Dr. Agatston's weight loss advice focuses on a healthy balance between carbs and fats -- "good" carbs and fats, that is. Highly processed foods like baked goods and soft drinks are the bad guys on The South Beach Diet.
Dr. Agatston says decreasing these kinds of carbs will help you metabolize what you eat better and will also improve insulin resistance, leading to weight loss. The diet itself is based on the use of the Glycemic Index.
When you first read the requirements of the first phase, it may sound a little daunting if you are used to low-fat, high-carb diets. However, the doctor says you can become accustomed to and happy with eating the good carbs and fats and leaving the bad ones behind. The introductory section states that you can lose anywhere between 8 and 13 pounds just in the first two weeks.
Being on the diet will require you to have the discipline to follow Phase 1 and follow through Phase 2 until you've met your goal. You have to be careful as you begin adding carbs back into your diet. There are helpful guidelines as you do so, but I have found in my own experience that you'll have to pay close attention to your own body to see how much carbs you can consume while continuing to lose.
Most people find the plan to be quite user-friendly. The best part is most "South Beachers" find their cravings for carbs have completely subsided once they've been on the plan a little while. You'll most likely also find that the diet doesn't leave you feeling deprived or that you just haven't had enough to eat like low-fat diets tend to do.
Reference: Agatston, Arthur S. The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss, New York: Rodale (dist.: St. Martin's Press, April 2003).
