Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected!
Review: I can't believe how negative this book is. I was looking for some motivation to get off the baby pounds but this book is terrible for that. I started reading it when I was 6 weeks postpardum (about the time you find you have time to read with a newborn). In short, the book said if I didn't lose the weight by 3 months, I wasn't going to. I felt like I should have been reading this before I had the baby. Who has time for that? I was reading on how to care for the baby and about labor then. I was very disappointed in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: a waste of money unless you have no nutritional sense
Review: I have just finished reading this book in my ninth month of pregnancy. I'm so glad I borrowed it from the library rather than wasting money buying this book! Dr. Levine has an easy to follow writing style and he certainly explains in very clear terms the physiological components of pregnancy and post-partum. His theory is basically it take 3 trimesters to build a baby and then, depending on your build and weight, another 1-3 trimesters to lose the fat. He promises you can lose weight that you put on even prior to the pregnancy - definitely an attractive promise! I excitedly read the first few chapters but about half-way through started to question his ideas. First, although he provides his research citations at the back of the book, he doesn't refer to specific studies throughout the book - so, I had no way of checking how he got his information. He'd state something in the book but there was no specific reference to any study so I really, in the end, don't know if I trust all of his statements. Second, like some of the other reviewers says - he seems to feel that unless you take-off your weight immediately post-partum, you are doomed to get fat. Personally, I've seen many women lose weight and fat in all stages of their lives - it's called eating properly and exercising regularly. The other thing I questioned is his repeated comments that exercise is not needed to lose weight. First of all, exercise is good for you, not matter what happens to your weight. Second, if I don't exercise, it's quite likely I may lose "weight" as my muscle will decrease; sure I'll weigh less but I'll also be flabby. I don't think women in post-partum should be pressured to run marathons but I also think that saying exercise won't help you lose weight is not particularly wise. Even if it doesn't help, it strengthens your heart, your bones, your mind and is just overall "good for you"! The last thing that really disappointed me was his menus. Prior to the menu presentation, he gives basic common sense advice like eating whole-grain carbs, staying away from extreme diets (i.e. high protein or high fat), avoiding a drastic decrease in calories - no magical advice there. Then, when you finally see the menus he refers to throughout the book - what a disappointment. He outlines meals using processed foods and name-brand products. His food plans are not balanced - there is not sufficient calcium, vegetables or fruits in his suggested plans. It really bothered me how he didn't just use "real food" but rather, ready-to-prepare, processed name brand stuff. The other thing I thought was weird is he had several pages devoted to fast food restaurants; in these pages, he outlined various fast food meals and then gave the "best" choices at each. Why all this name-brand stuff? And, I'm sorry, but if you want to "say goodbye to baby fat", just don't go to McDonalds or Taco Bell. I am so glad I saved my money and didn't buy this book - I'll try to lose my pregnancy weight on my own by exercising, eating real food and avoiding high-fat junk. There - that advice cost me nothing!
Rating:
Summary: a waste of money unless you have no nutritional sense
Review: I have just finished reading this book in my ninth month of pregnancy. I'm so glad I borrowed it from the library rather than wasting money buying this book! Dr. Levine has an easy to follow writing style and he certainly explains in very clear terms the physiological components of pregnancy and post-partum. His theory is basically it take 3 trimesters to build a baby and then, depending on your build and weight, another 1-3 trimesters to lose the fat. He promises you can lose weight that you put on even prior to the pregnancy - definitely an attractive promise! I excitedly read the first few chapters but about half-way through started to question his ideas. First, although he provides his research citations at the back of the book, he doesn't refer to specific studies throughout the book - so, I had no way of checking how he got his information. He'd state something in the book but there was no specific reference to any study so I really, in the end, don't know if I trust all of his statements. Second, like some of the other reviewers says - he seems to feel that unless you take-off your weight immediately post-partum, you are doomed to get fat. Personally, I've seen many women lose weight and fat in all stages of their lives - it's called eating properly and exercising regularly. The other thing I questioned is his repeated comments that exercise is not needed to lose weight. First of all, exercise is good for you, not matter what happens to your weight. Second, if I don't exercise, it's quite likely I may lose "weight" as my muscle will decrease; sure I'll weigh less but I'll also be flabby. I don't think women in post-partum should be pressured to run marathons but I also think that saying exercise won't help you lose weight is not particularly wise. Even if it doesn't help, it strengthens your heart, your bones, your mind and is just overall "good for you"! The last thing that really disappointed me was his menus. Prior to the menu presentation, he gives basic common sense advice like eating whole-grain carbs, staying away from extreme diets (i.e. high protein or high fat), avoiding a drastic decrease in calories - no magical advice there. Then, when you finally see the menus he refers to throughout the book - what a disappointment. He outlines meals using processed foods and name-brand products. His food plans are not balanced - there is not sufficient calcium, vegetables or fruits in his suggested plans. It really bothered me how he didn't just use "real food" but rather, ready-to-prepare, processed name brand stuff. The other thing I thought was weird is he had several pages devoted to fast food restaurants; in these pages, he outlined various fast food meals and then gave the "best" choices at each. Why all this name-brand stuff? And, I'm sorry, but if you want to "say goodbye to baby fat", just don't go to McDonalds or Taco Bell. I am so glad I saved my money and didn't buy this book - I'll try to lose my pregnancy weight on my own by exercising, eating real food and avoiding high-fat junk. There - that advice cost me nothing! This book is a total must for any woman looking for an easy way to get back your pre-pregnancy shape fast without drastic changes to be made to your diet or exercises! I started to read it in my 9th month and by the time my son was born I knew exactly what I needed to do to get started. Here I am 3 weeks later after having a c-section, I have done no exercising just following Dr. Levine's eating tips,and I weigh less than I did before I got pregnant(148 to 127), and I am still loosing(this is baby #2 for me also)! This book is great because it gives guidelines on what those of us who are nursing and non-nursing moms can do to loose your post-baby weight, a great 15 day menu to follow with normal food products, no diet stuff all easy things to prepare, so important for the mom who has little time with a newborn. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting their old body back super fast. My body looks better than after my first child and my husband is still shocked by how easy this is for me to do. Buy this book if you want your old body back and maybe even a newer better shaped one. It will not be a waste of your time or money even if you had a baby 6 months ago! --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible book!
Review: I just checked this book out from the library and I am so glad that I did not waste my money on it. The way the book is presented seems like propaganda. Levine keeps promising stuff and you have to read pages and pages into the book before you even get information. It reads like a late night TV infomercial. He also says that exercise is not needed for weight loss - but as another reviewer said... Sure, you may weigh less but you'll still be flabby. I would not purchase this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book to Help You Understand Your Body Postpartum
Review: I really enjoyed this book. My second baby was born last fall, and I definitely lost weight faster the second time around, due to this book. While Dr. Levine sometimes oversimplifies things, the explanation of how your hormones are interacting postpartum is really helpful.
Rating: 
Summary: it works
Review: I started reading this when I was in labor. By 3 months post I had lost 50 lbs, and I lost 15 more by the 8th month ( less than before I got pregnant)
Rating:
Summary: Can't wait to try it!
Review: I'm pregnant with #4 and know what it's like to have a new baby and be stuck with *lots* of extra pounds. I'm not going to do it this time - and it looks like this book will help. Easy-to-read specific instructions for the 9 months following birth - according to Dr. Levine "The only time in your life your body becomes your weight loss ally" and a time you can re-set your set point. He also explains the reasons so many women keep that baby weight and one big reason is . . . low calorie weight loss plans! Yikes! You eat less and you'll weight more. I hope this book works as well as it promises. (By the way, if you already have kids check out this book: Perfect Parenting, The Dictionary of 1000 Parenting Tips by Elizabeth Pantley)
Rating:
Summary: Sound advice and easy to read!
Review: My second baby is 14 weeks old and I have lost 44 pounds of the 46 I gained. Sound advice, easy to read. But I must confess that after the 8th week I had to cut down on the amount of food Levine recommends but this could be because I have a very small frame. I also found that his menu plans do not include enough fruit and have included some, just because I love it.
Rating:
Summary: Easy and practical
Review: The advice is very easy, and the menu plans quite realistic for a new mother. My only real gripe is that nursing moms with babies over about 4 months old need to go read chapter 8 FIRST, before he scares you to death. I was beginning to think that I'd shot my chances of ever being back to my pre-kids weight again (my baby was 6 months old when I read the book) when I hit chapter 8. In chapter 8 he basically declares that the entire timetable as written thus far doesn't hold for nursing mothers. To give the author credit he does tell nursing mothers to check chapter 8 several times earlier in the book. I still would have appreciated even half the time spent on the schedule for nursing mothers that he spends explaining things for non-nursing mothers. After all, there are a lot of us out here.
Rating:
Summary: Too good to be true?...NO!
Review: This book is a MUST for anyone who is about to or just gave birth!!! This book is very easy to follow, no complicated exercises or diets. It is really just common sense facts, and simple to follow meal suggestions. It is amazing how fast and easy the pounds come off by learning how your body works after having a baby! After having my baby I actually weigh LESS than I did before I got pregnant and wear 2 sizes smaller, that's proof to me!!
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