Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss Shopper's Guide : Supermarket Choices for Permanent Weight Loss

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed with paperback version
Review: My friend and I ordered each ordered copies of the paperback version of Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss Shopper's Guide. We were both extremely disappointed. The paperpack edition does not contain any illustrations! This experience is unique as I have never seen such a difference between hardcover and paperback versians of any publication. It was the illustrations along with the text that made the hardcover edition so worthwhile. That old saying that pictures are worth a 1000 words is even more significant with Shapiro's book! Consequently, I am returning the paperback edition and ordering a copy of the original hardcover book.

Rating:
Summary: Picture Perfect - Great Book
Review: My purpose in writing this review is to let others know whether or not in my opinion, the book being reviewed is worth trading their hard-earned cash for. In this case, my opinion is a resounding "Yes." If you're shopping today, put this book in your cart and run to the checkout.

This book is a "little nugget." It is about 4 x 7 inches which should easily fit into a woman's average-sized handbag for easy reference. But, good news, this isn't a book that you need to tote with you to the supermarket. Dr. Shapiro shares some very simple principles that if you pay attention to, you can shop without any kind of guide and fill you grocery cart full of weight-conscious selections. I have already begun to use some of the principles Dr. Shapiro suggested.

Basically, the book is filled with good, common sense. Two things I found extremely helpful were his discussions on peanut-butter and on drinks we buy to swallow. He dispelled a common peanut butter "myth" and makes us aware that we have a choice between chewing our calories or swigging them down.

Dr. Shapiro's book also has helpful little hints and sidebars with comparisons in the book that are absolutely eye-opening. There is a small calorie-counter section in the back, if you want one.
By the way, Dr. Shapiro's tone in the book is light and refreshing. It makes you want to make the best decisions for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: READ LABELS AND COMPARE
Review: My purpose in writing this review is to let others know whether or not in my opinion, the book being reviewed is worth trading their hard-earned cash for. In this case, my opinion is a resounding "Yes." If you're shopping today, put this book in your cart and run to the checkout.

This book is a "little nugget." It is about 4 x 7 inches which should easily fit into a woman's average-sized handbag for easy reference. But, good news, this isn't a book that you need to tote with you to the supermarket. Dr. Shapiro shares some very simple principles that if you pay attention to, you can shop without any kind of guide and fill you grocery cart full of weight-conscious selections. I have already begun to use some of the principles Dr. Shapiro suggested.

Basically, the book is filled with good, common sense. Two things I found extremely helpful were his discussions on peanut-butter and on drinks we buy to swallow. He dispelled a common peanut butter "myth" and makes us aware that we have a choice between chewing our calories or swigging them down.

Dr. Shapiro's book also has helpful little hints and sidebars with comparisons in the book that are absolutely eye-opening. There is a small calorie-counter section in the back, if you want one.
By the way, Dr. Shapiro's tone in the book is light and refreshing. It makes you want to make the best decisions for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent companion book to PICTURE PERFECT WEIGHT LOSS!
Review: Picture Perfect Weight Loss Shoppers Guide is the companion book to Dr. Shapiro's original book Picture Perfect Weight Loss (PPWL).

The book PPWL uses visual pictures to help readers realize the differences in calories between items. For example, you could eat one black and white cookie or eat a whole box of fudge pops!
The intent of the book PPWL is to help you become aware of your food choices in order to make healthier choices and/or lose weight.

The PPWL Shopper's Guide takes the information from the original book one step further by giving you brand name items to look for in your grocery store. The guide does not show the stunning pictures like the original book does. Instead it "walks" you through the supermarket aisles and helps you make good choices.

It's like having Dr. Shapiro or one of his assistants with you. At the beginning of the book Shapiro recaps the PPWL program. Then he teaches you how to read food labels. Next you are given a list of anytime foods. These are items to keep around all the time. Fruits and veggies head the list. But there are also some surprises, like tootsie pops, and frozen desserts.

Item by item, Dr. Shapiro walks you throught the grocery store and helps you fill your cart with delicious, nutritious foods that will keep the pounds off. You learn what to look for in the dairy section, frozen food aisle, meat area, bread shelf etc. Depriviation and dieting are things of the past! You can eat well, lose weight and enjoy by making simple changes!

Though smaller than many books the PPWL Shopper's Guide is not pocketsized. Its a book you would be more likely to read at home and then go shopping. I would like to see Dr. Shapiro put out an additional book. A tiny brand name shoppers guide that you could tuck in your pocket and use at the store. This book has that information but so much additional info that sizewise its more for home use and to make a grocery list from. Hopefully, Dr. Shapiro will put out a condensed, handy to carry version in the future.

The book is an excellent source of information and will help you make the best supermarket choices to improve your health and or achieve permanent weight loss!

Rating:
Summary: READ LABELS AND COMPARE
Review: Really a no-brainer. All he essentially says is to read labels and compare calories per serving. Most products whether listed as "low cholesterol" or "low fat", etc. are not that much different in calories than their counterparts without these claims.

I do disagree with a couple things he says. Like "peanut butter" is ok for a spread. At 190 calories for 2 tbsp. (he says), it's pretty high in calories. He fails to mention that to make it spreadable, icing sugar is added!!! Read the label if you don't believe me. Only "pure" peanut butter from a health food store is better----because it contains only peanuts and you can usually watch them make it right in front of your eyes. Even soups have unnecessary ADDED suger. Why, I have no idea. And if they leave OUT the salt or sugar, the price dramatically goes up!!!! Another rip-off by companies for people trying to lose weight.

Also, he claims the amount of salt doesn't make any difference to weight. Well, I can notice a BIG difference when I eat anything salty. I retain alot of water because of it. My hands and feet both swell up the next day.

And one important point he seems to be forgetting. People mostly choose things that are fast, easy and cheap when they are in a hurry. They don't read labels and compare calories. You could spend hours and hours shopping and reading labels the next time you go to the grocery store. Time is not a luxury for most people.

Rating:
Summary: A HELPFUL , PRACTICAL GUIDE
Review: There is a saying that goes, "We are what we eat!" This book is a helpful guide to healthy nutritional advice and helpful advice in preparing our grocery list for the next trip to the supermarket. I read the book, nor as a means of weight loss, but for the advice on nutrition. When we are young, we can and often do eat just about anything and everything; however, as we age, our entire metabolism changes. The foods mentioned in this book are well-known, tasty and nutritious and Shapiro deserves a "huge bouquet of roses" for writing the book and helping us make healthy choices.

While it is true the book contains no picturesque illustrations, when it comes to eating healthy and selecting our foods at the supermarket, one does not need "beautiful coloured photos" to help make wise choices. The book was rather short in length, but overall, it still overed sound, practical advice and that is what earned the book a four-star rating - it is not perfect, but it is informative.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Companion Guide To Picture Perfect Weight Loss
Review: This book is an Excellent Companion Guide to Dr. Shapiro's first book "Picture Perfect Weight Loss". A previous reviewer seems to have confused this new book as being a paperback version of his first book. Dr. Shapiro did rely on photos as a major aid in his first book, but photos would be less helpful in this shopping guide. With overweight and obesity reaching epidemic proportions in America, too many people are seeking easy fixes for weight loss, risking further damage to their health. Dr. Shapiro has taken the only healthy and safe way to lose weight - eating a variety of naturally low-fat/low-calorie whole foods in correct portions - and created an easy-to-understand visual guide with "Picture Perfect Weight Loss". THIS book is intended to help followers of "Picture Perfect Weight Loss" negotiate the grocery store and its pitfalls. In today's world, with our stressful, time crunched lifestyles, it's impossible to avoid relying on packaged foods sometimes. This book shows which brands are healthier, tastier and not apt to break your diet. This is an excellent source of information that can help you save your waistline and even your life. I would recommend purchasing "Picture Perfect Weight Loss" before exploring this book, but Dr. Howard M. Shapiro should be praised for continuing to extend his knowledge, expertise and help to people with weight problems - and that's most of us.