Rating: 
Summary: Good when taken with a dose of common sense
Review: In a fit of desperation and with a healthy skepticism toward fad dieting, not to mention barely any time to devote to calorie-counting and long, tedious exercise sessions, I scanned through several weight-loss books available at the local library. Out of the five or so books I perused, Jorge Cruise's seemed the simplest and the most practical for my busy lifestyle.As a lifelong yo-yo dieter and well-versed in nutrition (although in the past this didn't keep me from eating wrong anyway), Jorge's plan seemed safe, nutritionally sound and quite possibly do-able for me. The text read smoothly and offered interesting sidebars showing the dramatic results his clients experienced while on his program. Even though some of the exclamations of life-changing results of epic proportions rang a bit bogus to me, (I know for a fact that weight loss can make you healthier, but not necessarily happier), I liked the straightforward message Mr. Cruise was sending. If you try, even just a little, to live a healthier lifestyle, you will become healthier. That, combined with the sweet simplicity of the program itself, was enough for me to give it a shot. I've been on the program for two weeks now and have lost a total of 9 lbs., thanks partially to the near-starvation diet that comprises the first week. It is pure torture, no two ways about it, but it does help rid the body of toxins (especially if you drink the recommended 8 or more glasses of water daily) and set you up with the right frame of mind regarding food as fuel instead of for gratification. I found the daily affirmations fun but by no means necessary, nor did I eschew caffeine or my once-daily teaspoon of sugar in my evening herbal tea. I also did not change from regular milk to soy as he suggests. Buying the expensive and fishy-tasting flax oil and all those fresh veggies in mid-winter in the midwest was a financial challenge in and of itself without the extravagance of silly substitutions such as soy cheese and stevia, which is supposedly a super diet sweetener available only in health-food stores. Despite all this, I was not discouraged and have suffered no ill effects. Once past the restrictive first week of starvation dieting, I feel like I'm gorging myself on my 1,400 calories a day, even though most of it is comprised of veggies. I also find the eating cards helpful, although filling in all those veggie boxes can be a definite challenge, and some days I'd just as soon not eat anything at all rather than choke down more lettuce doused in flax oil. The exercises range from ridiculously easy to almost impossible, and I have had to improvise in some ways, such as doing wall pushups instead of knee pushups, of which I could only do 5, not the recommended 48. In no way does the book suggest that you do more than you can, and I find this very freeing. I also customized the plan to incorporate from 15-60 minutes of riding my recumbent exercise bike 3-5 days a week, which I feel gives me a more well-rounded workout than the 8 minutes of weight-training alone, especially on the "off-day" that Mr. Cruise has designed into the program. I am not a fan of Cruise's recommended powerwalking, partially because of the icey-cold weather and partially because of bad knees and feet, which I feel might discourage others who seek to follow the plan as dictated. The best thing of all is what the title suggests. Only 8 minutes in the morning is sometimes all one can handle. It's true, as Mr. Cruise says, morning is an excellent time to work out, before a person in inundated with all the demands of the day. I also like the variety of doing two different moves for two different parts of the body every day. This in itself goes a long way toward conquering boredom with the program, and has the added effect of not causing too much muscle pain in one part of the body. I have experienced a little muscular pain, but that is to be expected with any weight training plan. The good thing about this plan is, by the time you get around to the painful body part again, enough time has lapsed to allow healing in the offending body part. All in all, I found 8 Minutes in the Morning a helpful book in my quest to shed the extra pounds, especially with a little customizing to help it fit into my lifestyle. I recommend it to anyone who is sick and tired of fad diets and who has very little time to devote to losing weight.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: After reading all the rave reviews here, I was really looking forward to The Final Diet Solution. The program begins with a week-long "quick start" kind of diet that has no caffeine, no alcohol, very little sugar (including the sugar in fruit - you get ONE serving per day), a surplus of vegetables, nothing prepackaged, and a treat (e.g., ONE graham cracker square). He doesn't specifically say so, but I'd estimate it's about 1,000 calories which is pretty low. By the second week, you transition to a higher number of calories - 1,200 to 2,200 in 200-calorie increments, depending on your present weight. As you lose weight, you DEcrease the number of calories you eat. Also, every meal has to be prepared. I found this 'challenging' at 5:30 PM, when I'm now ravenously hungry and my stomach is growling. It's a sure ticket to BingeLand. (And that's what happened.) If you've done strength training in the past, you won't find the exercises challenging at all. There's also no real guideline in the book about how much weight to use, just a general statement to pick one that's 'moderately heavy'. The difficulty with that advice is that what was moderately heavy in the first set is now impossible to lift in the 4th, which can lead to injury. Very little devoted to proper form either. As for aerobics, they get a passing nod in here with a suggestion to powerwalk whenever possible. (Nothing on form, technique, pace, or equipment such as good shoes.) I'm always disappointed when the only aerobic activity an author even bothers to suggest is walking. Walking is not only boring, if you're severly overweight, it can put a lot of strain on your arches. (Excess weight is one of the top causes of the very painful plantar fascitis.) What about bicycling, dancing, or swimming? I know of one woman who successfully lost weight by shooting hoops and hitting a tennis ball against a wall. I can't recommend this book based on my own experience with it, but it's fine for people who just have a few excess pounds to lose, have small appetites, and aren't particularly ambitious when it comes to exercise.
Rating: 
Summary: This diet works
Review: This diet really works, but like any diet and exercise regimen, it requires discipline. My husband and I have been doing this for 6 weeks. We are in our late 50s, definitely overweight and out of shape. We want to lose 50 pounds each by the middle of April. In 6 weeks, I have lost 12 pounds and 10 inches and my husband has lost 16 pounds and 10 inches. The exercises are fairly easy - some give me sore muscles, others don't - but I will never be able to do a full length push up!. It'll be knee push ups forever for me. With the stretches afterward, it takes 8-15 minutes daily, depending on the exercises. We are using the 28 day program and are now in the middle of our second time through it. The increased flexibility, reduction in our midsections and added strength in arms and legs is obvious and wonderful. I look more like I have lost 15-20 lbs, rather than the actual 12. The diet is a low fat diet. Don't be fooled by the "eat fat and lose weight" line. At the 1400 calorie level, the "fat box" allowance adds up to about 130-180 calories a day, plus whatever fat may be lurking in your protein or carbs. That is a 10-15% fat diet - definitely in the low-fat category! And, we do get hungry; there's no way around it. However, it is worth it. I like the variety of food types. Low-carb does not work for me; it makes me nauseated. We eat well and our dinner plates are generally pretty full. For me, it is the lack of between-meal eating and monster amount of chocolate that I used to consume that makes the difference. We faithfully use our little food allowance sheets, checking off the "boxes" for each meal. It is a good way to keep on track and keep honest. This regimen has taken discipline and commitment. It takes up a lot of otherwise discretionary energy. Having two of us doing this together makes the continued commitment easier. However, I do find myself doing a lot less compulsive activity, which for me is generally reading masses of fiction. So, definitely worth it, makes us feel good, if occasionally hungry, our clothes are already getting too big and we can bend over a lot easier!
Rating:
Summary: Change your Habits and change your Life!!
Review: If you simply make it a habit to workout 8 minutes every morning your life will change. That is the concept of this
book and it is quite true. A change in habits equals a change in lifestyle and that is the key to permanent weight
loss. You may also want to check out another great lifestyle change book for permanent and automatic weight
loss...."The Power of Positive Habits"...excellent!
Rating:
Summary: i thought it would never happen...
Review: i had gotten down to a low goal weight a couple of times in the past [once using phen-fen, once going to an expensive and completely rigid lunatic of a nutritionist], but had never been able to maintain the loss.
jorge cruise's plan is easy and full of encouragement. i am at an advantage having always preferred morning exercise and having enough free weights at home already, but even if you need to get a few light weights to get started it's well worth the trouble.
in under 4 months i lost 22 lbs, and look and feel amazing --- models i represent are asking me what i did because i look so fit - and i'm in my 40s. i start the workout with a 20 minute run, which i think is helpful, and though jorge says his exercises are 8 minutes, they are probably closer to 15 or 20 minutes, but even so it's an easy easy program and well worth the tiny investment in the book. i also recommend buying the weekly success planners --- nice to have a bit of organization to help you keep track of your food + exercise...and it's a great way to review what you've done as you progress.
note to claude777: this is NOT a fad and it's ALL about doing it yourself...clearly that review was written by someone who didn't look at the book.
jorge cruise's plan is simple and built to last. take a chance! do it!
Rating:
Summary: Losing weight, feeling great
Review: I bought this book out of desperation to lose weight. I, honestly, did not expect it to be better than any other program. I read through the information and although there are some advertisements of the website, this is one program that doesn't try to sell you a vitamin or a pill to lose weight. It is an eating plan that is realistic and works. I am 5 weeks into the program and have lost 17 pounds. You have to be disciplined the first week, but it is easier afterwards. I ran the eating plan by a nutritionist and he stated that the diet was sound. Portions are already broken out for you, so it is like calorie counting, without having to do the counting. If you are tired of being overweight and are ready to make a lifestyle change, you should go to the store and buy a diet scale and this book!
Rating: 
Summary: do it yourself you lazy thing
Review: once again, these fad books suckering people in. and people saying they've lost 5 pounds on this programme? big deal. that's all water or bad scales anyway. i lost 50 odd pounds a while ago and you know how, blood, sweat and tears boys, that's the only way. stop stuffing your chops with fatty fast foods and get out and jog and weight lift your way to health. get up 3 times a week in the mornings and do 16 minutes of hard cardio and do weights 3 times a week at night.
Rating:
Summary: This is very helpful
Review: I found this book very helpful. I tend to read weightloss books and not do anything, but I have started to do this program, and actually lost weight the first couple weeks (which is as far as I've gotten). It is quite easy to incorporate the changes into one's life, and I have seen positive changes. I found Jorge's prose very easy to relate to, and positive. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to make changes to their life, and not having all day and night to do it.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!!!
Review: Eight Minutes In the Morning is a great way to lose weight and shape up. I've done it for about two weeks and can already tell a difference. The great thing is, just like the title says, it ONLY takes eight minutes. Another books I'd recommend (along with this one) is "Fatass No More" cause it also tackles weight issues. Both are good for people who are SERIOUS about losing weight (and keeping it off.)
Rating:
Summary: I'm Having Success!
Review: Eight Minutes in the Morning is full of smart advice on how to get control of emotional eating and live life in a healthier way. The excercise portion is easy to follow. It takes very little time, but you will feel the results. The food program is also easy to understand and follow. This book is very helpful for real people with busy lives that want to get fit, be truly happy and live a good life!
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