South Beach Diet Review

October 21, 2008
By Josh Perez

The South Beach Diet:

The New York Times Bestseller The South Beach DietTM is one of the leading diets in the country, with over 5 million books in print and more than 600,000 online subscribers. The South Beach DietTM Online introduces our customers to fabulous foods and taste sensations. With hundreds of delicious recipes, flexible guides for eating out, and advice on how to shop for healthy and wholesome ingredients. For more information, please visit the official South Beach Diet site.


How the South Beach Diet program works: (3 Phases)

Phase 1 - Start Losing Weight: During the first two weeks of the South Beach Diet™, you’ll learn how to eat in a new way. Whether you’re shedding a few vanity pounds or working on a major weight-loss goal, this is the realistic and delicious way to start losing your extra pounds. Free Diet Profile

Phase 2 - Reach Your Goal: Say goodbye to diet food. On the South Beach Diet™ you’ll look like you diet, but eat like you don’t! You’ll sit down to dishes like Spicy Seared Tuna, Chicken Ceasar Salad, and Roasted Portobello “Pizza.” Enjoy grilled fish and steak, roasted chicken and vegetables, and fresh, Miami-style salads. Free Diet Profile

Phase 3 - A Diet For Life: Not only will you maintain your weight, but you’ll be eating right. The foods that the South Beach Diet™ emphasizes are almost universally considered healthy eating choices. Your diet will be rich in minerals and vitamins. You’ll eat healthy fats like olive oil and omega-3 oils from fish. You’ll eat whole grains, smart-carbs, chocolate, wine, and more. You’ll eat well, look good, and maintain your ideal weight life-long! Free Diet Profile

Product Summary:

The South Beach Diet™ is not low-carb or low-fat. Instead, the South Beach Diet™ teaches you to change the balance of food you eat to emphasize health and weight-loss! You’ll do away with bad carbohydrates and bad fats, and start eating good fats and good carbohydrates.

It all started when Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston wanted to find a way for his heart patients to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way. His research at Mount Sinai Medical Center became the foundation for the diet that became a phenomenon.

Once you sign up and start losing weight, they will customize your success plan and guide you through each of their three phases of weight loss. Also, you will receive exclusive access to recipes, advice, support. The items are listed below:

  • Complete personalized diet
  • Recipes and food guides for each Phase
  • Weight-tracker tool
  • Your own journal
  • Daily email newsletter
  • Online dietitians
  • Friendly, supportive community

The Workout:

Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, created the The South Beach Diet and it differs from its low-carb competitor Dr. Atkins, in that it restricts saturated fats, which are linked with health problems like heart disease and high cholesterol. It promises that cravings for sugars, sweets and other carbohydrates will disappear as you go along because the diet is supposed to keep blood sugar levels maintained.

The South Beach Diet has three separate phases in which in each phase, you wean yourself away from certain foods and incorporate other South Beach Diet “friendly” foods. The diet promises that you’ll lose 8-12 pounds in the first two weeks as long as you adhere to the guidelines.

The South Beach Diet™ is just $5 a week, billed quarterly (every 13 weeks), with a four-week minimum commitment. Your credit card will be charged $65 when you subscribe and at the beginning of each following quarter.

The Mental Block:

Research shows that unless you’re diabetic, sugar levels actually remain stable even if you eat a sugary snack. Many South Beach Diet food products contain sugar-alcohols, which may hard to tolerate and, are which not very vegetarian friendly.

Its elimination of sugars, certain fruits like apples, berries and other carbohydrates make it difficult to maintain the science behind Dr. Arthur Agastaton’s assertions about certain foods and their ability to raise blood sugar levels or put on weight is extremely inaccurate. Also, like other online diets that provide some exercise guidelines, this South Beach Diet does not.

The Result:

The South Beach Diet itself has some scientific flaws and many nutritionists and fitness professionals like myself would argue that its promise of losing 8-12 pounds in 14 days is a bit aggressive and may not be able to stand up against the test of time. While cutting out white flour, sugar, and processed foods from your diet is a great idea, the South Beach Diet is actually one of the most dangerous diets out there. I would use this diet for the protein rich healthy tasting recipes and add in your own complex carbohydrates. By adding an additional 150-300 calories to each recommended meal, your are teaching yourself a healthy balanced way of eating.

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2 Responses to “South Beach Diet Review”

  1. Jenny Flores Says:

    Great review Josh!!!
    It really works, my husband and I started the SBD about 8 days ago and so far, we’ve both lost about 8 lbs. each!

    I never really had to worry about my weight, but after we got married we really started to put on the weight. I tried just about every diet you could think of, and SBD is the one that has worked for me.

    It has been pretty easy so far. The first 3-4 days I really craved sweets as I have a pretty big sweet tooth, but now I have no more cravings!

    Give it a try! If it worked for me, it can for you!

  2. Amber Watkins Says:

    I will agree with others that if you are following the hype of the diet you are bound to get distracted by all of the endless preparing that you are doing.

    for me, l tried it online and found that l was wearing myself out! the next time l decided to slow down and just use the foods to enjoy/avoid list and just roll with it.

    l now follow the principles of the plan and am doing fine. FYI l am working class, not rich nor do l even make “good money”.

    easy does it, l hate cooking but l hate being fat and depressed even more.

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