- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Headline Book Publishing (7 April 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0755311299
- ISBN-13: 978-0755311293
- Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.2 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 41,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
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
Product Description
Leading cardiologist Dr Arthur Agatston originally tailored this diet for his patients to improve the state of their heart, and of course their general health as well. But, almost by mistake, they began to lose weight too. News of this fantastic regime spread like wildfire throughout Florida and soon his office was inundated with requests for the diet. Developed with the help of a professional nutritionist, Dr Agatston's diet provides you with easy-to-follow eating plans and recipes to keep you firmly on track. The delicious recipes are simple to prepare, quick and what's more, you generally lose the weight from your waist first. The results and health benefits are immediate and long-term. There is no counting calories, no fighting with exercises and on top of all this, positive results can start to show within just two weeks.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
137 of 139 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was really enthused on reading this book and quickly tried it out - result 7lbs off after 10 days which is good but not as dramatic as I had hoped and, as I go into below, not as easy as I expected.
The best thing about this diet is that it's healthy. It was designed to lower cholesterol and other nasties in your blood, not to lose weight. But it does both.
It is a really refreshing look at diets and I think that it won't be a passing fad but the diet of the future. Lets face it, existing diets aren't working for the population as a whole - people are getting fatter. As he explains, some fat is good for you - like olive oil etc whereas processed carbs don't satisfy your hunger. The result is that restricting fat whilst consuming carbs isn't an easy way to lose weight. So here your aloud good fats and have to exclude bad carbs. Sounds pretty balanced to me.
For the first 2 weeks though you have to severely restrict your carb intake: no bread, biscuits, alcohol, fruit, not even cereal. Despite what he says this IS a low-carb time! As the book promised, I didn't really feel hungry during this phase but I did REALLY miss my carbohydrates. It's also difficult to keep up if you are away from home. Breakfasts were incredibly dull - bacon and eggs, quiche, omelette....all of which I like but started to get really sick of every morning. I even managed to go off lean steak in the evening because I was eating it so frequently. I lasted 10 days on this phase as I couldn't face a further weekend. If you start the diet, I'd recommend starting it before a weekend so that you come off it (2 weeks later) before a weekend and the tricky weekend days don't coincide with the tricky end of phase 1 days.
Also, buy yourself a good book as you'll have plenty of time sitting on the toilet to read it (things went a lot slower without my All Bran...)
Although I found the first phase frustrating, it worked. And the weight has stayed off.
In general I liked the set-up of the book giving the background to the diet, the "rules" (of which there are few) and some pretty convincing background to the health benefits which contribute to the weight loss you will experience. He's right when he says that most low-fat processed foods have been pumped up with sugar or other carbs - check the labels for yourself, I did.
After selling 5 million copies though you think he would have proof read the recipes by now, as there are some annoying contradictions: the text says to enjoy full fat mayo, caffeinated coffee but not a drop of alcohol in phase 1, whilst the recipes and meal plans include low fat mayo, de-caffeinated coffee, and some alcohol.
On the whole, the South Beach diet isn't an extreme "low-fat, high-carb" of most diets or the other extreme "no-carb high-fat" diet of Atkins but a sensible balance between the two. If you want to improve your blood chemistry, lose some weight, improve your cardiac health and find out how some accepted nutritional advice isn't so smart, try the South Beach diet. It has this layman convinced.
38 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
On this diet, which I've been on since May, I've lost 2 stone, never feel hungry - and I've lost the sweet tooth which was my downfall on all other diets I've tried! Dr. Agatston's diet works - it's a way of eating you can live with and not feel deprived: I recommend it to everyone.
60 of 61 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I came across the South Beach by accident, but it certainly appeared to be useful - do they all? Lose weight, 8 to thirteen pounds in two weeks, and lose it from around your waist. Too good to be true? I'd never been on a real diet so I thought it was worth checking out - I was sceptical. We (wife and me) were going to a wedding of some very special friends in two weeks time and we both wanted and needed to lose some weight. We bought the book, it has all sorts of encouraging stories, and so we gave it a bash. I also told a couple of people at work about it. We did stick to the diet, which wasn't all that hard to be honest. Ditching alcohol for a fortnight was a real, REAL challenge, but I was interested to see if I could do it - "I can do without drink, although I haven't done for a while..." - maybe you know the idea? First day - lost a pound, second day the same. And I kept losing it, although I had a couple of days when nothing much happened weight-wise. End of fortnight - 9lbs lighter, and from all the right places. Wife and friends at work lost more - typical. Went to wedding - lots (yes LOTS) of alcohol and good food. Weighed myself afterwards expecting to have put on lots of weight and I was not much heavier than the last day of the diet. We were going away the following week, so we stuck to phase one and continued to lose weight. Phase one is supposedly losing a chunk of weight fairly quickly, then phase two is slower weight loss to the weight you want to be, with phase three being 'stay at the weight you want'. It works. I doubt I'll ever be the person they'd want to quote in the book as I use the diet a bit haphazardly - I enjoy the meals, but with a glass of wine or two, or three. I play snooker once a week and have a few pints, but I'm still much lighter than when I started, and I know that I can lose the critical pounds if I have to by sticking with it. Maybe I'll get to the end of phase one and into phase two and really lose the weight I should. Apparently all sorts of other good things will have happened to me health-wise as it's not an Atkins-type weight loss crash diet, but rather a healthier way of eating. It worked and it's working for me (and the others who are trying it, who are really looking good), and it hasn't been a seven day wonder. It's got to be worth a few quid to buy the book, and it's not a bad read on its own. The recipes are better than they sound, and it's not all grim, boring stuff. Give it a bash.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Why Change It?
I bought this book when it first came out and lost 3 stone very successfully. I lent it to a friend and never got it back!
This is a later version. Read more
This is a later version. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Della
Tough eating plan!
I wanted this book as my husband has recently been told his chloresteral level is too high and a friend recommended it. Read more
Published 13 months ago by umborrington
Everyone should be doing this
Don't let my title of my review throw you, This is how we ought to be eating normally without it being a diet. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Lorenzo
brilliant!!
This diet is brilliant - I have never been on a diet before but they always looked boring and difficult and complicated, but with this one it was so easy. Read more
Published 20 months ago by south beach goddess
Excellent scientific plan
This is an excellent diet plan, and really does work. I have just started it myself and lost 3 kg in the first week, with minimal modifications to my lifestyle. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2007 by Mr. S. J. Dennis
Just what I needed to turn my poor daily diet around
My main reason for buying the book was trying to find an alternative to the Atkins. I only wanted to loose 1 stone. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2004 by Mr. P. G. Bailey
Not well thought through...
I have to admit I had high expectations of this book based on reviews I had read, which ultimately were not met. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2004 by Dhiammara
A new way of living!
This book (hardback) version was written with the American market in mind. Contrary to the title this is not to be viewed as a diet book but as a starting point to change what we... Read more
Published on 17 Feb 2004 by "rickirene"
MUST TRY!!!
the most amazing diet that i've ever tried!!!!!i lost 3.5kg in just the first week (painless)..and still losing more... Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2004
What's so new?
I'm not sure what the fuss is about this diet. As a modified low carb regime that encourages consumption of vegetables and fruits in moderation, this adds nothing to the admirable... Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2004
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