The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life

If you have never read The South Beach Diet, buy this book instead: It's much more helpful due to the exercise section and latest research on healthy eating and physical activity. If you already have a copy of The South Beach Diet, you need to buy this one as well so you can do the exercises. I'm a big fan of The South Beach Diet. It helped me lose a lot of weight when nothing else worked. I felt comfortable losing the weight and looked great when I was done, rather than like a survivor of starvation. Whenever I gained a bit of weight since then, returning to Phase 1 quickly took it off. But there was a problem: I clearly wasn't exercising enough. In the past, I've done a lot of walking and weight lifting . . . but I didn't get much benefit in terms of medical measures like reduced triglycerides. In fact, eating oatmeal and taking omega-3 supplements does more for my cholesterol level than exercise. I know that I need something different. My eyes opened wide when I got to the section of this book that talked about how moderate amounts of walking (20 minutes every other day) with short intervals of fast movement spaced between moderate walking would do me more good for burning fat than doing all that walking that I used to do at one speed. Now, that sounded great! Between walking days, you do some moderate body toning. Here is where I had some concerns about the book: The photographs show a lot of stress being put on the back. That's not a good idea for me: I have back problems. I'm not quite sure what to do, but I've ordered the DVD to see how these exercises are to be done and hope there will be detailed instructions there for people with bad backs. In this book, Dr. Agatston does a good job of describing the various physical ills in joints and feet that baby boomers develop from the wrong kinds of activity and exercise. He even helped me understand how I create vast shoulder pain when I shovel snow the wrong way . . . and now I know what not to do. If you are under 30, you can probably use this book just as is. If you are older, be careful with the body toning! The remainder of the book is the same wonderful material on eating good carbs and good fats while avoiding bad carbs and bad fats . . . plus the latest validations of scientific research supporting the assumptions underlying the diet. There are lots of phase 1 and phase 2 recipes, and you can buy separate cookbooks if you want more. But the best part of the book comes in reading the personal testimonies. They make the book come alive. Great work!

A lot of diets are hot for awhile and then die out because they aren't effective or sustainable. This diet is both effective and sustainable. Essentially, you spend your first 2-3 weeks on a no-carb diet (like the Atkin's Diet), which forces your body into ketosis, which means it starts burning fat to make up for the lack of carbs. You can easily lose around 10 lbs or more during this period. Many will tell you that doing Atkin's is not a healthy way to eat over a sustained period, and I'd heartily agree. The side effect that I noticed the most was my brain functioned poorly without carbs, and that made for some interesting times at the office. I was continuously asked if I was OK or if something was wrong or if I was perhaps having a stroke. ;-) Anyway, the second phase of the diet is to eat a more balanced selection of all food groups. The foods allowed are all very healthy for both long-term heart health as well as continuing to shed extra weight. It's very easy to sustain on these recommended foods, which is why I think this is a diet that people can live with for a very long time without feeling deprived. You're just eating right. So, if other diets haven't worked for you, this is worth a try. Just be prepared to be stupid for a couple of weeks. ;-)

The South Beach Diet recommends three meals and two snacks per day, and has three phases: Phase 1: 2 weeks—moderately fast fat loss. The main purpose of this phase is to stabilize blood sugar and eliminate cravings. The main restriction in this phase is complete abstinence from starchy foods (grains, potatoes, etc.) and sugar. No fruits, or high-calorie vegetables, are allowed. Meat and dairy are restricted to lean cuts of meat and low-fat dairy. Phase 2: 2 weeks (or longer)—transition phase. This phase reintroduces healthy carbs into the diet, which were completely restricted in phase 1. Healthy carbs are whole grains and fresh fruits (high fiber + low glycemic) as opposed to refined grains, processed junk food, beets, corn, white potatoes, canned and dried fruit, honey, sugar, or jelly. This phase begins by adding one portion per day of healthy carbs plus one piece of fruit per day, and gradually raises carb intake to three portions per day plus three pieces of fruit. Phase 3: Continuous lifestyle. This phase continues where phase 2 left off with the addition of “occasional sinful treats.” In all phases trans fats are off-limits, and saturated fats are minimized. Pros: 1. This very simple and conservative approach is easy to follow and does not upset one’s equilibrium. Other more aggressive weight-loss methods lead to the yo-yo effect of fast weight loss followed by the inevitable rebound. 2. The book has educational value, teaching important basics of diet and exercise. Cons: 1. This diet is not potent enough to take off stubborn pounds or to take off many pounds for those who are severely overweight. This is essentially a list of healthy foods to eat, and unhealthy foods to avoid. For people struggling with obesity, this is insufficient. It merely qualifies as advice for weight maintenance, as opposed to fat-loss strategies. 2. No advice is provided for reduction of the number of fat cells, or improving leptin sensitivity, both of which are necessary for long-term fat reduction.

Dr. Agatston's new book "The South Beach Diet Super Charged" is an excellent way to lose weight and get in shape. Like his first book, "The South Beach Diet" this book explains how to eat for a healthy lifestyle, choosing high fiber, nutritious carbohydrates, good unsaturated fats, lean protein and low fat dairy. This book takes the South Beach Diet to the next level by explaining a very simple yet body transforming exercise plan. Agatston explains how just 20 minutes of exercise a day done correctly can give the beneficial results of revving up your metabolism, overcoming weight loss plateaus and burning fat and calories. The book includes a healthy eating plan and a daily exercise regime that is very doable! I am sure Dr. Agatston is a busy man and had help writing this book. I have to applaud the ghostwriter(s) for their very clear, concise way of explaining things. Many diet and exercise books are confusing; what to eat, when and where. This book lays everything out. There is a fitness plan that tells you exactly what to do in Phase 1, 2 and 3. Clear photographs support the plan. The eating program is laid out so it is simple to understand with easy to follow lists of exactly what you can and cannot eat during each Phase. Two full weeks of meal plans are included in the book along with recipes such as "Chicken and Lentil Stew", "Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies" and "Stir Fried Chicken with Soba Noodles". No pics for the recipes but nutritional information is included. The 337 page hardcover book also includes tips and tricks on success for the plan. And a section on how to maintain your weight loss and an index for easy search. Overall an excellent, healthy plan. I also recommend and love the DVD that supplements the book, "The South Beach Diet Super Charged Workout". ~ Lee Mellott

I have all the other South Beach Diet books and enjoy them primarily for the recipes, rules and guidelines for the various phases in the diet. I found this book to contain some really clear, expanded guidelines (e.g. foods to enjoy in Phase I, foods to add in Phase II) which would be helpful for those new to the diet and those who have been on it for awhile. However, the book contains fewer new recipes than I had hoped, and instead contains much new information on exercise regimens that can be tied to the phases of the diet. While I know this is important, and while I may yet spend time to read about and incorporate the exercise into my lifestyle, it's not really what I wanted when I bought the book.

I had borrowed this book, and was so impressed, I bought one for myself. The South Beach Diet Super Charged has it all--for those wanting to lose weight as well as those wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It contains a wealth of information, well organized into sections that are easy to reference. Dr. Agatston includes lists of approved foods and those to avoid (the approved list is much longer than the avoidance list!), tasty recipes (my family enjoys them!), daily meal plans, exercise recommendations with photos--and all with interesting explanations for the three diet phases. I am eating well, rev'ing up my metabolism, losing weight and feeling great. I truly believe this is one of the best references out there for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

I have gone through a lot of diets before,Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Medifast, etc. I am pretty average with weight and height. However, I always feel that I am at least ten pounds away from my goal. I have been doing the South Beach Diet for three weeks now and have seen some good results. The thing I like the most, is the exercise program in the book. It is not too much at once and really makes you feel that as soon as you begin, it ends rather quickly. It was a bit hard to give up breads for the first two weeks, but with all the other foods they allow, it really is a lot easier than counting points like Weight Watchers, the super expense of Jenny Craig's food, and the extreme will power you need for Medifast. Also, the book is in phases so it keeps you locked into a consistant diet for a longer period of time, so that you don't just loose a few pounds and then quit. It's great to finish a phase and move onto the next so you feel like you've accomplished something and there is an end to the phase you've completed and a beginning to a new phase. I would highly reccomend this book. It certainly has helped me keep my eating habits in check and has helped me to exercise much more than I have been.

This book helped me so much, after struggling with my eating habits. It really made it simple! Eat nutritious foods but low fat. It has now become a lifestyle for me and has helped me eat way better, and my body feels great! I use to get really bad headaches, get really sleepy in the afternoon, and just felt bloated all the time. I lost about 12 pounds in the first month, all simply eating properly. The first 2 weeks is the hardest, during the detoxification process. After probably keeping a bad habit of lots of carbs, junkfood, processed foods, the 2 weeks really felt like withdrawal from all the high fat, carbs, sugars. After that when all the foods were reintroduced, it felt great. I don't have crazy hunger pangs, like i use to where I wanted sugar, chips/carbs, or processed foods. You actually feel different when eating the whole foods that you cook, rather than all the highly processed stuff. I actually eat more frequently, but healthy. It's been 6 months and I feel fantastic, never better! I've also added in gluten free, and this has been even better for my digestive tract! No more bloat.