The South Beach Diet Good Fats/Good Carbs Guide (Revised): The Complete and Easy Reference for All Your Favorite Foods Reviews

• It's working for me!

  
  By A1EOKMYLQNAUR1 on 2004-01-26
  This companion book to the original South Beach Diet book serves as an excellent resource for figuring out which foods we can have and which we must avoid. It's a food guide, not a full-blown description of the diet. As such, it suits it's purpose just fine.
  I've lost over 30 pounds on this diet in the past 3 months, without suffering and misery. The similiarities between South Beach and Atkins are clear to see. So are the differences. South beach is the product of a cardiologist, which is aimed at preventing heart disease and diabetes. It's not just low carb, it's correct carbs. It also emphasizes avoiding saturated fats and trans-fats. With all due respect to the late Dr. Atkins and his diet, this one presents a healthier alternative that has proven effective. This isn't the only diet book out there but it's a good one with good explanations for those serious about losing weight in a safe manner.
  
  

• Pick the right foods to get slim!

  
  By A1P4F6HIXU6WYE on 2003-12-21
  "The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide" is a 138 page companion book to the best selling book, "The South Beach Diet".

  According to the author, Dr. Arthur Agatston all fats and carbs are not created equal. The good fats and carbs will nourish your body, help you stay healthy and lose weight. Eating the wrong kinds will trigger cravings, decrease your ability to burn off calories and make you hungry.

  In this book, Dr. Agatston shows you at a glance which fats and carbs are compatable with "The South Beach Diet". Each entry lists a food item, its carbohyrate, sugar and fat grams. Foods are then ranked as limited, very limited or avoid. There are over 1,200 listings.

  The beginning of the book gives a quick overview of "The South Beach Diet". It describes why we need to select certain foods in order to lose weight and get healthy. Though it does not go into the great detail of the original South Beach Diet book, you could purchase this mini book and learn enough to be able to follow the diet successfully.

  The book packs in a lot of information. In addition to the overview, and food ratings there are also shopping tips and meal makeovers. A handy dining out section makes it easier to stay on the South Beach track at your favorite restaurants.
  A quick guide also lists what foods to enjoy on each phase of the diet.

  The only drawback to the book is though its smaller than a normal sized book (7" tall by 5" wide), it's still to large to fit in a pocketbook. It would be nice if it were smaller, making it more portable, thus I deducted one star.
  Other than that, the book is a super handy resource, excellent for those following the South Beach diet or concerned about their health.
  
  

• It's not a complete and easy reference as the title states

  
  By A23NSKTMSPPBTR on 2004-12-08
  This review was written originally in December, 2004 and was about the first edition. Since then, a new edition has appeared, and some of the faults I found with the original book have been addressed. Since the original edition is still available, I have left my review intact. However, I have added comments at the end to address the changes. If you are planning to buy the revised edition, see the comments at the end too.
  
  Original review:
  If you are looking for a diet that is easy to follow, does not leave you hungry, is effective, nutritionally balanced, and improves your overall health, the South Beach Diet may be for you. In this companion book to The South Beach Diet book, Dr. Agatston lists many common foods, as well as whether they can be enjoyed in abundance, limited, or avoided completely. While this could have been done with a simple food list, this information is presented in a table that also lists carbs, sugar, and total fat.
  
  The beginning of the book gives a brief overview of the diet, and a discussion of trans fats and why they should be avoided. It also has a discussion of the glycemic index. Although the recommendations in the book are based on glycemic index, glycemic load, and other factors, this information does NOT appear in the tables, purportedly because it's not available for all foods. Leaving it out for that reason, even when known, defies credibility.
  
  As followers of this diet know, it's not about following the glycemic index, or counting calories or carbs. While the GI may serve as a guideline to let you know where foods fit in, it can also be misleading since some foods with similar GI values may not be of equal value to your diet. All this is explained in the main diet book, which gives a brief list of GI values for common foods. Likewise, we are told that total fat is not the big factor, but how much is saturated or trans fat vs unsaturated fats is important. That distinction is not made in the tables, which list total fat.
  
  If a strict look at those factors is not a necessary part of the diet, then why are they in the table? That's not clear. The portion that describes how to use the guide acknowledges that you need not be a slave to the numbers, but the real advice ultimately boils down to following the main diet book, in which case all but the last column (whether and how much to eat) seems irrelevant.
  
  The other problem is that this supposedly complete book is far from complete. It has too many entries for items that are obviously not allowed on the diet, and few entries for what might be suitable substitutes.
  
  If you look at breakfast foods for instance, you'll find bacon and eggs, cereals, and pancakes. Yet you won't find French toast. You may be able to figure it out based on the rules from the diet book, but then why do you need this book? It's not as if processed foods or foods prepared from recipes that may vary were left out. There seems to be no rationale for what's included.
  
  If you do look at cereal, you will find a couple of pages of cereals that are limited or should be avoided completely. But do I really need this book to tell me to avoid Frosted Flakes and Corn Pops if I know how the diet works? Yet if I look at the myriad "healthy" cereals in my supermarket, not one of them is listed in this book. The same is true for the ones in natural food stores, even if they are available nationwide.
  
  I might be able to figure out on my own that Uncle Sam cereal is a good choice, but then why buy the book? On the other hand, I might find another supposedly healthful cereal, and the label may show me that it's whole grain and high in fiber, but has more sugar than I would want. It's foods like these for which I would like the book to give me an idea if it's acceptable.
  
  There are way too many common foods left off the list, which is surprising considering the exhaustive permutations and combinations listed for others. I don't need five pages to tell me that all baked and broiled fish is good, but breaded fish is not. If it's the recommendation that counts, I don't need a separate entry for tuna, canned, light, in water, and different ones for dark tuna in all its permutations, when ultimately, they fall into the same recommendation as other fish.
  
  The bottom line is that if you stick to the main diet book, and manage to work around the flaws in the way it was written, you won't need this guide. This book might be helpful if you are on Atkins or even Weight Watchers, however.
  
  UPDATE:
  
  Although the original edition listed only the total amount of fat for each entry, the new edition lists both total fat and saturated fat. It also lists recommendations based on the phase of the diet, which makes more sense than the former blanket recommendation.
  
  Saturated fats and trans-fats are culprits in a bad diet, so it's good to know the balance of "good fats" to "bad fats." Since trans fats are not listed, a reader cannot assume that whatever is not saturated is a "good fat." But since trans-fat levels will not be listed on nutrition labels until 2006, the advice given to read the ingredient list is the most sensible solution for now. This new way of listing fats is a welcome improvement, and the remaining issue with trans-fat listing is the fault of the food manufacturers, not the book.
  
  The new edition covers many more foods, but still lacks much of what was missing in the first edition. I had mentioned that Uncle Sam cereal was inexplicably missing from the tables, and now it is there. So are many others, especially ones that are co-branded Kraft/South Beach Diet foods. This latter point seems a bit self serving. I doubt that anybody would reasonably expect that South Beach Diet foods would not be compatible with the diet, so it really adds little practical value. Other commonly available cereals that may border on acceptability are still missing, and those are the ones I would use a guide for.
  
  As supermarkets add more and more whole grain foods, it would be helpful if they appeared in a guide such as this. For example, whole grain waffles that are as low in sugar and higher in fiber than SBD branded foods are now easy to find in the market, but are still not in this guide. Many common breakfast cereals are now marketed as whole grain and it's not necessarily clear why they are listed the way they are.
  
  I wondered why something like SBD Whole Grain Crunch was listed as "good" for phase two and three, but Cheerios is listed as "limited," meaning once a week at most. They are identical in calories and almost identical in carbohydrates. But the SBD cereal has four times the sugar and only a gram more fiber. Then I noticed that both this edition and the previous one list six grams of sugar for Cheerios, while the cereal package lists only one gram per serving. A taste test makes it clear that it's the book that's wrong here. While I doubt that it's a deliberate effort to promote his own foods over competing products, having a guide book with such gross errors raises questions. I don't need a book to tell me to avoid virtually all commercial cereals except for the South Beach Diet branded ones.
  
  The book continues to list total carbohydrates, while at the same time, telling the reader that total carbohydrates are irrelevant. Perhaps this column listing would help somebody who is on the Atkins diet, but the author is not recommending the Atkins diet.
  
  The second edition is an improvement over the first edition. If a food is listed as good for a given phase, it's probably a good food to eat. But if it's not listed, reading the ingredients and the nutrition label for the food is still the best bet. Skimming through the book may help to give an idea of what foods are good or bad, but if you are in a supermarket, the package in front of you may be a better indicator than the book.
  
  If you feel that it's more important to gain a strong understanding of how the diet works and to be able to figure out on your own what foods will work, then the main diet book is much more helful for that. If you are more interested in picking foods and using recipes because somebody gives it a stamp of approval, and you don't want to risk making a bad choice, then using this guide in conjunction with the South Beach Diet cook books will provide you with tools you need.
  
  

• Great companion to the South beach Diet Book

  
  By A1BS7OJHUQZO4H on 2004-01-05
  I just picked this up at our local Wal Mart. As the title indicates, this offers you a guide to the best foods that are low carb in nature and good fats which are typically so lacking in most diet programs.

  I love the South Beach Diet. Having been on and off Atkins too, the benefit of South Beach is more carbs and less fat. Protein is about the same. I have more energy with South Beach than with Atkins although sometimes to break a plateu, I will go back on Atkins.

  I highly recommend this books along with the South Beach Diet book to help you reach your weight loss goals.
  
  

• It works!

  
  By A20P5323RZ6GI9 on 2004-01-15
  So far i've lost 15 pounds on this diet, and only 5 more to go. My husband's lost 30 so far, but he has a lot more to go.

  The best thing about it is because after awhile you figure out what foods work best for you and what treats you can afford to have without gaining weight. It's also good for rebalancing sugar and cholesterol, and easier than atkins and more cholesterol conscious.

  Definately recommended.

  D
  
  

• Great Companion Reference
  By on 2004-01-02
  The "Good Fats/Good Carbs Guide" is a great little companion to "The South Beach Diet." It's helpful for quick food references when making food selections. It's geared toward the lifestyle approach of the South Beach plan, listing foods as "allowed, good, limited" etc. It has helpful suggestions when fast food is your only option and other difficult situations to maintain your healthy eating style.
  
  
• Great Companion!!
  By on 2003-12-27
  THE SOUTH BEACH DIET GOOD FATS, GOOD CARBS GUIDE is a well-organized and easy-to-use companion to THE SOUTH BEACH DIET. I've been on Dr. Agatston's plan since August and have lost 32 pounds. The Guide is an ideal quick reference -- especially for shopping and eating out -- for Phase 3 dieters.

  Much appreciated!
  
  

• Comprehensive
  By A22LX6529JJ166 on 2004-01-14
  To keep this short, there are many sources of information on "good fats" and "bad fats" and what foods contain "good carbs" and "bad carbs." Glycemic indexes are now realized to be extremely important for anyone who is monitoring what they eat for better lifestyle and health. If someone is fairly new to nutrition this can be helpful. There are and have been however, a plethora of these books as well as websites on the market covering this in the last few years. If you need the information it will help you, but think before you plunk down funds to buy what can be obtained for free.
  
  
• Its not a way of dieting, its a way of life
  By AZ7JGWDG37SK2 on 2004-04-28
  After trying numerous diets and excercise routines nothing has really helped. I have tried the Atkins diet which is a no carbohydrate diet, similar to the South Beach diet, but I gained the weight back in a week after going off.When I tried the South Beach diet I could still enjoy most of the foods I always had before.Most importantly I did not feel deprived or hungry at any time.The South Beach Diet book is an excellent tool to help you choose a meal plan that is healthy, satisfying, and invigorating. Although most low carb diets are known to be unhealthy the South Beach diet does not only restrict you to high protein, low carbohydrate,high fat foods. The South Beach Diet employs the differences between good carbohydrates and bad ones. It explains the significance of sugar, carbohydrates, and fat in ones diet plan. Agatson tells you exactly what to eat, how to cook it, and most importantly what to stay away from. Agatson also gives tips on what excercises to do and how often to do them. He shows how regular excercise can greatly increase your chances of losing weight, and keeping it off. The book also includes true success stories of people who have tried the diet and now live by it. I strongly recommend buying this book because it really helps to have a guideline to follow when trying to lose weight.Plus it really works!
  
  
• Great Supplemental Information
  By AMQS95OACZAQX on 2004-04-20
  The South Beach diet is a healthy alternative to the Atkins diet and allows enough variety in your diet to maintain a "healthy lifestyle, not just a diet." This is not a cookbook and offers only a few pages of discussion about the diet itself. Use this book as a supplement to the main South Beach Diet book. The book discusses the basic framework of the South Beach diet, including important information about the glycemic index of certain foods, which play a key role in insulin production and fat gain. The basic premise of the book, according to the author, is to help you "consume the right carbs and the right fats and learn to snack strategically."

  To teach you how to do this, the book categorizes carb rich foods according to good and poor choices. For example, whole grains, legumes, rice, and starchy vegetables are listed as good carbs, while crackers, pasta, white bread, and processed food products are bad. The bulk of this small paperback is dedicated to lists of foods with their respective carbs, fat, protein, and sugar listed in grams. In short, it is a reference book that supplements the information you get from "The South Beach Diet" book.

  Eating of course, is enjoyable, while dieting is a pain. However, having lost approximately 50 pounds over the past 18 months, I can tell you the pleasure of feeling and looking better is worth the inconvenience. Atkins helped me lose weight, but I could only take so much fatty foods, while longing for the crisp, clean taste of fresh fruit. I also read Dr. Phil's book and learned about how my emotions (stress, anger, boredom, etc) effect the way I eat. Trying to diet without understanding why you eat is an uphill battle, so I would recommend you try Dr. Phil and South Beach together.
  
  

• Helpful but there's better out there...
  By A2K3DB7X56UXLZ on 2004-07-22
  This guide seemed like the answer to my needs. I wanted something I could keep in the car as a guide for when I go shopping or to restaurants. However, it's failing in many respects.
  
  The guide doesn't give you actual net carb counts for items. Instead, it just rates them on good/average/poor, etc. There's no glycemic index indication or rating. The information for restaurants is very general. I would have liked to have seen charts for popular fast food chains, for example. And given that this is a South Beach branded guide, why oh why doesn't it mark each item with what phase it's acceptable for?
  
  There are plenty of better pocket guides out there. I'd recommend getting an up-to-date version of another guide instead. This one just seems to be capitalizing on a trend without actually providing useful information.
  
  
• Not Complete or Easy...
  By A7Y9MP7H8LYUE on 2004-04-26
  This is the most complete waste of money I have seen in quite some time. I am on the South Beach Diet and doing well. Love the diet! This book however, is loaded with foods to AVOID.... Duh! Like I have to have a detailed list of doughnuts to avoid... I think not! The reviews ahead of this book touted that it would be helpful for those of us finding ourselves in a restaurant or fast food situation. The best it does for the pitiful few of these types of foods it bothers to list is AVOID.... Well, my advice is to AVOID this book and save your money.... Common sense is a much better weapon against carbs and it doesn't cost you as much as this book will. I am going to sell my copy and try to recoup my loss. This is obviously a rush to print, costly little piece of fluff that misses the marks all round. How disappointing to actually see the contents of the book.... AFTER I bought it. Dr. you can do better and you should....
  
  
• Not a Complete Reference to Favorite Foods
  By on 2004-05-17
  Having purchased "The South Beach Diet", I thought that this would be a fairly comprehensive supplement of foods to avoid and foods which are acceptable. However, the book, which is only slightly over 100 pages to begin with, re-iterates much of what is in "The South Beach Diet" without the very informative sections about how our bodies process foods and without the specific details of the actual diet program. Unfortunately, the food list was far from exhaustive, failing to include even products like V-8 [even though vegetable juice cocktail is included in the suggested breakfast menus]. The jacket states that it has 1200 food listings, but that is not 1200 different foods. Many, many items have multiple listings. For instance, 4 listings for canned peaches, depending on syrup. 12 listings for different cookies, all of which are to be avoided, but none of the listings are for chocolate chip which would be a typical cookie. Bottom line: I was disappointed; this is OK book; not sure it is worth $8.00.
  
  
• It really works!
  By on 2004-05-24
  I purchased this book right before the new year. I had just seen the picture of the bride's maid's dress I was going to have to wear in front of 400 people in a matter of months. It took only a few minutes to read the narrative portion. I then took the thorough listing of foods that were good carbs/good fats and made a grocery list. Between December 27th and May 8th (the wedding day), I lost 30 pounds, dropped 4 pants sizes, and feel healthier than ever! I did not follow a meal plan and rarely used recipes. I just ate the foods that were allowed and didn't eat the ones that weren't. I highly reccommend this book!
  
  
• Portable Guide to What to Choose and What to Avoid on South Beach
  By A1K1JW1C5CUSUZ on 2005-08-24
  The South Beach diet was like a miracle for me. After several years of unsuccessful weight loss attempts on tiny caloric diets, the weight just dropped off me with the South Beach diet.
  
  I originally memorized some foods that I could always count on to be low fat and low glycemic. Over time, my wife would ask me if I could have food X or Y. Since this question always came up at the grocery store or in a restaurant, I couldn't answer her . . . because my copy of the South Beach diet was at home.
  
  I also found that I couldn't remember very well what a portion was without constantly referring to the original book. That was frustrating too.
  
  The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide proved to be a solution to all of these problems. It has all the information I want about what foods to eat and which to avoid . . . and what a portion size is. Whew! With this guide, the South Beach Diet becomes even easier . . . and tastier too. A lot of foods that I had been avoiding are actually all right on the diet.
  
  The size of this book will fit into almost any purse and jacket pocket. It will even fit into a hip pocket (but it won't be very comfortable to sit on).
  
  If you've liked the South Beach diet, I suggest that you give yourself the gift of this book as well.
  
  If you haven't tried the South Beach diet yet, I suggest that you buy both The South Beach Diet book and this one. You'll do even better, I think, if you do.
  
  Nice job, Dr. Agatston!
  
  
• For anyone wanting guidelines .....
  By on 2004-05-03
  It starts off with a short explanation of Good Fats & Bad Fats/ Good Carbs & Bad Carbs with a Trans-Fat Hot List. It talks a little about the Glycemic Index and Insulin. Then lists "Foods to Enjoy" for phases one & two.

  I was used to having butter, meat and cheese without worries about the fat content on Atkins. Not so with this diet which is all about balance. It says I can have beans but only some types while others are limited or to be avoided. It goes on to list beverages, types of breads & cereals, cheese, A LOT of the obviouse no no's, fruits & veggies, fats (butter), and meats & seafood. With 8 types of Beef Roasts listed who knew that some should be limited and even avoided. The same goes for ground meats, brisket, and pork. On Atkins plain hotdogs were unlimited but not so with South Beach.

  There are so many types of foods that sometimes it can become overwhelming without a little guidance. It's nice to know I can flip to the meat section or the bread section and know exactly what types are good, limited and to be avoided.

  One reviewer commented that it's all about what kind of donut to avoid which it's definitely not. It's about the type of meat, veggie, and fruit along with a portion size. It's a set of guidelines and bounderies for us to live by. It takes a lot of the guessing and mystery out of it. With a family and a full time job I LIKE THAT!
  
  

• So far So Good...
  By AS28WVBBZ3G99 on 2004-05-04
  I had done the Atkins diet and rebounded, gaining more than I had lost. My doctor and my dentist both recommended the South Beach Diet citing many of their patients who were sucessfully doing it.

  I asked my wife if she would go on it with me (easier with two pulling in the same direction!) and we've gotten through the first two weeks induction program (Phase 1) and into Phase 2.

  So far, so good. I dropped eleven pounds during the two week "boot camp" period and am down fifteen in week three.

  I really appreciate being able to eat fruits and a wider variety of vegetables. Especially grateful for whole grain breads. I believe that this is an eating program I won't get bored with and can stay until I lose my eighty pound goal.

  It's a little early to be writing a review but wanted to encourage those who might shy away from another "low carb" diet. I think it is a kinder and gentler program than pure Atkins. It certainly has much more variety and easier to stay on.
  
  

• Not Enough Numbers
  By A2BCQPWDDJ9DE on 2004-06-28
  As I understand it, one of the main premises of the South Beach Diet, is that its not just the amount of carbohydrates and fat that you eat that is important, but which fat (good or bad fats) and which carbohydrates (lower glycemic index).

  Thus, I was sutprised to find that the book did not break down the fat in each food by type of fat (saturated, trans, mono-unsat...), and simply listed the aggregate amount. Similarly, it lists the carbohydrates (separating out sugars), but not the glycemic index.

  I'm a scientific person and was hoping to find more useful numbers in a book that almost entirely consists of numbers.
  
  

• Handy little pocket guide
  By A2XPGNJ8YUPHM0 on 2006-03-07
  This is a small book, and it's meant as something you can easily tote to the grocery store with you to help you buy the right things from week to week. The South Beach Diet's guidelines are simple enough that for the most part, with a little experience, you won't need a book, but for the first few weeks we found this guide invaluable. It also acts as a great quick-reference from time to time when you need info on corner-cases and little things you can't remember, and as a sort of summary of the diet.
  
  The beginning of this guide answers a few frequently asked questions about the diet. For instance, do sugar alcohols (mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol) make viable sugar substitutes for the diet's purposes, or are you stuck with sucralose and the like? It also includes quick lists of good and bad foods for each of the diet's three phases. It serves as a good reminder that this is not a "carbs are evil!" diet, but rather a diet that encourages you to choose, as the title says, "good fats" and "good carbs."
  
  The end of the book includes a quick supermarket cheat sheet about items you can easily grab that'll fit into the diet, as well as a brief guide to dining out.
  
  The main attraction of the book, however, is its food listing. It contains extensive charts of foods, from beans and legumes to condiments, candy bars, fast food, sauces, nuts, pizza, poultry, meats, salad dressings, vegetables, and so on. Each of these comes with a handy set of check boxes for the various phases of the diet. A "G" in this box means that the food is good for you to eat during that phase. "L" is limited (once a week or so), "V" is very limited (once a month or so), and "A" is avoid. This makes it easy to tell at a glance whether it's okay to have something, and roughly how often, without having to get into all sorts of details. I found this contributed greatly over the first couple of weeks to my growing understanding of what I should and shouldn't eat.
  
  
• I can eat again!!!!!!
  By A3ALWNNGGKACA8 on 2004-05-11
  Finally I can eat again.I had my daughter two years ago and before her I was on Weight Watchers.I lost about 30 pounds and I was at my thinnest ever, 119pds.With pregnancy I gained 62 pounds and I still have to lose about 20 more pounds.I tried WW again and it just didn't work for me anymore.I was always hungry even when I stayed within my points.My friends and I calculated our caloric intake on WW and it was about 1100-1200 calories.Starvation!!!It wasn't enough.With South Beach I am not hungry and I watch what I eat I'm not panicking about how many points I have left for dinner.It's great and it does incorporate healthy eating like WW (low fat ).I own all 3 books and their great.
  
  
• Voodoo Science
  By A3SHD0NRV1BWCG on 2004-01-24
  The idea that maltose in beer is somehow guided to your belly and causes a "beer belly" is nonsense.

  Glucose is the simple sugar that is transported into our cells and then converted to energy by a series of oxidation-reduction reactions. Maltose is a disaccharide that consists of two glucose molecules linked in an alpha 1,4 glycosidic bond. Maltose is not absorbed from our intestines. It must be converted to a monosaccharide (glucose) before it can be absorbed---that's why the tips of our villi in our proximal small intestine contain enzymes that break disaccharides into monosaccharides. The enzyme maltase does it for maltose, lactase does it for lactose (glucose and galactose) and sucrase does it for sucrose (glucose and fructose.)

  Where then does the popular "beer-belly" scenario fit in? Sugars are converted to fat if there is an excess in the blood compared to current metabolic needs, but the idea that maltose, after it is split and absorbed has some sort of homing rader that leads it directly to the abdomen where it will be converted to fat is silly. As long as you are able to absorb the sugar, it will go wherever it is needed in the body. The real reason for the "beer belly" is that people who develop them are taking in way more carbohydrates than their current metabolic needs.

  Dr. Agatston appears to be a wine snob who doesn't know how to enjoy the complexity of a good tasting beer or two.
  
  

• Small & Compact Guide for a Great Diet
  By on 2004-01-27
  The diet is great because it allows more food types than other Atkin's type diets, but still allows for bigger portions of the right foods. There is a beginning strict phase and then a more laxed phase like Atkins. This seems more sensible than Atkins though. There are less hunger pains on this diet than other types of diets and the fat comes off fast. Good small guide for a great diet. I recommend to anyone who is trying to lose weight (or make positive changes of other types) the amazing book "Effortless Wellbeing" by Evan Finer. That book will give you a simple way to feel better no matter what you weigh, will help you win the weight loss battle, and help you stay tuned to what is important-- generally make your more powerful and successful. Wonderful highly recommended books!! Good luck!
  
  
• A good companion
  By A1EBN1RZVKSGPC on 2004-05-24
  I purchased this guide so that I could carry it in my glove compartment or my wife could put it in her purse. It list the foods to avoid, the foods to eat in moderation, and the foods that are recommended. You don't have to have this guide to succeed but it is a handy tool when you are shopping or dining out.
  
  
• Small & Compact Guide for a Great Diet
  By A2N4266JJ3L5EJ on 2004-11-10
  The diet is great because it allows more food types than other Atkin's type diets, but still allows for bigger portions of the right foods. There is a beginning strict phase and then a more laxed phase like Atkins. This seems more sensible than Atkins though. There are less hunger pains on this diet than other types of diets and the fat comes off fast. Good small guide for a great diet. I recommend to anyone who is trying to lose weight (or make positive changes of other types) the amazing book "Effortless Wellbeing" by Evan Finer. That book will give you a simple way to feel better no matter what you weigh, will help you win the weight loss battle, and help you stay tuned to what is important-- generally make your more powerful and successful. Wonderful highly recommended books!! Good luck!
  
  
  
  
• No usable Info
  By on 2004-04-20
  90% of this book list foods that should be avoided. There is no reason to list every type of doughnut or cake you should avoid. If you remove the listings of the foods to avoid the remainder is not worth the price.
  
  
• Bait and switch, but works
  By A27LJ7PPIDJCCP on 2004-07-11
  If you actually READ "South Beach Diet" as a book, from start to finish, the actual diet plan comes as quite a shock. Agatson goes on and on about the magic of carb-cutting as if it's a great trick that will have minimal impact on your eating habits--then lays out a diet that is classic calorie cutting and portion-size restriction. But I give him lots of credit for the recipes, which have become part of my repertoire regardless of dieting. Great salads and dressings, especially. Recommended if you can let go of the hype and accept that to lose weight, you need to better and eat less.
  
  
• sheunlimited.com Reviews "She Unlimited Magazine
  By A1LCP8W3S10ZSU on 2004-08-09
  There are masses of carbohydrate diets like the Atkins Diet and The Zone. Now Ham tons diet meets South Beach. I think most of us know the reason for it's creative principle of lowering cholesterol for Dr A`s patients and those with diabetes. The diets regimen is based on the consumption of complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean fats and proteins. It eliminates simple carbohydrates almost entirely (sweets, pasta, most bread, etc.) and aggressively restricts carbohydrate consumption during the weight loss phase of the diet, similar to Atkins.
  This type of diet is simply going to lower caloric intake for those who follow it, consequently weight loss. I still think calories count, although you can eat what you want from the allowed foods list, if you overtake in calories....well, some experience no weight loss. However over time your hungry will subside and you will then naturally take in a less amount of food.
  The book does focus on decreased carbohydrate consumption in a healthier manner, but the book falls into the trap of marketing itself in a similar manner as all fad diets: they clearly know what appeals to desperate, overweight people and they use the common buzzwords in this business such as, "lose weight fast", "13 Pounds in 2 weeks", "cravings were gone", "never unsatisfied." Overly optimistic claims are certainly dubious when lasting weight loss is difficult, as we all know.
  Which diet does not, how else to get the market moving without such BUZZ words. It is essential. And this diet makes diet sense. It is easy to follow, some find it hard finding the low fat ricotta cheese, but other then that it is a simple lay out plan for regular people and not geared toward the fitness enthusiastic.
  Keep in mind once you reach your goal you can have your loved (no so healthy foods) in moderation..
  It takes hard and adding some source of exercise into the program just helps to build you metabolism.
  
  sheunlimited.com Reviews "She Unlimited Magazine
  
  
• Good Fats/Good Carbs
  By A3DVLX4BIQ10Z8 on 2006-03-22
  This is a great book to carry with you all the time. It summarizes the diet and gives a handy reference to what foods you can eat for each phase of the diet. I keep this in my purse all the time. I'm now in the 4th week of the diet and have lost 12 pounds. I'm never hungry and feel better than I have for years. The book and diet are easy to follow.
  
  
• Good Companinon Guide to South Beach Diet
  By A1CYTBE7LLUQ8F on 2004-06-10
  I rate the original South Beach Diet Book 5+ stars. I lost 10lbs in five weeks and eventually a total of 14lbs. More importantly I have kept it off. At first glance I was disappointed with the Good Fats Good Carbs guide as it seemed to review much of the original book. However, I'm now quite happy with the guide. Before buying the guide I often wondered about certain foods. Now I can eat a wider variety of foods with confidence.
  
  
• An Amazing Follow up to the Book about the Diet
  By A1TKM36EYEQNSM on 2004-04-17
  For anyone who wants to keep up with a diet idea and plan, this book is a great source of information regarding what to eat and how to replace things in your family or individual meal plan.

  There is an interesting introduction to trans-fats that lists the foods that tend to have those in them. There is a list of what to eat and what not to eat, what specifically to avoid, what you can substitute and the amounts.

  I like the section telling you what to eat at various restaurants and types of eating establishments in the back of the book.

  If you are on the South Beach Diet or planning to be on it, then this book will be a great guide in getting you through it.

  Joe Slevin
  
  

• Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

• The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss
• The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less
• The South Beach Diet Dining Guide: Your Reference Guide to Restaurants Across America
• The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life
• The South Beach Diet Cookbook