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The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life
the all-new The South Beach Diet Supercharged, Dr. Arthur Agatston shows you how to rev up your metabolism and lose weight faster while following the proven healthy eating principles of the original choose good carbohydrates, good fats, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. Collaborating with Dr. Joseph Signorile, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Miami, Dr. Agatston presents a cutting-edge, three-phase workout that perfectly complements the three phases of the diet itself. Based on the latest exercise science, this ease-into-it fitness program combines low- and high-intensity interval exercise with a focus on walking and functional core body-toning exercises. The You'll feel better and you'll burn more fat and calories all day long.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2008
952 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Agatston
52 books26 followersArthur Agatston is an American cardiologist and celebrity doctor best known as the developer of the South Beach Diet, but also as the author of many published scholarly papers in the field of noninvasive cardiac diagnostics. His scientific research led to the Agatston score for measuring coronary artery calcium.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
May 21, 2008
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 The South Beach Diet 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 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 Arthur Atgatson has updated and more than republished his old SBD book, this one is completely an upgrade. The South Beach Diet Supercharged 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.
Well, now Arthur Atgatson has updated and more than republished his old SBD book, this one is completely an upgrade. The South Beach Diet Supercharged 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.
August 27, 2016
I don't read a lot of diet and fitness books, so I'm approaching this review not as an expert but as a 'regular joe' reader. I started the diet as a New Years' resolution at the recommendation of a doctor. I'm glad I had the book because I referred to it many times, but you could probably get away without buying it if you were already pretty dedicated.
It's divided into three sections: first, an explanation of why this diet is supposed to work. Second comes a breakdown of the three phases of the diet, with an explanation, food list, and sample menu. Third is a workout routine, with drawings of how to complete the workouts and generally why it's a good idea.
I found the first section, the explanation, sufficiently detailed to convince me that Arther Agatston is a real doctor who believes in the science behind his diet. The nerd in me would have liked some annotations of studies to look up research on my own, but Agatston used medical terminology where appropriate and made the language relatable but not overly simplified. I like that. I found the argument mostly compelling and had confidence that South Beach was not some crazy fad diet but was a plausible way to eat for a short period of time for weight loss purposes.
The actual breakdown of the three phases of the diet was helpful. I liked the sample meal plan in particular, even though it was quickly apparent that there was no way I was going to have that much diversity in my diet: if I made a snack one day, odds were good that I was eating that snack for the next four days, so I had better like it. So I wouldn't say the sample was necessarily realistic or practical, but it was a good model to work off of. The three phases are broken down well, easy to understand, and I really appreciated that Agatston goes out of his way to insist that the most restrictive phase, while the fastest at inducing weight loss, is no practical way to eat all the time. Indeed, this gave me a lot more faith in him as a doctor, too.
I mostly ignored the exercise portions. It quickly became obvious that the target audience for the book as a whole was middle-aged people who had never performed exercise and who were much more overweight and out of practice than I am. Because I had already completed a Couch to 5K running program in addition to weekly dance classes, I feel like I'm advanced pretty far past this baseline group and the exercises were not relevant or useful to me. So I skipped that whole section.
Also, the book is shiny. This was probably floated as a great marketing idea, because it certainly draws attention, but if you're like me and a little embarrassed to admit that you're on a diet, this basically means you don't want to take the book anywhere or read it in public because it is SO eye-catching that everyone is sure to know. I have the paperback version, and that nicely fits in a purse or maybe even a pocket, so I took it to the grocery store once, but the distracting cover made me self-conscious and uncomfortable.
As for the diet itself: I found it was successful, but difficult. I did not "cheat" in the critical first phase, but that also meant I spent far more than my normal food budget in order to prepare the approved foods and was not able to eat at any restaurant. Even in the later phases, eating at a restaurant is ridiculously challenging and it's hard to not inadvertently "cheat." While that's plausible in an ideal dieting world, in real life a lot of social interaction happens in restaurants. Not eating there meant skipping a lot of social time.
It also meant devoting a great deal of energy and focus on what the heck I was going to eat. I had to plan more intensely for every single meal; there are no shortcuts on this diet. Be prepared to spend a lot of time chopping vegetables. In fact, this diet is the one thing that has made me really want to get a food processor. I struggle to imagine what this would be like for someone who also had to cook for a family.
That's my other criticism of the diet: though Agatston claims that it is workable on any budget, I have a hard time believing that is true. I blew my typical grocery AND restaurant budget out of the water on grocery items alone, and that was even when I looked for bargains. For some things, you practically are required to shop at a store like Sprouts or Whole Foods just to find something (please, no one makes wheat tortillas. That's just crazy, man), and those types of stores are not cheap.
It may be plausible in theory to stick to this diet on a low-income budget, but you'll be eating the same thing every single meal, which doesn't sound like a recipe for success to me. This is very much a diet dreamed up by a middle-aged, wealthy man. Who maybe as a personal chef to spend all day laboring over difficult to prepare, multi-step recipes. Or at least has an hour to cook a lunch from scratch rather than trying to pack something.
I have found the diet successful and am mostly continuing on phase 2 until I meet my goal, but after completing the initial 8 weeks I broke and let myself eat a burger. And it was delicious, proving that Agatston's premise that food from "before" wouldn't be as appealing is absolutely crazy. Besides, I needed a mini "food vacation," just to relax from some of the rigor of trying to maintain such a restrictive diet. I'll continue, and it was successful, but I don't know that I'll worry about following it to the letter.
It's divided into three sections: first, an explanation of why this diet is supposed to work. Second comes a breakdown of the three phases of the diet, with an explanation, food list, and sample menu. Third is a workout routine, with drawings of how to complete the workouts and generally why it's a good idea.
I found the first section, the explanation, sufficiently detailed to convince me that Arther Agatston is a real doctor who believes in the science behind his diet. The nerd in me would have liked some annotations of studies to look up research on my own, but Agatston used medical terminology where appropriate and made the language relatable but not overly simplified. I like that. I found the argument mostly compelling and had confidence that South Beach was not some crazy fad diet but was a plausible way to eat for a short period of time for weight loss purposes.
The actual breakdown of the three phases of the diet was helpful. I liked the sample meal plan in particular, even though it was quickly apparent that there was no way I was going to have that much diversity in my diet: if I made a snack one day, odds were good that I was eating that snack for the next four days, so I had better like it. So I wouldn't say the sample was necessarily realistic or practical, but it was a good model to work off of. The three phases are broken down well, easy to understand, and I really appreciated that Agatston goes out of his way to insist that the most restrictive phase, while the fastest at inducing weight loss, is no practical way to eat all the time. Indeed, this gave me a lot more faith in him as a doctor, too.
I mostly ignored the exercise portions. It quickly became obvious that the target audience for the book as a whole was middle-aged people who had never performed exercise and who were much more overweight and out of practice than I am. Because I had already completed a Couch to 5K running program in addition to weekly dance classes, I feel like I'm advanced pretty far past this baseline group and the exercises were not relevant or useful to me. So I skipped that whole section.
Also, the book is shiny. This was probably floated as a great marketing idea, because it certainly draws attention, but if you're like me and a little embarrassed to admit that you're on a diet, this basically means you don't want to take the book anywhere or read it in public because it is SO eye-catching that everyone is sure to know. I have the paperback version, and that nicely fits in a purse or maybe even a pocket, so I took it to the grocery store once, but the distracting cover made me self-conscious and uncomfortable.
As for the diet itself: I found it was successful, but difficult. I did not "cheat" in the critical first phase, but that also meant I spent far more than my normal food budget in order to prepare the approved foods and was not able to eat at any restaurant. Even in the later phases, eating at a restaurant is ridiculously challenging and it's hard to not inadvertently "cheat." While that's plausible in an ideal dieting world, in real life a lot of social interaction happens in restaurants. Not eating there meant skipping a lot of social time.
It also meant devoting a great deal of energy and focus on what the heck I was going to eat. I had to plan more intensely for every single meal; there are no shortcuts on this diet. Be prepared to spend a lot of time chopping vegetables. In fact, this diet is the one thing that has made me really want to get a food processor. I struggle to imagine what this would be like for someone who also had to cook for a family.
That's my other criticism of the diet: though Agatston claims that it is workable on any budget, I have a hard time believing that is true. I blew my typical grocery AND restaurant budget out of the water on grocery items alone, and that was even when I looked for bargains. For some things, you practically are required to shop at a store like Sprouts or Whole Foods just to find something (please, no one makes wheat tortillas. That's just crazy, man), and those types of stores are not cheap.
It may be plausible in theory to stick to this diet on a low-income budget, but you'll be eating the same thing every single meal, which doesn't sound like a recipe for success to me. This is very much a diet dreamed up by a middle-aged, wealthy man. Who maybe as a personal chef to spend all day laboring over difficult to prepare, multi-step recipes. Or at least has an hour to cook a lunch from scratch rather than trying to pack something.
I have found the diet successful and am mostly continuing on phase 2 until I meet my goal, but after completing the initial 8 weeks I broke and let myself eat a burger. And it was delicious, proving that Agatston's premise that food from "before" wouldn't be as appealing is absolutely crazy. Besides, I needed a mini "food vacation," just to relax from some of the rigor of trying to maintain such a restrictive diet. I'll continue, and it was successful, but I don't know that I'll worry about following it to the letter.
November 13, 2017
I have read and revisited this book several times over the years (as I have the 2 original cookbooks). What I have always liked is that the plan works for me and I like the menu suggestions made in the book, even if I substitute.
This most recent revisiting is due to the exercise suggestions. They are extremely helpful and worth your time if you have been ill, are recovering or if you have been inactive.
Highly recommended.
This most recent revisiting is due to the exercise suggestions. They are extremely helpful and worth your time if you have been ill, are recovering or if you have been inactive.
Highly recommended.
August 30, 2018
The SBD continues to be the best lifestyle diet you can follow. And the new edition includes updated info from the myriad studies conducted in the 5 years since the first addition, as well as an integrated fitness regimen. This is the complete program that the first edition should have been.
October 29, 2017
Thank you!
South Beach Diet! Great Way to Loose Weight and eat healthily.
South Beach Rocks ! SOuth Beach Rock !!!!South BEch Rocks!!
South Beach Diet! Great Way to Loose Weight and eat healthily.
South Beach Rocks ! SOuth Beach Rock !!!!South BEch Rocks!!
December 30, 2017
Very educational
A lot of examples to live by that gives you the knowledge to make good choices. I really like this book.
A lot of examples to live by that gives you the knowledge to make good choices. I really like this book.
May 20, 2018
Step by Step Guide
Great diet resource with descriptive benefits of the change. Recipe, exercise routines, and testimonials were the best part of the book.
Great diet resource with descriptive benefits of the change. Recipe, exercise routines, and testimonials were the best part of the book.
September 11, 2018
Review of previous books
I was looking for more recipes. Not much new here. The exercises were ok but probably hard for non athletes!
I was looking for more recipes. Not much new here. The exercises were ok but probably hard for non athletes!
March 2, 2019
The book is definitely fantastic.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 31, 2021
Very boring recipes!
March 2, 2025
We're back.
Tried this before. Need it more than ever now. Hubby had to commit to make it work. He Finnair did. Recipes are great.
Tried this before. Need it more than ever now. Hubby had to commit to make it work. He Finnair did. Recipes are great.
August 3, 2008
This book/diet is not very helpful. The first 1/3 of the book gives a lot of background information and statistics. It is interesting and helps you to understand the obesity epidemic in America. The book then goes into explaining the daily exercises. They instruct the reader to alternate between interval walking and core strength training exercises. The author then continues to explain the three phases of the South Beach Diet. Phase I is explained fairly thoroughly. Phase II is also explained pretty well, but I was unsure as to what I should continue or stop in Phase II that I was doing in Phase I. There is not much explanation to Phase III at all. The author also says that once you’ve completed Phase I, you should not go back to it because that, essentially, is yo-yo dieting which is not good. However, the author includes dieter testimonials in which individuals explain that when they are having a hard time loosing weight after they are on Phase II and III, they go back to Phase I. This is quite contradictory.
On days I do the interval walking, I tend to loose a pound. However, I’m doing much more walking than they suggest (I walk about a 5k). Unfortunately, I gain that pound back the next day when I do the core strength training. The core strength training exercises are really easy and are more of a stretching routine than they are a strength training workout. I know a lot of people are excited about this because they want an easy workout - but this is just too easy… honestly, it’s a waste of 20 minutes and I’m shocked to think that someone with a Ph.D. created these exercises.
It is said that you can loose over 10 pounds on Phase I of the diet, which lasts only two weeks. The author himself states that this is when a dieter will loose a lot of weight the fastest. However, I’m at the end of week 1 and I’ve only lost 0.8 pounds. If I stay at this rate, I will have lost about 1.5-2 lbs. over a two week period. If my weight loss slows in Phase II, which the author says is to be expected, then I will not be loosing anything at all.
The author also explains that the main goal of Phase I is to reduce cravings for sugary foods and carbohydrates. Midday today I had a mean craving for a whole grain bagel and gave in. So much for those reduced cravings.
Unfortunately, this book has not worked for me. My mom didn't have much success either. We did this together, and it is said that there is strength in numbers when dieting. Apparently, that is not true with this program. I would be interested to see what everyone else has to say and if anyone has had any success. Please feel free to leave comments.
UPDATE: The book says that you can drink sugar-free drinks (i.e. Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, coffee w/ low-fat creamer and artificial sweetners). However, my mom went onto the website - that you have to pay to join - and found out you are not suppose to drink caffinated [ sic ] drinks. This is just another example of the billion dollar diet industry making you fat just so they can convince you to buy more of their products... creating a trillion dollar industry.
On days I do the interval walking, I tend to loose a pound. However, I’m doing much more walking than they suggest (I walk about a 5k). Unfortunately, I gain that pound back the next day when I do the core strength training. The core strength training exercises are really easy and are more of a stretching routine than they are a strength training workout. I know a lot of people are excited about this because they want an easy workout - but this is just too easy… honestly, it’s a waste of 20 minutes and I’m shocked to think that someone with a Ph.D. created these exercises.
It is said that you can loose over 10 pounds on Phase I of the diet, which lasts only two weeks. The author himself states that this is when a dieter will loose a lot of weight the fastest. However, I’m at the end of week 1 and I’ve only lost 0.8 pounds. If I stay at this rate, I will have lost about 1.5-2 lbs. over a two week period. If my weight loss slows in Phase II, which the author says is to be expected, then I will not be loosing anything at all.
The author also explains that the main goal of Phase I is to reduce cravings for sugary foods and carbohydrates. Midday today I had a mean craving for a whole grain bagel and gave in. So much for those reduced cravings.
Unfortunately, this book has not worked for me. My mom didn't have much success either. We did this together, and it is said that there is strength in numbers when dieting. Apparently, that is not true with this program. I would be interested to see what everyone else has to say and if anyone has had any success. Please feel free to leave comments.
UPDATE: The book says that you can drink sugar-free drinks (i.e. Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, coffee w/ low-fat creamer and artificial sweetners). However, my mom went onto the website - that you have to pay to join - and found out you are not suppose to drink caffinated [ sic ] drinks. This is just another example of the billion dollar diet industry making you fat just so they can convince you to buy more of their products... creating a trillion dollar industry.
July 29, 2010
UPDATE to my review:
My cholesterol is down 40 points, my tryglycerides are down 75 points. All that after just few weeks of following Dr. Agatston recommendation. And I have cheated more than once!! Now have to keep it up. Phase 3 for life...
If you need to lower your cholesterol, triglycerides, etc, or just to loose weight this is a very smart book. Dr. Arthur Agatson, cardiologist, has developed this diet to help his patients strugling with these all these issues. He explains in details how certain foods affect our heart, what's good, what's not. I am very rational person, so this kind of talk gets too my imagination. And this edidtion _Supercharged" has more information than the original book, as the latest years brought us a lot of new research and information about our dietery needs.
Basic concepts:
- bad carbs, vs. good carbs. Replace refined grains with whole grain version (bread, pasta, rice, etc). For our organism converts these complex carbohydrates into simple sugars quickly, it is almost like eating candies.Whole grains have nutritients and slow the digetsion process (which is important)
- limit amount of carbohydrated in your diet
- introduction of glycemic index (how much your blood sugar rises after eating certain food), try to choose the food with low glycemic values (vegies the best)
- fish and seafod - for its Omega 3
- good fats vs. bad fats.- Use olive oil, avoid trans fat, etc.
There are 3 phases in The South Beach Diet, with the first one lasting only 2 weeks, and not being neccessary for everybody. This is the hardest part, I call it "carb rehab" - no carbs: bread, pasta, rice, cereal, fruit. The purpose is to stabilize the blood sugar level which should help with the cravings. I am trying this now, not easy, although the worst part is not eating fruit, and I was worried about the bread:):)
Second phase: adding back these good carbs. It lasts until the desired weight has been reached.
Third phase - keeping this weight. Should last for life............
Add importance of interval excercise and you are young, slim, healthy and happy again.......... Just dreaming, I wish it was so easy.
Even If I don't stay on this religiolously, it did teach me a lot about how we should eat, what's important, what shoud be avoided. Next blood test in two weeks, we'll see...
My cholesterol is down 40 points, my tryglycerides are down 75 points. All that after just few weeks of following Dr. Agatston recommendation. And I have cheated more than once!! Now have to keep it up. Phase 3 for life...
If you need to lower your cholesterol, triglycerides, etc, or just to loose weight this is a very smart book. Dr. Arthur Agatson, cardiologist, has developed this diet to help his patients strugling with these all these issues. He explains in details how certain foods affect our heart, what's good, what's not. I am very rational person, so this kind of talk gets too my imagination. And this edidtion _Supercharged" has more information than the original book, as the latest years brought us a lot of new research and information about our dietery needs.
Basic concepts:
- bad carbs, vs. good carbs. Replace refined grains with whole grain version (bread, pasta, rice, etc). For our organism converts these complex carbohydrates into simple sugars quickly, it is almost like eating candies.Whole grains have nutritients and slow the digetsion process (which is important)
- limit amount of carbohydrated in your diet
- introduction of glycemic index (how much your blood sugar rises after eating certain food), try to choose the food with low glycemic values (vegies the best)
- fish and seafod - for its Omega 3
- good fats vs. bad fats.- Use olive oil, avoid trans fat, etc.
There are 3 phases in The South Beach Diet, with the first one lasting only 2 weeks, and not being neccessary for everybody. This is the hardest part, I call it "carb rehab" - no carbs: bread, pasta, rice, cereal, fruit. The purpose is to stabilize the blood sugar level which should help with the cravings. I am trying this now, not easy, although the worst part is not eating fruit, and I was worried about the bread:):)
Second phase: adding back these good carbs. It lasts until the desired weight has been reached.
Third phase - keeping this weight. Should last for life............
Add importance of interval excercise and you are young, slim, healthy and happy again.......... Just dreaming, I wish it was so easy.
Even If I don't stay on this religiolously, it did teach me a lot about how we should eat, what's important, what shoud be avoided. Next blood test in two weeks, we'll see...
June 29, 2008
Actually, I couldn't fully implement the diet because I am pregnant right now. But I will probably try once the baby is born so I can get rid of the post-pregnancy flab.
The exersizes looked great and really simple and similar to what a one-on-one trainer at the gym would do with you (I know, I've used a trainer before). I liked how they had a schedule and how to switch up the excersizes from day to day. I love to excersize and find it mentally therapeutic (and a good getaway from the kids), so I don't think that'll be a real hard thing to implement. I just really love food, and have actually become a pretty good cook in the last few years. So the diet portion is where I foresee the trouble.
I did try some of the recipes though. Quite disappointed with the recipes, I must say. Had ingredients like kale, capers, jicama, and a lot of other high-priced foods not normal to any mother of (soon to be) three kids' diet. Recipes weren't that simple and very few had any meat. It seemed like eggs were almost the only protein allowed the first week. Sorry, I can't eat eggs every day. I can see with the ingredients listed that you might lose weight, because you would choose to starve rather than suffer through another meal of cauliflower soup that's ground down to the texture of grits or kale floating in vegetable broth. I think you could probably also clear out a room with all the bad gas that you would create from the unusual foods.
When I try the diet, I don't think I will be using their recipes in this book but I will try sticking to their strict dietary guidelines.
The exersizes looked great and really simple and similar to what a one-on-one trainer at the gym would do with you (I know, I've used a trainer before). I liked how they had a schedule and how to switch up the excersizes from day to day. I love to excersize and find it mentally therapeutic (and a good getaway from the kids), so I don't think that'll be a real hard thing to implement. I just really love food, and have actually become a pretty good cook in the last few years. So the diet portion is where I foresee the trouble.
I did try some of the recipes though. Quite disappointed with the recipes, I must say. Had ingredients like kale, capers, jicama, and a lot of other high-priced foods not normal to any mother of (soon to be) three kids' diet. Recipes weren't that simple and very few had any meat. It seemed like eggs were almost the only protein allowed the first week. Sorry, I can't eat eggs every day. I can see with the ingredients listed that you might lose weight, because you would choose to starve rather than suffer through another meal of cauliflower soup that's ground down to the texture of grits or kale floating in vegetable broth. I think you could probably also clear out a room with all the bad gas that you would create from the unusual foods.
When I try the diet, I don't think I will be using their recipes in this book but I will try sticking to their strict dietary guidelines.
February 4, 2011
A good update of South Beach Diet: Original Recipe. Essentially, it's just the South Beach Diet plus interval training (to increase metabolism) and core muscle development. Agatston has added more recipes, of course, and lots of success stories, as well as a whole slew of studies supporting the science and results of the the South Beach Diet. And while of course he touts his own diet, from what I understand, this is one of the better ones. Not only does it help people lose weight, but it's supposed to do wonders for your blood chemistry. Agatston, a cardiologist, is more about being healthy than skinny. His main concerns are diabetes, prediabetes, and heart and cholesterol issues.
And the food really IS pretty good and satisfying (I've tried it on and off before). The trick is, it's mostly fresh stuff that doesn't keep well (which means lots of potentially time consuming trips to the grocery store) and stuff you make yourself (which consumes yet more time). I would like to try this, but I worry about having enough time to do it well. All too often I come home starving and create something from whatever non-perishable items I happen to have on the shelf. Successful completion of the South Beach Diet requires a less haphazard approach, and more meal planning.
Whether or not you end up trying the diet, though, Agatston does a good job of explaining why it works. The book definitely motivates you to improve your diet and exercise. And it's a fast read, since the last half of the book is mostly the step-by-step exercise plan and recipes and meal plans for the different phases.
And the food really IS pretty good and satisfying (I've tried it on and off before). The trick is, it's mostly fresh stuff that doesn't keep well (which means lots of potentially time consuming trips to the grocery store) and stuff you make yourself (which consumes yet more time). I would like to try this, but I worry about having enough time to do it well. All too often I come home starving and create something from whatever non-perishable items I happen to have on the shelf. Successful completion of the South Beach Diet requires a less haphazard approach, and more meal planning.
Whether or not you end up trying the diet, though, Agatston does a good job of explaining why it works. The book definitely motivates you to improve your diet and exercise. And it's a fast read, since the last half of the book is mostly the step-by-step exercise plan and recipes and meal plans for the different phases.
January 3, 2013
It's not exactly a rehash of the first book. It brings in more of a complete change for life by incorporating some exercises that are easy to do and yet will help you greatly increase you're endurance and physical fitness.
The diet itself works but when you include the exercises I'm sure it's going to put this diet ahead of everyone.
I purchased this book to help keep my numbers down. I'm 32 and even though I'm not overweight my numbers are all out of whack. This helps regulate my cholesterol and triglycerides not to mention my blood glucose. It's amazing the difference you see in only two weeks.
I really like this diet. I hate calling it that because really it's a way of life. There are 3 stages. The first phase is phase 1 where you have low glycemic index foods. No bad carbohydrates or certain vegetables, no fruit or juices. It sort of clears out the bad stuff and breaks the cravings for bad carbs.
I can't stress how well this worked for me the first time I tried it. Now that I have coworkers trying to get healthy as well I feel motivated to start again. I feel like this is just the book and guidance to help.
One thing that I didn't like about this book was the layout. I would be reading and in the middle of a sentence it would start with a success story from someone who's been on the diet. I love the stories I just didn't like how they were placed in the book. It was difficult to follow.
The diet itself works but when you include the exercises I'm sure it's going to put this diet ahead of everyone.
I purchased this book to help keep my numbers down. I'm 32 and even though I'm not overweight my numbers are all out of whack. This helps regulate my cholesterol and triglycerides not to mention my blood glucose. It's amazing the difference you see in only two weeks.
I really like this diet. I hate calling it that because really it's a way of life. There are 3 stages. The first phase is phase 1 where you have low glycemic index foods. No bad carbohydrates or certain vegetables, no fruit or juices. It sort of clears out the bad stuff and breaks the cravings for bad carbs.
I can't stress how well this worked for me the first time I tried it. Now that I have coworkers trying to get healthy as well I feel motivated to start again. I feel like this is just the book and guidance to help.
One thing that I didn't like about this book was the layout. I would be reading and in the middle of a sentence it would start with a success story from someone who's been on the diet. I love the stories I just didn't like how they were placed in the book. It was difficult to follow.
October 28, 2010
It's pretty pointless to review this book as literature but, hell, that's the way I roll.
That being the case, my main issue with this book is its extreme overlength. Never before have I seen such an egregious case of padding- even for a self-help book (moreover, even for the probably unnecessary sequel to a self-help book, as this so clearly is). All of author Dr. Agatston's "wisdom" could easily have been parlayed in a 40 page brochure with room to spare.
Oh well...why bother complaining.
What's genuinely cool about this book is that (in its very roundabout way...) is that what it presents is a sustainable "eating lifestyle" (my term), rather than some fad diet. I'd always thought multigrain bread was for old people and yuppies, but now I realize how my choice of marshmallow-like white bread has contributed to my spare tire and general feeling of sluggishness over the years. This book gives you frank, practical info about how to take better care of yourself in general nutrition-wise, which is great.
Ignore the foofy, faddish-sounding title, this book has me legitimately, well, supercharged. Just be prepared to skip around all the, well, fat.
That being the case, my main issue with this book is its extreme overlength. Never before have I seen such an egregious case of padding- even for a self-help book (moreover, even for the probably unnecessary sequel to a self-help book, as this so clearly is). All of author Dr. Agatston's "wisdom" could easily have been parlayed in a 40 page brochure with room to spare.
Oh well...why bother complaining.
What's genuinely cool about this book is that (in its very roundabout way...) is that what it presents is a sustainable "eating lifestyle" (my term), rather than some fad diet. I'd always thought multigrain bread was for old people and yuppies, but now I realize how my choice of marshmallow-like white bread has contributed to my spare tire and general feeling of sluggishness over the years. This book gives you frank, practical info about how to take better care of yourself in general nutrition-wise, which is great.
Ignore the foofy, faddish-sounding title, this book has me legitimately, well, supercharged. Just be prepared to skip around all the, well, fat.
August 10, 2013
This book is ideal for those looking to normalize their weight, speed up their metabolism, reduce or eliminate junk food cravings, and rebalance their blood sugar levels. The diet consists of multiple stages so as to allow the body to gradually adapt to the dietary changes and resulting improvements in overall functioning. The diet is based on fresh foods leading to an increase in nutrient intake and improvements in mood, energy, and fat burn. The author presents the diet more as a lifestyle that boosts wellness and prevents disease, particularly important to the growing numbers of ailing baby boomers. ... Book Review: The South Beach Diet Supercharged – Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life By Arthur Agatston, MD with Joseph Signorile, PhD » Katarina Nolte
http://katarinanolte.com/WordPressBlo...
http://katarinanolte.com/WordPressBlo...
June 4, 2009
Five years after publication of the #1 international blockbuster bestseller, The South Beach Diet, renowned cardiologist, Arthur Agatston, M.D. releases The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life.
In the original South Beach Diet book, Dr. Agatston changed the way America eats, with his right carbs, right fats approach. Now his mission is to change the way America lives, not only by helping people lose weight and eat healthfully but also by becoming more fit.
We met Arthur Agatston when he visited the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. You can listen to him talk about The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life here:
http://www.authorsontourlive.com/?p=138
In the original South Beach Diet book, Dr. Agatston changed the way America eats, with his right carbs, right fats approach. Now his mission is to change the way America lives, not only by helping people lose weight and eat healthfully but also by becoming more fit.
We met Arthur Agatston when he visited the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. You can listen to him talk about The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life here:
http://www.authorsontourlive.com/?p=138
January 12, 2010
Immediately after I bought the South Beach Diet book at a thrift store I found this updated edition. Thought this newer SBD book repeats information from the first book it also includes research that has been done in the last 5 years since the diet has been out on the market. It also includes an extended food list and new recipes. If you're interested in the SBD I would suggest reading both of these books in the order of which they were written. Even if you don't need to lose weight you'll learn a lot from these books about eating healthy and I am sure you'll know someone you can pass the books onto who would benefit from them. I also think these books would be great for parents to read to learn how to feed their kids nutritiously.
September 11, 2011
Great for anyone interested in trying the diet. The first half is a lot of science talk and testimonial. But if you're a believer and just want some guidance, skip to the Diet section in the second half. There are exercises in the book, but kind of sissy la la moves that are a little too basic for me. There are lot of recipes and a sample meal plan. For anyone who wants to try the South Beach Diet, I recommend they BUY the book, and take it with you as much as possible until you have a full understanding of the foods to enjoy and the foods to avoid. Having it with me when I am eating out or at the grocery store has helped tremendously!
October 18, 2008
I have been using the first book, The South Beach Diet, and loved it. This is even better. The recipes are really good, and my husband and I love to try them out. Phase 2 has been changed a little, which is better and makes more sense. Phase 3 is basically gone: you just keep eating sensibly. So I do go back the original book for more Phase 3 ideas. The exercises--well I tried them. I prefer to use the ones from You On a Diet and incorporate some of the ones in this book along with those.
December 11, 2008
I really think that, if you have that standard eat-everything American eating habits, the South Beach diet is the healthiest way of living. Besides Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 incorporate all the best , most healthy food in a way to optimize wellness in your physical being.
This book talks about exercise, which must be incorporated in your life to keep your body feeling good. What I liked was that the interval training techniques allow you to ramp up your exercise results, keeping within a short amount of time each day!
I am going to try it! Anyone with me?
This book talks about exercise, which must be incorporated in your life to keep your body feeling good. What I liked was that the interval training techniques allow you to ramp up your exercise results, keeping within a short amount of time each day!
I am going to try it! Anyone with me?
October 12, 2011
Awesome. More recipes and an extended food list is well worth having the book. But also Dr. Agatston addresses the issue of exercise and how we've been doing it wrong. What?
He Introduces High Intensity Interval Training! (Which will greatly increase your metabolism.) Done in 20 minutes, you'll be exhausted...both my hubby and I got over our weight loss plateau and have begun to REALLY drop the pounds. So far we've both lost around 15 lbs each and still counting. (And we're eating tons.)
I highly recommend the book if you want that extra kick in your diet plan.
He Introduces High Intensity Interval Training! (Which will greatly increase your metabolism.) Done in 20 minutes, you'll be exhausted...both my hubby and I got over our weight loss plateau and have begun to REALLY drop the pounds. So far we've both lost around 15 lbs each and still counting. (And we're eating tons.)
I highly recommend the book if you want that extra kick in your diet plan.
July 21, 2012
My doctor instructed me to pick up this book and follow a low-fat, low-glycemic index diet to improve some pretty negative looking cholesterol numbers. I like the philosophy of there being good and bad carbs, good and bad fats, etc. Seems intuitive that the quality of the food you put in your body would affect your health, not just macro nutrients. I had this in audiobook form and have to say the narration was a bit lacking, especially when they read out loud exercise descriptions and food lists (talk about boring), but the content was easy to understand and well presented.
March 21, 2011
The only difference I could see in this book and the original South Beach Diet book was that this one added some specific exercises and more recipes. I tried Phase One for about 4 days...then my carb cravings overcame my good sense, and I thought, "I really HATE diets." So I quit. But it is a sensible diet with some great recipes that I will still make. I'm waiting for that diet where you can truly eat anything and everything and still lose weight. Down with deprivation!!!!
November 23, 2011
After a few weeks, I dropped off this diet but still managed to lose 8 pounds and keep it off. The principles are sound and it made me a lot more aware of what foods to go to. It also helped curb my sweet tooth, so for that reason alone it was worth it.
In the end, however, I just found it so restrictive that I couldn't stick to it. I just switched to Weight Watchers instead which has a lot of the same principles but gives you a little leeway.
In the end, however, I just found it so restrictive that I couldn't stick to it. I just switched to Weight Watchers instead which has a lot of the same principles but gives you a little leeway.
August 31, 2012
In just a couple weeks I've been able to regulate my blood sugar so I don't have hypoglycemia spikes. For that, I thank my doctor for recommending South Beach. It's accessible to the average reader and I don't feel like I'm on a diet. I just need lots of protein, fiber and whole grains. If anything, I chastise myself when I don't eat enough, which is kind of cool. Now that my body is working again, my brain can get back to my usual reading diet.
December 15, 2008
I am a diet nut and I am particularly in love with the South Beach Diet because it worked for me a few times - when I stick to it. This book is great for the next step as it tells you how to bump things to the next level with regard to diet and especially exercise. I think he sometimes goes into too much detail but that's just me and my A.D.D. :) A great book to add to the series.
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