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Arthur S. Agatston M.D. - The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss Books
South Beach Diet: A Low Carb Alternative Way of Eating
Written: Jul 13 '03 (Updated Jul 13 '03)
Product Rating:
Pros: Effective, easy to follow diet program. Book informative.
Cons: Tough to cut carbs at first! With all *diets*, must be a lifestyle change.
The Bottom Line: The South Beach Diet is an excellent and effective low carb diet alternative to Atkins. I find it easier to stick to and has given me losses.
SHeineman's Full Review: Arthur S. Agatston M.D. - The South Beach Diet: Th...
I used to be able to maintain my weight without watching my food intake. Unfortunately after graduating from law school and taking a job that had me at a desk or out in my car traveling (often *rewarding* myself for that 6 am start time with a donut and latte!), I picked up about 10 lbs. I once would have dismissed low carb diets as quackery and impossible to live with but I started doing a lot of reading. I saw how bad sugar is and how *white* carbs (white bread, sugar, pasta, rice, etc.) can contribute to weight gain and weight loss stalls. I decided to try Atkins.
Four days into Atkins induction, I quit. I felt sick at all times and realized that even into maintenance, it was not going to be a liveable plan for me. I'm by no means trashing the Atkins Diet because I think it's great if you can stick to it and I think Dr. Atkins helped bring the low carb issue to the forefront. But any eating plan has to be a way of life, not a short term thing, for it to be successful. I realized that a plan restricting some faves was not going to work.
A friend told me about the South Beach Diet. I read up on it online and decided to give it a shot. It's not quite as low carb or as complicated as some other plans. I mentioned it to my Mom who bought the book which moocher me read. I've found it to be easy to follow and have had some success about 4 weeks in, even with some cheating. :)
The Author
The South Beach Diet was written by and designed by Miami cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatson. Several years ago, he began to grow concerned with obesity in his patients and did some research into the low fat/carb laden diet recommended at the time. He worked with a nutritionist at his hospital to develop his plan. His plan has worked for many of his patients in that time, and in his book, he details several success stories as well as a couple of failures (but explains possible reasons for those failures). He doesn't consider his program low carb or low fat but says that it teaches you to make the best carb/fat choices.
In the book, he goes into quite a bit of detail regarding foods and their glycemic index. He talks about the effects of sugars and other refined carbs on your body's insulin. He talks about the positive effects he has seen on his patients' cholesterol levels and other health issues. He explains the differences between *good* and *bad* carbs. I think he does a very good job at explaining why a diet minus *bad* carbs is effective. He explains how to choose the best combinations of carbs, fats, and proteins for weight loss and maintenance, and if you can't resist some *bad* carbs from time to time, how to minimize their effects as much as possible (such as taking a fiber supplement prior to eating and combining them with a fat).
Dr. Agatson does recommend anyone with kidney problems or diabetes consult their doctor before beginning his plan.
The Plan
The book details three Phases to the plan and for each part of the plan gives a large list of foods to eat and not eat. It also has numerous recipes for each Phase. About one half of the book is recipes/food plans. It gives a complete 2 week Phase 1 plan complete with recipes as well plans and recipes for the other Phases.
Phase 1 (2 weeks at start but can be done longer if needed): This Phase is similar to Atkins induction but less limited in the number of carbs you can eat. Like other Phases of this plan, you don't have to count carbs. You just have to choose your foods from a list of "Foods to Enjoy in Phase 1" and avoid the foods in the "Foods to Avoid in Phase 1" list. The list of foods is mainly low fat cheeses, eggs, lean proteins, nuts, and non-starchy veggies. You are not allowed fruits or whole grains. You could lose 8-13 lbs in this Phase.
Phase 2 (another weight loss Phase): In Phase 2, you are instructed to introduce whole grains and fruit back into your diet (with a suggested way to do so). These are detailed in the "Foods to Re-Introduce to Your Diet" list and is combined with a "Foods to Avoid or Eat Rarely" list. You won't fall off the wagon by having some pasta or a piece of chocolate cake but you can't do it everyday! You will continue weight loss on this Phase but it will be slower than on Phase 1.
Phase 3: This is the maintenance Phase of South Beach, to be done once you reach your goal weight. Dr. Agatson is somewhat vague about this Phase but what I got of it was that you can introduce some things like pasta and more sweets to the point where you begin to gain weight. He instructs you to go back to Phase 1 to take any gains off.
Portions
You are not required to count calories or carbs and are instructed to eat 3 meals a day plus a couple of snacks. Dr. Agatson doesn't want you to be hungry, just comfortably full.
One thing I have been doing is combining the South Beach Diet with the Weight Watchers Point system. I still think Weight Watchers is one of the best programs for weight loss but there is a big tendency to spend points on low point foods that are often low in protein, high on sugar, and not very filling. I don't get as much food on Weight Watchers as I did when not watching my carbs because these proteins and fat are higher point but I stay fuller and don't want as much to eat. Following the Weight Watchers points, I'm able to make sure I eat the right amounts for my size.
Our Results
My Mom and I have been following this diet, me for 4 weeks or so, my Mom for 2. We've taken slightly different routes. I want to lose about 10 lbs (maybe not even that much, it depends on how I look at that weight). I did Phase 1 for about 4 days and missed my fruits too badly so I skipped ahead to Phase 2. From what I can tell from the book, the main purpose of Phase 1 is to jumpstart weight loss and cut carb cravings. I've allowed a cheat treat or two in there plus before going on runs, I may eat a Pria bar (which has some sugar but other reading I've done indicates that some simple carbs before running can be a good thing). I have done this because it is a lifestyle change, and it will be easier for me to stick to if I am allowed a bit of things I enjoy. But 95% of what enters my mouth is directly along with the plan. I've lost about 3 lbs so far (but without exercise, it may be more. I've upped my weight training and running in the past few weeks and have lost some inches and too small pants are fitting better).
I've noticed one BIG effect...my sugar cravings are almost gone! I don't eat pasta or rice so those are no biggie to give up for me. I only eat potatoes out. But I LOVE sugar and can down a ton of dessert in no time. I haven't had nearly the cravings. Over the 4th of July weekend, I allowed myself to cheat by eating mashed potatoes twice and some sugary things. My sugar cravings came back full force. I skipped back to Phase 1 for a few days, and that took care of that. I don't feel so hot after eating a lot of sugar now either. A small amount is enough to satisfy me. I haven't felt tired or run down on this plan and have actually felt pretty good even when working out. I eat more vegetables than ever before.
My Mom wants to lose about 20 lbs. She's also training for a marathon. I was a bit skeptical of her following Phase 1 since I think very low carb can be bad for runners but she kept on anyway. But she was determined to follow it and follow it by the book. She followed the meal plans and recipes given, making a few substitutions. In Phase 1, she lost 6-8 lbs (she can't remember her starting weight!) and some pants that wouldn't button before do now.
We do know that a lot of these losses are water but it's nice to see the weight begin to start dropping off.
For More Info...
There is a website, Southbeachdiet.com, but it's a pay site that I've heard isn't the best for info. Prevention.com has a lot of free information so is a good place to start. I started with Prevention.com and a copy of the Food lists from the book, without having read the book first. I think you can do this but I think the book offers up some excellent info that you should read eventually.
How South Beach Differs from Atkins
I've read that this is just Atkins under a different name but I find that to be false (I have not read the Atkins book, I must admit, but I have done some online reading and talking with someone at work who has lost a lot on Atkins). First, Dr. Agatson not only focuses on carbs but stresses low fat as well. You are allowed good fats like nuts and olive oil (like Atkins) but you are to eat mostly low fat cheeses and lean meats.
Another big difference is ketosis. Atkins induction is designed to put your body into ketosis. There's been some concern regarding the safety of ketosis but Dr. Agatson feels it is safe. Phase 1 may put your body into ketosis but it likely has too many *good* carbs to do so.
This diet also allows you to eat fruits and whole grains. In Atkins, you can of course eat fruits but whole grains are to be very limited or not consumed at all. South Beach also doesn't require you to count your carbs. You just choose your foods from the lists in the book. Dr. Agatson says that you can eat quite a few carbs and still lose, provided they are the right types of carb.
I realize this has been a really long review but I hope it was helpful!
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