I went into the site for some information, and now I'm getting emails from them. Actually I don't mind at all. They are very informative and I signed up for a free newsletter. And I actually learned I can stay on Phase 1 for up to a month because of my BMI (I thought 2 weeks was written in stone!).

It is only $20 a month and I'm thinking of joining. Does anyone else belong? Is it worth it?

Thanks in advance for any feedback. I'm finally serious about regaining my health.

I've also visited the site and now get those emails. Sometimes they are very helpful but sometimes they suck you in and there really isn't "real" information there. I find that very frustrating. I would love to hear from anyone that actually pays the weekly fee and has access to all of the features so I would know if they feel it is worth the money.

Hi lastchancecafe and welcome!! I too get the emails, but I did not believe it was necessary for me to spend the extra money. I check in here daily which helps me tremendously. I read the original book and have Super Charges on my IPad. I still flip through them to refresh myself. Good luck, believe in yourself and you will achieve your goals.

I signed up for the free trial so that I could peruse the resources there. I find this forum far more user friendly and personal. I was at a point where I was looking for some menu planning support which they seemed to offer. The only problem was that if I wanted to plan a week of menus I could only use their menus and recipes...not any of my own. I needed far more flexiblity. I cancelled the trial and won't go back.

I joined years ago and frequently cancel, then rejoin at the original rate. I just rejoined to check the site, and found many changes. For one thing, South Beach seems to be going into processed foods -- shakes, bars, dinners. They're on their meal plans, and there are ads on the site, with promises of more to come.

I think the message boards here are more active, and easier to navigate, but there are obviously people who've made the SB site their home and are happily posting there, so go see what you think and let us know.

I belong to that site and could have written Debbie's post! I had a groupon to join for a year, so I did for $79.00, and I actually wrote to see if I could get a refund. (I probably can't but it was worth asking.) The food tracking tool is a major annoyance, their food database is paltry, and you can't put in your own recipes and have the site save the nutrition information per serving. (Think WW eTools.)

It would be one thing if the forums were active, but they are not. I read enough posts to know they went through a major shift in format last summer, and lost lots of people. I've been a member of message boards in the past that have done this - the owner takes them from vBulletin (the format we have here) to one that is more streamlined to their site branding, and the communities leave together and find another home. When folks have built a community with certain "norms" of communication, then those ways of interacting are slipped out from under them, they leave.

I'm thinking of trying out myfittnesspal.com, which I understand is pretty popular around here. I just know that I do better when I track, and I won't track if it's made as difficult as it is on the SBD site.

I'm a big fan of MFP. It's so easy to track your food, workouts, and weight, and the app is one of the best I've found. It integrates with my fitbit, and I really like the community features as well. Let me know if you join, and we can be friends

Well, I guess I'm the lone fan, but I did join the official website, and I love it. I like that there is detailed updated information that I know is accurate. Also, there are "Ask the Dietician" live, on-line chats once or twice a week where you can just ask away any questions about the diet or nutrition.

I'll probably keep my subscription for a whole year, until I reach goal, then go it on my own from there. It's $20 a month, and for me personally, it's worth it.

Whatever we choose, one thing's for sure - South Beach rocks on any website!