Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't do the diet part.
Review: The author, Bill Phillips, is a good motivator. You gotta have patience though- he's right about that one, but that comes easy after you've crossed what he called the abyss. Didn't like the meal plan much though. You have to eat 6 meals a day and my boss doesn't like to see me eating so much while I'm suppose to be working. Anyway, the exercise part is good if you can go to the gym when it isn't busy. Some days this works out okay. The aerobic workout left me out of breath a bit but that's probably because I weigh so much. All in all, it's very inspiring- give it a try.
Rating: 
Summary: Best information about healthy living and overall happyness
Review: I am a BodyForLife nut! I do subscribe to the Muscle Media magazine also. This book go into great detail on what to do and WHY. It covers why you need to plan and you can even get the Success Journal that will document your transformation so you can share it with your friends. I am only on my 3rd week and I have seen amazing results. I weight in at an amazing 145 pounds so as you can see I am not studing the body for life plan to loose weight but to gain muscle. 1/2 inch gain on biceps, 1 inch gain on chest. Went from 35lb dumbbell press to 55 pound press in just 3 weeks. I am telling you plan your work and work your plan and you will see some truly amazing results in a matter of just a few weeks! Get this book and go ahead and get the "Success Journal" to make it easier to plan!
Rating:
Summary: Lifechanging
Review: Since starting the program 16 weeks ago, I have lost 29 pounds. I am more fit than I have been since playing college ball. The success I am experiencing is spilling over into all other parts of my life. I have read 100's of exercise, diet and self-help books, but this book is about application and execution. It is the best book of its kind and it works. The Success Journal was also crucial in keeping me on track in the first 4 months
Rating:
Summary: Out of 751 Reviews, this book has 4 stars...it works!!
Review: As an average person, I have to say that this book was great for getting me into the gym and getting me to evaluate at my diet. After reading the book, I decided that I wanted to make permanent life style changes. Knowing that I would never do suppliments the rest of my life, I didn't even consider them. I also loosely followed his diet plan, and started eating fruits and vegies for snacks, and making sure I ate breakfast, a well balanced lunch and diner, some kind of meat, poultry or fish, a veggie, starch and salad. I also tried to limit the junk food to one day a week. The exercise part I followed to the tee. I went from an 18 to a loose size 12 in 5 months. Not doing the supplements and not following his diet strictly, but using it as a loose guideline, I knew that my results would not come as quickly as they did for the people in the book, but I've made changes that I can easily continue for the rest of my life.
I've found that it's easier and much less boring to join a gym. ... this is one of the smallest and most important investments that you can make in yourself. You're going to have to get off the couch and change your eating habits if you really want to acheive the one thing money can't buy - your health. If you can't afford to pay for a private gym membership - check out your city or county fitness/community center - most of them have gyms that cost much less to use than a private facility. I also downloaded the work-out sheets from his website and put them into a cheep paper document binder that I take to the gym with me. What I liked the most about the exercise program was that it was quick. I don't have the time or desire to live in the gym. The lifting part takes less than 50 minutes to complete and the cardio part take 20 minutes.
The people who said this program doesn't work for them either never bothered to try it or looked for obsticles they could use to say they couldn't do it. Do they do the same thing with everything else in their life?
Jeez, use your common since people, if nothing else. For a book to be reviewed by over 750 people and STILL have over 4 stars....it definitly is working for everyone who actually tries it AND sticks with it.
Rating:
Summary: This program works!
Review:
In this book, Bill Phillips lays out a simple diet and exercise plan that flat out works for just about anyone who will commit to it. The eating plan has to do with eating 6 small meals per day that are a balance of protein and good carbs, and low-fat. The exercise plan involves lifting weights 3x per week and doing a 20-minute aerobic workout 3x per week. In short he's laid out a simple, managable and sustainable diet and exericse plan focusing on how to get the most "bang for the buck" in a 12-week period. The Good - * Unlike other programs I've tried (Atkins, WW) this is a diet and exercise plan that I can see sticking with for the rest of my life. * By focusing the participant on a 12-week time frame, the program sets a reasonable expectation so that you don't get discouraged and quit after a few weeks. * It's aimed at, and suitable for anyone who needs to get back in shape, - from the former athlete to the novice who has never done weight training before. * The before and after photos and the "success stories" are very motivating. It gets you to thinking - "hey, if they can do that then so can I!" The Bad - * He should have included more tips to help people avoid injury. It would be easy for those unaccustomed to weight training to overdue it (due to initial enthusiasm) and end up with a hernia or hurt back. So if you do it, start slowly the first week, pay attention to proper technique and form, and consider getting a weight belt. * While I didn't mind him pushing his supplements (which he didn't do a lot of), I think he has a responsibility to fully inform readers as to possible side effects. For example, Phosphagen is a creatine supplement sold by EAS (his affiliation to EAS is a bit unclear) and is touted as totally safe (everybody's doing it, even high-school atheletes) but if you do a web search on creatine + kidney stones you'll find some disturbing information. The Other - * To do the weight training exercises in here you'll either want to belong to a health club with various weight machines or else you'll want to buy a weight bench, barbell set and some dumbbells. For the aerobic portion you can do any aerobic type machine as well as jogging, an aerobic video, jumprope etc. * Would have liked to see another supplemental chapter devoted to an overview of exercise physiology. * Those out here who have reviewed this book and dismissed it have obviously not done it. I didn't read any negative reviews from someone who actually did the program, - only from those "nattering nabobs of negativity" coach potatos who would rather criticise and pick apart fitness programs rather than actually do them! * Keep in mind this book is not meant to be a detailed discussion of nutrition. It describes in simple terms a healthy way of eating, but don't expect it to go into depth on nutrition. Likewise it's not a body-building or weightlifting book. He gives a simple, starter exercise regimen and details various exercises to do, - but that's it, don't expect a bodybuilding guide. Summary - This program is attainable and sustainable for just about anyone who wants to get in shape. If you follow it, you will see good results. But be warned that after it's over if you go back to your old way of eating you'll simply get out of shape again. He makes it very clear that although it is portrayed as a 12-week challenge, 12 weeks is just the beginning but he is convinced (and I am too, now) that if you stick with this program for 12 weeks you won't want to go back. Personal Note: I've been on the program for six weeks and have gone from 24% body fat to 14%, am close to achieving the initial goals I set (for 12 weeks) and although I plan to tweak both the diet and exercise a little after 12 weeks - I figure this program provides a diet and exercise framework that I can comfortably live by for the rest of my life.
Rating:
Summary: This is truly a diet plan for life!
Review: I am writing this review for the benefit of anyone contemplating this diet and exercise regimen. In addition to reading the book, I read almost every review on Amazon both good and bad because committing yourself to this diet is not as simple as joining weight watchers or some other diet plan. First, let me cut to the chase and tell you that it works incredibly well AND you will probably feel the best you have ever felt in your adult life. I am probably the average guy in terms of what shape I was in. I am 39 years old, 6 feet tall and weighed 199 lbs. I am currently in my seventh week of the program and have lost 17 lbs! The program is amazing. Like anything else, success is not easy but it is absolutely attainable. I had been on weight watchers for approx 8 months and had lost 20 lbs. I could not get beyond that initial loss of 20 lbs. My opinion is that Weight Watchers is a great diet for the average person but Body for Life is more of a regimen and it gives you a thorough plan for exercising. I broke down the rest of my review into 4 categories: 1. PREPARATION - The key to success, as Mr. Phillips points out, is planning. You need to plan every aspect of this diet or else your risk of failure will be high. This diet is not for last minute planners. Give yourself time every day to plan the next day, especially during the first couple of weeks. 2. FOOD - Many of the reviewers complained about the book implying that you need to buy the nutritional supplements. Ignore them. The book is not a sales pitch. I gave into one shake per day and a "carb lite" bar a few times per week. The shakes take some getting used to but after a while I actually enjoy them. It also takes the pressure off of having to plan 6 mix meals a day. A pleasant surprise was how good egg substitutes could be. The best thing about the diet is the free day because there is a tremendous psychological advantage knowing that if you crave something, you can have it on your free day. I have used that free day to eat the meals that I really enjoy. Going off the diet actually rejuvenates you because you feel guilty at the end of the day and you can't wait to get back on the program on Monday morning. I always taken advantage of that free day and was still able to lose weight every week. I want to emphasize though, that I did not binge on anything. I ate 3 meals that I really like and had dessert but did not eat to the point where it was binging. Do not view the day as a free-for-all. 3. EXERCISE - I do not like working out in a gym. I would much rather work out in the privacy of my home. Therefore, for approx $200 I was able to buy a bench and a couple of dumbbell sets. The reason I bought two sets of dumbbells is that you only have 1 minute to rest between sets and you need the time to rest. Look through the book before you buy the bench and decide which exercises you are going to do. 4. MISCELLANEOUS - Buy and utilize his Success Journal. Every morning after I workout I plan out my meals and record other data as I am cooling down. Utilize the Body for Life website. Not only is there an expanded food list, but you can submit questions that get answered in the same day. Make sure you take the "before" pictures of yourself. You will not be sorry at the end of the 12 weeks. As I was reading the amazon reviews I did sense that some reviewers read the book and critiqued it without actually doing the diet. This book cannot be properly reviewed unless the reviewer follows the plan for 12 weeks. No diet program is perfect but this one has dramatic results. In summary, I feel the best I have ever felt in a long time. It is also an incredible feeling actually having tightened-up my body to the extent that it shows. Let's not forget that there are many ways to lose weight and get in shape, but this book had the best results. Also, the major aspect of this plan that attracted me to it is that it is not a radical plan. He really does not eliminate anything from your diet 100%. You still get proteins and carbs but just in moderation. I had read, for example, Dr Atkins' book. To me, that is not a diet that can be maintained long-term. And, I know two people who were on Atkins and lost a significant amount of weight. Within a year or two they were both fatter then when they started that diet. I hope this review encourages at least one person to start this diet because it truly is life changing without being unrealistically restrictive.
Rating:
Summary: Good advice
Review: Phillips makes it simple by providing a balanced diet and workout for the reader. The diet is a little over the top (six meals), but it gives a good sense of what you should look for in food. The routine is nice, both mentally and physically. After 12 weeks, you find yourself making it part of your day. The Phillips' mantra is keep with it and don't worry about the past. Good advice.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: People gripe that the workouts aren't effective, that the diet is bad, that Bill Phillips wants to sell supplements. So what. I've tried Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig -- this plan is the ONLY one that's really worked for me. The book is worth every cent. Maybe it all seems a little hypey and corny, but I was never in better shape in all my life than after I did the 12-week challenge in 2000. I'm doing it again now, and really enjoying it.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Program for Fitness I Know
Review: The writing style is the only reason I almost did not give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. The book takes too long to get to the program and running the risk of being thrown into the "stack of books that suck" pile. But that would be a huge mistake because this book does not suck!
In fact, I believe it to be a stroke of genius. The program is simple and easy to follow once you take the time to really study and understand what Bill is saying.
Believe me it's worth the effort. The program amazingly enough seems to have the reader in mind. If you have a job and a family, it is impossible to dedicate hours a day to the gym. Bill Phillips' plan tries to get you in and out of the gym in less than an hour tops, and encourages you to do it faster if you can. The plan alternates weights with aerobic exercise an absolute essential of a complete fitness plan. Nevertheless, the aerobic sessions are only 20min long, that's it.
The plan is also flexible in the dieting department allowing one day out of the week where you can eat whatever your heart desires, a marvelous thing for me and the only thing that allowed me to stick with the diet. Above all, the plan works and works very well.
I am currently on my sixth week of the program and the results on my physique are astonishing. I am positive I will finish the plan and finally obtain what for me has been a life long dream: WASHBOARD ABS! No other book or plan has been able to do this for me. Furthermore, it is all natural no pills or gimmicks, nothing but simple straightforward direction and great advice. If you are reading this ...Thank you Bill Phillips.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing Works Better
Review: I am a walking result of the Body for LIFE program and use this book as my fitness bible. The program works. It's efficient and effective. It's practical, sensible and there are no crazy diets. You're eating 6 good meals a day and you even allow yourself a free day! What could be better? Use this program and feel better about the way you look and feel. Sounds like a cheesy infomercial... but I did it and know it works! Buy this book and get with the program!
| 
