Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #477311 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 310 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The verdict is in: those simple carbohydrates we've been living on are killing us. For good health, we've got to get our blood sugar under control and stop the incessant cravings. Or so says Dr Arthur Agatston, author of The South Beach Diet. The first half of the book details the science behind the diet. Most of the explanations revolve around why things you thought were healthy--orange juice, wholemeal bread, carrots--are actually evil. To avoid blood sugar surges, Agatston created a modified carbohydrate plan, recommending plenty of high-fibre food, lean protein and healthy fat and reducing bread, rice, pasta and fruit. Major differences from other diets include a lack of concern over portion size and a serious indifference to exercise. Feeling full while on a diet is a beautiful thing, but it seems odd that a cardiologist buries his exercise recommendations in a solitary sentence.

The last half of the book covers his three-stage plan; daily diets are mixed with recipes, some of which are from South Beach restaurant chefs. The most restrictive period lasts just two weeks, enough time to stabilise your urges and lose a few pounds; stage two adds fruits and a handful of other carbs, while stage three is meant to last the remainder of your life, with occasional lapses for white bread or birthday cake.

While the diet is sound, the book could be better organised. The first half mixes scientific study with anecdote in a seemingly random way, while the mix of meal plans and recipes can be confusing. Still, the recipes are varied and tasty and you'll never feel deprived, unless you currently happen to live by bread alone. --Jill Lightner

Customer Reviews

South Beach vs. regular low calorie diet.....and the winner is..........
This is a diet book whose plan is to get you to lose weight by limiting your carbohydrates- essentially another low-carbohydrate diet. It has 3 phases where your carbohydrates are severely restricted at first, and then re-introduced.

I have personally read three controlled trials comparing low carb diets to your regular calorie restricted diets that were published in scientific journals. The results? Low carb diets produce more weight loss during the first 6 months, but at one year follow-up, both groups had lost THE SAME amount of weight.

Therefore, it really doesn't matter which diet plan you choose, the South Beach diet or your standard low calorie diet, because if you can stay on either of them for a year, you'll lose the same amount of weight. To that end, then, the South Beach diet is a fairly healthy diet plan and a good one to choose from- but the bottom line if you want to lose weight is to cut your calories with ANY diet plan and absolutely stick with it and make it a part of your lifestyle.

Readers who can't seem to stick with a diet plan long enough to see results might also want to check out The Sixty-Second Motivator. Good luck!

The South Beach Diet
I recommend this book. I have been on lots of diets and have never found one I could lose weight on. I even gained when I went to Weight Watchers. I have lost 1½ stone so far on this one, but not just that, I am diebetic and I have found that on this diet my blood sugar levels are much better. I have lent the book to a friend who is a doctor and she has bought ten copies for her surgery. I also lent it to my diebetic nurse who has so far lost 9 lbs.

The South Beach Diet
The diet is very good - I went from 15stone11 to 14stone11 in 2 weeks & plan to continue. This is not very difficult, although the lack of carbs did leave me feeling a bit tired on a couple of days. Buy the book & stick to the diet. I know I feel much better for it.