Rating: 
Summary: some improvement needed
Review: I was skeptical of this whole "addict" thing but I quickly found there was something to it, at least for me. I quit having headaches as soon as I started this, and also learned the difference between actual hunger, and cravings set off by carbohydrates. That being said, this book definitely has room for improvement. The sections on what foods are and are not carbohydrates should be far more detailed, and easy to find. And don't bother trying those recipes at the back that make carbohydrate-free "muffins" or "pancakes" which bear no resemblance to the real thing. You're better off eating real bread during your carbohydrate meal, and going with natural foods like salads on the other meals. People who think this book suggest some radical diet haven't really looked at it. It's very sensible and is much about restructuring what you eat as it is about changing what you eat.
Rating: 
Summary: FINALLY, I UNDERSTAND!
Review: The CALSP was gifted to me by an assoicate. (I can't believe she didn't want to keep it herself!) I found it very interesting and easy to read right from the start. Immediately, I felt that the book was telling my story. I come from a family that all struggle with their weight, so I thought it was a genetically inherited trait. We didn't eat a lot of food, and we are all very active, but could never get down to our desired weight. We all tried different diets, but could not maintain their restrictions very long. Looking at our childhood, it finally clicked. We were raised in poverty, and our main food source was carbohydrates. We still had proteins, but not enough to balance the equation. Upon aquirring this book, I began taking GTF Chromium, as it was the easiest step to start with. This mentally prepared me to take another step, to balance my proteins and carbohydrates, which was easy. Steak and eggs for breakfast - I haven't ever eaten so good! My cravings started to disappear. Before I even started losing weight, I felt more energetic, my mind clearer, and wasn't depressed as I was before. I don't deny myself what I want. Bread was easy to give up, as it had always been a filler to me anyway. But I still will have a tuna sandwich or a hamburger. I do not feel I am on a diet. I have just learned to eat differently. Without any deprivation, I have lost 25 pounds in 5 months, and have gone from a size 11 jeans to a size 8. I feel great about how I look and how I feel. I have more energy. I talked to my sister, told her about the book, and now she is having the same experience. Everyone ask me how I do it. I tell them about the book, but do not lend my book to anyone. I carry it with me for references. This book may not be for the moderate athlete as their need for carbohydrates is different. But other than that, if you follow it, it will work. Give it more than four days. READ THE BOOK AND FOLLOW IT! Choose options which are the easiest, then add options as your ready! If I can easily get down to a size 8 jean, this can work for you! It's not a quick fix, but a "LifeSpan" program that will keep you at a weight your happy with for your life.
Rating:
Summary: Reformed Carb Addict Speaks
Review: I tried the Atkins diet but only lasted two days due to severe weakness and nausea. However, the CAD has been a true blessing to me. I have lost 4 pounds quickly. Even though I only expect to lose around 2 pounds weekly (which is considered medically prudent), I am very excited. My goal weight loss is 15 pounds so I feel the slow weight loss is actually better than quick weight loss. My carb cravings have disappeared and my energy level is much better. Many thanks to the Hellers.
Rating:
Summary: use any and every technique at your disposal
Review: I believe that there are as many ways to lose weight and keep it off that vary as much as we as individuals vary. However I also believe that there is one common denominator that links the most successful "reduction mode" diets. The amount of carbohydrates we eat must be restricted in some way, form or mean, or even temporarily cut out to achieve the best results. What is different about this book is that it actually gives an explanation for all of our impulsive cravings that actually makes sense and that you can easily apply to your everyday eating. I personally keep some of the advice in mind as to when I eat my carbohydrates even though I prefer a simple high protein diet that works for me. So while you search for the plan that best suits you, don't ignore the advice this book has to offer. Use any and every technique at your disposal to wage the battle of the ever-increasing waistline.
Rating:
Summary: Finally
Review: I bought this book at a used book store about 3 weeks ago after I heard a friend mention it briefly. After reading it for about 10 minutes I was convinced this was the diet that would work for me! I've been eating this way for almost two weeks and have noticed a difference. I have tried a few others and nothing happened. I couldn't stick to them and was hungry all the time when I tried. I've always been able to lose what I needed fairly easy not being much overweight, but it seems in the past two years it's been getting harder and harder. Finally, when I was over 30 pounds over, I tried eating lots of fruits and vegies. I just wanted to eat more. This way of living is a relief to me! This diet isn't for everyone, just most people who are carb addicts. This book tells you all you need to know to get started. The recipes are easy and with buying a few ingredients you can make just about anything. I'm new, but I have a feeling this'll be my way of life for good. I would recommend at least trying this if you think you're a good candidate and your score heads that way.
Rating:
Summary: The difference between cravings and hunger
Review: I have craved carbs for 36 years, since I was 12 and started eating to cover up my feelings. This book has helped me overcome my fear of hunger, because hunger is easy to handle-- the cravings are not. By eating carbs once a day, I feel hunger sometimes the rest of the day, but I can hold on for an hour or two until my next meal. I could never control a craving -- I had to eat, and beat myself up everyday for being "weak" and not losing the 30 pounds I gained when I quit smoking. I think this diet is a solution to my problem, and I'm very grateful.
Rating: 
Summary: Dedicated for 5 Months and Nearly No Loss
Review: I was completely dedicated to this diet for 5 months and lost only 4 - 5 pounds. I never once fell off of the wagon. However, the weight came off, very, very slowly. At first, the diet was liberating! No cravings, eat a balanced (but whatever I wanted dinner), and eat low/no carbs during the day. It never worked for me. And slowly the diet became incredibly restrictive-- especially after I went out to the message boards and the Carbohydrate Addicts web site. I discovered that I probably had a sensitivity to MSG, then it was cabbage, then it was certain other vegetables. Before I knew it, I was trying only protein during the day, eliminating many vegetables, and feeling worried that after every reward meal, I would gain weight at the next day's weigh-in, or actually hit one of my many, many stalls. I finally realized that this diet didn't work (for me). I joined Weight Watchers in June and have already lost over 12 pounds. What have I learned? Well, for one, I'm not sensitive to MSG, cabbage, etc., etc. I can eat carbohydrates during the day and not go craving crazy. Actually, I eat nearly anything I want and haven't fallen off of the WW wagon either. No, the answer was a lot more simple than I ever expected. Just eat less, and make sure to eat less every day (i.e., no weekend splurges, no falling off and climbing back on the wagon, no big and then small reward meals). Believe it or not, the amount I eat is not a whole lot less, just a little less-- but consistently. It's interesting that when you can eat anything that you want, you don't want everything. One more note: When I converted a couple of my carbo. addicts journals to the WW point system, for most of my reward meals, I was consuming about two to five times the number of points recommended for my weight. And this was in some cases based on a single serving of a reward meal balanced into thirds on my plate (it must have been that full-fat salad dressing and 2% milk). Lessons learned: Eat MSG on Carbo Addicts, and your weight could be up 1 to 4 pounds the next day. Eat MSG on WW's and you could lose a pound the next day. Hmmmmm....maybe it really IS the serving size. By the way, I give the book two stars because I do think the daily weighing, weekly averaging is a good way to track true weight loss. And I subtract three points because I think it (and the updated CALP book) are a tad bit misleading--especially when all of those restrictions kick in. So, if you start finding yourself sensitive to everything and you stall, stall, stall...I'd say you might need to explore other avenues. PS...I tested as a moderate carbo. addict.
Rating:
Summary: It's working for me
Review: About 2 months ago, I went to buy some new clothes. I knew had put on some weight (had a closet full of clothes that didn't fit) but for the first time in my adult life, size 12 didn't fit at all, and 14 was snug. I bit the bullet and begain the Atkins Diet. I hated it. I had no energy. After trying it for 2 weeks (of misery) I knew I would fall off the wagon and go off my diet completly -- I was dying for carbos and variety. I remember reading about the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet in Time Magazine. A doctor talked about putting his patents on CA because it was easier to stick to (although weightloss was slower.) I went down and bought the book. I took the test and found I had a borderline Severe Carbohydrate addiction. What the Hellers said made such sense to me; (and since I work in a univeristy library, I was able to verify all their research.) For the first time in my life I undestood why fruit gave me the munchies, or why I got so hungry I would get shaky. I find it very easy to stick to this way of eating. I get to eat loads of fresh veggies, lean meats, and even treat myself to the occasional bacon and eggs. High cholesterol runs in my family, and I liked that the Hellers pointed out lower fat options for eating. Once a day, I get to have a *SENSIBLE* serving of something sweet or starchy. This is incredibly helpful because it adds variety to the meal plans, and it prevents uncontrolled cravings for carbos. On this diet, I no longer snack between meals (I'm not hungry, and if I get hungry, for *the first time in my life* a glass of water will make me feel full.) I can avoid having the doughnuts, chocolates, and candies that my office mates bring in -- the irresistable craving is gone. After eating this way for 5 weeks I have lost 10 pounds. My clothes fit better, and my goal weight of 130 pounds seems quite dooable. I'll post again in a couple of months with an update.
Rating: 
Summary: I wanted it to work, but no luck.
Review: Before I bought this book I came to this site to see the feedback. I soaked up all the good stuff and ignored and resented all the negative comments. Well, I did the diet for 2 months and was losing 1-2 pounds a week. After two months my digestive system completely shut down. Plenty in, nothing out. I became very ill. I went on a high fiber diet to fix the digestive problems and it took a long time for my digestion to return to normal. I'm a relatively healthy person generally, so this was a big surprise. After three weeks on a regular, moderate diet I quickly gained what I'd lost back and more. I wanted this quick fix to work, but I have to face facts. The only time I've successfully lost weight was under a nutritionist's care with moderate, regular exercise, when I lost 30 lbs and kept it off for two years. Several co-workers of mine are experiencing the same dissapointment in the protien diets. Still, it feels good to be back eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, and the weight is again coming off slowly but surely.
Rating:
Summary: Long term success with this program
Review: One reviewer here said they didn't know of anyone who's had long-term success with the plan proposed in this book, so I want to speak up. I've been following the plan outlined in this book (with some of the options from the Hellers' more recent Carb Addict's Lifespan book) for 5 YEARS and am maintaining a weight loss of more than 100 lbs! If you've struggled with weight all your life, I highly recommend this book. This is a very workable, balanced program -- I eat fish, chicken, meat and cheese, plenty of lowcarb veggies, and once a day the carbs of my choice. Might be a bagel or a bowl of cereal, garlic mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies -- whatever I'm hankering for, and as long as it's part of a balanced meal, I don't have to feel guilty about it -- it's still on my diet. There really is something to the lowcarb/insulin-control diet thing, and the Hellers' program is probably the most moderate and livable of the "control insulin levels by moderating your intake of carbs" diets. Not only can you lose weight, but by controlling insulin, you'll feel a whole lot better and have more energy. So, I hope you'll buy this book and I hope it makes the same difference in your life that it's made in mine!
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