Rating: 
Summary: Simple and easy to follow
Review: I loved this book. It is extremely easy to follow and helped me jump start me weight loss goals. I also loved "The Power of Positive Habits" a new book that shows you how to permanently change your lifestyle for permanent weight loss.
Rating:
Summary: Motivation + Action Plan = Results
Review: If you're looking for a book to both Psyche You Up and Pump You Up, this is the book for you! Bill Phillips' candid writing style, real-life success stories and pictures make up the motivation aspect of this book. You'll learn about the HIV patient who had given up on life and came back after committing to the 12 week program and the couple who improved their lives and their relationship by inspiring and motivating each other to stick with the program. Bill gives simple exercise routines, nothing complicated or even new. The beauty of this book is the emphasis of committing to just 12 weeks. The book includes a chart for tracking food consumption and exercise schedules. These two simple steps are profound in their approach. I highly recommend this book for anyone struggling to get into the gym or feeling overwhelmed by the idea of weight loss and exercise. I personally found the tracking sheets to be invaluable and worth the price of the book alone. Patrick Rodriguez, Life Coach
Rating: 
Summary: just OK
Review: It amazes me how many people are giving either 5 star or 1 star reviews of this book when by their own admission, they have not followed the plan for 12 weeks. How can you give an adequate opinion of a 12 week program if you didn't follow it all the way through? There are a lot of things going for this book. There are a lot of things against this book. Reading some of these reviews makes me worry that people may pass over this book for the wrong reasons. First, you have to work out. DUH. If you think that dieting alone is the way to get a rock hard body, go read a book on nutrition and come back to BFL once you have learned a few facts. Second, the act of reading this book alone is not going to make you lose weight. I read a review from someone who gave the book a 1 star because she didn't want to join a gym. That's not the fault of this book. If you do not want to spend 20-45 minutes a day on making your body better, get used to the way you look now. Third, the pictures in the book are very misleading. The people in the pictures have manipulated lighting, camera angles, posture, and tan-in-a-can to make their before and after pictures look as dramatic as possible. Keep in mind that these people were trying to win a contest. Throw the idea of them out. For those of you who are willing to eat right and workout to look better and understand that you aren't going to look like the pictures overnight, good news! This book works! But do you need the book? You'll look better 12 weeks later no matter what you do if you work out 6 times a week and give it your all while passing on the junk food. If you have any experience whatsoever with weight lifting and know some basic exercises for all your muscle groups, skip this book. Nothing in here that you won't find on the poster of exercises that comes with most dumbbell sets and workout benches. But if you have no clue about what to do in the gym, or how to eat, or if you can even do it, pick the book up. It'll help you through it all. The recipe section is difficult to search. Whoever is "authorizing" recipes isn't following the guidelines set in the book. I didn't follow the diet restrictions to a "T", but some of these recipes are taking some huge liberties. There is a recipe for fried chicken, but it's OK because you are using olive oil. What? Just be wary. Other BFL support sites are like a cult. Don't question the program or attempt to change it or you'll be smacked down. I work full time plus go to school full time. Occasionally, I have to miss a meal. I asked for advice from several sites and I was told that I need to quit my job or quit school. Great advice, guys. This is why people quit the program - it appears inflexible while it really isn't. In summary, this book is an awful read, the program is great if you know absolutely nothing, and the lifestyle needs some modification to keep it for the rest of your life. If I could do it over again, I'd just hire a personal trainer.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book For The Not So Fit
Review: Ok, I must first say that I've never completed the 12 week program. BUT...it's always been due to some huge change or circumstance in my life. I must say though, that whenever I get serious about getting fit, I always come back to this program. I am a 27 year old mother of 2. Husband works late and I don't have a sitter so it's very hard for me to find time to work out. I can't do it in the morning as suggested in the book, so I do it when I have time at home with free weights and it still works. The first time I did the program I got half way through it and did see some pretty good results. Not on the scale but in my clothes and the sculpting of my body. I do not take any supplements. Only the Myoplex light when I don't have time to prepare a meal or I'm on the go. The book is easy to read and is honest. Does promote EAS products a lot but you don't really need them if you're not competing. What I especially like is that the author is honest and lets you know that you have to keep this up forever hence the name Body For Life. But you'll feel so great that you'll want to! Overall, there is great information in the book and if you follow it correctly -you will see great results
-you won't go hungry
-you won't spend half of your life in the gym
-best of all, you will feel great! Anyway, I'm starting back on it today and I WILL meet my goal this time!
Rating:
Summary: Worth the money
Review: This book was designed to motivate the reader into being at his/her best health possible. How? By offering you a prize. What type of prize? Money, but you not only can win money and other products but you gain a lot of self confidence, self respect, and your health sky rockets. Do you have to buy their product? Yes and no. If you want to win their prizes and have your face on their magazine yes you do have to buy their product. But if you decide to go with someone elses product or you do have time to prepare vitamin packed meals then don't worry about spending money on their product. This book pulled me out of a depressive state and made me look at my life totally differently. Bill Phillips has put this routine in an easy to understand formate that lets you see results very quickly. To me spending the extra money on a few suppliments was nothing compared to the self satisfaction I feel every time I workout.
Rating: 
Summary: It works.
Review: What I gained most from this book was the basics of the mealplan. I lost 25lbs in less than a month with it and I wasn't even really trying (I didn't follow his workout or buy his protein shakes and it still works just for teaching you how to eat). Your food choices aren't so restrictive (as Atkins'), throughout the week AND you get a "cheat day" every week where you can pig out and eat anything and everything, all day (I used to order a pizza or two in the morning and eat that between meals on my cheat day...).
Some years later, I can still go back and eat his way and start to lose weight/fat. You obviously won't get the results of the people pictured in the examples if you don't follow it closely, but there is merit in the book and you CAN expect decent results if you simply follow the mealplan (with or without protein shakes and you don't have to buy EAS supplements) and some kind of exercise regimen.
Rating:
Summary: More Than Just Fitness!
Review: Bill Phillips seems to be genuine in his efforts to help people get back into shape. I found the information credible and the tecniques helpful. More importanly, however, is his penchant for motivation. So much so that I'm now in my 3rd week (May 19, 2003) and starting to feel and look better. The pictures of the transformations people have gone through are astounding! I've known several people who have started this program, but never finished... No guarantees, I guess, but it wasn't because of the book. A book that can change your life, if you allow yourself the opportunity.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: Really nothing revolutionary about the book or the program. Basic workout routines and the non-revolutionary concept of eating a bunch of small meals a day rather that the traditional three. The disturbing thing I find about it is that this is really just a way to sell "nutritional" supplements. When I inquired as to participating in the Body For Life Challenge I found out that the one requirement was that you use Bill Phillip's Myoplex supplements in order to qualify. You don't even have to use the exercise eating program, you just *have* to use the supplements. That should tell you something. All the advertising, etc., that come with the book and the program are geared at you buying these products.
Rating:
Summary: Made me gain weight
Review: I stayed on this program for 11 weeks and gained 11 pounds. I am a woman and I followed it to the letter.
I now joined Weight Watchers and finally dropped most of the 11 lbs I gained which leaves me at my beginning weight when starting this program in Jan 2003 and quitting in March2003. I also could not sleep at night because of the intensity and heavy weight lifting. I also lose weight when I workout longer than just interval training in 20 minutes. Buyer Beware. I love WW because I eat what I want but limit portions. That way I feel good and lose weight the right way. Who wants to be limited to chicken breasts and salmon for the rest of their lives? Not me..There are more intelligent choices and as a teacher I would not advice this diet to people who are emotional eaters or who have an eating disorder. It can exacerbate your disorder. Please save your money. I like Bill and the intent is good but does not apply to all as he believes.
Rating:
Summary: This Plan Works
Review: I absolutely love this book and plan. It may not be rocket science, but when you combine his diet plan with the exercise / weight lifting plan, the results are fantastic. In 12 weeks, I lost 18 lbs. (I didn't have much weight to lose), and put on a noticable amount of muscle. And the diet is not one of those "fad diets." You eat real food, but healthy food. As a 39 year old guy, I am in the best shape of my life. It really has had an enormous postive impact on my life!
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