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Summary: Good Book. Lifestyle Plan. Great for lo-carb alumni!
Review: I really like this approach. The book contains just about everything I need to know to follow The Formula. It did take several readings and required a pencil and paper at one point, but, once I figured out the approach, it all fell into place. This is a livable plan. After having lost a great deal of weight on the Low Carb Lifestyle, I found myself wanting an eating plan that would allow me to eat normal foods. This book is it. I especially liked the information about using The Formula on the road, with Fast Food shops, etc. Very clear plans and suggestions for a variety of eating styles. Especially good for those of us who prefer to "eat less more often," the plan allows for 3 meals a day and 2 snacks. Perfect! The only warning that I would give is be prepared to read this book through many times- and to plan on referring to it often. Also, the recipes, especially the "kid friendly" types are very good, they often contain ingredients that are not found in most homes. Thankfully the authors are very clear on how to substitute out exotic ingredients for simpler foods. Overall, this plan and book is a winner if you are looking for a lifestyle education and not just another diet book.
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Summary: Eight Months: 46 Pounds Lost; Excellent Blood Test Results
Review: Barry Sears said in his books that the numbers tell the story. I have been on this diet since March 11, 2001 with NO regrets, no cravings and very little "cheating." I have lost 46 pounds (221 to 175). Waist from 40" to 33". Messed up my whole wardrobe. Went from X-Large shirts to Med. My dear wife and I eat better than ever. The food is great. The recipes (whole, planned meals, really--which my wife really appreciates from a planning point of view) are simple yet delicious. I experienced tremendous energy immediately and then the weight just fell off without exercise. I started jogging eight months into the program because I wanted to, not because I had to. I had a blood workup done exactly one year before I started the diet. It indicated I was heading toward a heart attack. Total cholesterol, LDL, cholerstrol/HDL ratio, triglycerides--all above normal--warning! Eight months after starting the diet I had another blood workup done by the same company. The predictions Sears made--that the heart attack indicators would be better--were exactly right. Total Cholesterol dropped 21 points (217 to 196). Triglycerides dropped 84 points (196 to 112). HDL (the "good" cholesterol) rose 16 points (42 to 58). [Above 45 in men means less than average incidence of coronary arterial sclerosis.] LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) dropped 20 points (136 to 116). Cholesterol/HDL ratio went from above the high limit (5.17) to below the low limit (3.38). This moved me from the "more likely to have a heart attack" category to the "under half average to have a heart attack" category. This diet is for us "50 somethings." Younger people won't listen. (Nobody was going to tell me how to eat at 35, either.)After a heart warning though or a couple of installed stents or a full heart attack, it's amazing how they listen. My father-in-law--a heart patient--has also dropped 25 lbs and lowered his cholesterol 18 points. My brother-in-law has lost 30 pounds. This book is great. It's easy, it's complete. A new edition is coming out in Jan of 2002. I will be buying it too if only because my current edition is so food-splashed from sitting next on the counter that it's almost worn out. 40:30:30 is the way to eat. This book makes it easy and delicious. Way to go, Daousts.
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Summary: This is IT!!!
Review: After dieting on and off for 40 years and trying every fad diet to come along, my doctor said I really needed to lose some weight as obesity leads to many health problems even in healthy people as they age.I bought the book and I read it. I bought the protein powder and the fructose and read the recipes,mentally choosing the ones I thought I would like. I shopped and prepared the meals ahead of time,had them in the refrigerator and in my mind, so I would not just say "oh,what the heck!" and grab a sandwich or burger with some chips,because I wasn't prepared.To make along story short-which actually it was-I lost 45 pounds in a very easy and painless "eating plan" which is what I call it(not a diet)I began in June and the weight FELL OFF! in all the right places, too!(It is now October)Idid not exercise at all the first 2 months and have recently begun to swim for toning.I have recommended this book to everyone who sees me and is shocked at my weight loss and how good I now look.Thank you Daousts!
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Summary: Easy to Read, Understand, and Practice
Review: i really liked this book. the authors break down the zone concept quite easily. after reading and practicing, you will see that it is an excellent and very healthy way of living. the recipes are the most wonderful part. they are easy, practical, and taste great. a comprehensive and useful list of dining out meals is also appreciated. once you have mastered the numerous meals listed (including breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner, and desserts), the authors then provide you with an important table that calculates the carb/protein/fat ration in all food groups. it is a great tool to photocopy and keep with you at all times while on the zone. i would recommend this book and diet to anyone.
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Summary: NOT POSSIBLE PART II
Review: I HAVE NOW LOST 2 SIZES, STILL NOOOOOOOOO EXERCISEEE,AND 16LBS, MY HUSBAND HAS LOST 25LBS,HE RIDES HIS BIKE 3 TIMES A WK. MY GROCERY BILL HAS ACTUALLY GONE DOWN........YOU NEED TO TRY THIS..... ... WILL KEEP YOU POSTED........
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Summary: SUPPER VALUE-EASY TO READ AND FOLLOW!!!!!!!!!! by an RN
Review: Let me tell you! I bought this book at the book store here in town and I paid ($) for it!! Its a great value... and WELL WORTH it! The book is easy to read and apply! Its the easiest diet I have ever had to follow! Everything they say is true! I bought the book cause not only am I over weight but I have blood presure problems and my current diet was setting me up for high blood sugar! I am an RN and I cant recomend this book enough! PLEASE I BEG ANYONE OUT THERE WHO HAVE TRIED OTHER DIETS AND FAILED TRY THIS IT WORKS AND ITS A LIFE CHANGE! Its that easy to follow! Even IF you have a sweet tooth.
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Summary: NOT POSSIBLE
Review: in 2 wks i've lost 10 lbs .....i have tried every diet and lifestyle change you or i could think of....took me about a wk to get everything down...but i now prepare everything in advance just like i would before and it makes it sooooooooo easyyyyyyyyyy .....i dont feel like im on a diet...i would suggest before you start ....buy the book...take a week to study it and the recipes u like...then shop for those items...phase out the old bring in the new...most important...start drinking the water while you are studying the book for a wk...and u will be ready to start for real....I HAVE NOT EXERCISED AT ALL...SO FAR SO GOOD...MY HUSBAND HAS LOST 12LBS...MY COMPLEXION HAS CLEARED AND I FEEL BETTER THAN EVER
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Summary: Easiest plan I have ever tried!
Review: I have done my share of dieting and weight loss plans, Weight Watchers, shakes, calorie counting,deal a meal etc. but this is the easiest plan I ever followed. It is all spelled out for you, all the grams are calculated for you so you don't have to be a math major to figure out what to eat. The food is good and the preparation is not so hard if you do the shopping and plan each day's meals ahead of time. And you can eat out, they give you a list of fast foods that you can have and there are a lot of them to pick from so you are not deprived. They also give you a list of prepackaged meals that you can have which are for the microwave if you are in a hurry to eat. The only big thing is you have to buy whey protein powder which is pure protein, but they even give you a phone number of where you can order it if you can't find it. So everything is covered for you. No excuses! I just started the program a few weeks ago and I quickly lost 5 pounds and my body fat is reducing already because people have noticed the difference. The best thing about this plan is that I know I can stay on this for the rest of my life. No more yo-yo dieting. What a relief!
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Summary: An amazing program!
Review: My husband and I have been following the program for a little over two weeks now and have lost 15 lbs. and 6 lbs., respectively! The recipes are delicious and easy to prepare, although there is a great deal of measuring and weighing to do. I find it amazing that we are eating less, have so much more energy and are not hungry in between meals! Also, the mood swings, sleepiness and weakness associated with low blood sugar are all gone! I would recommend this program to anyone who is sick of any of the fad diets out there.
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Summary: Progress Update at 8 Weeks
Review: "The Formula" is an easy to understand, easy to follow 40:30:30 cookbook. I like it better now than when we began. I want to personally thank the Daousts for their work. I wrote an anonymous review from Redondo Beach after my first week. It's now been eight weeks. I'm 6 feet tall and was 221 pounds. I have lost 22 pounds. My goal is to reach 180. I broke 200 this past weekend. By the way, I have not exercised at all. Perhaps pounds do come off easier when starting out 40 lbs over, but they are coming off. My doctor told me three years ago, "Lose 30 lbs and lower your blood pressure. Goodbye." No suggestions, no help. Almost by accident my wife saw The Formula mentioned on TV. It looked "balanced." We tried it. The 40:30:30 system works and is painless weight loss. Yes, protein sources such as 2% cottage cheese, lowfat cheese, chicken, beef and whey are somewhat expensive. We have had to re-learn shopping. We shop the perimeter of the market, not the inside aisles. We have re-learned cooking and eating, too. Yes, 40:30:30 is low calorie. That's the point: low calorie without hunger. How else are you going to lose weight? The difference is that I don't want to go off this diet. It's simply a better way to eat. It's more than weight loss, though. With more study, I find this diet is really about controlling hormones, not calories (see "Entering The Zone," by Dr. Barry Sears, to understand the theory behind the practice in this book). At age 49 and 40 lbs overweight, I had around 164,000 calories stored. (9 cal/gram of fat.) How to get that fat to burn off? 40:30:30 controls glucose/blood sugar levels, which in turn controls insulin levels. With insulin under control, another hormone, glucagon, can come into play. This hormone tells the body to burn fat. It releases the stored fat energy. As long as I am burning that fat, I don't feel hungry and I am losing weight, even at night, even without exercise. The gentleman who only had a few pounds to lose and complained he didn't lose anything in a week might have overlooked what was actually going on in his body: reduction of body fat and the build up of lean muscle mass. This can happen when one is exercising, which he was. When put on this diet, professional football players actually gained as much as eleven pounds, but reduced the percentage of body fat. They became leaner, stronger, faster and more agile. One man started the diet at 190 and never lost a pound. He had to buy a new wardrobe, though, because he leaned out. He looked great. For me, my mood is better, I handle stress better, I sleep better, I have less intestinal gas (better digestion) and my blood pressure is normal. I have increased energy, need less sleep, and rise early on weekends ready to go instead of taking most of the weekend to recover from the week's stresses. I feel as if I've been given many additional years of active life. Does it require cooking and prep? Yes. Good food doesn't just happen. It takes some work. Is it a burden? No. My wife felt she was going to lose me unless we did something. She views this as a ministry to me, which I deeply appreciate. I have gotten into the kitchen, too. We are eating fruits, vegetables, lean meats, dairy-all good stuff. We don't miss the pizza and white bread. It's fun baking good food. It's better than staring at some lamebrain TV sitcom, which is what I was doing because I had no energy. What's more, I know the food we prepare is exactly right for us and tastes great. Consider another angle: we in America have every food we need, in high quality, available at good prices all year long. It's right there in the store. That is an amazing blessing. Take advantage of it. Look--you can find dozens of reasons to stay fat. "I don't have time." "If we had a personal chef, I'd do it." "I refuse to give up some foods." "I don't like to shop and want the food to jump into my mouth by itself and still want to look like a movie star." If you like it that way, fine. All I know is that I have to buy new clothes because everything I have is too large. I also have people (especially women) asking me what is going on and how I lost so much weight so fast. I print out a copy of this ... page and give it to them. The method is in The Formula and several other 40:30:30 cookbooks. The theory is in Dr. Sears' works on The Zone. The information you need is there. You don't need magic potions. You don't need exercise equipment. You don't need appetite suppressants. You don't need a cabinet full of supplements. You don't need liposuction. What you need is recipes for each meal and each snack that give your body the right portions of carbohydrates, fat and protein it needs for peak performance--not too much food, not too little. This book is a great start. The rest is up to you.
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