Rating: 
Summary: South Beach Diet
Review: I'm a bit disappointed at the amt of wt I've lost. However, I did learn a lot about the world of carbs...what to avoid (practically all white foods) & how protein, water, the the right carbs play an important role in losing wt. As for the recipes, I didn't find most of them that interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: On the beach and loving it!
Review: This is the best diet I have ever followed. In approximately two months, I have lost 30 pounds! Sure, there are some minor inconsistencies throughout the book, but the basic principles are clear and simple, and as with any diet, some fine-tuning will be required to suit your individual needs and tastes, which is not something that is going to happen overnight. You have to focus on what you really want and be willing to put some effort into it. It may take time, but you must be patient. Do your homework, your research, check out the various low-carb sites on the internet that discuss this particular diet as well as a host of other low-carb diets, find ways to connect with others who are also on this or similar diets. I guarantee you won't be disappointed if you make the commitment to yourself. Frankly, this is the easiest diet I have ever followed. I have not gone hungry once since I started this diet. If you are about to give up, please give this a try. It is TOTALLY worth it. I must say this book is the best $17 I ever spent.
Rating: 
Summary: Better info on SBD on the Web
Review: This isn't a bad book, but it could be so much better. The principle of the diet and the potential health benefits of it are nicely discussed and, so far, I am having quite a bit of success with the diet - but not so much with the help of the book. It's lacking in several areas.I found a wealth of information on the South Beach Diet at www.prevention.com in an article by Dr. Agatston. Not only did the site provide overall information on the program but it also provided lists of foods that are fine to eat during the the first phase (the book offers no such list) as well as a rather large list of foods and their glycemic number (book doesn't have that either). If you go solely by the meal plans in the book, you might be disappointed. I was. First, there were foods I couldn't eat, things I am allergic to and then there is the fact that, besides seafood, I eat no other meat and use many soy-based products for my protein. There was no guidance in the book (at least none that I found) on how to substitute food or even if that was possible. I would never have proceeded on the diet if I hadn't found the alternate, more expanded info on the Web. My hope is that in the next incarnation of the book Dr. Agatston provides a more comprehensive list of those foods that are OK, the glycemic index for various foods (within reason) and more focus on HOW to do the diet in the various phases (instead of just saying, "here, eat this.").
Rating:
Summary: No more cravings!!!
Review: This diet was not actually a diet in the beginning, but more of a nutritional approach to treating heart disease and improving the blood chemistries of the patients of Dr. Agatston. Weight loss was the benefit of it, and the book was ultimately a result of all the attention the "diet" received by word of mouth. Having tried the Atkins diet and having had my blood lipids increase on it, I was somewhat skeptical of this approach. But, the emphasis is on lower fat products, good carbs, and good fats. I feel better than I have in years, and I have absolutely no cravings. I think this is a huge breakthrough in both the health and weight loss arenas.
Rating: 
Summary: Broken Promises
Review: I just was at the book store and read a good portion of this book. I was shocked to read that it promises 8-13 pounds of weight loss in two weeks and that is says you will lose belly fat first. That is one of the biggest lies I have ever read in a weight loss book. This doctor is feeding you a line. I have been overweight for 25 years. I know it is my behavior. I just can't get it together. So, to hear this author promise me something that is impossible really made me mad. I want everyone reading this to know that there is one book I did like and did lose weight with. It's called Flip The Switch by Jim Karas. He talks about everything in his book, such as how to eat, exercise and set realistic weight loss goals. My best friends is down 47 pounds and has never looked better. Please, please, anyone reading this post, buy Flip and get the reality of weight loss, not Dr. Phil's fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Atkins copied
Review: This is nothing more than the Atkins Diet revisited. Diet books are big money makers and the Atkins Diet is the only diet that really works over time - so you get a number of re-written Atkins Diets with "new" names. This is just another one. The best book is still Atkins' own, which explains the inner workings of the diet. This uses a jazzy "South Beach" version as a promotion gimmick.
I do recommend the book, however, since there are so many of us who need a diet that works and while it is a copy-cat, it still works.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, A Good-Sense Plan
Review: This book is wonderful and provides great explanations about why we've gotten heavier and what we can do about it. I lost 16 pounds and I've kept it off for a year because I've learned how to think about the choices I make. It's an education and a lifestyle!
Rating:
Summary: Immediate results
Review: Wow. This book is the best. I started losing weight immediately and have now lost 12 pounds. Couldn't get going before. I have to admit that another book, Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self is part of my success story, because it helped me to overcome my self-sabotaging behavior and taught me how to bring my best self to any situation and make the most of it. Read both of these books if you want to give yourself the best chance of success.
Rating:
Summary: An improved version of Atkins
Review: I have read both this book and Atkins, and they are not the same. The South Beach diet does not limit carbs or count carbs as in Atkins. Rather it depends on dropping carbs with a high glycemic index, but allows whole grain bread, unlimited amounts of most vegetables, and milk. It also emphasizes dropping saturated and trans fats and relying on more healthy fats. The South Beach Diet is considerably more moderate and healthy than Atkins. I don't know of any controlled studies, but if it was found to work as well as Atkins, then it would show that the success of Atkins is not due to lack of carbs but rather the fact that strictly limiting carbs inevitably also removes the foods with a high glycemic index. It would be good news, because there are many low-glycemic-index carbs that can then be eaten. It is a shame that the nutrition research community gets large amounts of public funding but has devoted almost no money to testing popular diets such as these (nutritionists, please pay attention)! I have been on the South Beach diet for 2 months and lost 11 pounds and 2 inches from my waist. This may not seem fast compared to some of the claims, but speed is not really important. With any of these diets, you have to plan on sticking with them for life, so its much more important to find meals and recipes that you really like. I eat mostly what I did before, but just don't take the white starches with my meals and avoid sweet drinks, including fruit juices. I eat unlimited quantities of peanuts, cashews, cheese, and other snacks while still losing weight, and have never stopped having coffee or wine. I would suggest reading both this book and Atkins. No doubt the Atkins can drop weight faster, but this book seems to provide a healthier and easier diet for the long term. If this diet stalls or doesn't work for you, then you can move to the stricter Atkins diet.
Rating:
Summary: An Easy Explanation About our Battle with Food
Review: This book is a great and informative read and gave me a wonderful understanding about fats, carbs and fiber. I feel great and now I know how to think about what I eat. It's a plan for a LIFESTYLE!
| 
