This common-sense plan is perhaps a little more structured than others, but the more freewheeling plans haven't worked for me (*too* many choices). If you've seen her 90/10 book, which was good, this is much better.90/10 was 3 meals and 1 "treat" - a more rigid plan where you could either choose ONE treat or ONE healthy snack, but you couldn't have both.
This plan is more realistic and flexible, factoring in 3 meals, 2 healthy snacks, and 1 (optional) treat spaced every 4 to 5 hours - something most people should be able to manage. There are 3 calorie targets: 1,200, 1,500, and 1,800 depending on a variety of factors (such as age and how much weight you need to lose). It's also presented in 3 phases. Usually I balk at diets with "phases" - they tend to start radically low-calorie with elaborate recipes and long lists of forbidden foods, and they go on like that for weeks.
Although Phase 1 restricts carbs from bread, rice, and potatoes, her rationale is to get you eating more vegetables and fruits for a week. She doesn't eliminate carbs completely and the most interesting thing is that Phases 1 and 2 are the same number of calories throughout, so you're not 'starving' yourself in Phase 1.
I disagree that the whole plan involves extensive shopping and cooking - Joy does ask that you follow the meal plan closely for Phase 1, and if you have to brown bag, that's challenging, but Phase 1 is only a week long. (It may be best for you to pick a specific week to start this plan, but that all depends on your particular lifestyle.) The meals cook up surprisingly quickly, are tasty, and for the most part, interchangeable.
Phase 2 is where the sustained weight loss happens - thus it's the longest phase - and although she again provides a grocery list and 2 weeks' worth of menu plans (as in Phase 1), Joy also has guidelines to make your own plan. Phase 3 is a maintenance phase for keeping off all the weight you've lost.
The proposed shopping lists include items that are relatively easy to find in most supermarket chains, and much of it you may already have in your pantry or fridge. I would caution that if you're following the menu plans, review the recipes and menus before you go shopping. In Phase 1, I found at least a dozen items were not on the list and the list doesn't say how much of something to buy (1 cucumber or 3, for example). Also, I bought some items I didn't need because she suggests substitutions within the meal plans.
The plan isn't all about diet - it includes a straightforward circuit workout that can be done at home with a pair of dumbbells and maybe a mat. (There's also a Prevention 3-2-1 workout DVD that preceded the book. The DVD presents a circuit of 3 minutes of cardio, 2 minutes of strength training and 1 minute of ab work just as the book does, so if you follow this plan, you may want to purchase the DVD as well.)
The cover suggests you can lose up to 6 pounds in Week 1. I followed it strictly and lost 7, and then 2 pounds the following week as promised, so I know it works. I even ate out and still lost weight, thanks to her suggestions.
If you try it, I would recommend following it strictly for at least the first week to 10 days. It's really a lifestyle program that gets easier to manage the longer you stick with it.
Product Description
#1 New York Times best-selling author Joy Bauer shows you how you can eat your favorite foods, kick up your energy level, and take off pounds!
Joy Bauer, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Joy Bauer's Food Cures, and one of the nation's leading nutrition authorities, teams up with Prevention, America's favorite health magazine, for an easy-to-follow diet and exercise program that delivers steady, safe, and impressive weight loss?up to 6 pounds in the first week, and up to 2 pounds every week thereafter?and you'll enjoy every minute of it!
Millions of viewers who watch Joy Bauer's regular appearances on the Today show have come to rely on her sound nutritional advice and encouraging motivational tips. Prevention's 3-2-1 Weight Loss Plan combines effective eating, fitness, and thinking into one winning formula:
3-2-1 eating: Boost energy, and reduce cravings by eating 3 meals, 2 snacks, and 1 delicious treat every day
3-2-1 fitness: Boost your metabolism, burn fat, and stay motivated with 3 minutes of cardio exercise, 2 minutes of strengthening movements, and 1 minute of abdominal work.
3-2-1 thinking: Easy-to-remember positive behavior techniques. Some you do 3 times a day (each time you eat a meal), 2 times a day (just before or during lunch and dinner), or just 1 time a day (at the end of the day or week.)
The 3-2-1 approach minimizes the effort and maximizes the satisfaction. How does it do this? With the following unique and powerful benefits:
- Less hunger and more satisfaction from every bite
- The opportunity to eat your favorite foods every day
- A sane meal plan for people with insane lives
- Effective exercise that is invigorating, interesting, and motivating
- A faster metabolism
- A system for staying motivated
Click Here to see more reviews about: Prevention's 3-2-1 Weight Loss Plan: Eat Your Favorite Foods to Cut Cravings, Improve Energy, and Lose Weight (Paperback)
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