Rating: 
Summary: How I ENDED My Weight Problem Once and For All!
Review: After years of dieting, losing weight and gaining even more back, I finally went into counseling for a few weeks and discovered that I wasn't just addicted to carbohydrates but also to overspending. I didn't believe it at first but then I started keeping a journal and found that when I felt bad (or sad) I'd go shopping, often buying things I didn't need or want. As my credit card debt increased, so did my waistline. My counselor suggested a book called, SIMPLE MONEY SOLUTIONS: 10 WAYS YOU CAN STOP FEELING OVERWHELMED BY MONEY AND START MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU," by Nancy Lloyd, and it has improved my life 1,000 percent. I no longer feel the need to spend, spend, spend and the book showed me how to pay off my debt as quickly and inexpensively as possible. Both these books have changed my life. This book has shown me how to control my carbohydrate intake -- I finally lost 37 pounds and will reach my goal of 45 pounds very soon. I wish that years ago I had known the "secrets" that are in these two book!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent and relatively easy to follow program
Review: Ask the average person what a carbohydrate is, and they'll generally say something like "bread", "pasta", or "cereal". This is true. However, not until the new Low-Carb diet wave came along did people begin to understand that fruits and vegetables are carbs as well, and that they play a huge role in weight gain and lethargy. I have tried Atkins, the Zone, and Protein Power. "The Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program" seems to be the easiest to follow, mainly because you don't have to calculate anything (like The Zone does)and it allows you one meal a day that you can splurge a bit. The gist of it is this: there are "legal" foods (proteins, fats, and "favorable" carbs that can be eaten at any point in the day), and there are "illegal" foods (i.e. dense carbs like bread, pasta, rice, certain veggies, fruit, and all forms of sugar and desserts)that may only be eaten (in moderation) during your "Reward Meal". The R.M. begins with a small salad, and then your meal is divided into thirds- 1 third protein, 1 third "favorable" carbs, and 1 third "Illegal" carb of your choice. The catch is that you have to eat your portions in equal measurements (so, if you want to go back for more, you must take more of everything- not just protein or "illegal" carbs), and YOU MUST COMPLETE THE MEAL WITHIN ONE HOUR (this R.M. allows you to satisfy your craving while controlling your insulin release). The first day, I craved a cookie or similar "bad" carb. By day 2, my insulin levels must have subsided, because I felt great and didn't feel like I'd go mad with sugar withdrawls. I lost 30 pounds without feeling deprived. There are many experts out there who cry foul at a low-carb diet, since carbs provided much needed fiber and the like. That's why I think this particular program is great- you can have those fiber-rich carbs during your R.M. and receive the benefits from them without cutting them out of your diet altogether. Dr.s' Heller help us to understand how an addiction to carbs and the insulin they release can make even the most strong-willed person cave and feel like a miserable failure. If you've tried every other program with little or no results, here's one that you can live with. Many celebrities have jumped on the low-carb wagon; Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock, Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Hugh Grant, to name a few. I think we're in good company!
Rating:
Summary: CAD: Successful Weight Loss That's Easy and Effective!
Review: Having just turned 50 last year I knew I had to get my weight down. But it was more than that-I was looking for guidance to learn to eat healthy for the rest of my life, and I found it with CAD. I am going into my 3rd week, and I lost 5 pounds each week I weighed myself. Just to be sure the scale was accurate, I went to Walmart and stood on half a dozen different scales to make sure things were correct. It is SO exciting to see such great progress so quickly!
The doctors also offer several other wonderful books-cookbooks and a Healthy Heart Program guide.
You can speed up your progress with a simple exercise routine-all I do is walk 1 hour each day. I make sure I have a green salad with most lunches and dinners-the bigger, the better-it will help fill you up so you'll eat less of whatever is left on your plate. I am a vegetarian, so I have to get pretty creative to keep things interesting but it's working fine. And my husband and I have also learned how to eat healthy while dining out. Who would have guessed pureed cauliflower could taste like mashed potatoes? These's a whole new world of healthy eating out there-eat healthy and loose the pounds!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and relatively easy to follow program
Review: Ask the average person what a carbohydrate is, and they'll generally say something like "bread", "pasta", or "cereal". This is true. However, not until the new Low-Carb diet wave came along did people begin to understand that fruits and vegetables are carbs as well, and that they play a huge role in weight gain and lethargy. I have tried Atkins, the Zone, and Protein Power. "The Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program" seems to be the easiest to follow, mainly because you don't have to calculate anything (like The Zone does)and it allows you one meal a day that you can splurge a bit. The gist of it is this: there are "legal" foods (proteins, fats, and "favorable" carbs that can be eaten at any point in the day), and there are "illegal" foods (i.e. dense carbs like bread, pasta, rice, certain veggies, fruit, and all forms of sugar and desserts)that may only be eaten (in moderation) during your "Reward Meal". The R.M. begins with a small salad, and then your meal is divided into thirds- 1 third protein, 1 third "favorable" carbs, and 1 third "Illegal" carb of your choice. The catch is that you have to eat your portions in equal measurements (so, if you want to go back for more, you must take more of everything- not just protein or "illegal" carbs), and YOU MUST COMPLETE THE MEAL WITHIN ONE HOUR (this R.M. allows you to satisfy your craving while controlling your insulin release). The first day, I craved a cookie or similar "bad" carb. By day 2, my insulin levels must have subsided, because I felt great and didn't feel like I'd go mad with sugar withdrawls. I lost 30 pounds without feeling deprived. There are many experts out there who cry foul at a low-carb diet, since carbs provided much needed fiber and the like. That's why I think this particular program is great- you can have those fiber-rich carbs during your R.M. and receive the benefits from them without cutting them out of your diet altogether. Dr.s' Heller help us to understand how an addiction to carbs and the insulin they release can make even the most strong-willed person cave and feel like a miserable failure. If you've tried every other program with little or no results, here's one that you can live with. Many celebrities have jumped on the low-carb wagon; Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock, Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Hugh Grant, to name a few. I think we're in good company!
Rating:
Summary: Covers some important issues; not a sensible long-term plan
Review: It's true. Americans love their bagels, white bread, and pasta. But addicted - isn't that word just a bit strong for food preferences? As a naturopathic physician, it is easier for me to tell someone to cut out red meat, then to ask them to eliminate pasta and bread from their diet. I generally have to spend time explaining how these high-carbohydrate foods don't have many nutrients, adversely affect our blood sugar and the excess turn up as fat in our hips. But no longer - here is a book that does the explaining and helps people lose weight. The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan Program also covers some important issues like willpower and anti-nutrients in our foods. Using willpower to treat any addiction is going to work for only a tiny minority. Obese people commonly and unfairly blame themselves for this. Also, the description of anti-nutrients or foods like colas, caffeine, and simple sugars that reduce vitamins and/or minerals in our bodies is invaluable! For example, sugar-sweetened colas may cause depression, poor memory, irritability, insomnia, and difficulty in concentration because they deplete a B-vitamin called thiamine in our body. These are the effects of too little thiamine. My only complaint about this book is how easy it can be for people (including several of my patients) to misread the dietary suggestions. The basic plan is to eat 2 low-carbohydrate meals and then an eat-all-the-carbs-you-want reward meal each day. In that carb meal, you are suppose to mentally divide your plate into three equal portions of carbohydrates, protein and vegetables. It's not to hard to easily envision people loading up the carbohydrate 1/3 of their plate 2 " high and the protein and vegetable portions ½ inch. Salad and vegetables are fibrous foods that fill you up. Remember it's 1/3 of your plate, not 1 tablespoon, that is filled with vegetables. It's virtually impossible for most of us to eat 2 full bowls of salad and 2 large portions of vegetables and meat and still eat 2 large portions of spaghetti. Which is probably what the Hellers had in mind. Your stomach would surrender before the second portion of pasta, because it just couldn't hold any more. Do I think the book has merit? Absolutely. The recipes are good. I loved and would recommend the low carb lunch and dinner meals to everyone wanting to lose weight. I wasn't excited about their recipe suggestions that include eggs virtually every morning for breakfast! And those incredible desserts that drip with fat. Don't lose weight only to end up with a heart bypass. Also, who eats pancakes without some sort of syrup or topping, as the Hellers recommend in the book? Do I think it is a sensible long-term diet program? Not really. Why have such an imbalance diet in which you deprive yourself to part of the day and gorge the other part? Better to establish a more balanced dietary lifestyle. Carbohydrates aren't the bad guys, but eating them by themselves without protein and fats is one reason we may gain weight. Remember - Jared, the fast food ... guy and a real carbohydrate addict, lost over 200 lbs. eating carbohydrates. Dr. Suzanne ...
Rating:
Summary: This is the only diet I could ever last on
Review: Fast and concise - I tested out as severe (scored 50 out of 50) on the scale, was having severe hypoglycemic bouts (blood sugar down to the 40's in the afternoon), and or course, fat and unwell all the time. Weight Watchers and other low fat low calorie left me depressed and unhappy - and if I couldn't last on them a week, how could I last on them a lifetime? I was on this diet for almost a year and lost 48 lbs. Then I went into a major lifestyle shakeup, went off, and gained it back. Now I am starting back from scratch, and have lost 15 lbs in 3 mos. The problem is, I am older, and more sensitive to insulin stimulating foods, and it isn't as easy as before. But this book is the best I think the Heller's have, very clear and good at explaining the problem true carbohydrate addicts have. I recommend it highly - if it really changes your life, like it did mine, then it will be worth every cent.
Rating:
Summary: So far, so good
Review: I've been using this program for about three months. I've lost five pounds, according to the chart on which I keep the record of my weight, in a weekly average. Most of the weight has come off my stomach and chin and neck. This is a very welcome change. The weight is coming off at 1/2 to 2/3 pound a week, which seems pretty slow to me, but that's probably impatience talking. During the first three or four weeks, I had a hard time adjusting to my new diet. I had headaches a lot, and I sat down every morning to eggs with cheese and sauteed vegetables, and I wanted to throw it on the floor and eat some whole wheat toast with butter and jam and a grapefruit instead. But I stuck with it. It's gotten easier. No more headaches. I really appreciate the freedom from cravings. Actually, I'm nearly free from cravings. With the holidays here and cookie smells all over my office and at home, I'm struggling, but it's not as difficult as it used to be. My approach to my diet has always been to pay no attention to trendy diets, to eat a balanced, moderate diet with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, enough protein and fat to balance out the carbs, and keep my sugar intake very low. I started running every day last summer, and even though I was up to three miles a day by the end of the summer, and I had very shapely thighs and buns, I had lost no weight, and no fat. I only need to lose 20-25 pounds, but they have been so, so, so stubborn. I have, before now, approached weight loss primarily through moderation in my diet and exercise. It got very discouraging when over and over, I lost no weight. I decided to try CALP after a very discouraging day, and I saw a copy of the old CAD in a health-food store. I read enough to stimulate my interest, then bought a copy of the newer plan, which I think is better. I've tried it, and it's not without difficulties, but it's not without rewards, which I've never seen before. I'm a moderate carbohydrate addict, so I'm not surprised that the weight is coming off slowly, but thank heavens, it *is* coming off.
Rating:
Summary: The Best of Both Worlds
Review: I would like to disagree with the lady who felt Weight Watchers is a better diet. I was on Weight Watchers this year at an at work program. First, I couldn't even stay on the points. I was starving all the time. I don't have much to lose either I'm only 20 pounds overweight so it wasn't that I was used to eating tons. I was dizzy,irritable, and got more migraine headaches on Weight Watchers. I hardly lost any weight on it at all! I also felt lousy! I feel better and not dizzy at all on a low carb diet such as Atkins, but I could never stick to it. I'd crave carbs and bread and fall off of it. I decided to switch to Carboydrate Addict's Diet. With the CAD, you can have the best of both worlds! Low carb and then the reward meal to satisfy your sweet tooth. You're favorite dessert is never more than 1 day away!! People who have not lost anything on it have not been honest. They pigged out at their reward meals or ate huge portions of complimentery meals. You have to use some common sense people. This is not an invitation to gorge yourself and expect to lose weight! You have to decide individually yourself how much you can eat at the complimentery and reward meals and be comfortable, satisfied and lose weight. I'm seeing numbers on the scale that I haven't seen in 3 years and I'll never stop using this way to lose weight again. I'm satisfied, never hungry, never dizzy anymore. I don't feel the need to eat between meals. After awhile on the plan, your appetite goes down and you no longer need to eat as much, or feel you want as much. If you follow the plan the way the doctors outlined it, you will lose weight. That lady can keep her Weight Watchers. I'll NEVER starve on Weight Watchers again.
Rating:
Summary: Great book but....
Review: This is one of my top favorite books. Basically you have Atkins, this book and Protein Power. All versions of the same thing. Personally, I liked this book best of all as far as how they wrote it. It was very readable, and they explained things in understandable terms. They do explain the idea of hyperinsulinemia very well. Even though they are both doctors they both had weight problems and speak from experience. They do not gloss over the why's of low carbing but they also don't tell it to you in textbook terminology so that you really do understand it. I will admit that I don't like the idea of a Reward Meal. I am a true carb addict and for me , personally, I don't feel I could handle even one donut. According to this book you don't have to banish the bad carbs such as donuts, cookies etc. forever much the way you will on atkins and others. However as a true food addict I know my trigger foods. If you are truly addicted to certain foods then even one bite of a donut is too much. I might be just too afraid to find out but for me the risk is not worth it. So I don't follow the reward meal. I still liked the book a lot and it is highly recommended if you are going to low carb.
Rating:
Summary: First Diet I've Ever Enjoyed
Review: I've been dieting for close to thirty years now. At first it was because as a teenager I couldn't accept my body type (short & muscular). It amazes me that I thought I was fat at 110 pounds (5'2"). Starvation dieting gave way to bulimia and binge eating. In my early twenties, thankfully, I stopped binging and purging, but I couldn never control the cravings for surgary snacks, and would eat them when I wasn't even hungry, even ones I didn't particulary enjoy. Flash forward twenty years. I'm still not really overweight - just trying to lose a couple inches around the middle. I've been eating the Atkins/Protein Power diets for a year, lost on them, but couldn't stick with either for long without cheating. It just seemed impossible to say no to that donut in the breakroom, or the cake at someone's house. The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet changed that. For the first time I know what it's like to say "I'll see you later" to a favorite food. I would like to add that I think people will have the best chance with this diet if they are also reading other sources about carbohydrate-restricted diets. The scientific explanations in the Atkins and Protein Power books are a lot clearer, more convincing and less repetitive than in the Hellers' books. But the CAD, as it's known, is the only diet I've ever been on that I could stick to for even a week without ever cheating. I should note, for the benefit of people who don't know why they're not losing (though it maybe it isn't your fault and it's not the right plan for you) - it could be that you are expecting this diet to be NO effort, and NO work. Every diet takes planning, shopping and cooking. There is some hunger between meals (but it's a bearable kind of hunger - not the intense physical cravings that are like the need for a drug). Also, I rarely eat rice or bread, even at my reward meal, and I never eat pasta (don't like it). I treat my reward meal as a real feast, with vegetables, protein, some berries with cream, a beer or glass of wine, and a GOOD dessert (not a handful of packaged cookies made with corn syrup and hydrogenated oils). I don't go back for seconds. If there is time left on my reward meal hour, I sip my drink or some sparkling water or diet soda. I exercise three times a week, and I do not treat my emotions as an excuse to eat. I am steadily losing the excess pounds, and best of all, I don't hate myself anymore for having no willpower. It turns out, I have plenty.
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