A Letter from Dr. Arthur AgatstonDear South Beach Dieter:Welcome to the South Beach Diet Online. Since the diet became popular in Miami and the book The South Beach Diet became a best-seller, I’ve heard from countless people eager to tell me about their weight loss successes. I’m encouraged by how easy the program is to learn and put into practice. Now there is a Web site designed to make the diet even easier. How? The Web site has the flexibility to provide personal feedback and guidance to help you reach your goals. It also has the ability to put you in touch with thousands of others following the plan. In the message boards, you’ll be able to ask questions and get answers from a large community of dieters with similar experiences, as well as from our expert nutritionists. I’ll be in the message boards, too, answering questions, and new Ask Dr. Agatston Q&As will be posted on the Web site each week. The site’s interactive tools are also designed to provide personal support. In the Weight Tracker, for instance, you can key in your weight, chart your progress, and get immediate feedback on how you’re doing on the diet. The site will tell you if you’re losing weight too fast or too slow, and what you can do about it. It’s like having your own personal trainer pointing out areas for improvement, telling you that you’re doing better than you think, and keeping you motivated. In the Meal Plans section of the site, you’ll find Daily Menus for whatever phase of the diet you’re in, a Recipe Search to help you find delicious new dishes quickly and easily, and a Shopping List Generator that will print out lists of ingredients automatically. And in the coming weeks we’ll be adding new features, like hundreds of new recipes and a customized nutrition tool that will help you eat the way you want. You’ll find meal plans for vegetarian diets, lactose-free diets, and more. We’re also developing new features on exercise, health, and nutritional supplements. And if you’d like to follow the diet with a friend, we’ll be launching a new Diet Buddies program in the months ahead. By following the South Beach Diet Online, you’ll not only get help gaining control of your weight and your heart health, you’ll also be helping us make the diet better. Science is changing and improving all the time, and I see this diet as an evolution. As we learn new information about dieters’ needs and experiences, we’ll be able to continually improve the Web site, the plan, and our ability to help people. Sincerely,
|