I use to have a membership to the south beach website and let me tell you it is not worth paying the $5 per week. Don't get me wrong, the diet is great but the membership was not worth it. The only thing you need from that website is the list of foods you can and can not eat during the 3 stages. The only other good thing about the site was the support board with all the members. You don't need that because this site gives you the same thing. Before I quit paying I printed out the the different foods that you can and can not eat. I plan on going back on it next week.

My friend and her mother were advised by their doctor to try to South Beach diet to lose some weight. They both lost approximately 10 lbs each but as soon as the diet was done, they gained it all back and then some! Personally, it frightened me the way they had to eat. Some of the things were a little crazy what they couldn't eat.

I went to a doctor and this was one of the many diets he suggested. I was wondering, is this safe? I've tried Atkins and it made me feel really sick the first two weeks. I really need a diet that I can stick to and mantain. I'm really frustrated right now.

South beach is a balanced healthy diet. Its just another spin on controlling calories and minimizing carbs.

Hey, thanks . I've decided to go on the South Beach diet, I read up on it and it seems like the right choice for me.

Keep in mind you don't have to buy all the expensive pre-packaged meals that they sell. You can buy low cal, low carb foods on your own to prepare yourself at low cost.

I am a fan of south beach because it places emphasis on 3 major concepts important in healthy eating, those being first, eating low glycemic carbs. The second is eating good fats. Another is moderation. Those things are all huge.

Well, I bought the book and I've been doing lots of reading. It's definitely something I can stick to. I've never been one to cook, but I have been these past 2 days that I've been on this diet. There are lots of good recipes in the book.

Review of the South Beach diet from Health magazine

While the South Beach Diet is lumped together with other low-carb plans, it takes a decidedly different and healthier approach to protein and fat. Agatston contends that weight loss is just one of the priorities of the diet (the other is healthful levels of cholesterol and other blood fats). As with other low-carb diets, it’s questionable if the restrictive first phase really banishes carb cravings and is truly safe. So perhaps dieters can jump headfirst into phase two.

Does the diet take and keep weight off?
No clinical data. There are no independent trials that look at the success of the diet alone or compare it with other popular plans. However, Agatston has his own study with 40 overweight volunteers. Dieters were randomized to either South Beach or the American Heart Association Step 2 diet. At the 12-week point, South Beach dieters lost nearly 14 pounds, or about twice as much as the AHA dieters.

Is the diet healthy?
Phase one is too restrictive. But phase two and the maintenance phase promote healthful fats, lean proteins, and complex carbs, albeit a smaller percentage of them. What do the experts say? “It’s one of the more sensible of the low-carb diets,” says John Foreyt, PhD, a well-known weight-loss researcher t Baylor College of Medicine. “If you pick and choose carefully in the later phase, you can make a sensible eating plan out of it. The problem with it, of course, is that there is no data on the long-term results on whether it keeps weight off.” Registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, who has counseled patients at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute for five years, says she tells patients “not to read any of the theory part of the book or worry about glycemic index. It’s a bit convoluted,” she says. “But I do tell them to buy the book for its menu ideas, recipes, and cooking tips. There’s a great recipe for mashed cauliflower that is a good substitute for mashed potatoes.”

Who should consider the diet?
Anyone wanting to try a somewhat safer version of low-carb dieting: Cooks, chefs, and dieters who appreciate good food will find lots of creative recipes here.

Bottom line: This is the best of the reduced-carb regimens. Its emphasis on healthful fats and lean sources of protein is laudable. The advice to eat three bites of a rich dessert (no more, no less) when you eat out is clever. On the other hand, forget the tip about filling up with a glass of Metamucil (fiber supplement) 15 minutes before mealtime. Eating high-fiber foods at the meal is a much better—and tastier—strategy.

I know that I'm posting this a little late, but I have some personal experience with the South Beach Diet that you may be interested in. My MIL lost 100 lbs on this diet. The whole time, she was going to the doctors to be weighed, to have her blood tested, etc. She was healthy the whole time. She's still on the diet today because she still has another 100 lbs to lose. It has given her tremendous energy.

When I went on the diet, I felt really weak for about four days. But, I was fine after that - until my sister, the chef, came at Easter I had lost 24 lbs on the diet (and kept some of it off) and I was feeling great. I'm starting it again because it really is quite successful and motivating.

Best of luck!

Mel

curious to those who have info on this - phase 1, i know you cant have carbs, sugars but what vegetables are allowed? leafy green? can you have tomato and salad type veggies but no corn or higher starch veggies?

thanks - considering it....

I'm looking at the book right now, phase 1, which is the m ost restrictive, does allow for V-8 juice and also allowes for a tossed salad with mixed greens, cukes, and cherry tomatoes

I can't do it right n ow but later on today i'll scan some of the menus for you if you want to see them...

His avoid fruits are apples, apricots, berries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, peaches and pears.
His avoid starches are bread, cereal, matzo, oatmeal, rice, pasta, pastry and baked goods
the avoid veggies are beets, carrots, corn, potatoes - white and sweet, and yams
The avoid dairy are yogurt, ice cream, milk (whole or 2 percent) Soy milk
The avoid cheeses are brie, edam, non reduced fat
The avoid meats are veal breast, honey baked ham, chicken wings and legs, duck, goose, processed poultry products (NO idea what those are and not sure i want to know), brisket, liver, rib steaks and any fatty cut of beef.

It actually sounds a lot healthier than the atkins diet, and doesn't sound overly restrictive... I've had the book for a while but haven't gotten past the first chapter... I might actually give this a go - this is a lifestyle change rathert han a short term diet

South Beach Foods to Enjoy
Beef
Lean cuts such as Sirloin, including ground, tenderloin, top round
Poultry
Cornish Hen
Turkey Bacon (2 slices per day)
Turkey and Chicken Breast
Seafood
All types
Pork
Boiled Ham
Canadian Bacon
Tenderloin
Veal
Chop
Cutlet, leg
Top round
Lunch meat
Fat free or low fat only
Cheese (fat free or low fat)
American
Cheddar
Cottage Cheese
Cream Cheese substitute, dairy free
Feta
Mozzarella
Parmesean
Provolone
Ricotta
String
Mal note: Most of the fat free versions of the above cheeses are disgusting, and the low fat aren't much better)

Nuts
Almonds, 15
Cashews, 15
Macademias, 8
Peanut butter, 2 tbs
Peanuts 20 small
Pecan Halves, 15
Pistacio, 30

Eggs
The use of whole egs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Use egg whites or substitutes as desired

Dairy
Milk, fat free or 1 percent
Milk, soy plain low fat (4 g of fat or less)
buttermilk. fat free or 1 percent
yogurt, plain fat free

Tofu
use soft, low fat or light varieties

Veggies andLegumes
Artichokes
asparagus
beans
brocolli
cabbage
cauliflower
celery
collard greens
cucumbers
eggplant
lettuce, all varities
mushrooms, all varities
snow peas
sprouts, alfalfa
tomatoes
turnips
water chestnuts
zucchini

Fatsolive oil or canola oil

Spices and Seasonings
all spices that contain no added sugar
broth
extracts (almond, vanilla or others)
Horseradish sauce
i can't beleive it'snot butter spray
pepper - black, cayenne, red, white

Sweet treats (75 calories per day)
candies, hard sugar free
chocolate powder, no added sugar
cocoa powder, baking type
fugiscles, no sugar added
gelatin, sugar free
gum, sugar free
popsicles, sugar free
sugar substittue

Menus
Day 1
breakfast
6 oz vegetable juice cocktail
2 vegetable quiche cups (recipe in book) (it's basically a package of froz spinach, egg substitute, fat free cheese, green peppers, dice onion, mixed togther and baked)
decaf coffee or tea with non fat milk and sugar substitute

snack
1 mozarella cheese stick

Lunch
grilled chick breast on romaine
balsamic vinagrette
sugar free gelatin

Snack
celery stuffed with one laughing cow light cheese wedge

dinner
grilled salmon with rosemary (recipe in book) (a serving is 4 ounces)
steamed asparagus
tosssed salad
Vanilla ricotta cream

That's chicken nuggets. Chicken nuggets are chicken meat that's been chopped and combined with filler, breaded, then fried.