Arthur Agatston

My son developed metabolic syndrome when he was in high school, so my husband (or was it I?) bought both The South Beach Diet, the original introductory book, and this companion cookbook (although I vaguely remember the original having some recipes, too).

I lost six pounds almost right away, and my husband and son lost weight, too. Now why did I abandon this diet when I lost weight quickly and was never hungry? Oh, right: desserts and author Dr. Arthur Agatson’s unreasonable opposition to show more pineapple and pumpkin. OK, well, mostly desserts.

But now I really want to lose weight, and I’m willing to sacrifice desserts and pumpkin (although not pineapple). And Agatson includes some really luscious recipes. He claims that you won’t feel as if you’re on a diet, and he’s right. You won’t be hungry and the recipes don’t rely on weird ingredients like chia seeds, watery cabbage soups or any other stumbling blocks to weight loss. And, as a working mom, I can’t spend two hours getting food on the dinner table. This time I hope that I get it right. show less

Back in 2003, when the SBD first came out, I was a freshman in college and terrified of the "freshman 15". My mom bought me the first [b:The South Beach Diet|239478|South Beach Diet|Arthur Agatston|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173028631s/239478.jpg|260534] and my freshman 15 was a negative 15. Through out college, I remember thinking that I was overweight, but looking back at those pictures, I truly miss how skinny I was! Through different doctors and vitamins and pills and such I got show more to a point where I gained a rapid and unexplainable amount of about 50 lbs and haven't been able to lose it. I have no desire to exercise, and whenever I do, I just feel worse and more hopeless. I kinda gave up on the SBD way of life, because it wasn't working, and with now feeding the husband, my methods were hopeless. Well, now [a:Arthur Atgatson] has updated and more than republished his old SBD book, this one is completely an upgrade. [b:The South Beach Diet Supercharged|2218656|The South Beach Diet Supercharged Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life|Arthur Agatston|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YDcjWQTyL._SL75_.jpg|2224448] does have all of the old advice, but so much more, and more in depth, that makes more sense. Plus there is more scientific data to back it up, and more success stories to brag about with the lifestyle. The supercharged part of the diet now is the emphasis on exercise. Not to say that he had not mentioned it back in 2003, he had, but not in the depth and detail with the experts backing his work as it is in this book. It's taken me about three weeks to read the book, and I've been on the diet for about two and some weeks, and have so far lost 'eh about 10 lbs. It's not fabulous, but it is more than I've been able to do in the last year. So, even though, on day two of the diet, the hubby stocked the fridge with Dr. Pepper and Ginger Ale (my favorites). I haven't had a one, and I'm doing fairly well. I read the exercise portions today, and they appear simple, and appear to be something I am capable of... Just saying, I despise exercise, and the activities are put into a format of ONLY 20 MINUTES a day, and no more. So, I might be able to fit that in between a book or two. show less

I have to admit this diet worked quite well for me the first time around, but I suspect I regained even faster after I "fell off the wagon" than I did with any other diet plan, and frankly, it never worked for me again no matter how diligent I was about following the rules. I'm sure this is a good plan for some people, but for me it is too strict and limiting; I need a more balanced diet where I simply watch all of my intake and focus on eating more fruits and veggies and less naughty show more desserts. But the book itself was well written, comprehensible, and quite easy to follow, which most likely contributed to its extreme popularity. So I'm rating it more based on that than on how effective it was for me long term. I don't think that was an issue of the diet, but my own personal body chemistry. show less

I've been doing a bit of research, as part of my plan to take control of my diet, feel healthier and STOP GAINING WEIGHT. Oh, and I'd like to fend off cancer, too.

The South Beach Diet was written by cardiologist, Arthur Agatson, "in order to reverse the myriad of heart and vascular problems that stem from obesity" (p.7). Web MD describes South Beach as "a heart-friendly version of the Atkins Diet."

The premise of the diet is that we feel better and lose weight when our insulin levels are show more regulated and that the way to do this is by consuming mostly foods with with a lower glycemic index (because I am lazy, I am going to let Wiki fill you in on the details).

The book promises that you will lose eight to thirteen pounds in the first two weeks of the diet (I think the idea is that a quick success will get you motivated), known as Phase 1. And the cover of the edition that I borrowed from the library offered the added bonus, "Lose Belly Fat First!"

Who wouldn't love a diet that offered quick results (although Dr. Agatson is very careful to say that weight loss does slow down in the second phase of the diet, when some previously forbidden foods are reintroduced) and that promised to trim fat from what for many of us (especially those of us who've had babies) is a source of considerable angst? And there is lots in this diet that does make sense.

I know that lean protein makes me feel more full and that, if I get too hungry and let my blood sugar drop, I become a little hysterical (my youngest son is very like me in this. If he gets too hungry, he becomes a little terror. The transformation once he is fed is truly remarkable). I also know that I feel much better when I avoid white sugar.

But I have to say that I am a little leery of a diet that prescribes bacon and eggs for breakfast most mornings and that frowns on whole grain bread (although Agatson does say that whole grains are much better than their refined counterparts).

And I know all to well what a bad idea it can be to try any diet that makes you feel deprived of foods you love.

What I am taking from this diet:

* A good reminder to follow my naturopathic doctor's advice and avoid refined sugar.
* Eat smaller meals and avoid getting too hungry.
* Have snacks with good, healthy proteins.
* Avoid refined carbohydrates (I seldom bother with a bun when I have a burger and I don't have bread with dinner, usually. Avoiding carb-centred snacks, especially when we can't have nuts in the house, is more of a challenge).

I am keen to learn more about the glycemic index and how it affects metabolism. show less