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Summary: Reviewers who compare this to Atkins...
Review: Either didn't read the book and jumped to conclusions or didn't pay atttention to the details. This book outlines a lifestyle. Phase I is simply breaking the addiction to bad fats and carbs.This is not a low-carb "diet".
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Summary: If you are a human, overweight or not, read this book!
Review: Upon seeing "The South Beach Diet" lying on my mother in law's coffee table, I thought to myself, "great, another pablum filled pipe dream tauting impossible gospels to sell books." How wrong I was. I'm not overweight, and am a proverbial sponge when it comes to nutrition and fitness information, so I was quite curious after reading a few pages. I finished the short text (100 pages, the rest is a cookbook) and am thankful I took the time. Doctor Agatston summarizes the essential facts and reveals the truths about the human digestive system and how it fuels us. Understanding his teaching is the key to good health and EVERY person should have this knowledge!
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Summary: Fantastic
Review: I decided to try this diet after reading other costumer reviews on amazon. I'm 12 days in and I've lost 10 pounds. The first week was a challenge, because although I wasn't hungry, I was also never full. I never had the sensation that I'd eaten enough. By the second week I was accustomed to the new eating style and no longer found myself with that weird empty feeling. Remarkably I found it incredibly easy to leap the pitfalls of corporate america... such as people bringing in donuts and cookies every other day. Yes, the first week I was bitter, but the second week I was so thrilled with the results that no donut or cookie could tempt me. Not only is there a difference in my weight, there's a difference in my moods. My temper has evened out. Maybe that four Cokes a day habit I had going wasn't doing any part of my body any good.
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Summary: Rude Atkins ripoff
Review: Wow, I've seen a lot of diet ripoffs, but most are just not this blatant and rude about it. To not give Atkins credit (and even malign him!) in the first chapter was unbelievable to me. I looked at this book in the first place because I hoped it would be an easier-to-follow version of Atkins. Not so. It just lets you have less saturated fat in the first week (Atkins switches to healthier fats as you move later into the program) and allows fruits and breads a little bit sooner. The really [bad] part is the meal plans--I definitely don't have time for all the exacting recipes. Back to Atkins I go!
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Summary: Atkins knockoffs should give credit where credit is due...
Review: The reviewer who states that this book is an Atkins Redux has it correct. Thirty years ago, Dr. Atkins figured out the true source of weight gain and diabetes issues within the modern carb-loaded diet. As any Atkins follower knows, he took a lot of flak for his head-on approach, and it took him years to be vindicated. Now that the low-carb concept is getting its due, it makes Atkins knockoffs such as this all the more irritating when the authors purport to be designers or "discoverers" of an entirely new weight management philosophy. Given the trendiness and chic of South Beach in general, it's not surprising that this book surfaced. Readers who want the real McCoy should stick with Dr. Atkins.
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Summary: Easy to follow and Instant gratification
Review: I think this is the most readable of the low carb books to date. And makes perfect sense. We all know it anyhow, by now. Cut out the white stuff. I'm not using the recipes, and don't recommend you overcomplicate it by trying to follow those. Just read the book, get the idea (proteins and veggies first two weeks), and have a fun, creative time in the kitchen. It's summer, and the produce is great. I had company to dinner last week and just created a big entrée nicoise salad piled high with summer tomatoes, green beans, olives, hard boiled eggs and broiled shellfish on a bed of romaine! Perfect, bountiful and gorgeous. I've been on the diet 5 days and have lost a pound a day. (I also work out 30 minutes a day, but that doesn't drop the weight in itself). The best part is I have more energy, am sleeping better and feel sharper. I'm in my 50s and have felt low energy for several years. I'm convinced that eathing healthy is a great and important life style change.
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Summary: A great option
Review: I switched from Weight watchers to this diet when 2 things occured. First I found myself cutting down on protein portions due to point amounts so I could eat more of other things...the other things ended up being carbs essentially and I stopped losing weight. The second was when my father was diagnosed with diabetes and I knew I had to get a handle on my biological ticking sugar-time bomb When I started this diet in June I was looking looking forward to good results. While this diet has some similarites to other diets (atkins, suzanne somers, carb addicts etc) there are also some very important differences. This is not a low carb diet... Whole grain products are encouraged after the second week. It is not a re-do of Atkins... Saturated fats are kept to a minimum...trans fats are eliminated... Carbs are not counted and ketosis is not usually produced nor is it suggested... You can have meats, (poultry, fish, and shellfish)of the lean kind...Poulty should be skinless white meat. Vegetables, of course, that fall in the non-starch catagory... Eggs are unlimited unless your Dr. had advised otherwise,. Low fat cheese is encourage, full fat cheese is not used. Nuts are used but not unlimited. The salads, you should have with real olive oil in the dressing. Your supposed to eat 3*normal* sized meals. The first 2 weeks any bread, rice,fruit potatoes, pasta, or baked goods are not allowed but the diet gets less restrictive after that when whole grain products and fruits are added back in. Since June I have lost 21 pounds. So far it's going very well.. and I am feeling VERY well... As i eliminate the *simple* carbs, my body is more able to determine what a *normal* meal is... Something I was very concerned about. I felt, at first, if I could determine a *normal* meal I wouldnt be overweight... But eliminating the carbs seems to make a huge difference in appitite perceptions. I also find that I am simply not hungry a lot of the time. I suspect that I had quite a bit of fluctuation in my blood sugar and that was leading to feelings of constant hunger...I no longer have that with the elimination of sugars and simple carbs. There are similar features between this diet and some others and this diet does have a decent amount of protein as does Atkins, Suzanne Somers, etc... The difference is the focus on the types of fat in this diet. The healthful approach used here in fat choice, I feel has overall worked for me. I tried Atkins several times and never felt good eating all of that fat... I think there are editing issues with the book, probably a bit of a rush to get it out. There is a bit of conflicting info on the south beach diet site... but the diet is evolving. That isn't a bad thing. New products are added, new ways to use them... some things might be eliminated over time... I would rather have this book even with the minor flaws and be minus my 21 pounds than wait for a *perfectly* edited version... There are recipes in the book as well and some are VERY good. There is a pistacho chicken salad that is amazing... and worthy of serving to company (i have) for dieters and non-dieters alike. I think that I have found the life style that will work for me always and I encourage people to give it a try. The first few days are difficult as you cut out your usual starches but after that... Your body adjusts and is better for it.
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Summary: Only 5 lbs in 2 Weeks
Review: This diet doesn't seem any better or worse than its competitors. But the editing of the book is really problematic. A reviewer above mentioned the inconsistency about whether to use real of low-fat mayo. I also noticed that early in the book the doctor says that when it's time for Phase 2 to add fruit gradually and at first only have one piece a day after lunch or dinner. But then the menu plans for Phase 2 have you eating three pieces of fruit and dairy and multigrain breads throughout the day. It's really confusing. I think that everyone who says the diet is easy to follow is referring to Phase 1 which is really restrictive. Of course when you can't eat much of anything it's easy to follow. Where the book lets you down is guiding you out of the first two weeks. My feeling is that they are really pandering to people who want a "new" diet and who will only try it for two weeks anyway.
I'm not really complaining that I only lost 5 lbs... but the hype made me expect more. I think I could have lost 5 lbs in two weeks on multiple other diets. And did I stop craving chocolate? No way. The bread cravings come and go.
I will continue though. The diet seems very healthy and I'm hoping it will lower my cholesterol.
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Summary: Atkins Redux
Review: Gee. This looks familiar. The nutrition program that Dr. Agaston gives us is in most respects the same as the Atkins regimen. I find it annoying that Dr. Agaston, in the first few pages of the book, takes a swipe at Atkins and mischaracterizes the entire Atkins nutritional approach. (The author should read Dr. Atkins most recent writings for an accurate picture of the regimen.) Frankly, I found Atkins' book to be far more informative, particularly in describing the medical effects of the low carb regimen. Having said all of this, I can highly recommend the nutritional approaches (Atkins or South Beach - they're almost the same). If you follow either approach faithfully you will feel better, lose weight and be healthier.
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Summary: SIMPLER IS BETTER
Review: RECEIVED BOOK LAST WEEK---READING INTRO. I DID LOOK AT SOME OF THE MENUES---INTIMIDATING---LOTS OF PREPARATION--AND SHOPPING. AS A SINGLE--I'M USE TO SIMPLE MEALS---WILL JUST HAVE TO PLAN AHEAD--AND PREPARE AHEAD. HOPE TO START IN A COUPLE DAYS. HAVE MADE MY SF JELLO & QUICHES---SO BUILDING UP TO IT!!!
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