Mulan,
I'm happy for your success on the South Beach diet! My hubby is following it, too, and is now under 190 (at 5'11") and happy. I think his goal is 175-180. He plans to add weight training to his routine now that he's under 190 (don't ask me why he had to wait until now, but that's his plan!)
I read the book and find the South Beach a more reasonable, easier-to-follow version of the Atkins diet. I, however, have had great success with Atkins, and so pretty much am sticking to it, but using the knowledge I gained about the glycemic index while reading the SB Diet book to decide which carbs to add weekly to my Ongoing Weight Loss plan. I, too, am at a plateau for several weeks now, but I also had my blood work done recently, and I'm happy to report that my HDL is now at 75 (up from 64) and my overall cholesterol number is at 220 versus 235 in June of last year.
I read on the American Heart Association site that cutting carbs raises HDL and lowers triglycerides, so these low carb diets are definitely good for the heart. This is important to me, because I have a really LOUSY family history of heart disease and recent tests show that I've had a small heart attack myself in the past two years. THAT freaked me out, and I'm glad to know that my efforts to lose weight and eat properly have had tangible results not only in my outer appearance, but also in my lipid profile.
Oh! And I agree that during the initial phase of Atkins, when one is shocking one's body into ketosis, bad breath ensues. But once a person starts adding carbs to find his own Critical Carbohydrate Loss Level, the halitosis goes away.
You go, Mulan!!!!
Brenda