The South Beach Diet is not the Atkins Diet
Written: Mar 18 '04 (Updated Mar 18 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Actually lost weight! The large print is nice.
Cons: Two week "cold turkey" approach is tough.
The Bottom Line: This is an easy to read above average diet book. If you follow it, you can actually lose weight but it is not a quick fix for permanent weight loss.
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| cntaur5's Full Review: Arthur S. Agatston M.D. - The South Beach Diet: Th... |
Reportedly losing weight has never been easier. One of the newer diets that has churned out millions of followers is the South Beach Diet. You know a diet has become fashionable when everyone starts bashing carbs. I recently purchased the number one New York Bestseller, "The South Beach Diet", The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss by Arthur Agatston, M.D. It is a 310-page Rodale Press, book with the material separated into two sections. Part One explains the South Beach Diet and Part Two gives the recipes for the three phases with the book concluding with the credits and index. Dr. Agatston claims that you can lose 8 to 10 pounds in the first six weeks on his diet, which starts out like the renowned Atkins Diet by the late Dr. Robert Atkins. However as you continue on the South Beach diet it is clear that it is not the Atkins Diet. During the first two weeks you can't have any carbohydrates. Dr. Agatston's wants you to get rid of the "bad" carbohydrate cravings that cause you to overeat. The principle behind the diet is simple. When carb's and insulin are reduced, the body is forced to burn fat for energy, leading to increased weight loss.
The book has an excellent menu for the first two weeks when all carbohydrates have initially been restricted. In the second phase you gradually reintroduce the "good" carbohydrates, and the final phase you maintain or stick to this new style of eating for life. The low-carb recipes vary and most of the meals are easy to prepare. There are a lot of recipes in this book. There's even a shameless plug from the Miami Beach restaurant Joe's Stone Crab. Overall, there are some wonderful recipes in the second section for the low-carb faithful. For example, here is one day of meals from the South Beach Diet during the initial two-week phase found on page 116.
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Breakfast
6 oz vegetable juice cocktail
Western Egg White Omelet
Decaffeinated coffee or decaffeinated tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute
Midmorning snack
1-2 Turkey Roll-Ups
2 Tbsp Cilantro Mayonnaise
Lunch
Gazpacho
Grilled sirloin hamburger steak
Tossed salad (mixed greens, cucumbers, green peppers, cherry tomatoes)
Olive oil and vinegar to taste or 2 Tbsp low-sugar prepared dressing
Midafternoon snack
Cucumber rounds with salmon spread
Dinner
Balsamic Chicken
Stewed Tomatoes and Onions
Steamed spinach
Tossed salad (mixed greens, cucumbers, green peppers, cherry tomatoes)
Olive oil and vinegar to taste or 2 Tbsp low-sugar prepared dressing
Dessert
Almond Ricotta Creme
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Overall, I enjoyed this menu. Fortunately eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming. I like the fact that the menu starts the day with a good breakfast since it is the morning meal that gets my metabolism revved up to adequately meet the demands of the day to come. The meals have left me satisfied. The recipes in the book are all home-cooked meals, which help my wife, and I beat the usual diet menu boredom. We've cooked the majority of the meals successfully.
Pros:
The South Beach Diet works; my wife and I followed the plan and lost weight. She lost 8 pounds in the first two weeks and I lost 5. My wife had given birth to our 7-month-old son, and desperately wanted to get back in shape. I exercise with a vengeance and was not eating the right type and quantity of food for my body weight developing a few bad habits during my wife's pregnancy. I like the fact that I noticed a difference in my abdomen area and after 6 weeks the weight has not come back. The book did a wonderful job of aiding in the assessment of my eating habits. I am glad eating carb's is encouraged in phase two and three. The personal stories of success in the book were informative, heart-warming and motivating giving me a sense that other people have some of the same weight issues and struggles we have experienced. Reading about others who met their goals helped reinforced my resolve to work toward my best possible body.
The book also provides important research and scientific studies. For example on page 32, the Lyon Heart Study is discussed. Everyone in this study had already had heart attacks. The patients who had good fats had a 70 percent decrease in subsequent heart attacks. I like the fact that Dr. Agatston supports his claims in a scientific setting. There is also a discussion on diabetes and why people fail on various diets, which provides valuable information on two key subjects of interest. The book also recommends exercise. Although the section is brief on page 92 and 93, Dr. Agatston recommends stretching and a brisk 20-minute walk every day.
The dietary guidelines in the book are good including the tips on eating a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits and whole-grains; ultimately balancing food intake while providing a diet low in sugar. Cutting back on sugars in your diet will not only produce weight loss but give you a healthful array of foods you may never have tried had you not given up the simple sugars and tried some of the menu suggestions noted in this book.
Cons:
I struggled during the first two weeks finding it extremely hard eliminating an entire food group. The "cold turkey" approach was a shock to my system. I eliminated sugar more strenuously than I would ever recommend for others. I’m not happy with some of the permanent food restrictions. Say good-bye to Ben & Jerry's ice cream forever! That's right, ice cream is not recommended. Dr. Agatston reports it is loaded with sugar, and fat which is no diet's friend. Some of the receipts may initially be tricky. My wife and I struggled with the Meat Loaf during the second phase. The recipe on page 221 calls for 1 cup of oatmeal an ingredient we usually avoid in our meats. Finally the recipes are not created with the family in mind, which means you've got to cook something different if you have children. Although we liked cooking together there were times when we were tired of reading following the recipes.
Final Thoughts:
If your typical breakfast involves eggs and bacon, but not toast, perhaps you’ve joined the ranks of millions of American who have been bitten by the South Beach Diet bug. Anytime you can sale 1.7 million copies of a $24.95 book then you’ve definetly got a book worth checking out. I think this is a well written easy to understand book. However I think it is important for readers to recognize that no diet is perfect, and you definetly have to pick and choose when it comes to selecting some of the meal choices. Finally, the medical community as a whole has not endorsed the low-carb diet. Passing on the potatoes and leaving Pepsi in the can was not easy. I also think the final phase could potentially be limiting making meal planning and long-term adherence difficult. At the same time with the South Beach Diet, you can actually ditch the starvation diets because the daily menus in this book don’t leave you hungry. Several other couples that started the diet with us quick during the first phase, my resolve, as a Personal Trainer was a big motivational factor on reading the book and following Dr. Agatston’s regiment. My final concerns are affordability, especially if you are on a budget with most of the daily menus calling for fresh produce. If you are financially strapped, you can always rent a copy of this book at your local library.
Bottom line the diet is doable but its no quick fix for permanent weight loss. If you can pass your state drivers license exam, you can understand this diet and lose weight without felling hungry, counting calories, or jeopardizing your health. Dr. Agatston approach is not complex and a cinch to follow. Overall, The South Beach Diet, The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss by Arthur Agatston, M.D. is good. However as a Personal Trainer I usually don't bother with fad diets that deprive you of the foods you enjoy. I recommend eating from all food groups, practice portion control and avoid fast food. Being fit takes time, practice and patience and I think it is important that you be realistic about your goals and take it one day at a time.
Recommended:
Yes
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