Rogers Elisabeth S. - The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life

OTHER BOOKS BY DR. ARTHUR AGATSTON

The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet Cookbook

The South Beach Diet Dining Guide

The South Beach Diet Good Fats/Good Carbs Guide

The South Beach Heart Program

The South Beach Heart Health Revolution

The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook

The South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook

The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook

For more information on the South Beach Diet,
go to: www.SouthBeachDiet.com/Supercharged

THE SOUTH BEACH DIET SUPER CHARGED

FASTER Weight Loss and Better Health for Life

Arthur Agatston, MD

with Joseph Signorile, PhD

Notice

This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help.

The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this book, be sure that your equipment is well-maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and fitness. The exercise and dietary programs in this book are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your doctor. As with all exercise and dietary programs, you should get your doctors approval before beginning.

Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher.

2008 by Arthur Agatston, MD

The South Beach Diet is a Registered Trademark of the SBD Trademark Limited Partnership Photographs 2008 by Rodale Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Photographs by Thomas MacDonald/Rodale Images

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Agatston, Arthur.

The south beach diet supercharged : faster weight loss and better health for life / Arthur Agatston ; With Joseph Signorile.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN: 978-1-59486-457-5

1. Reducing diets. 2. Reducing dietsRecipes. 3. Reducing exercises. 4. Weight loss. I. Signorile, Joseph F. II. Title.

RM222.2A34965 2008

613.2'5dc22 2008003928

We inspire and enable people to improve their lives and the world around them

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To South Beach dieters everywhere
who have achieved a healthier way of life

And, as always, to my wife, Sari,
and sons, Evan and Adam

CONTENTS

PREFACE

This book is a celebration and an affirmation. It is a celebration of the success of the South Beach Diet, and it is an affirmation of the wide acceptance of the healthy eating principles we have continued to advance since the original South Beach Diet book was published in 2003. These principles are simple: Choose nutrient-rich, high-fiber carbohydrates found in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; good, unsaturated fats; lean sources of protein; and low-fat dairy.

This book also introduces a unique metabolism-revving exercise program that works. The program is based on the proven science behind interval training and core functional fitness.

For several years, readers of the original book and many of my patients have requested an update on the South Beach Diet. While the basic principles of the diet have not and are unlikely to change, volumes of new research have furthered our understanding of the importance of these principles. In fact, a major theme of mine when I speak to physicians and lay groups around the country is that the diet debates are over. We have progressed beyond the low-fat versus low-carb wars. We are at the point where there should no longer be confusion regarding the best diet approach for sustained weight loss and optimal health.

There is now a consensus of expert opinion that it is not the relative amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat that are important but their quality. Today, the basis of an optimal diet and of the South Beach Diet are one and the same. In fact, the healthy eating principles we stand by can be applied to almost anyones particular dietary needs. Our diet principles are reflected not only in the most recent recommendations of the federal government but also in the guidelines of the American Heart Association and many other organizations devoted to promoting good health.

We have learned a great deal over the past 5 years about how South Beach dieters can best apply our healthy eating principles to their hectic everyday lives. We have learned about the pitfalls that some dieters experience, and we have developed effective strategies to help them overcome these problems. One of these pitfalls is what I like to call the You Can Never Be Too Thin syndrome, in which people who have reached a healthy weight and look good still want to lose more weight. I explain why this is a problem that can lead to yo-yo dieting and even more weight gain (and what you can do about it) beginning on . We have also learned more about why some dieters plateau at a particular weight and what they can do to successfully rev up their metabolisms and continue their weight loss successfully. Furthermore, we have learned a great deal in recent years about how individual nutrients in foods and beverages can protect your health. This includes the phytonutrient resveratrol, which is found in one of my favorite foods (dark chocolate) and perhaps in one of yours (red wine).

Today we also know more about how and why the epidemics of obesity and diabetes have occurred, and ongoing research has taught us that the right diet is even more important than we thought just 5 years ago. In fact, in dozens of recent studies, the presence of belly fat has been convincingly associated with inflammation and appears to be a common denominator behind many of the diseases of the Western world. These fascinating new findings are helping us all better understand how to improve our own nutrition and health along with that of our families.

One criticism of the first South Beach Diet book was that we did not include more on exercise. While I have always been a strong believer in the health benefits of exercise and said so in the original book, in 2003 I didnt feel that I had important new fitness information to communicate. At the time, our patient studies were done based on dietary changes alone in order to show the efficacy of the diet, and I didnt want to dilute our exciting new approach to healthy eating. Today, thanks to some eye-opening personal experiences, I do have important and exciting new fitness information to offer in the form of a unique three-phase exercise program that dovetails perfectly with the three phases of the diet itself. To create the program, I consulted with two outstanding exercise specialists: Joseph Signorile, PhD, a well-known professor of exercise physiology at the University of Miami; and Kris Belding, a Miami-based Pilates teacher who has worked with my wife, Sari, and me for several years.