Rating: 
Summary: Tastes Great - and filling too - and it works!
Review: Diet in the strict sense of the word - food you eat on a regular basis. This approach isn't just a way to lose weight, it is a way to eat better. I appreciated the scientific and unique approach to "why". It's not just cutting carbs - like so many would have you believe - that's Atkins. Here you eat the right carbs with the right foods to balance and blend. The idea of absorption and conversion to fat stunted by proper roughage and mono-saturated fats. The idea of sugar in all forms. OK, the bottom line, I did lose 10 pounds in two weeks - and I only went from 165 to 155. It was tougher for my wife who weighs considerably less then me and therefore % wise it is a lot to lose. Also, we didn't really step up exercise - if we had, it would have been easier. The coolest thing I haven't mentioned yet is that the food is great - what you would get at South Beach restaurants. And therefore you can stay on diet at almost any restaurant without asking them to change the menu. Finally, even now, in the later stages of the diet I can tell my body has changed the way it processes food. The weight is staying off.
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Summary: A rip off of the Zone Diet
Review: Get the 'original' balanced nutrition diet, instead of a copy-cat.
I would hope that all the professional book reviewers would know enough about the subject to at least comment on the similarities between this diet and an 8 year old successful diet program.
Rating: 
Summary: Improvement but not perfect
Review: The South Beach diet is analogous to the Atkins and Sears diets with its carb-restriction, though it supposedly allows more "flavour" into the routine, and reintroduces carb-containing foods to a greater degree than the others. The diet requires a sequential weaning program to get into the habit of the author's recommendations without shaking up the system too much, and its greatest asset is that it really is easy to follow and appears to yield at least some results. There is no odd "metabolic switch" or such, no fasting, no extreme dietary restrictions that force one off other diets after a mere month. In short, it is doable. My main criticism is the author's deemphasis on exercise. Perhaps it is not absolutely central to this particular weight-loss plan, however long-term health requires it no matter what the diet. Even if one loses some weight on this plan, there is a higher risk of heart disease and general lethargy without at least recommending certain exercises in here. Including this may have complicated the diet admittedly and required some consultation with a physical therapist, but it would have enhanced the recommendations. However, so long as one separately remembers to maintain an exercise plan, South Beach is perhaps the most useful diet plan on the market thus far.
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Summary: I lost 30 pounds in 8 weeks!
Review: I lost 30 pounds in 8 weeks, never starved, have kept it off and cut my cholesterol by two-thirds. Enough said!
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Summary: 5 days & 6 pounds lighter!! YAHOOO. AWESOME BOOK!
Review: I started reading this book and doing the diet on 11-10-03 and it is now 11-14-03... I have lost 6 pounds already! I am a very very picky eater... as a matter of fact... I don't even eat half of the food they mention to eat! I east the foods I like that Dr. Agatston suggests are good and I see results already! This is really an awesome diet! I have tried many diets... and none have worked this well! I get to eat a variety of things... I never go hungry... and I am losing weight! What more could you ask for! How much easier can it get! I highly recommend this to all! You will not be disappointed! I mean, I used to drink up to 6 pots of coffee a day with milk and sugar! Now I have a cup, maybe 2 all day... and no sugar!! Just splenda (or equal) and a low fat creamer. I have more energy then ever before! I sleep better at night and wake up so refreshed in the morning! It is great all around! If you want to make your health better and lose weight this is the book for you! You can't go wrong with this book!
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Summary: Easy to Start, Tough to Stick With
Review: I think this is a sound diet plan and it was quite easy to start. After 3 weeks, I lost around 15 pounds, but I really didn't feel right. I was really tired while I was on the plan. In addition, my thought process seemed to become sluggish. Ultimately, I quit the plan and am feeling much better. I think this plan is great if you just want to shed a few pounds, but like any other diet it is HARD to stay with. To me, meals just didn't seem to be complete without having bread. The recipes and the meal plan itself sound good, but if you don't have a personal chef, they are time-consuming and a bit unrealistic.
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Summary: Outstanding eating plan!
Review: I think that this diet book contains the outline for what real and healthy eating should be, for all of us. What it talks about is sound nutrition. I hesitate to think of it as a diet, because it really is more like "lifestyle" this is how we should eat to support our optimal health.
What this book does not have is the motivation to get one to adhere to it! I think it would be the absolute best thing in the world for anyone wanting to lose weight if you married the wisdom and science of Dr. Agatston, with the motivation and compassion of Julia Havey, Awaken the Diet Within, From Overweight to Looking Great. I would like to see the two of them take on Dr. Phil and solve obesity.....they ARE the answer! Dr Agatston is THE Dr, and Julia is the REAL deal...she has been obese and knows how we feel!
Read this book, use what it says to lose the weight, just be sure to incorporate Julia Harvey's book with it to really succeed!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I didn't read this book for the tips on losing weight; I read it to improve my energy levels. As an author who sits at the computer for hours everyday, energy and motivation are important but difficult to maintain. This diet has definitely improved my energy levels and my ability to stay focused. By Diana DeLonzor, author, "Never Be Late Again, 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged".
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Summary: This is NOT just an "Atkins ripoff"!
Review: I honestly think it's missing the point to call this diet an "Atkins ripoff". That's like saying that once the first low-fat diet was published, no one else has the right to develop a different low-fat diet or make improvements upon the original. There are some very significant differences between this diet and the Atkins diet, which you will understand when you read this book.So far, my husband and I have lost a little over 20 pounds each. We are eating more healthfully than ever before, we have more energy than we've had in years, we've lost most of our cravings for sugary and starchy foods, and we don't usually feel deprived. Now and then we will deliberately go off the plan for a special meal/occasion, but if that bumps us up a pound or two, we know exactly what to do to get back on track. Best of all, this is not a special diet where you take the weight off, but then put the pounds back on when the diet is "done". Instead, it is a way of life -- and a healthy, realistic way of life at that. Too many diets have gone to extremes: the "low-fat" bandwagon has often been too difficult to sustain over the long run, and the emphasis on low-fat carbs such as pasta has actually sabatoged weight loss for many. On the other extreme, we all know about the Atkins dieters gorging on saturated fats. Instead, this plan emphasizes "good fats" (olive oil, lean meats, etc.) over "bad fats", and "good carbs" over "bad carbs", with care taken to avoid foods which are too high on the glycemic index. With this book, you will quickly learn to "read" a recipe to see if it conforms to the guidelines of this plan, and you don't have to use the recipes in the book if you don't wish to. In Phases I and II, you even get to have two snacks a day. There are a few inconsistencies in the book which would have benefited from better editing, and I imagine this will be cleared up if another edition is published. In the meantime, there is a phenominal South Beach forum hosted by Prevention magazine's website which does an excellent job of answering people's questions and giving support. I am hypothyroid, and previously have tried numerous diets, all to no avail. I have walked 3 miles a day, 4-5 days a week for several years, and the scale didn't budge. I developed high blood pressure in the last year or so, and my doctor has been prodding me to begin taking medication. With this book, I am developing a healthier lifestyle along with losing weight. Best of all, my blood pressure has gone back to normal levels and my doctor says I'm "off the hook"! There are good reasons why so many people are "defecting" from other diets and heading for the "Beach". If you give it a try, you won't regret it!
Rating: 
Summary: Re-edit this book!!!
Review: There is something to this diet, and I think it can work. But you have to follow it exactly. I found it very annoying that the recipes for the first weeks included ingredients that were not on the okay-to-eat list. This book needs work and polish.
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