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Summary: Great Health and Nutrition Book
Review: Excellent book which is concise, easy to understand and follow, and provides great results, both weight loss/maintenance and overall health.
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Summary: Adds that Needed Balance to your life
Review: You can get thin off of this diet. No doubt. This new year I am committed to putting that back in my life. I want to be psychically healthy, emotionally healthy, spiritually healthy. Here are three books that I recommend: "The Power of Now", "The Little Guide To Happiness", and "The South Beach Diet".
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Summary: Gotta make it a habit
Review: I imagine everyone who has tried to stick to a diet and has failed has felt like the author of the previous review. The only way to permanently change your eating habits is to change your lifestyle. This can only be done through habit change. That doesn't mean that this is not a great diet book. I've found that this diet has helped me more than any previous diet I've ever tried. Kudos to Dr. Agatston.
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Summary: I want breadsticks!!!
Review: OK. I can honestly tell you that this is a great diet because, Lord knows, I've tried them all so I'm able to compare and contrast. Your desire and appetite for delicious starches and sugars does subside a little with this diet, and I initially did lose weight, but just like ALL other diets I've tried I now want BREAD!!! Maybe I have some genetic flaw, but I just can't make myself stick to any diet. Give me a breadstick or give me death!
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Summary: Great DIET, but the BOOK is blah.
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: Good evolution of Other Diet Plans...Worth A Look/Try
Review: Tried most diet plans before... Many are hard to stay on, many cause big starvation pangs, many leave out foods I miss too much, etc. This is a nice combination of carb restriction ideas, and big portion allowances, but while allowing more food types than other plans. Has effectiveness and a bit more real word sensibility than other similar approaches. In addition to dieting, I strongly recommend "Effortless Wellbeing: The Missing Ingredients for Authentic Wellness" by Evan Finer. This great book will help you get on track in general, to help you feel better at every stage of your wieght loss. The two combined are very potent.
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Summary: It makes sense, but.....
Review: I bought the book and desperately wanted to do the South Beach Diet. The arguements made in the book are sound. However... As a slightly picky eater, the menu felt limited to me. (The dependence on eggs made me feel like I could never eat breakfast...and my cholestoral wasn't happy either) The list of foods isn't as complete as I'd like...a glaring ommision was diet soda...could I drink it or not? The recipes in the back felt a little fancy...I'm a city girl, not a cook. It might work for you, but I'd suggest taking it out of the library before buying the book.
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Summary: Modified Atkins - which is fine
Review: South Beach Diet is basically a modification of the Atkins plan, making it a bit easier to follow, minimizing Atkins' emphasis on saturated fats. I know several people who've followed the plan successfully, and the divergences may make it usable for some who can't/won't do the full Atkins induction. BTW, why do some reviewers post the same review several times over several days? Is there some sort of prize? Of the 40 most recent reviews (at this writing), about 20% are the same review posted with a different title every day. This is less than useful, it's rude and gets in the way of reading divergent "real" feedback posts.
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Summary: Good start. Finish??? Well....we'll see...
Review: I too had very impressive results with this diet. I lost nearly 26lbs. in a very short period of time. Now, however, after 5 months of struggling to strictly adhere to the diet I am ready to cry uncle. More than anything in the world I'd like to stuff my face with a big mac!
Don't get me wrong - I really did learn a great deal about nutrition from the book, and I'm sure it's a sound diet that does work (it worked for me). Also, I haven't put back on ALL the weight I lost and I'm sure I'm healthier, so I still feel as though the book has helped me. I do admit though, that I'm struggling which I'm sure is normal, but I haven't thrown in the towel just yet. In conclusion, I do like the diet and think it's worth giving it a try. I just think that any diet is hard to indefinitely adhere to.
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Summary: all previous reviews are as valid as the book itself
Review: The Purina (TM)Company makes several kinds of "Chows" --- Dog Chow, Cat Chow, Mouse Chow, etc. Why haven't they come out with a Human Chow -- little biscuits of complete nutrition for humans who don't want to cook? It could put an end to books like these that are two thirds recipes and meal plans. For those who are comfortable in the kitchen the recipes don't seem that complex. If you're like I am and your cooking skills don't go much beyond omelettes and pancakes, most of the recipes will go untested.
If you aren't familiar with the term "glycemic index" and how it affects insulin production you will find some useful information. Also you will learn how the glycemic index of a food or meal can be lowered by including fiber and/or fat. Also, the doctor includes descriptions of newer tests that should be helpful in diagnosing heart disease as well as in evaluating the effectivenes of treatments. For the doctor's information Metamucil (TM) is primarily soluble fiber, not nonsoluble fiber. Other reviewers picked up other inconsistencies.
When it comes to exercise, the doctor is out of his realm. Running is one of the worst forms of exercise for most people especially if they are overweight or orthopedically unsuited (bowed legs, knock-knees, etc.)for running. Running puts huge G-forces on the joints. While cartilage is a shock absorber, it has limits and if the rate of wear exceeds the rate of repair then the cartilage gets thin and frayed and the result is osteoarthritis. I know; running did it for me and others I have known. According to my othopaedic surgeon it appears that as we age our bodies lose the ability to make certain proteins in sufficient quantity to maintain cartilage. Run if you must, but at least keep the mileage at a reasonable level and do not run on hard surfaces. And have a physician check the health the thickness of your cartilage -- first for a baseline and then periodically to catch any thinning. A couple of simple inexpensive X-rays will do the trick. Even George W. Bush is now experiencing knee pains that are interfering with his running.
Speaking of George W. Bush, watch him as he walks. His palms face backwards rather than inward towards his legs and parallel to the direction of travel. This indicates a posture problem that is probably correctable. Poor posture is probably is reponsible for many of the aches and pains of "aging". A good exercise program should include posture assessment. The doctor makes no mention of this.
The doctor recommends a good stretching routine. What constitutes a good routine or where one can be found is up to the reader. Everyone knows stretching is important, but which form -- PNF, Active Isolation, MicroStretching (TM), Contract-Relax, etc. -- is best is an ongoing debate. Also, many traditional stretches are dangerous for many people, especially those with osteoporosis.
Finally, the function of eating is nutrition. At the minimum all the essential nutrients in the proper quantities should be present in the diet. It would be interesting for someone to analyze the diet plan to see if it meets that standard. Roy Walford's books meet this standard.
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