The South Beach Diet by Arthur S. Agatston M.D. (2003, Hardcover)

I wish I had not waited so long to buy this book after learning about this diet. It is a marvelous lifestyle plan. I have lost 40 pounds since mid December of 2004 (yes, that's right I started this diet just before Christmas) This diet is by far one of the healthiest I have ever encountered. It is the emphasis on good vs. bad carbs, good vs. bad fats and use of lean protien that is the key to both instant results, and LONG TERM success. I was on Atkins twice with good results but I never could quite lose the nagging thoughts about all that fat and cholesterol laden meat, eggs and cheese so I could not strictly follow it and the weight came back. With South Beach the weight has come off, stayed off and I am continuing towards my goal on a pace that is neither too fast nor to slow. My doctor is quite pleased with my weight and my vastly improved cholesterol numbers. My ultimate goal is to get off the low doses of medication I use now to keep my blood pressure under control.

South Beach takes Atkins one step further and is much more healthful than Atkins will ever be. It really is just common sense once you know the not so secret secrets. It only took 6-8 weeks before I was able to eat almost anything I wanted as long as I avoided white flour, white sugar, corn, carrots, and potatoes. That still leaves plenty of vegetables to chose from. It's almost as if once I got to a certain point that my body reset some switches and I eat less, crave less and feel excellent.
If one can get over the sugar cravings of the first two weeks there is no reason that anyone should not succeed on South Beach.

I see one major pitfall being people's past eating habits being a stumbling block to success on this diet more than any flaw with the diet itself. If one has spent a lifetime consuming little else besides bread, potatoes, pasta, sodas, baked goods etc., etc. with only an occasional salad and vegetable thrown in they will have problems. If that same diet has been filled with white flour, refined white sugar, white potatoes in every form imaginable the first two weeks will be a struggle. It does require developing a taste for more natural and non-processed foods. If you have been eating heat and eat dinner from a box for most of your life be warned that it will take a major change on your part to make this work.

Still, even small changes inspired by the book will be helpful so anyone who has been on the fence about South Beach should not hesitate to pick up a copy of the book, or recipe book or both on Ebay.

I won't be selling mine. This diet is a diet for life and I'm keeping them right here with me.

I’ve tried countless diets, as I sure you have too, but this one REALLY worked for me! In the first two weeks I lost 10 lbs! This diet is so unique because its not just about losing weight but changing your lifestyle and focusing on a healthier you. I love this diet because it stresses not having to feel hungry and isn’t complicated!

This is the perfect diet for everyone, mainly because you do not have to deprive yourself! You'll enjoy normal size helpings of meat, poultry, and fish. You'll also eat eggs, cheese, nuts, and vegetables AND (my favorite part) - snacks are required! You'll learn to avoid the bad carbs, like white flour, white sugar, and baked potatoes. Best of all, as you loose weight, you'll loose that stubborn belly fat first!

The intial two week period is the most restrictive part of the diet. This phase was hard for me because I am always craving bread, pasta and fruit but there are still choices and snacks. The second phase offers somewhat more choices, including whole wheat bread and other selected carbohydrates. Also, roughly half the book is comprised of complete meal plans along with simple recipes!

I also love how the book is written – in a conversational tone and inviting manner that makes the book more appealing than many other diet tomes. From someone who was sick of counting calories and fad diets – the South Beach Diet was my answer and can be your too! Give it a try – what’ve you got to lose (besides a few pounds)?

I have done this diet it`s the best diet I have ever tried.Within two weeks I lost all my belly fat,in three weeks my arms legs were thining like crazy.It makes you feel on top of the world.I have fought with depression all my life tried the meds made me feel fuzzy not in control spaced out.After three weeks on this diet I have not felt that good since i was in my 20`s.This cures deppression and is very helpful for menupause gives you energy like you would`nt believe.Your skin just glows healthy it takes 10 years off your face

Inspiring Motivator... and a very good cookbook as a guide.

I don't even need to lose weight, and I really found it a good way to keep on track!

Garry, KCebay.com
username: kansascitylistingservice.com

I have been on the Adkins diet for over four years now. The diet has been very successful for me to help me keep the 30 extra pounds I use to carry off. One thing that the Adkins diet does not approach is eating complex carbohydrates.

I have since converted to the South Beach diet...It has not helped my tan, but I have been successful keeping my weight the same. Now I eat complex carbs (sweet potatoes, wheat bread, brown rice, wheat pasta) with no weight gain.

This is a great conversion diet for you adkins fans.

I was very impressed with the "ease" in reading this diet book from cover to cover. It was understandable and do-able. I must admit that at first I could not believe that the results I had achieved by Atkins could be topping by any other diet plan - but this book completely changed my mind. After only a few days of being on this plan - I fell in love with it. It had a wider variety of choices - and truly is a plan you can "live on" for life. I would highly recommend this book - and the other "South Beach" books (recipes, counters) to anyone looking to lose pounds quickly, safely and not have to go through major changes in "coming back in" to the real world... because you can be on this plan for life. The extra bonus is that the foods can be purchased processed too... by reputable makers (not having to buy online or special order) - or you can make them fresh yourself. This is a very "Budget" friendly diet!

I really liked the book. The book is divided into two parts: Part I consists of what is and understanding the South Beach Diet and Part II which consists of Meal Plans and Recipes. I found this book very informative and introduced to me some things I had not known about diets previously. The recipes are great as are the meal plans. One has to change ones mindset and lifestyle to lose the weight, sounds hard but is not impossible.

This is an excellent diet for a healthier lifestyle. It goes into what sorts of things aren't healthy and why. There's a guide you can even copy off and take with you to the grocery store next time you need to shop for appropriate foods. It even suprises you by listing some foods people think might be fairly healthy but actually arent. There is a pretty extensive meal plan for each phase of the diet, and if you follow it, you WILL lose weight. I've read the book.. I've done the diet.. I've lost weight. Easy as that. It takes some self control and dedication but this is a life changing book if you will let it be.

This diet book works, if you are willing to strictly follow it. The first two weeks are the hardest, as the body adjusts to the withdrawl of carbohyrates, the demon in Dr. Agatston's world order of "do's" and "don'ts" for the prospective dieter. But the rational is sound as Agatston is able to back up his diet with some common sense science.

Unlike Orstein's diet regime with its extreme requirements, (aimed primarily at people with heart problems), or other diet fads, South Beach is sensible about our love of carbs, especially sweets, and therefore, the dieting person can gradually work some treats back into his or her weekly menu. Hence, eating doesn't end up looking like a task or chore, as with Orstein's diet, or some of the fad diet regimes.

The book laid out well, readable, and will keep the dieting person on course without having too many hoops to jump through. The pay off is weight loss, which is ganranteed, as I, the reviewer have tried the South Beach diet, and lost thirty pounds over the course of months. The key is sticking to the diet, which, in the end, involves the dieter's will power, always the bottom line, whatever diet one chooses to go with to loss weight.

I lost 25 pounds on this diet in like 2 months. It works but you have to be disciplined and follow the steps I would recommend this diet to anyone trying to lose some quick pounds.

This is one of my favorite reference books. I gave my original copy to my daughter and so decided to buy one for myself.

I decided to buy this to improve my nutrition. It appears to be simple to follow and easy to read. Hopefully it will do the trick. Thanks

i like it bc it gives detailed directions for following the South Beach Diet and even recipes. I decided to buy it bc I had used it in the past with success and of course could not find my old book. The South Beach Diet is a really livable diet as well as heart healthy - I recommend it.

This without a doubt is the healthiest, results oriented and doable diet that I have ever come across. Like most, I thought this diet may just hype but I was wrong. I've heard others lhave lost weight on this diet and it was the reason I purchased it. It was the best purchase I have ever made!

I use the cereal in the morning and an entree for lunch and either another entree for supper or yougurt.
Cereal bars and snacks are fantastic. I love the cinnamon raison cereal bar.Taste like more calories than actually in them.
Thank you for the good food. I have been unable to lose weight before this and i am 70.

Basic, down to earth explanations. Excellent for Type 2 Diabetics who need to change their eating patterns. Not so restrictive that they will 'slip' a lot. Recipes are a good starting point for ideas. Weight loss is not dramatic- about 5-7 pounds a week - but the diet is stisfying and there is not a lot of incentive to cheat.

Many of you know that the South Beach Diet is one of the best to come down the line in some time. It represents a sensible life style change that helps you peel the pounds off, and keep them off if you do that all important change of lifestyle habit! The three stages work for most anyone who is reasonably healthy. But did you know that doctors are now recommending South Beach for diabetics? It's true! My family physician told us about it recently. Because of the stricter dietary needs of diabetics, she recommended we not follow the restrictive dietary guidelines of the first stage. But stages two and three are excellent to help you lose the weight and then keep it off! She says it is almost custom made for the balance of foods needed in a diabetic diet. The way different foods break down into fuel for the body is important for diabetics. An even, constant breakdown from different foods is what keeps a diabetics blood sugar constant. My husband is the diabetic in our family. But I have no problem eating with him on this diet. It is a sensible diet, and not filled with tons of "secret" recipes to kick start your weight loss. I would check with your doctor before going on this diet. But it has worked well for me and my diabetic husband.

I bought The South Beach Diet hardcover, softcover guide (for easy reference), and also the cookbook. I have never purchased a diet book before, but after reading some of the things about Dr. Agatston's approach I am happy that I purchased these books. I'll admit that Phase I is quite hard, and I experienced headache from the bad carb withdrawals. However, it gets easier after the first two weeks. I have digestive issues that are upset by fresh fruits and vegetables, so I am not following this guide at this time. However, when I first started this diet, I lost 10 lbs in the first two weeks. I incorporated more water into my diet and found that the benefits of water are helpful in many ways! Even though I'm officially off the band wagon, I still find that I have made positive lifestyle changes that will not change. I always buy grain breads, I've found that grain pasta tastes really good, I couldn't drink a regular soda now at all, Splenda is a deciding factor when I purchase products, and I could go on. Again, whether following the guidelines completely or just in some ways, this lifestyle change will have a positive effect on your future. I'm working on the digestive issues now, so I look forward to getting back in the swing of things now that fresh fruits and vegetables are soon to get ripe in my area. I'm very thankful for the knowledge that I've gained from the South Beach Diet!

This diet is based on sound medicine, developed by a cardiologist. It's all about a lifestyle change more than a diet.

I think this book is creative in giving us another way to look at food and maintain our health however does any of this stuff really work ?? I ask myself how many more ideas do I have to follow to find the one true diet that will work for me. I enjoyed this book however for me it is not the way I want to follow a diet but I would reccommend trying it it could help some people and as we all know everyone is different.

This book contains a good plan for changing your life. Changing your life for the better. Changing your life to a more healthy and rewarding one. Follow this guide to a healthier you. The South Beach Diet is so much more than just a diet plan. Put yourself into it 100% and you won't be sorry. I know I wasn't.

I gained 15 pounds after the birth of my second child. I am only 25 and did not want either a crash diet (where the weight would come back with a vengeance) or a 100% carb free death diet. The South Beach Diet was easy to read and understand. In 5 weeks, I had lost the weight and all my old clothes fit great! It was easy, effective, and not so painful. You are taught that sneaking a cookie is not the end of the world. You can eat what you want, you just need to balance it and teach yourself some discipline. The book also had recipes that are not too bad...I learned to eat some things that are actually good that I never would have tried. I would reccomend this good read to anyone who has tried it all and feel they have failed.

I had been trying to loose an extra 10 pounds for 5 years and then a friend recommended this book, outlining the South Beach Diet. This is such a helpful book and here's why:
Dr. A wrote the book to help you day by day. You'll never have to wake up and wonder what to eat. He gives you menus, recipies and recommendations from other dieters. He also gives you the science of why it works and reference charts so you can adapt your own tastes to the diet.
It's also great because if you fall off the diet a bit, he'll get you back on plan. He even tells you how to order at a restaurant.
I read the book, followed the diet about 90% of the time and lost 12 pounds in 5 weeks. I eventually lost the cravings for bad carbs and felt so healthy! I then passed the book to my Mom and she lost the same amount of weight.
I just had a baby and plan to jump right back on the South Beach Diet. If you buy this book, you will use it every day on your diet. I've never bought any other diet guides, but mine is right next to my stove, is bookmarked and has sauce all over it! It's sooo worth it!