 snacks a day which are rich in healthy fats, protein and fiber, and you don't get hungry. This is why I believe it works for me.
All in all, I feel really good after 3 weeks on this diet. I lost some weight, but more importantly, my body looks and feels healthier.
61 a diet for those who hate dieting
I began the Southbeach diet on January 1st (2004) and have managed to stay on it for nine months. It is very easy to follow because eventually you lose your taste for sugar (my big problem.)
The book is well written. There are testimonies which are very helpful. The diet plan is spelled out simply. There are recipes as well, but to be honest, I never followed those. The foods listed are easy enough to cook with out having to disguise them. (although I do think that Agatston could probably come up with a recipe that would make even CAT food appealing...)
Give this diet book a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
62 Not Worth it....Save your $$$
The bottom line is the same results can be achieved by restricting the food intake. Simply eat less and you will lose some pounds. This is called an initial fat loss that is very easy to achieve. Keep in mind, the problem area fat would not go away using SB diet. Your belly would not melt away as advertised! You would never look as a model on commercial. If your body is pear shape it will stay pear shape, just a few pound lighter.
This diet is pretty direct regarding caffeine, its really hard on your liver, and is a toxin to our bodies. I found out after giving it up completely, how much better I feel being off of it! I urge you to try to cut back, and eventually give it up completely. Even if for just two weeks, you'll be able to compare how you feel drinking caffeinated beverages, or being completely off of them, and then make your decision from there. I discovered that I feel 100% better, and have a LOT more energy without it, so I'll never go back, based solely on the way I feel.
It's definitely hard, there is no doubt about that, and the headaches are horrible, but its so worth it...just like the detoxification process overall. Nowadays I find that the smell of coffee is a lot better than the taste anyhow, I just breathe deeply when someone is brewing a pot, and love the smell. I only ever drank it with sugar and creamer anyhow, so if I have to doctor it up that much, then its not really that great tasting anyhow!? (Thats what I tell myself anyhow, to make it easier!) Then I drink my hot soy coffee (www.soycoffee.com) which is made from soybeans knowing it's helping me out, rather than being toxic to my liver. It even lowered my cholesterol and helped reduce my hot flashes too!
To achieve and maintain athletic body a smart 'exercise plus diet' approach should be implemented. Unfortunately this diet is not a good choice for those who exercise. It just does not provide enough fuel for workouts. Besides, constant calorie restriction and exercise invoke muscle and bone loss.
63 Works time after time!
Dr. Agatston's South Beach Diet is the latest, greatest iteration in the American struggle to lose weight. It resembles Dr. Atkins' program, but without the excess saturated fat. We've recommended this diet to literally hundreds of our patients in a cardiology practice and have seem uniformly impressive results. Most people, who often begin with the standard low-fat diet, lose 10-15 lbs. their first month. The detailed advice makes compliance less difficult than some other programs.The description of the diet itself is a quick, easy read, since around 180 of the total 294 pages are devoted to meal plans and recipes.
Many of the recipes are unique, contributed by chefs from trendy Miami Beach restaurants. The several we've tried have been easy to prepare and delicious.
64 Great diet
I had to try something to get those nagging pounds to go away. Working out wasn't moving it the way it should. Well, I read her copy and took the journey. To my amazement I too am loosing belly fat and I feel great! The first two weeks are rough but they go by quickly. After that it's smooth sailing! I have only lost about 11 lbs since starting last month but my clothes are getting loose GREAT DIET PLAN.
OTHER BOOK ***** is helpful for both men and women that they have problems with their body IS SEX AND THE PERFECT LOVER BY MABEL IAM.
65 If you are size 16 pear shape you end up size 14 pear shape
The bottom line is the same results can be achieved by restricting the food intake. Simply eat less and you will lose some pounds. This is called an initial fat loss that is very easy to achieve. Keep in mind, the problem area fat would not go away using SB diet. Your belly would not melt away as advertised! You would never look as a model on commercial. If your body is pear shape it will stay pear shape, just a few pound lighter. To achieve and maintain athletic body a smart "exercise plus diet" approach should be implemented. Unfortunately this diet is not a good choice for those who exercise. It just does not provide enough fuel for workouts. Besides, constant calorie restriction and exercise evoked muscle and bone loss.
66 It works when you don't sabotage yourself
A friend at work tried this diet six months ago but didn't stick to it. She said it was great but she couldn't control her eating habits when she was stressed out or bored. I recommended a great book called Optimal Thinking-How To Be Your Best Self to overcome her self-defeating behavior and troublesome feelings. After she read it, she went back on this diet and lost 32 pounds. Now I am on the diet and have lost 13 pounds and don't crave carbs. I believe that the first step to permanent weight loss and living our best life is to make the commitment to be our best self, so I recommend this book combo.
67 Not necessary to buy the book to go on the diet
I just started this diet and got the book. The recipes look good, and I think it's going to be an effective diet, but the book doesn't have a generalized meal plan (just a day by day menu of specific foods -- I can't follow that specific menu plan!). You can get the same things off of various web sites (google 'south beach diet'). A friend sent me the generalized meal plan (e.g. it tells you: breakfast: - protein unlimited, vegetables minimum 1/2 cup, fruit none, starch none, milk 2 cups daily, fat, 1 tsp oil) - but the book doesn't have that!
68 AMAZING.. if you put your mind into it
I bought this book in April and actually started dieting on May 11th. I took some pictures and registered my weight. I started at 237 pounds. Within the first 2 weeks, I lost about 10 pounds. I went on a trip and came back and lost track of the diet, so I started on phase one again.
I had to modify the diet a little, though, since it's impossible to follow it exactly..
Bottom line is, it's been 4 months and I lost a total of 41 pounds. I am 196 pounds now, lost FOUR inches in the waist, and most of my clothes don't fit anymore. Notice that I am writing this review FOUR MONTHS after I started dieting.
Most people want to see results within the first days, that's impossible.
I am actually happy with the diet. You WILL lose weight.. I can't imagine someone not doing it even in phase 1...
I recommend this book to everyone. I am a 29-year old male who had constant headaches, causalgia, back problems, muscle strain and drowsiness due to all that weight.. All those problems have now disappeared.
69 Great Plan for Anyone!
I had to try something to get those nagging pounds to go away. Working out wasn't moving it the way it should. My mom and sister were on the diet and swore that it was easy and they were losing 'belly fat'. Well, I read her copy and took the journey. To my amazement I too am losing belly fat and I feel great!
I also gave up drinking coffee and started replacing it with a caffeine-free alternative made from soy. Its called soyfee (www.soycoffee.com) and it taste so much like coffee I can believe its actually good for you. Anyway the first 2 weeks are rough but they go by quickly. After that it's smooth sailing! I have only lost about 11 lbs since starting last month but my clothes are getting loose and my friends are starting to notice. GREAT DIET PLAN!
70 pathetic
im sorry. i just have to complain about this book being on the bestseller list for so long. i am aware that 60+% of americans are obese, but you don't have to fill the pockets of this arthur agatston clown to watch yourself fail.
if you want to lose weight, put down the doritos and the twinkies, eat what every person (who learned the food pyramid in 3rd grade) knows to be healthy, turn off the reality TV and go for a walk.
you want to lose weight? stop being a pig! simply put.
71 This diet is amazing
I have been on this diet for 4 days and I've lost 13 pounds. I've gone from 200 pounds to 187 pounds. I have followed this diet strictly and exercised 3 of the 4 days I've been on it. Nothing strenuous, just 2 miles of walking a day with my dog at a moderate pace. I have tried Atkins and I couldn't stick with it. It was too restrictive. Knowing I can have carbs again in two weeks gives me the motivation to stay with the strictest part of the South Beach diet. I've also tried The Zone, and although I saw results over the short time I was on it, The Zone is a very hard diet to stay on because of all the constant measuring and looking things up in the book, not to mention all the calculations you have to do before you even start. Yes, I think this diet is easy and it makes sense health-wise. Give it a try, it may work for you, too!
72 sales hype betrays underlying content
60% sales hype
20% self-promotion
20% science of low carb diet
0% diet plan
This is a vaugely written advertisement with just enough science to keep the desperate reader reading. The daily menus contradict general guidelines and leave the reader guessing on how to implement the diet. (What does "Feel free to enjoy the following foods" mean? The daily menus suggest there are unwritten requirements for portions, time of day, substutions, etc, and this information is vital, or is it? That's unclear in this book.) THE BOOK NEEDS A STRAIGHT-FORWARED DIET PLAN WITH CLEAR GUIDELINES TO ALLOW THE READER TO PLAN HIS/HER OWN EATING BASED ON THE SCIENCE OF LOW CARB DIETS.
73 A British view!
This diet has been a great success for me: however its not for everyone. I think that you have to be interested in AND enjoy cooking to get this right, and of course, its NOT cheap to shop (and that includes a whole new wardrobe!!). But where theres a will theres a way! I'm heading towards forty and have been overweight for the last 20 years. Desperate to shed weight, i've tried several UK slimming clubs on a yearly basis with good results, but its never been longterm. The weight just piles back on again. For me, the southbeach diet has been revolutionary....
In february 2004 I weighed in at nearly 15 stone (96 kgs or 210 lbs) - read a brief outline of the diet in a magazine and bought the book. You HAVE to read the book to understand the way it works AND it makes so much sense. I never understood why i always had a huge stomach: the book explains about the storage of sugar (why beer drinkers get a pot belly! sugar in the alcohol!) and as a complete sugar addict (could eat a family size bar of chocolate in one sitting........ ) I finally realised why the pregnant look was difficult to shift. In other diets youre 'allowed' to include bars of chocolate in your daily calorie intake or points or sins or whatever..... I knew that this was something i needed to change. The southbeach diet is the perfect diet to allow you to do this. It makes you understand what happens to your body with the foods that you eat, and explains about the background of diabetes and heart problems and how the foods you eat can change this.
So, I embarked on the phase one no carbs diet for 2 weeks - and lost an amazing 13 lbs - then moved on to phase 2 reintroducing the good carbs in small amounts. And the weight still shifted! OK, so for the first two weeks I felt tired, after that, I found the diet extremely simple to follow and the very best thing was LOSING that addiction to sugar. I started feeling a whole lot healthier and energised, believing that at last I'd found a diet that just might work.
Its August 2004 now and I weigh 12 stone + 4 lbs (78kgs/172 lbs) - everyone tells me how fantastic I look - and the weight has come off in all the right places: stomach, face, arms etc The biggest thrill was trying on last years wedding outfit and having the size 20 trousers fall down over the hips - I had to replace them with a 16! Plus my very slim flatmate gave me a size 14 denim skirt from the Gap which I have LIVED in over the summer: now I havent worn a skirt since being a teenager.....
Eating out has been extremely easy: TIP try Turkish restaurants - even a Harvester is great for a steak and limitless salad. Dont be fooled by thinking I'm totally reformed though: I've had weekends away, indulged in Banoffee Pie, even had curry sauce and chips last week - but I LOVE MY FOOD! And we're all allowed to indulge every now and again. The great thing about the diet is that its so easy to get back on track. Oh, and of course excercise really helps to give that extra shift.
One of the most important outcomes of this are my cholesterol levels: 5.7 in Feb, and now 5. More importantly my LDL's (the bad ones)were 3.9 and are now 2.1 - My doctor is very impressed! I can only suggest that if you like what you have read, give it a go! Its totally changed my life for the better.
Sarah, LONDON UK
74 Not for everyone
My husband wanted to lose weight and got this book from a friend. I told him I'd go on the diet with him (I want to lose 10 lbs) and fix the food, although I have to say, I thought my husband's friend looked like he'd been ill for a few years after being on the diet.
Well, I went to the grocery store and bought only the things needed for the first week of the diet. I couldn't find everything and didn't get all the fish (because it's better if you buy it the day you cook it) and it doubled my normal food bill. Strike one.
I also realized after the first meal that you need a professional chef. Not because the recipes aren't easy and tasty, but because I can't figure out how a working person is going to drag raw chicken and veggies with them to work, cook them, and then eat them for lunch. Does everyone work in an office with a full kitchen? Are they allowed all the time it takes to chop everything up and cook it? Most of the lunch foods need cooking and/or only taste decent if you chop them up and make them fresh at the time. Strike 2.
Anyway, we're on it right now. I feel really, really ill and I'm so sick of salads that I could slit my wrists. I dream of bread. I can't sleep because my body whines it is starving. I try to eat all the snacks because everyone tells me that I'll feel "full" eating all this low-fat, no-carb, no flavor junk but all it does is make me gag. But I'm stuffing it down and I still feel empty. I'm going to stick with it, even though after dinner I'd gladly gnaw my arm off. I have headaches and am nauseated all the time. All I can think about is food and fixing food because cooking the meals is a full-time job on top of my normal full-time job. Strike 3.
If I could just eat ONE Big Mac, I'd probably feel fine. In fact this morning, I made REAL bacon and eggs and felt much better (we're still in phase 1 and not supposed to eat high-fat foods like real bacon; you're supposed to substitute Canadian bacon or the fake stuff). I'm not a big eater, but I like to eat real food. I don't like plastic no/low-fat cheese or no/low-sugar items. I'd rather just eat less of the real things. YOU'RE OUT!
All-in-all, I feel like this is a pretty standard diet. Don't expect miracles. If you can stand low-fat, low-carb, sugar-substitute stuff now, then you'll probably be fine with it. My body is rebelling because I don't eat fake foods like low-fat cheese and it refuses to accept that that is all it's going to get, along with the fish, fowl, and vegetables.
I just hope this doesn't kill me.
75 Can you actually love a book that puts you on a diet?
Well, no. You probably ought not LOVE a strict disciplinarian. This diet is quite popular right now. It's a wonder, because it's really quite strict the first two weeks. There's a huge payoff, though, and that's what keeps folks on the diet. Four days in and I'm already down 4.5 pounds (but you're not supposed to weigh yourself...). That's quite a reward.
An interesting aspect about this diet is that you're allowed to make a mistake. You're allowed to "quit" during the holidays. You just have to commit to going back to the beginning once you've indulged.
The doctor is a cardiologist. Not former. Not training. A real cardiologist. He just had trouble telling his patients how to diet. The old high fiber (in bad carb form), low fat diets weren't really changing things. Other diets have also pointed out the connection between diabetes and heart problems. So he created this diet to do something about it.
To simplify, cut out refined stuff. No refined sugar, no potatoes, no refined flour (remember, though, you can be human...).
The book recommends starting with the ultra-strict two week diet. However, if you're not really interested in losing a pile of fat from your gut, I'd bet you could start with phase two or even phase three and still lose weight (or maintain) and at least improve your blood chemistry.
This is not a low carb, high fat diet. It's a good carb, good fat diet.
Check it out. It's an interesting read even if you decide it's not for you. This is no fad; it's a look at what's to come in the world of nutrition.
76 good...for my husband- NOT ME!
the premise is good, and the diet actually works for my husband. I on the other hand- lost weight in the first two weeks- but i lost my mind as well! i was craving all sorts of things- things i wouldnt normally care for...My husband however, has not craved a single potato chip, not one piece of chocolate, bowl of ice cream or slice of pizza (let alone all at once- like me!) he's lost 25lbs in 4 weeks and feels good. i lost 8-10 \lbs in the same amount of time and have 'cheated' the plan often. i thought i was motivated, really wanted to lose some weight, understood the concepts and enjoyed the recipes- but i'm very discouraged. It may not have anything to do with the actual plan...maybe i'm just a CARBOHYDRATE ADDICT! sigh.......
77 It works!
I had so many friends who have lost weight on this diet that I had to try it. The hardest part was giving up my evening wine for the first two weeks, but I love the food. Also -- I sleep better on this diet than I did on the Atkins diet.
Also recommended: Toxic Stress: 7 Steps to Recovery and Sex and the perfect lover by Mabel Iam, i lost pounds with sex too
78 Definitely moving in the right direction
This book and diet are definitely a step in the right direction - AWAY from the Atkins plan. The doctor recommends avoiding all carbohydrates and fruit to start and then adding them in moderation. You CAN'T be healthy without eating your vegetables, but avoiding sugar and refined flour (now called "carbs")is recommended, and there are good choices like hummus and vegetables for snacks. The second phase offers more choices, including whole wheat bread which Agatston advocates dipping into olive oil, rather than butter. (Yumm! - use only extra virgin olive oil)You can eat small amounts of pasta with lots of vegetables, some meat and healthy oils. Complete meal plans along with simple recipes make this book a winner.
79 Dr. White
I started this diet more than a year ago and lost 30 pounds, went from a size 12 to a size 4/6. Finally lost that pregnancy weight. I lost the majority of the weight in the first few months, and was at my target by the Holiday season. I did not feel hungry or tired, actually more energetic. I lost the cravings & blood sugar highs/lows. It is not a low carb diet, but a RIGHT CARB diet. You don't limit carbs and eat a bunch of fat and protein. You eat complex carbs with fiber, no processed carbs. You go by a list of foods for each phase, so it is easy. No counting. It simply teaches healthy eating habits that will be beneficial to your cardiovascular system and digestive system.
80 Common Sense Works Better
Just another of the anti-carb, get on the band wagon books. The best way to lose weight and get healthier is to exercise and eat in moderation. This anti-carb stuff is nonsense. If you exercise regularly, don't snack, and eat the good foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, you won't have to worry about gimmick diets. Why can't people wake up and smell the coffee?
I don't think people have to give up pasta or anything else that tastes good just so they can follow the latest guru and fad. Eat less, exercise and don't eat if you're depressed. Got it?
My late Grandma Jane used to say, "Everything in moderation, including moderation." She was right.
81 Atkins version 2.0
I've been putting off reviewing the south beach diet because I knew that in doing so, I'd only make myself sound like a cliched testimonial from a cheesy infomercial, but here's the truth: The South Beach Diet has changed my (...)life! More specifically, it rid me of 87 pounds in the space of seven months. And I'm one of those guys who can't loose weight. You know the type- sitting there with their pathetic tofu n lint salads, choking down health shakes with the taste (...), and a can labled "The Delicious NEW way to loose weight and feel great!" Hell, I've even tried good old fashioned excersize, but like most red-blooded Americans, I'm a lazy (...).
So my friend tells me about South Beach, and describes it a bit to me, and I think to myself "Oh great, an Atkins ripoff." I'd tried the no-carb thing back in the eighties, and had crashed and burned miserably. But my friend persuaded me to borrow the book, and after reading the very first chapter, I saw some highly pleasent differences. Mainly, it's that after about two weeks of hard-core carb elimination, you can eat bread and rice and pasta, as long as the bread and pasta are whole-wheat (readilly available in the local supermarket for a slightly higher price). The rice needs to be black or wild, also available at the local supermarket. In the end, sugar and potatoes remain the only taboo items, but you can even have a bit of that after a while. In fact, I have a bowl of ice-cream once every two days or so (Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey) and I'm still losing weight at a rather rapid pace. But I'm jumping ahead of myself in mentioning this.
Let's discuss the first two weeks: Dr. Agatson lables it "The Strictest Portion of the diet," which is rather laughable when you consider that it's two weeks of cheese omlets, juicy steaks, jello (sugar free), ceaser salad (no crutons, which I missed at first but now hardly ever think about), and the like. And if you're the kind of person who has got to have chocolate or some sort of sweet, you'll be amazed at how quickly these cravings die. I used to have an amazing sweet tooth. After three days on South Beach, I didn't care if I ever saw a chocolate bar again.
Two weeks pass. We enter phase two, in which we get to say hello to fruits, as well as the afformentioned varieties of bread, rice, and pasta. It's also where one tends to get innovative. A two week veteran of the diet (and nine pounds lighter as a result), one begins to make certain culinary discoveries. For example, order a double cheeseburger, take away the buns and stick the patties, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and whatever else in between two whole wheat buns, and chow down. Or better yet, screw the buns (oh, grow up!) and eat the burger with a knife and fork. Sounds weird? Belive me, it tastes great. And the next time you order a pizza, why not scrape the cheese, sause, and toppings into a plate and throw away the crusts? Again, weird but delicious. And yes, I know that there's sugar in the sause, but it's a tiny amount.
Which brings me to my next point (how convenient): Tiny ammounts of banned foods are okay, as long as you stick to the main principles. A bit of ketchup or A-1 sause won't kill you. "Sweet and Sour" sause on your Chineese food is acceptable every once in a while. Don't waste time reading lables or asking friends "do you think this is okay?" If it looks okay, it probably is.
I can not tell you how great it feels to loose weight, but I'll give it the ol' collage try. First off, there's all the people telling you how much weight you've lost, at which point you can gush and say things like "Oh, I haven't lost THAT (the caps were because I have no idea how to make words in italix) much!"
And how 'bout the ability to fit into clothes? I used to be a size 40..... NOW I'M A 32!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahem...... sorry about the outburst, it was the joy getting to me. And now, girls will actually go out with me..... or at least give me more plausable excuses. Like my stomach, my appetite is so much smaller. I had never truly had the sensation of being full before South Beach. It's heaven, I tell ya, heaven!
82 8 months later, I'm a believer
In late 2003 I began to think it was time for a change. Being middle aged and approximately 120 lbs over weight(scary), I looked into all the current diets, ie The Zone, Atkins (yuck), Weight Watchers (been there, done that) and settled on South Beach. With a family history of diabetes, stroke, and hypertension, it sounded the most sensible to me and was geared towards my particular eating problems. I started January 15, 2004 and to date I have lost 60 pounds and still counting. Within one month all the tingling in my hands and feet went away. Within 2 months my blood pressure went from 165/110 to 110/80. How's that for results? The first phase was the hardest but after I settled into the routine of it all, I am happy to say it's been pretty easy. I don't wake up tired anymore and have 10X more energy throughtout the day. I excercise 3-5 per week. I eat bread, fruit, whole grain pasta and yes, sweets. I just don't eat it all on any given day. I try not to have bread and fruit in the same meal. I miss white rice but you can have brown rice in limited quanities. Sometimes I fall off for a party or special event but I've learned to get right back on my eating plan the next day! There is no measuring or counting. I do this all day everyday by making choices. I make my own lower carb yogurt and eat fresh fruit and veggies all day long. I feel healthier than I have EVER felt in my life. You avoid high sugar fruits such as pineapple and watermelon. I have almost totally ellimanated processed foods from my diet. Now tell me people, what is so evil about all of this? This eating lifestyle has changed my life. Eight months in and still going strong. This book has helped me save my life and I hope it will help you too.
83 Works, but maybe not the best eating plan...
I am asian, and giving up noodles and white rice was absolute torture. I stayed on the SBD for two weeks (Phase I), during which I lost 8 pounds, so it does work, but I was completely miserable. Starting week 3, I was working at a university in Italy and just couldn't keep up with SBD and stay sane, so I completely gave it up and ate pasta, pizza, gelato, while living the Italian lifestyle (i.e., walking everywhere). I had at least an ice cream a day and guess what, I had lost 2 pounds after a week of this.
So I looked around and noticed, Italians (young ones anyway) are incredibly thin and fit. Asians eat noodles or white rice basically for every meal and are generally very thin.
I think that staying thin has more to do with lifestyle than these fad diets that pop up every year or so. I've decided to try a new diet based on my Italian experience and I've continued to lose weight and feel healthy and happy. My advice:
1) Walk as much as possible. Park in the farthest spot in the parking lot. Don't move you're car from store to store in the big strip malls! Don't go to the closest bathroom at work. Take the stairs. The old buildings in Europe don't have elevators. You don't see Europeans jogging and spending hours at the gym, they exercise in everything they do. Is parking close to the store really convenient if you need to go to the gym an hour every day?
2) Enjoy your meals. No food or drinks on the run. Italians don't grab a cup of coffee on the way to work. They go to a bar and enjoy the coffee (they also don't drink capuccinos or lattes outside of breakfast). Make time for your food and drink and enjoy it. Meals in Italy are a special occasion. Italians may consume a 1000 calorie dinner just like an american, but they're enjoying a three course meal of vegetables, pasta and meat, made with the best unprocessed, full-fat ingredients (in smaller portions than americans). Make eating a special occasion and eat really good food. Butter, whole (or 2%) milk, etc. You'll be satisfied and not need to snack as much.
3) Don't snack absent-mindedly. When the Italians at work snacked, they left their desk, sat outside and had an ice cream, cookies, fruit or whatever. Don't snack in front of the TV. Go to the kitchen and sit at the table, or sit outside under a tree. You won't be snacking out of boredom then and you'll be able to concentrate on how good your snack is and when you're full.
In conclusion, the SBD works, but it seems strange to me that it outlaws many of the foods that make up the cuisine of the healthiest nations (Italy, Japan). I hope my tips helped other strugglers out there like me.
84 Excited but worried
My friends lost weight quickly on the diet as have I (just started) and it has taught me a lot about the link between carbs and weight. I can't help but wonder if a balance is best though (see some of the other reviews) and perhaps there are long-term health consequences from 0 carbs. So, I'm doing a mix.
I also bought the recommended title, "The Emotional Intelligence Quickbook" and all I can say is "Bravo Amazon!" That's a great book for people who are dieting and I learned a lot about myself!
85 The Healthy Way To Lose Weight. by www.southbeachdiet.co.uk
Being an online owner of a Diet site for support I come across many (fad) diets. Some offering ways to lose even up to 10lbs in 8 days, possible yes. Not only did I review this site, but I LOST WEIGHT and feel every inch of healthy.
The South Beach Diet Makes (Diet Sense). Many make the mistake of The South Beach Diet being low carb, which it is not. It is about eating the right carbs. Highly processed foods like easy to grab foods and soft drinks are the DIET dooms on The South Beach Diet.
The diet itself is based on the use of the Glycemic Index.
Phase One can sound a bit daunting even scary, but once you are into phase 2, you will begin to add the right carbs into your daily diet.
A Women`s View
86 What A Diet
This book is like the best of Adkins, with a little touch of carbs. I started the diet 6-months ago and now I am big as a barn -- I gained 35 pounds. I think it all went to my neck, for I now have a 21-inch neck and a belly that would disgust the most non-discriminating woman. Ugh. However, I will have to admit that I have cheated a tad since beginning the diet. I have this weakness for ice cream and Twinkies, and I partake on a daily basis. So, go out and buy the book, and follow the instructions. Hopefully you'll see better results than I. --- Signed, Fat Guy in the Midwest.
87 hi protein gives you kidney disease
After 10 days on the South Beach diet I had lost 7 pounds, which was great. However, on day 10 I was also in the hospital with kidney stones so big they got stuck on the way out--a direct result of the diet according to the urologist AND the ER physician AND my family doctor. (Because excess protein makes your body excrete calcium, which makes the stones.) After 2 weeks of excruciating pain and $16,000 in medical bills, I have realized that this diet is really NOT such a good idea. I give the book 1 star for dispensing dangerous medical advice and 1 because the recipes are actually good, and easy to prepare.
88 Go to a Dietitian, not a Cardiologist
This book was decent, but it's impossible to follow. Go to a licensed nutrition professional for diet advice. Go to a cardiologist for heart problems.
89 My Friends Have Had Luck, as for me....
My friends recommended the diet so I've been giving it a go for a couple of days and so far like what I'm eating and feel good. I also purchased the Amazon recommended title the "Emotional Intelligence Quickbook" and I read it in the last couple of nights. It's really great and I can absolutely see the connection between my emotions and my eating. Good recommendation Amazon!
90 Great diet, easy-to-read book
The reason why low-carb diets are so popular is that you get to lose weight without feeling hungry. And the South Beach diet seems a lot healthier and just more reasonable than the Atkins diet. My partner and I have both lost weight, and it fells like this diet has been a "secret weapon," because it has been so easy. This is definitely a diet that you can stay on indefinitely - especially since it starts out strict for the first two weeks, but then becomes a lot more "liveable."
The book is really easy to read and easy to understand. And the menus in the second half of the book, even if you don't follow them exactly (you don't have to) are really good for giving you an idea of how to eat, especially for the first two weeks.
91 Simpler than "The ..Diet Cookbook" yet still redundant
In terms of substance, this book is an exact replica of the other book by the author, "The South Beach Diet Cookbook".
Yet, this book has simple format, more organized, and easy to read. It is devoid of the colored photographs of its counterpart, the "Cookbook".
The part of theoretical discussion about nutrition and physiology is great. In addition, the table of Glycemic Index of common food items is also helpful.
The major drawback of this book is the bulky sections on "Meal Plans" and "Meal Recipes". I doubt if any common person could adhere to even a tiny portion of the suggested meal plans or utilize the recipes. They are complicated, tedious to include in regular daily living and might only suit millionaires and people who live to eat.
The 20-minute exercise advice, the complacency with mediocre physical activity, and the condoning of drinking wine are pitfalls of this reading. The book can be read and memorized in an hour. Had the author truncated the meal's plans and recipes, the book might look less commercial and gains more intellectual significance.
92 Definitely worth your money!
Like many people, I have tried many different diet programs and nothing seems to work. I have heard about this book from the newspaper and decided to read more about the diet before jumping into it. Seeing the positive results of so many people and that the book seems to make sense, I decided to give it a try. In fact, I had a pre South Beach Diet phase (Phase 0.5?). I cut down on carbohydrates gradually and once I am sure what type of meals I can prepare, I started my Phase 1. I think it works for me this way as it would be extremely difficult to be someone who eats tons of carbs daily to none at all.
In Phase 1, I eliminated all carbs from my daily meals. However, I cheated a little with fruits because I have hemorrhoids and constipation problems. I think it is crucial to tailor the diet to your own needs and not follow everything strictly. Not to mention, I didn't feel like having Metamucil daily. I also had occasional coffee. Regardless of that, I loss about 9 pounds during Phase 1. Now I am on Phase 2 and I still plan to eliminate most carbs from my diet but less strictly compared to Phase 1.
I think it is crucial to get the book even though there are many websites out there with advice, suggestions and other things. It's important to get the entire picture before starting out the diet. In addition, the book comes with plenty of recipes and meal plans which would be helpful. The hardest part for me is deciding what to eat daily (besides salads) and the book is a great resource for me. The first few days are the most challenging as the tendency to give up is high but after surviving that, it will be much easier. This is not an easy diet plan but to me, it is easier compared to others.
93 A better diet
My mom reads all the diet books and as a result, so do I. She, like most mothers, is full of advice and recommendations. Last February she was telling everyone about this "South Beach Diet" and how she has found it to be the best one for her because it addressed her needs as a pre-diabetic.
Because of her endorsement, I bought the book and read it myself. To be quite honest, while I agree with most of the concepts presented in this book, the diet itself is not entirely for me or my husband. Mostly, I just don't like the food. In addition, when I actually made a shopping list based on the first two weeks of the diet, I realized that I couldn't afford it. It would have nearly tripled my grocery bill.
I'm still happy that I bought it and read it. There are some wonderful low-cal/low-carb/low-sugar recipes that I enjoy. It also gave me a good insight to how our body processes sugars, and which foods to avoid and why.
My husband and I follow many of the concepts of this book, just not the strict diet plan presented. My diabetic friends however, rave about this book. It has helped them to lose weight, decrease their cholesterol count, and generally feel better.
94 Sound Advice
I like this book - it's explanations of the physiological aspects and how the body processes various fuels differently is sound. Plain and simple, it just makes sense!
I abhor 'FAD' diets and am very fit and healthy (I'm a fitness instructor) and this book is great! By day 4 in Phase 1, I no longer was craving the sweets - baked goods, etc. (which I LOVE) and I'm feeling more energy, sleeping better, and I'm sure my cholesterol (which is genetically VERY HIGH) will come down such that I can quit the prescription medications!
I recommend this book highly. The recipes are great, too!
95 Works for me!
I'm a believer! I've shed 70 lbs in 7 months...and rather effortlessly I might add. I am a former "sugar addict" and the first 2 weeks of the diet completely eliminated my cravings for sweets. I have discovered that this was the reason why the 100's of other diets I've tried hadn't worked for me. I suggest that before starting that you read the book cover to cover (it appears by their comments that some reviewers didn't read it at all!). The recipes seem time consuming at first but I felt I gained far more from using the ingredients and preparation techniques that can be applied to other recipes than time lost in the process. You gotta prepare meals anyway...why not make them healthy ones???
96 Healthy weight loss!
A healthy loss of weight is my primary concern. Being at risk for cancer, I could never follow a diet that wasn't in line with recommendations from the American Cancer Society. The South Beach Diet recommends healthy fats from olive oil and nuts, healthy meats like salmon and poultry, healthy whole grains, and lots of power-packed fruits and vegetables like spinach and blueberries.
I have stuck with this diet happily for 4 months and have dropped from 180 to 160. I'm still losing. I have plenty of energy and no food cravings. The book didn't need to tell me about the value of exercise --- I'm exercising (walking, Nordictracking)6 out of 7 days of the week.
I've had success before with Weight Watcher's and respect their program tremendously. However, carbs were my problem all along and I didn't realize it until trying the South Beach. I've found that the wrong carbs and the wrong amount of carbs are truly addictive.
The recipes are great, but when I don't have time to cook, I've learned how to utilize leftovers efficiently and make appropriate substitutions. It's easy to eat out on this diet. I am looking forward to a new book with more vegetarian recipes, but am content now with the mushroom-crust pizza and Greek salad.
I can't recommend this diet highly enough!
97 Ok for most people, but not for vegetarians
I bought this book yesterday, because my doctor prescribed it. I was very disappointed that it didn't include vegetarian options. I cannot possibly see myself eating all that meat in there, and the thought repels me.
I did go to the south beach diet website, but in order to view vegetarian options(see, they have them, but just on their site) for the plan, I have to sign up for $5 a week. I think the plan would work but they should have included a nice big section in the book for meat alternatives instead of having us pay more money just for the info.
I just hope Costco has a good return policy on items, because I'm taking it back.
98 My friends have had great luck
My friends recommended the diet so I've been giving it a go for a couple of days and so far like what I'm eating and feel good. I also purchased the Amazon recommended title the "Emotional Intelligence Quickbook" and I read it in the last couple of nights. It's really great and I can absolutely see the connection between my emotions and my eating. Good recommendation Amazon!
99 misinformation
I would like to warn readers that there is misinformation on Pp. 113-116 of this otherwise toatly awesome book. :)
100 A Sensible Diet Plan That Really Works
Over the years I've tried just about every diet that came along...you know, the vegetable soup diet, brown rice diet, fasting, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Atkins. This is by far the best of the bunch. Not only do you get a concise, easily readable description of why you gain and lose weight, you are presented with a wide variety of recipes which provide an interesting array of foods to eat. Some readers have complained about food costs and prep time. Yes, it is a bit costly, but the costs of being overweight far outway the initial cost of the first few weeks on this diet. Also, compare the cost with eating out or some of the other "pay" diet plans and it's not all that bad. As for prep time, I can only guess that those who have complained just aren't used to taking the time to prepare a proper meal; these recipes aren't THAT time consuming and many can be made ahead. I so enjoyed the recipes in this book, that I bought the follow-up book which is devoted to more recipes. Also, there are plenty of folks on Ebay selling blocks of 1,000 or more So Beach style recipes for around $2.00, so you'll never run out of ideas.
