Rating: Summary: I've lost 55 pounds! Review: I was diagnosed as having PCOS last year. Along with the glucophage to help control my insulin, my doctor recommended either the Atkins or Sugar Busters diet. I started with Atkins, and found it impossible to follow. Plus, the recipes were nauseating. But, Sugar Busters has been wonderful. First, it helps that I've never liked potatoes, carrots and bananas - those are the three items that are hardest to substitute in your diet. And, I also live in a major metropolitan area, where finding whole grain, almost sugar free breads, pastas and sauces is pretty easy. I still enjoy pasta at least once a week, but I buy whole grain pasta, and I'm careful to watch portion size. (Hint - head to the organic section of your grocery store. You still have to read labels, but you are more likely to at least avoid refined flour and corn syrup.) What I've enjoyed most about this diet is that you don't have to count calories. You just have to remember the items you aren't allowed, and then eat the rest in moderation. I found that by cutting out refined flour, a large portion of the fats in my diet were eliminated (no fast food - even subway's "whole wheat" has refined flour and corn syrup in it). My cholesterol has dropped from sky high levels to very reasonable levels. The hardest part of this diet is eating out, but this book even gives you tips on that. The recipes included in this book are great, especially the ones from New Orleans restaurants. They tend to be much richer than you'd eat on an average day (perhaps where the high protein/high fat idea came from, but this diet ends up being fairly low fat without even trying), but good for when you want to splurge.
Rating: Summary: Hype and Pseudoscience Review: This diet is based on the idea that our hormones are the cause of weight gain. By reducing our sugar intake, we control our hormones and lose weight.Several claims are made that are at odds with what any respectable organization will tell you. 1. They claim that calories do not matter when trying to lose weight. 2. They claim that exercise will not affect weight loss. (Wow, we all breaking all kinds of laws of thermodynamics in this book... energy eaten doesn't count, energy used to burn calories doesn't count... sounds fishy to me). 3. Based on their so-called "research" (actually testimonials) with diabetics they claim that it is necessary to control sugar intake to control blood sugar. This is not true for the general population. The abnormal blood sugar is the result of diabetes. 4. And their favorite claim: SUGAR IS TOXIC! It might be a good marketing ploy, but saying that sugar is a poison does not make it true. I could forgive all this information if they at least came up with a decent diet plan, but they didn't manage to do that. It does not control calories, so the only way you'll lose weight is if you inadvertantly eat less because your favorite foods are restricted. If you insist on believing the junk science that this book is based on, at least do yourself the favor of following the Carbohydrate Addicts diet instead. It is based on the same principles, but the diet plan is better thought out. I can guarantee that you'll lose weight on the CA diet.
Rating: Summary: definitely works!!! Review: I've never believed in diets that make you count grams, calories, or whatever. Eating shouldn't be difficult. Sugar Busters made me realize how much sugar I was actually consuming everyday. It has really helped me to eat more sensibly. In the first 2 weeks, I lost 10 pounds.
Rating: Summary: do they read the book? Review: (...) Read the book first,try this way of eating (not a diet)and if you feel hungry and don't feel better than before and start to lose weigth since the begining,sorry but you are from another planet,because this works for us humans.I've been strugling with my weigth since I was 25 (I'm 41),yo-yo dieting all my adult life and feeling hungry all the time,at the second day I was able to just ate my 3 meals a day,without seconds,without feeling hungry between meals,it's great,please give it a try,you will see. (...) THANKS FERMIN I OWE YOU MY NEW LIFE.
Rating: Summary: Holy Cow ! It actually works!!!!! Review: To me Sugar Busters is a real revelation to me.I was knocking myself out trying to get rid of the weight that I gained during pregnancy and no matter how much I exercized and ate low fat foods the weight barely budged.It was incredibly frustrating!I just happened to stumble across this book and decided to give it a try. I began it on a Friday morning and by Monday night I had dropped FOUR pounds!Truly amazing!I knew I was really on to something.All in all I,ve lost 36 pounds and reached my goal of 114 pounds.It wouldn't have happened any other way. The diet at first can be difficult for a lot of people especially if you tend to eat a lot of sugar and "bad" carb rich food.I kinda felt that I was going through a bit of withdrawal but luckily after a few days you begin to feel like yourself again only better.I also should state that I have also kept the weight off for two years now but I also regularly use the scale as my guide. I am thoroughly convinced of this diet and I would strongly recommened it to anyone.
Rating: Summary: simplicity meets results Review: After reading the book and following the advice, the first thing I noticed was that just about everything I was ingesting was loaded with sugar...even things that you would not expect to have sugar at all. The next thing I realized was how dependant on sugar I was ...for the first few days I found myself actually getting out of bed to get something sweet. The last thing I noticed was the results...I have lost 15 pounds in the last 2 months and am currently losing a pound or so a week...all of this with my same work-out routine and following this simple diet". No gimmicks...no BS. The author lays out a simple argument which explains the connection between sugar and weight gain and then explains what you have to avoid. It's the only "diet" that I've ever been able to stick with and the results speak for themselves. This is a winner!
Rating: Summary: Ignore the AHA Hype. Read The Book Review: Please ignore the American Heart Association's characterazation of Sugar Busters as a high protein fad diet. I serously doubt that anyone with any medical training at the AHA even read this book. They probably thought it was a rehash of the Atkins Diet. It is not. Sugar Busters is a common sense approach to weight loss. I had been on a low fat diet for years which resulted in high trigylcerides, high fasting glucose and low HDL cholestorol. I was still 20 pounds overweight even running 25 miles a week. Within 6 weeks of starting sugar busters I raised my HDL cholestorol 20 mg/dl and lower my triglycerides to 101 and my fasting glucose to normal levels. Unfortunately it was too late as I had developed cataracts in both eyes at only age 46. I have lost the 20 pounds and at the same time cut a total of 10 minutes off my 5 mile run. The sad truth is low fat diets are making a lot of people sicker. I was one of them.
Rating: Summary: Plain common sense Review: I have read many of the reviews of this book and was particularly interested in the negative ones. I am not a sugar busters zealot, but I follow its precepts because the book advocates good common sense. If it could be summarized in one sentence, that sentence would be "Eat ,in moderation, foods that have been refined as little as possible". The secret is learning how to cook the old fashioned way. Our ancestors have been doing that since the beginning of time and they didn't seem to have weight problems until the last 200 years or so when processed food came into existence. By the way, I am not overweight, I have plenty of energy, and I have a positive outlook on most everything. If that is a bad thing, I will just have to live with that.
Rating: Summary: Give it 3 weeks and see for yourself Review: The first couple of weeks were rough, but by Week 3 it was pretty smooth sailing. I've been on the diet for about 4 months, and although I don't know how much weight I've lost, I have reduced two pant sizes and receive compliments all the time about how good I look. Even better, I can see myself on this diet even if I didn't have a weight problem--just because it makes me feel so good. I used to crave sweets and breads all the time and felt shaky when I got hungry, but I don't get those cravings anymore. I think the diet, rich in whole grains, lean meats and fresh vegetables, is the way to go. Give it 3 weeks (without any cheating) and I think you'll see what I mean!
Rating: Summary: It's a pleasure to give this book a great review Review: Several months ago, as I was feeling completely at the mercy of tight clothes and rising numbers on the scale, several friends told me about the Atkins Diet and Protein Power. I did some research on the internet and concluded that I didn't think I could live with either of those plans. I stumbled onto the Sugar Busters book in the process and purchased it from Amazon. I started Sugar Busting on 6/6/01 and have lost 16 pounds so far. I do not have those same panicked, shaky feelings if I'm not consuming food all the time. When I'm hungry, it's an *awareness* that I'm empty and need filling. It took a week of feeling kind of lousy while following the program, and since then, I have never felt better. This is a way of eating that I can live with forever. I'm sure I've become an annoying evangelical Sugar Buster but I tell everyone I know (whether they have weight to lose or not) to try Sugar Busters for two weeks and see if they don't feel better.
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