South Beach Diet – by: Arthur Agatston M.D.

Overview:

This is currently one of the best-selling diet books.  The book claims you can lose up to a staggering 13 lbs in just two weeks, it suggests you can also expect to lose most of that weight from your stomach. The diet focuses on the consumption of lean meats, proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Eliminates simple “carbs” such as pasta and bread and restricts the consumption of calories.

Advantages:

Makes the healthy distinction between good “carbs” and bad “carbs.” Due to the restrictive nature of the calorie consumption weight loss is inevitable.

Disadvantages:

Serious calorie restriction occurs in the first two weeks and with less than the daily-recommended consumption of five servings of fruits and vegetables.  Good luck having a bowl movement. It recommends harmful foods as aspartame, conventional pasteurized dairy products, and trans fats and largely ignores the contamination problem with fish.

Long- term success:

Most people will find the program successful to some extent if they can get through the first two weeks.  But the weight will not stay off if you decide to allow dessert back into your diet.