Rating: 
Summary: You Want To Lose Weight?!!
Review: This book is ok. however, my recommendation is to get on a 12000 calorie diet, eat 5 small-medium size meals a day, stay away from starches and fried foods as much as possible, drink PLENTY of water, EXERCISE (walk, go to the gym or play tennis) for a hour/4 days a week, take vitamins and get support from friends, family or online. This book should only be used as a guide, but its really all common sense.
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Summary: New Diet-Ha! Resurrected is more like it.
Review: Although probably "new" to most, this diet is VERY similar to the Weight Watcher program in the early 1980's. The only modification is the two week "jump start". I was disappointed that Dr. A. only provides for a minimal amount of information on what are good carbs/bad carbs, good fats and bad fats. I re-read the book, just to make sure I wasn't imagining it- but it seems that his Phase I is where you gotta stay, if you don't want to start gaining weight. The recipies contradict his "avoid foods" (ie.cream/milk)which also makes it confusing. Just "add a few in" for the Phase II does not help most of us dieters. It would be nice to have little more info here to help make the transition. Although his quanities are small in his meal plans, he does not elaborate on how much is too much etc. You can loose weight too, if you reduce your calories to 1200/day too. Either he wants to make more money with his next book or he really didn't come up with this diet. I would suggest that people read the Adkins book, before they go on this diet. It helps to explain more of the insulin intolerance etc. In addition, there is a reason, why WW discontinued their popular diet of low carbs, high protein,low fat diet was because a lot of people started having gall bladder problems. Don't be expecting a "new diet"- just resurrected.
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Summary: SBD is not a fad! Start a healthier lifestyle...
Review: I recently purchased the SBD book only because I have heard the term "SBD" here and there. Right away the name struck me as a "fad". Not so! One would think that a book written by a doctor on such a subject would be dry and boring. I have been sucked into it completely! It gives interesting facts on how SBD is a healthier way of living and compares it to other diets. I'm motivated to stay on this diet purely because it can be such a benefit to my bloodwork. There is only about 100 pages of reading and the rest of the book is all recipes. I have tried several of the dinner recipes and my fiance and myself have thoroughly enjoyed them. The good thing about them is once you've learned what you can and can't eat, you can add and subtract what you want to customize the recipes to your liking. There are 3 phases to this diet. The strict phase 1, which all carbs are eliminated, and phase 2, a transition back to good carbs, and phase 3 maintenance. So if you can live without carbs for 2 weeks, you'll see immediate results. I've lost 5 pounds in 4 days in Phase 1. And trust me, you'll never feel hungry with 3 meals a day and 3 snacks in between and after dinner. Did I mention portion control isn't an issue? Eat until you're satisfied, but never overly full.
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Summary: Great DIET, but the BOOK is bland.
Review: I pulled this diet off of the internet before I read the book. In essence, this diet requires a two-page print-out to adequately follow the diet, NOT A 320 PAGE BOOK!
First, let me say that I am totally satisfied with the diet. I have lost 15 pounds in a month, and that included the holiday season. So, the diet is great.The BOOK, however, falls short. The most important thing, it seems to me, is the glycemic index, and the book offers this information on a very limited number of foods. For example, peanuts are fine, but what about almonds? Like other reviewers, I found the recipies to be a total waste of ink. My advice is to find the diet online and then, if you MUST, check the book out from the library. But I promise it is a waste of your time.
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Summary: ATKINS KNOCK-OFF
Review: Yes, this eating plan does work. However, the ideas presented in this book are hardly original. The author slams Atkins for being high in saturated fat, but I see no real difference in his recommendations and those in Atkins' "New Diet Revolution." The author claims that when high amounts of saturated fat consumed without the presence of essential fatty acids there is a disfunction created in the blood vessels leading to the heart, which could cause a heart attact (bottom of page 21). However, he sites no references whatsoever to back-up this assertation.
Why not, I don't know. I think he just made this up! There are no references anywhere in this book!!!!
I do think the author read Dr. Atkins book and plagerized it. I'm sure he knows that Atkins also recommends the use of essential fatty acids (healthy fats) along with a host of other vitamins, minerals and nutrients. And he recommended using them long before anyone ever heard of the "South Beach Diet."
In closing, I believe the author of "The South Beach Diet" will forever be indebted to the memory of Dr. Robert Atkins!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Definitely recommend it!
Review: The book is AWESOME. Simple to follow, spells out everything up front, leaves nothing unanswered. And the system - not diet, but system - WORKS. Be prepared to make a permanent change to your lifestyle. Once you can accept that permanent change, it will be entirely worth your while. Good luck!
Rating: 
Summary: Better than Atkins but read Atkins too!
Review: I started out on the Atkins diet, not South Beach. I was happy with the results (I lost about 10 pounds in 2 weeks), although I seem to have hit a point where I can't lose anymore. But this might be because I only had a total of 20 pounds to lose and I'm convinced that those last 10 pounds are only going to come off with frequent trips to the gym. Anyway, after hearing about the South Beach Diet and its similarities, I decided to read the book and see what I thought compared to Atkins. I have to say, I think the SBD plan makes more sense than Atkins because of the separation of "good fat" from "bad fat". Later in the diet, it also allows you to have complex carbs from whole grain bread, fruit, and fiber-loaded cereal, which Atkins doesn't (and which I've been missing!). One of the problems I had with Atkins is that his book never really justified why it was ok to eat so much saturated fat and never suggested that mono- or poly-unsaturated fats should be your main fat source, which the SBD does. Although I like the ideas in the SBD better, the book is lacking in scientific background compared to Atkins New Diet Revolution. If you REALLY want to know the medical background on lipolysis, ketosis, hyperinsulinism, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, READ THE ATKINS BOOK FIRST (but read "New Diet Revolution", not "Atkins for Life"). I found it very useful to already know a lot of the medical background on topics that Agatston only briefly goes over. So, overall I'd say that the SBD is a quicker, easier, but less-informative read (only about 100 pages if you don't include the recipes), and that the diet itself, although based on the same principles as Atkins, is probably safer in the long run than Atkins because of the "good fat"/"bad fat" separation. I would suggest that everyone read Atkins first, then read South Beach and DO the South Beach Diet.
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Summary: My cholesterol dropped over 100 pts with TSBD
Review: Before starting The South Beach Diet Program my cholesterol was a whopping 350. My doctor told me that was over twice the normal range and I had to do something really quick.Having tried all kinds of diets without success, I went on The South Beach Diet. Not only did I drop over 25 lbs in 10 weeks. But I also lost 6 inches around the waist and best of all, my cholesterol dropped by over 100 points during that time.My sister lost 12 lbs during that same time period.People sayig this program is not convenient are just not creative. I prepare my meals at home, take them to work and then heat them in a microwave. It's not rocket science guys. Or you can eat oe meal before work, another when you get home and bring some of the excellent food choices in this book or the South Beach Reference Guide, a great companion to this book to eat at work.South Beach Diet is a great diet plan. Thank you Dr. Agatston.
Rating: 
Summary: Another born every second
Review: Sigh, here is another one. A few bucks, a book you never read, and weight you will never lose. Try this crazy scheme: eat balanced meals and exercise. The only way.
Rating: 
Summary: Great concept, but not convenient
Review: The book has a great concept on food and what to eat, it was very interesting. The problem is, it's not friendly for people who work 12 hours a day. All the meals need an oven. I work 70 hours a week, there is no way that the meals would fit into my schedule, unless I eat at 11:00 at night! The recipes look delicious and I'll try them, but this diet is not for workaholics.
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