Someone recommened this diet to control cholesterol. Doubt I'll actually read it entirely. Not sure what I was thinking... a diet book? Well, anyway, that's my review or non-review.

This book has literally turned my life around. I never realized there were so many "good and healthy" choices. I have tried many things I never though of and loved them. The best part is I have lost 28 pounds in the process.

My Dr. suggested this diet to me after coming to him several times with no luck on other diets. So far, I've lost 15 1/2 pounds and I've only been on the diet 3 weeks.

The diet is not for everyone. ALWAYS check with your family doctor first. If your Doctor ok's it and you follow what the author says and keep in close contact with your doctor. You can lose weight and be healthy.

The book I received -- The South Beach Diet -- arrived very quickly, was well priced and in perfect shape just as the seller said it would be. I would recommend the book and Amazon as the method for purchasing it.

The South Beach Diet is a great guide to developing healthy eating habits for life. It is educational delving into the history of diet and nutrition in America. Not only that, it answers thought provoking questions like why am I so hungry when I just ate... The South Beach Diet will help you to stop overeating and gain control of your health if you take it to heart.

First, I am not a dieter! I never believed in that, but for a short stature, and midlife, my weight was at a standstill after lots of walking daily. I needed to lose at least 15 pounds, possibly 20.

Hubby, on the other hand, was the first to diet, since he has trouble walking fast or great distance. I figured this is the most efficient method for him to lose stomach fat! He effectively needed to lose 20 pounds to be more physically fit for age and health.

The South Beach Diet was our choice, and when I saw that he made a change in his life, lost about 20 pounds in few months, I accidently started to lose weight too. Simply because I was cautious of cooking or buying foods he could not have. This is about predominatly losing the stomach fat in men. As for women, you lose it in the hips, butt, and thighs.

Make a lifestyle change
The book is wonderful in educating you on the safety, health, history of the prescribed changes for dieting. It is easy without measuring, counting calories, or starving.

Lose the Cravings! Good time to stop bad habits.
I sit at a desk and stare into a computer all day, and nibbling always gets into the act, Chinese crackers, that once in a while nutbar, lots of fruit. That was what consisted of most of my nibblings. So I did have control, but on the diet, you do LOSE the CRAVINGS, just as the book says. My goal is to eat effectively without gaining the cravings. And, if you are on the diet for weeks at a time, on or off, it may be a good time to stop any bad eating habits.

Recipes, lists, and more
There are plenty of recipes for that lifestyle change. The book also effectively lists the foods to avoid/or lessen in your lifetime, and the Foods to Avoid/Foods to Have in phases 1 and 2.

If I hadn't seen this work before my own eyes, I would not have believed it.....Rizzo

First, I am not a dieter! I never believed in that, but for a short stature, and midlife, my weight was at a standstill after lots of walking daily. I needed to lose at least 15 pounds, possibly 20.

Hubby, on the other hand, was the first to diet, since he has trouble walking fast or great distance. I figured this is the most efficient method for him to lose stomach fat! He effectively needed to lose 20 pounds to be more physically fit for age and health.

The South Beach Diet was our choice, and when I saw that he made a change in his life, lost about 20 pounds in few months, I accidently started to lose weight too. Simply because I was cautious of cooking or buying foods he could not have. This is about predominatly losing the stomach fat in men. As for women, you lose it in the hips, butt, and thighs.

Make a lifestyle change
The book is wonderful in educating you on the safety, health, history of the prescribed changes for dieting. It is easy without measuring, counting calories, or starving.

Lose the Cravings!
I sit at a desk and stare into a computer all day, and nibbling always gets into the act, Chinese crackers, that once in a while nutbar, lots of fruit. That was what consisted of most of my nibblings. So I did have control, but on the diet, you do LOSE the CRAVINGS, just as the book says. My goal is to eat effectively without gaining the cravings.

Recipes, lists, and more
There are plenty of recipes for that lifestyle change. The book also effectively lists the foods to avoid/or lessen in your lifetime, and the Foods to Avoid/Foods to Have in phases 1 and 2.

If I hadn't seen this work before my own eyes, I would not have believed it.....Rizzo

It really works! My husband and I are doing the diet and in 3 weeks we lost 12 pounds. Highly recommended!

Just as described. Great price & fast shipping. This book has great low carb recipes.

Nothing I have ever bought on Amazon has compelled me to write a review like this book. I have tried all diets. I have many many exercise videos. I have tried eating small healthy portions plus working out two times a day morning and evening and I never lost more than 1 pound in a month. Sometimes I even ended up gaining. I did the South Beach diet for two weeks and it was very difficult because I am a pasta/bread lover! Needless to say, it was very difficult and I had horrific cravings. But trust me, it gets easier as the days go by. I could now be on Phase 2 but I read somewhere that if you feel comfortable staying on Phase 1 for another week you should to really rid yourself of the cravings and I have. There is a lot of temptation around me all the time but I have not faltered yet. I lost 10 pounds in the first two weeks of the diet. That has moved me to start exercising and continue eating healthy so I recommend it to those that have tried everything...this might be the weight loss method for you too.

I finally bit the bullett and decided to do something about my weight. I never had gotten really serious before. Although I had a baby and really hated myself. I got the book and lost 15 lbs in the 1st 2 weeks. I didn't cheat. I went on to do phase 1 for 4 weeks (although I didn't lose much for the weeks 3, and 4) Once I added the good carbs back in my diet (not that often) I began to see more weight just melt away. I lost 35 lbs in 10 weeks. I hope this helps someone who really is just determined to lose some weight. Lord knows it helped me!

This diet is dangerous. It works because you are BURNING out your ADRENALS. You will fry your hormones with this diet.
For you low carbers- haven't you noticed that whenever you low carb diet, you get headaches and insomnia???? This is called a CLUE.
Do NOT do this diet, or you will pay the piper with your HEALTH.
Exercise and having a PROPER diet with proper REST is the ONLY way to diet.
After having completed this expensive diet, you WILL gain the weight back, and then some.
Buyer Beware!

What: South Beach Diet
Start Date: 6/30/2008
Beginning weight: 256 lbs
Today's Date: 8/31/2008
Current weight: 224 lbs
TOTAL POUNDS LOST: 32 lbs in 2 mos.

I heard of the SBD many years ago when it was first introduced. Like every other fad diet, I dismissed it without even giving it a second glance. "They never work," I said, and went about my happy carb-filled and FAT life. I have always been heavy, and my famliy is full of big people, so losing weight hasn't ever been encouraged at home.
I was raised on lots of bread, pasta, potatoes and fattening carbs. I NEVER drank water. I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and it left me feeling depressed and hopeless. I hated how I looked in everything--even though I loved clothes and fashion--because of my weight. I had tried several times to lose weight, to restrict myself, and would average 6-8 lb losses before giving up and reverting back to my old ways.
June of '08 I actually found a copy of The South Beach Diet outside in a shopping cart at the grocery store. I picked it up and flipped through it, threw it in the car and thought I might read it. Someday.
It sat around the house for a while before I finally picked it up and gave it a go.
Immediately I thought, WOW, is this the answer?
and then right after that: "YEAH, RIGHT."
But, negativity aside, I read the book and decided to give it a try.
It made total and perfect sense why I was fat--the book explains the reason behind it and the why and how, and the proof is undeniable.
I completely cut out bread, potatoes and pasta, and anything with sugar in it. I followed Phase 1 pretty well for about 4 weeks, and in that time alone, lost about 18 lbs. I would sometimes walk for 10 or 15 minutes here or there, on my lunch at work, or at home around the block, but I wasn't making any real efforts as far as exercise went. However, it was so much more than what I used to do, I started seeing a difference in how I felt and looked almost immediately.
As each week passed by and the number on the scale steadily decreased, I found myself feeling more and more energetic, and committed to the new "lifestyle".
It doesn't feel like you're on a diet, it feels like you're just being HEALTHY.
I have never been able to stay on a diet before, but the South Beach Diet is so easy to follow, and the results are so remarkable, I can't even stop myself now!
It took me a while to get into the swing of things, but now that I have been doing it, it is natural to me.
I was once a skeptic of this and other fad diets, but now I am recommending it to everyone.
Even with minimal exercise, to date, I have lost a substantial amount of weight and the best part is--I don't feel hungry or deprived--EVER!!!
I really have to give it to Dr. Agatston because even though I have only lost a fraction of the amount of weight I want to lose, I know that it is something I will acheive because of this diet.
I stepped on the scale today and had to smile: 224lbs.
I haven't weighed that since college (sadly!).
I know I still have a long way to go, but I also know that I will make it, and all my thanks goes to Dr. Agatston and his book The South Beach Diet.
I urge anyone who is fed up with being overweight, and fed up with diets, to BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It really changed (and IS changing) my life, everyday.
I think it can do the same for you too.

It works if you work it!!!!

I looked at this book for research purposes, not really interested in going on a diet right now... my general impression: The diet itself can be basically summarized in a page or two (it's practically on the back cover), so, really, you might think about borrowing the book versus buying for diet purposes, and writing the three phase plan down. The science behind the plan is, as most of dietetics, under question and debate, although there does seem to be a consensus that the American addiction to simple carbohydrates is a health problem. What is more interesting about the book is that a large chunk of it is devoted to recipes based on the phase of diet, a few which I have tried and seem to be worthwhile. Other people must also think so, as there have been spinoff south beach diet cookbooks that have also been successful (haven't tried them yet). So, one might consider purchase for that reason.

Dont waste money on this or any diet book.
Just get online and use a free calorie calculator, determine how many calories you can eat and loose weight, dont exceed that and step up excercise.
You dont need a book, just control how much you eat!!!!!

Finally, a member of the medical profession who has an inkling of human nature, a connection to something besides mere medical reality! I'm normally highly skeptical of such books and almost any medically recommended diet I've ever heard, seen, or smelt. This one is so firmly wedded to practical, everyday concerns and human nature that it simply blew me away. There is no fear peddling, no lecturing--just straightforward, easy to read and understand explanations. Above all, the diet is practical. Its only shortcomings are the considerations of time and expense, especially the latter. This is not so much a failing of the diet or the book, but rather that the agribiz megacorporations have decided that healthy food should be expensive, and food that is bad for you should be cheap. But I can guarantee one thing: you will be astonished at what food is healthy! This diet isn't hard--its tasty and fun!

Even if you aren't particularly overweight, this book is worth reading and serious consideration.

My wife and I have been on this diet for nearly 8 weeks now. In that time I have gone from 242 pounds to 208. I have been very good at following this diet with one small exception while eating out. My wife has had less success, but she is close to her target weight and had much less to lose than I did.

I believe the author does a good job describing the diet, the logic and science behind it and how the diet has evolved. It is interesting that weight loss for the patients on this diet was a bit of a happy side effect. The primary intention was to get patient's blood sugar and cholesterol levels in control. With diabetes in my family, as well as my wife's, this got our attention. We didn't realize what we were doing to ourselves with our earlier eating habits.

By itself, this book is only a start. I found it necessary to do more reading and looking at other cookbooks (including SBD cookbooks) to increase the variety. However, everything needed for the first few weeks is included. The knowledge gained by reading this book is enough to make healthy choices at the grocery and in restaurants.

As others have stated, this is not a "diet" as much as a lifestyle change. I have found that our food bill has increased somewhat, especially at first. We tried many new recipes and they often had ingredients that weren't in our pantry. This is not a complaint! We have discovered some wonderful new meals as a result of having our horizons opened. Some of those meals are in this book.

For your convenience, there is a Phase 1 diet plan already designed for you. The meal plan includes all the recipes for the meals and snacks. We tried this plan, but for two people it wasn't all that convenient. We spent a great deal of time preparing food - our evenings were consumed with cooking dinner, eating and preparing lunch and snacks for the next day. The included plan does a poor job for using leftovers and simplifying the food preparation. I believe this is due to the author attempting to provide more variety. After about a week, we abandoned the prepared plan and adopted our own version that fit our time budget. For this reason, I give this book 4 stars instead of 5.

For anyone heading down this weight loss path, I highly recommend a sugar substitute called Stevia. It is an extract of a plant that is very sweet and is sold in health food stores. Unlike the other chemical substitutes out there like Splenda, Nutrasweet and Saccharin, Stevia is a natural product that has been used for three decades in Japan with no reported side effects. The jury is still out on Splenda. There are different companies that produce Stevia extract, with different results. The best I have found so far is NuStevia No Carb blend. Good luck!

I really like this book. I found that by making just a few of the suggested changes, I lost 6 lbs within the first 2 weeks. For me, cutting the carbs is the right choice. I have not tried the "2 week crash" in the book. I don't know if I can completely give up the carbs I love. I have cut back on breads, pasta, etc. and now use "Splenda" for most things instead of sugar. It works. I feel better and have more energy. I'm also exercising a little more. South Beach works for me!

I went on the South Beach Diet in November 2005. In one year I went from weighing 280 lbs to weighing 215! My cholesterol went from 221 to 141,and my blood pressure went from 150/100 to 117/77 (with NO drugs). Also I lost 6 inches around my waist. It went from 42 inches to 36.As of May 2008, I currently weigh 212 (at 5' 11') and am trying to work my way to 195 now.I own all of the books and am one of the biggest advocates of the diet. I would recommend this book to anyone!

I wasn't obese or even "fat" before I started the diet, but I had a gut that I wasn't too proud of. The gut wasn't even that bad, but I wanted to lose it. I bought this book and set a target weight loss of 10 pounds.

The first phase was tough because I am not used to a no-carb diet. I kind of got sick of steak, chicken and salmon easily, as well as balsamic vinigarette (however you spell that). The recipes are pretty good and give a lot of taste with very little to choose from.

After the first week and a half, I lost the 10 pounds I aimed for and now I am happily in the 2nd phase and I still cheat every couple of days.

I find that this diet pushes more "control" over what you eat. Although I am 2nd phase, I have had fries a couple of times, but in very small quantities and I don't feel guilty and I don't feel hungry either.

This diet also got me to start using more spices in what I cook. Now I have about 3 different spices on my steak or burger just for the fun of it.

I think I am going to stay in "phase 2" for as long as possible because I feel very comfortable in it. If I "cheat" once in a while, I think I;ll be fine. I lost the weight and I am keeping it off (so far).

I highly recommend this diet plan if you need to change your eating habits and want to shed a few pounds at the same time.