Rating: 
Summary: Stop fooling yourself
Review: Read From Chunk to Hunk to get control over yourself. You don't need this.
Rating: 
Summary: Positive results!!!
Review: This is my first week on the South Beach plan and I have lost 7 pounds. What amazes me is that my energy level has been much higher without all the bread, pasta, rice and sugar in my system. I no longer come home from work and throw myself on the sofa. What a difference in such a short period of time. Phase one has been pretty easy and I have never been hungry. Exercise is a very important part of this plan and even though the doctor does not mention it more in the book that is a no brainer.I am looking forward to phase two.
Rating: 
Summary: South Beach Diet vs. Atkins
Review: I wouldn't recommend this plan for anyone with more than 50 pounds to lose. I've read Atkins, and been on his program for 6 months and lost 50 pounds, and now under the advice of my doctor, I'm considering switching to South Beach Diet for lifetime maintenance. This diet is a bit less restrictive than Atkins. The main differences between this diet and Atkins is that you're allowed more cheats occasionally (such as sweets). You're also allowed more vegetables than Atkins, as well as breads and grains in moderate amonts. The difference is, you will be more successful with Atkins if you have a lot of weight to lose. To make it simple, if you have the willpower to stay with Atkins, you will lose more weight in a quicker amount of time. If you have less weight to lose or don't think you can maintain your willpower, SBD might be a better alternative. That being said, my reason for 3 stars is due to the writing style of the book. Unlike Atkins, Agatston does not back up many of his claims with examples or scientific data. He just states them as fact. Secondly, he blasts Atkins' diet, when his is virtually identical. Having read both books, it's almost as if he took the Atkins plan verbatim, and then halfway through it decides to throw in a few grains and fruits. He also mirepresents the Atkins diet as allowing zero carbs, when it actually allows up to 100 carbs a day in later stages. My biggest problem with the book however is that he makes virtually no mention of exercise!!! Regardless of what weight plan you're on, especially low carb, you HAVE to exercise! This is a cardiologist for crying out loud. The pros of the book: As I said it's an easier plan to follow, especially for lifetime maintenance. It also discusses fats more in depth than Atkins and goes into why some saturated fats are bad, and which fats are good and which to avoid. Atkins doesn't discuss saturated fats too much in his book. My best advice though, is to definately read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution in addition to this book, even if you have no plan on doing the Atkins diet. Although this book is pretty much worthless. Everything you need to know to do this diet can be found on their official web site. If my rating was solely for the content in the book and not for the program as well, I would give it 0 stars. The menus are worthless, and the entire first half of the book should be tossed. Agatston did not need to spend 320 pages describing this diet, and if he did, he should have included more scientific diet about why the diet works instead of pointless anecdotes. If you want to do this program to see if it works, find the plan online. If you want to do it for life, then get the book. Don't waste your money. Atkins' book will give you the knowledge to understand exactly why a low carb diet works, something this book fails to do. Once you learn the basics of a fat-burning system instead of a carb-burning one, you can use that knowledge to make The South Beach diet much more effective for you.
Rating:
Summary: Now I Can Walk Again!
Review: Seriously the kid who designed this diet should receive a Nobel Prize - now I can eat again! Like most image-conscious trophy wives I make sure to find the trendiest diet and stick with it! That way I have plenty to talk about at dinner, when I'm not eating, and everyone else is.
I've tried everything to lose those last few pounds of fat in my hips, fingers, and armpits, but to no avail! It was if my body felt it needed that fat to survive! Like many, I tried to Atkins diet - it made my breath smell terrible, but it was a welcome change from my vegan diet. After my liver failed and I bought my way up the transplant list, my doctor insisted I give up eating 10-20 pounds of red meat a day. So I went on the oh-so popular Ally McBeal diet, but I found I no longer had to the energy to do the simplest of household chores, such as instructing the nanny what time to pick up the stepchildren from soccer practice. I ended up having to give up walking entirely in order to stay true to the diet. But now the South Beach Diet has saved my life, or at least that's what the doctors tell me. Whatever diet you're on ladies, whether it's the liquid diet, macrobiotic, laxative, or the famous "if it's not on my plate it doesn't count" diet, get off it now and switch to the South Beach Diet! You too can soon have the body of a 12 year old girl!
Rating:
Summary: A bit of a fad, with modest results...
Review: No diet replaces healthy exercise. I lost 50 pounds last year by minimizing/eliminating sugars, running 3-4 miles per day 5 days per week and little else. This diet will help you lose weight; but to keep it off, I suggest exercise & moderation. Nothing more.
Rating:
Summary: You'll want to hear this...
Review: An easy to read book that offers an interesting weight loss diet. Bottom line is that you will lose weight if you can stick with it and the long term safety of this type of diet is, as yet, unproven to be safe in the long run (that is no studies can be cited that have examined patients after being on the diet for a long period of time- period, no one can argue with me). Know too that the diet does limit calories (just check out the menus) so that is also a factor responsible for one losing weight (not necessarily the whole carb thing). People on diets often have a lot of trouble with back and knee pain so if this is you, you might want to look into "Treat Your Own Knees" or "The Multifidus Back Pain Solution" as well.
Rating:
Summary: Not That Exciting A Diet Book - A Bit of a Fad
Review: I am sorry to say I found that this book was a bit too trendy for myself. The reason I say that is that is has emphasis on actually planning a persons diet for a period of days and listing what to eat and when to eat it, i.e: day 1, day 2, day 3, etc. . Also some of the recipes are a bit too complicated and exotic. But I want to stop there in being negative. Any diet book can be good so there are good points here on motivation, selecting foods, planning meals, etc. But having said that one gets the feeling that this is really a faddish book that one will quickly lose interest in, and it will be soon forgotten. After a month will you ever look at this book? Some will but sadly most will not. Three stars. Jack in Toronto
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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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