[John McMahon]

You shouldn't be doing South Beach if you have high cholesterol.

Best rule of thumb is:

1 - exercise....cardio for 30 min 3 - 5 times week, superset weight training for 30 min, 3 times a week
2 - eat nothing white...bread, rice, etc, it is processed. eat whole grains instead.
3 - always try to include vegetables in each meal
4 - Make sure your proteins are higher than your carbs at each meal, minimize sugar
5 - Eliminate all saturated fats and fried foods.
6 - limit/eliminate alcohol

I am losing 1 pound a week of fat following this plan and building lean muscle.