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

by Dr. Arthur Agatston (Author), Joseph Signorile PhD (Author)
Key Phrases: easy pace, moderate pace, meal plans, South Beach Diet, Glance Per, Salt Freshly (more...)

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Book Description
Five years ago, with the publication of The South Beach Diet, renowned Miami cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston set out to change the way America eats. Now he has an even more ambitious goal: to change the way America lives by helping Americans become fitter as well as thinner and healthier…for life. In the all-new The South Beach Diet Supercharged, Dr. Agatston shows you how to rev up your metabolism and lose weight faster while following the proven healthy eating principles of the original diet: choose good carbs, 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 result: you'll look fitter and you'll burn more fat and calories all day--even at rest. Also included is the latest nutritional research on how specific foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of phytonutrients help keep you healthy; new and expanded lists of Foods to Enjoy; taste-tempting Meal Plans for phases 1 and 2; and dozens of easy-to-prepare new recipes, including Eggs Frijoles, Chock-Full-of-Veggies Chili, Roasted Tomato Soup, Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf, and South Beach Diet Tiramisu. In every chapter you'll find inspiring success stories from real-life South Beach dieters and plenty of effective weight loss tips. And as an added bonus, Dr. Agatston answers the questions you've most often asked him about the diet since the original book was published.

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Before and After The South Beach Diet Supercharged

After 6 weeks, Allison Brady, age 37, lost 12 pounds and 12 1/4 inches--6 inches in her belly alone! Allison also reduced her blood cholesterol levels by 45 points.
(Photos by Jeffrey Salter for Redux)

Before

After

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Dr. Agatston Answers Frequently Asked Questions about South Beach Dieting

I'm doing so well on Phase 1. Why can't I stay on it indefinitely?

There are two types of people on the South Beach Diet: those who cannot wait to start Phase 2 and those who never want to see Phase 1 end.

Why are some people so enamored with Phase 1? The reason is that it's simple and to the point. You don't have to do a lot of thinking about food choices. You're basically eating lean protein, high-fiber legumes, low-fat dairy, good fats (including some nuts), and plenty of vegetables. Those highly processed refined carbs that were your downfall are out of sight and, within a few days, out of mind (at least for most people). You're encouraged to eat until you're full and snack before you get hungry. And every time you step on the scale, you get a big grin on your face because those unwanted pounds and fat are just melting away. So it's not surprising to me that Phase 1 fans often ask, "If I'm doing so well on Phase 1, why do I have to move on to Phase 2?" Phase 1 is not meant to be a long-term eating plan. Its dual goals are to jump-start weight loss for people who have 10 or more pounds to lose (thus providing immediate positive reinforcement) and to control swings in blood sugar and eliminate cravings for sugar and refined starches. Phase 1 can also have a positive effect on sugar in people with pre-diabetes. In just 2 weeks, you should have achieved these two goals and be ready to move on.

Once your sugar and cravings are under control, there's a key reason to go on to Phase 2: we don't want you to miss out on the myriad vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that come from reintroducing whole fruits and whole grains to your diet, not to mention the added fiber. These foods contain thousands of phytochemicals that protect your body against a host of diseases, including heart disease and cancer. If you were to continue indefinitely on Phase 1 and deny yourself these foods, you would not be learning how to make good food choices in the real world. More importantly, you'd be missing out on some of the best medicine nature has to offer.

In addition, if you were to continue with the smaller palette of foods recommended on Phase 1, your diet would get dull over the long haul. And once you're bored, you're much more likely to revert to your old eating habits. For the diet to truly become a lifestyle--one that allows you to sustain weight loss and garner all the related health benefits--there has to be variety and satisfaction in your eating plan. That's another reason why we move you on to Phase 2 so quickly.

Remember, it may take you longer to lose weight by following the three phases of our diet. But the chances of keeping that weight off are far better.

Can I still eat as much protein now that I'm eating more carbohydrates on Phase 2?

As you know, on the South Beach Diet, we don't expect you to count grams of protein or weigh your food on any phase. Now that you're gradually adding satisfying high-fiber whole grains and fruits to your diet on Phase 2, you'll naturally be less hungry, and the amount of lean protein you require to feel full will no doubt be less than you were eating on Phase 1. That said, I encourage you to eat some protein--fish or shellfish, lean beef or pork, white meat chicken or turkey, or soy protein, for example--along with these good carbs at most meals.

Protein helps slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, which means that your body will make less insulin, your sugar swings will be reduced, and you won't crave more food in between meals. I also urge you to eat slowly, savor your food, and really enjoy the variety of foods you'll introduce on Phase 2. If you do this, your focus will no longer be on how much protein you can have because you'll never be hungry. Another tip: Once you're satisfied, push your chair away from the table. It's fine to leave some food on your plate at the end of a meal.

Can I really eat anything I want on Phase 3?

If you're talking about dessert as an occasional treat, of course. On Phase 3, we don't regulate what you can eat. Yes, you can finally have that small bowl of ice cream or a small piece of chocolate cake or the white bagel that you couldn't have before. But you shouldn't do it too often, and you should continue to watch amounts on desserts. Phase 3 isn't about abandoning the good principles of the diet and suddenly resuming your old eating habits. It's about continuing to make smart, healthy food choices--for life. If you follow the principles of the diet most of the time, we expect you to enjoy anything you want now and then.

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Six Ways to Succeed on South Beach

The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet Cookbook

The South Beach Diet Supercharged Workout DVD

The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook

The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook

The South Beach Diet Heart Program

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From Publishers Weekly
Releasing five years after cardiologist Agatston's South Beach Diet hit the shelves, initiating a megamillion-dollar franchise (cookbooks, a dining guide, meal replacement bars, frozen foods, etc.), this supercharged version of the plan guides readers into a healthy lifestyle for the long haul. While the first book focused on ending cravings and losing and maintaining a healthy weight, here Agatston introduces a 20-minute-a-day fitness regimen, developed with exercise physiologist Signorile and Pilates instructor Kris Belding. The two-part workout—interval walking (cardio) and total body (core)—geared to boosting metabolism and preventing plateaus, works in three phases in conjunction with the diet and can be adapted to different fitness levels and conditions. An overview of Agatston's philosophy on optimal nutrition, a recap of the diet, detailed daily fitness routines, tips on exercising efficiently, sample meal plans and simple recipes (Moroccan lemon chicken; maple-almond flan) are among the many features that make this appealing, accessible volume a worthwhile update on the original. Photos. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (April 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594864578
• ISBN-13: 978-1594864575
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,764 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

120 of 127 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Carbs, Good Fats, Food Lists, Recipes, Moderate Interval Walking, and Body Toning Directions, May 15, 2008

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

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!

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive Plan for Diet, Exercise, and Healthful Living, June 15, 2008

By	Jan Peczkis "Scholar and Thinker" (Chicago IL, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Instead of repeating other reviewers, let's focus mostly on seldom-discussed details of this book.

The South Beach diet centers on natural foods. Agatson contends that portion size usually takes care of itself when natural foods are eaten. He opposes the taking of supplements with the exception of fish oils (p. 314), because he doesn't believe that supplements can adequately replace the nutritive content of natural foods. Fish oil is effective at reducing the inflammatory response that is part of the metabolic syndrome. (p. 81)

Agatson traces the obesity epidemic in the western world. He points to the overconsumption of refined carbohydrates and other foods with a high glycemic impact, and the increase in sedentary living. In fact, he shows that NEAT (nonexercise activity thermogenesis) has declined not only since the Industrial Revolution, but even at much more recent times, owing to such inventions as the e-mail. (p. 57) Even subtle declines in everyday activity levels add up, over time, to increased fat accumulation.

He points to the irony of the fact that American children are overfed but undernourished. This causes a host of problems beyond the most obvious ones. For example, the attention span of children in schools has declined in recent years. (p. 87) As an experienced educator, I fully agree.

Belly fat is the most dangerous, as it contributes to the inflammatory process that leads to cardiovascular disease, strokes, etc. Agatson shows how crude weight measurements and the BMI have been superseded by measurements of the waist-to-hip ratio. It should not exceed 0.8 in women and 0.95 in men. (p. 64)

Agatson prescribes many different kinds of exercise. He also stresses interval training, pointing out the fact that this facilitates fat-burning. Also, more intense exercise gives a longer afterburn, which is the time that fat burning is still occurring at above-resting rates after the exercise session has been finished.

There are numerous menu ideas presented in this book. There is also a helpful table of food substitutions (p. 242) for use in the Phase 1 of the South Beach diet. For instance, mashed potatoes can be replaced by mashed cauliflower or pureed navy beans, and potato chips can be replaced by baked zucchini chips.

This book concludes with a list of references, to articles in medical journals, which the research-oriented reader can use for further study.

60 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Supercharge Me! , May 2, 2008

By	funmom - See all my reviews

I have been a fan of the South Beach diet ever since the first book came out five years ago and have lost 40 pounds and kept it off (I do have a ways to go). Needless to say, I have been anxiously waiting for Dr. Agatston to update his original book and I love this new version. I am so glad to have the expanded lists of Foods to Enjoy for Phases 1 and 2 and all the suggestions for easy one-dish meals as well as the great ideas for soups, rolls and wraps, new desserts, and healthy salad dressings. These new features alone are worth the price of the book! Oh, and another good thing. I've never worked out before because I really don't have an hour to spend, but I am looking forward trying Dr. Agatston's new 20-minute a day exercise program (I do have 20 minutes!) Thanks Dr. Agatston for truly supercharging your great diet.