My sister has tried about every diet on the planet and has been on the South Beach diet for 3 months and has lost 25 lbs with moderate exercise. My wife got on it in the middle of December and has lost 16lbs with same moderate exercise. I am big into working out and nutrition and I tell you what this DIET WORKS. Anyone needing to lose weight owes it to themselves to try it. I rarey recommend anything for losing weight except eating well and getting on the treadmill but this diet has really impressed me with the results I have seen so far. The first 2 week are kind of strict but after that it is pretty easy to follow and it really helps you to make good food choices. You can check out the book at the local library or buy it.