Rating: 
Summary: I like this better
Review: I like this better than the Atkins Diet. They are both similiar diets. They promote protien, low carb eating. Yet, the Southbeach recommends more portion control, which I think is important. And less fat intake. The Atkins tends to say you can eat as much protien, meat, etc. People tend to go overboard in this case. For example, low fat cookies. Then they eat the whole box thinking that's good. NOT! I'd also like to recommend a book on happiness that I think is cute. Like, Southbeach, it has a diet plan for happiness that is lite. It's called the Little Guide To Happiness. Sorry, I forgot to tell you that.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for the busy dieter...
Review: I was so excited to start this book and all of the information is very useful and interesting. But this diet is not for someone who has many responsibilities. Meaning that if you don't have time to cook now, forget about it. I work a full time job and a part time job and there's no way I'll be able to find a stove to use to make the dishes they suggest. Good luck to those who are trying it!
Rating:
Summary: Advances in nutrition
Review: While I'm a nurse not a dietitian, I believe that much of Dr. Agatston's discussion of food and how the body uses it is reliable. This assessment is based primarily on what I've learned myself about diets over the course of several years of patient care and of trying to bring my own weight under control. Like most of those who have reviewed Arthur Agatston's book, I too have tried most of the diets that have come down the road and found them distinctly wanting. I was quite pleased by the author's discussion of the data underlying these diets and of that which refutes their effectiveness. As he points out in the introductory chapters, information about nutrition, like other scientific endeavors, changes continually over time. That's because science is an on-going activity that self corrects--I recall one scientist who said that it was every scientist's unhappy fate to eventually be proven wrong. This is a difficult concept for many laymen to accept--difficult even for some scientists. Because nutrition like medical science is interested in the betterment of the lives of contemporary people, the research data and the theories it engenders are put into practice as soon as possible, and it is only with time that the results of these practices, good or bad, become apparent. So it is with diets like those suggested by the American Heart Association, the Pritkins, the Adkins, and the Ornishs. Dr. Agatston is fully aware of that fact, whether his readers are or not. As he points out, Dr Ornish has modified his theories to accommodate the data. That's because they are scientists--and more important MDs--and they move forward as needed for the betterment of their patients, some of whom are only patients by proxy, by way of the written word. One of the things I liked most about the author's current attempt to help others is his honesty with respect to the value of the efforts of his predecessors. He doesn't make currency of their failures to better his own standing in the nutritional world. He takes the useful information from these early efforts and adds his own to them. In short he avoids throwing out the baby with the bath water, as the old saying goes. He's being a scientist. I also believe Agatston when he states that his primary interest is entirely in the well being of his patient's coronaries, not in their personal appearance or vanity. He views the improved self esteem that may arise from losing a few pounds as a perk that enhances the likelihood of his patients' follow through and thereby of an improvement in their lab values. I believe this because he's a cardiologist and that's their thing. When he says he's happy that so many people have jumped on the bandwagon for their own reasons, I suspect he's happy that they will also decrease their likelihood of developing coronary artery disease--again also because he's a cardiologist and that's their thing! As far as the actual content of the diet goes, I felt that the avoidance of concentrated sugars and refined starches was a good idea, and I approved the reintroduction of low glycemic index vegetables, something which the Adkins in particular had forbidden. Although I tried the diet myself, I found that I felt somewhat unwell by the third day. The doctor indicates that this is to be expected as the body gets used to the changes. Like one or two of the other reviewers, I too suffered from headaches and a general mild nausea. Both of these factors made it difficult to remain faithful to the diet beyond the fifth day. I will say, however, that a friend of mine, whose weight was nearing 250 pounds and had begun to affect her physical well being profoundly (and to the point where she said thought she would be the first of our circle of friends to die!), had no trouble with the diet, did in fact loose some 30 pounds in four months and was thoroughly pleased with her results. What I personally intend to do about my symptoms is to return milk to my diet but to stick to proteins and low GI vegetables, in short to move into Phase II sooner. As with any project like this, one should probably consult ones physician for advice. For some people, there might be medical reasons not to pursue this type of weight loss program. Your MD will be able to assist you in this regard. Again, as with any medication, weight loss program or other activity that affects your health, if you feel that your response is negative, you should probably heed those feelings and discontinue or alter the diet. In any case, good luck with your resolution to lose weight and improve your health.
Rating:
Summary: I most highy recommend SBD
Review: The real test of a diet is how long it is effective at keeping you honest. This one is it. I began in July, lost my target of 15lbs, and have had no trouble staying there. Yes, Thanksgiving or a food laden vacation will bump me up 2-3 lbs, but I go back to phase I and shake those extra pounds in a week. I am interested in more than weight loss. I had a single vessel bypass at 54 yrs of age, brought on mostly because of an inherited low HDL problem. Since being on SBD my LDL is down, Triglycerides way down, HDL up, and total cholesterol way down around 105. I was already on lipitor and a very low fat diet, but SBD took my counts to a new level. Here are the three things that work best for me in this diet: 1. I find counting carbs more effective than counting calories.
2. The focus on the glycemic index of foods DEFINITELY curbs cravings, esp. between meals. The only downside is that you have to curb fruit consumption, but most of us underconsume fruits anyway. You have to abandon fruit juices, but I find that crystal lite lemonades, etc. are a useful breakfast substitution for OJ, etc.
3. It was less hard than I thought to make the fundamental sacrificial changes you have to--remember, no pain, no gain. I was a potato junkie for life, but since SBD I've given up all foods white, e.g., rice, potatoes, pasta, and most breads. Thanks in great part to the popularity of SBD, we are seeing an explosion of low carb snacks, breads, and pastas. Many of them are barely good enough now, but the promise is in the future. Yes, I exercise, but I have not increased my exercise load since starting SBD, so I credit the diet with my weight loss independently of my exercise load.
Rating:
Summary: Made the impossible, possible for me
Review: The South Beach Diet did in six months what was impossible for me to do my whole life. During that time, I went from 215 lbs to 158 lbs and 38" to 32" in the waist. I feel like a new person thanks to The Southbeach Diet.Thank you Dr. Agatston
Rating:
Summary: Success Story!!!
Review: I bought The South Beach Diet back in June, read it right away, and knew that I was going to try it -- but before I did, I wanted to have a talk with my fifteen-year-old son, who's overweight, about our dieting together. It took a few weeks for the right moment to present itself, but when it finally did, I raised the subject because he was talking about getting in shape for next year's baseball season. Much to my surprise, his response to my offer was, "absolutely!!" (Then, he even read the book!!) So, we've been South Beach Dieting together since mid-summer with spectacular results. He's down fifteen pounds with about ten to go and I've lost twice that much and am fast approaching my goal. So, there you have it: two generations of South Beach Success!!!
Rating:
Summary: Success Story!!!
Review: I bought The South Beach Diet back in June, read it, and knew that I was going to try it, but before I did, I wanted to have a talk with my fifteen-year-old son, who's overweight, about our dieting together. It took a few weeks for the right moment to present itself, but when it finally did, I raised the subject because he was talking about getting in shape for next year's baseball season. Much to my surprise, his response was, "absolutely!!" (He even read the book!!) So, we've been South Beach Dieting together since mid-summer with spectacular results. He's down fifteen pounds with about ten to go and I've lost twice that much and am fast approaching my goal. So, that's it: two generations of South Beach Success!!!
Rating:
Summary: I'm Ready!!
Review: I've been one of those people who has put on two or three pounds a year for the past fifteen years and I don't like what's happened to me. Lately, I look in the mirror and I don't see myself anymore. After reading the interesting Redbook article about The South Beach Diet and holiday eating, I decided to pick up a copy and try to lose all -- or most -- of the weight I've put on over the years. I've been on the Diet for four weeks and have lost 19 pounds. 13 the first two weeks and 6 in the third week. And, now I'm actually planning to wear outfits that I thought would remain in the back of my closet for the rest of my life. It's been a fabulous few weeks and I plan to stay on track. I think I've finally found the way to eat that's right for me.
Rating:
Summary: The South Beach Diet changed my life -- I've lost 60 pounds!
Review: Last May, I started the South Beach Diet, and since then, my life has never been the same. From the moment, I started, I knew this was a diet unlike any other I had ever tried before, and believe me, I've tried them all. Sadly, but honestly, I needed to. I'm 36 and have been struggling for the past 19 years with my weight. When I started, I weighed 241 pounds. I felt terrible. And I looked terrible. I hadn't given up on finding the right diet, but I was incredibly frustrated that I couldn't lose more than 40 pounds. That was my target. To get to 200 pounds. The most I had ever lost was 37 pounds, and that was after dieting for over a year. Now that I've reached my goal, and have exceeded it by 20 pounds, I can finally say that I found the diet that actually works for me. And though I really miss eating my beignets (a french donut that's beyond delicious!), I no longer crave it like I always would on all the other diets that failed me in the past. Despite having my emotional house in order and exercising a few times a week, I still craved foods that not only made me feel horrible, but look horrible. Now my skin looks healthy and clear. Living and eating in New Orleans makes it hard to lose weight, especially with some of the best cooking you'll find on Earth. But that's part of the magic of the South Beach Diet -- I can still eat beignets or fried oyster po-boys, but I don't because I simply no longer crave them. By next May, I have no doubt that I'll reach my desired weight of 150. So, thank you, Dr. Agatston for getting it right! It's about time somebody did.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring!!!
Review: I got a copy of THE SOUTH BEACH DIET for Christmas and read it right away, largely because there's a history of heart disease on my father's side of the family. It's full of common sense and good science. I'm definitely going to go on the diet and I've already promised myself that if things go well, I'll visit Miami next summer and take my slim new body for a stroll along South Beach!!
|
