If I could have ranked this book 4 1/2 stars, I would have.It contains solid information that would certainly benefit anyone and lead to slow and steady weight loss, but I would take off 1/2 a star since none of this information is groundbreaking or innovative.What I do like about this book, compared to Bob Greene's previously released Total Body Makeover book, is that this program is more doable by someone who has a life outside the gym, which is extremely important, since many Americans go on diets, but very few stay on them.
The program is divided into 3 phases.The first phase is basically designed to ease you into a program of healthier eating habits (focused more on the habits, like snacking, not eating within a few hours before bedtime, etc., rather than on limiting foods) and increased movement.Nothing extreme here - I like this aspect of this phase, as for most people, starting right up with a perfectly clean diet and an hour or more of exercise each day is too much (hence my problem with Greene's Total Body Makeover).The second phase is the real weight-loss phase with increased emphasis on "clean eating" by eliminating 6 empty or problem foods from your diet.Again, I like this approach because it makes it much more doable than cutting out all of your bad habits (I'm assuming that most of us have more than 6 - I certainly do) cold turkey.Increased activity is also an important aspect of phase 2.Finally, phase 3 is the "lifestyle" phase of the diet, which is more a lifetime fitness and eating plan than a diet.Recommended daily eating plans (including a 7-day diet diary of Oprah), and some tasty recipes (with lovely photos) are also included.
Finally, as with all of Bob Greene's books, there is direction for focusing in on your reasons for overeating, being overweight, and eating the wrong foods, i.e., the "emotional eating" aspect of weight problems.I particularly agree with Greene's assertion early in the book that in order to address your weight, you must first address your life.I know from my own experience, that when I find myself eating poorly, or eating in excess, or not exercising consistently, it is because of what is going on in my head, and not what is going on in my body.
Ultimately, I think this book is a great addition to one's health and fitness library.In my opinion, it takes the best of Bob Greene's earlier books and puts them into one, concise and doable program, which will provide weight loss and weight management that lasts and not merely a quick and temporary fix.
Product DescriptionFrom the bestselling author of
Get With the Program! and
Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover comes
The Best Life Diet, a lifetime plan for losing weight and keeping it off. Bob Greene helped Oprah achieve her dramatic weight loss, and he can help you too. You'll eat the same delicious food that Oprah enjoys, and, just like Oprah, you'll have Bob to encourage you at every step. Unlike a celebrity, however, you don't need to hire a staff of experts to aid and advise you, because Bob's plan, easily tailored to an array of tastes, lifestyles, and activity levels, acts as your personal trainer and private nutritionist. Just open the book and let Bob help you get started down the path toward your best possible life.
What sets Bob apart from all the other experts who claim to have plans that work is that he admits that weight loss is difficult: seventeen years of watching people struggle to lose weight on a seemingly endless string of trendy crash diets, only to backslide and regain the pounds they've shed, have taught him that dropping pounds is not simply a numbers game. By acknowledging that it is not simple laziness but a complicated web of social rituals, cultural expectations, and habits that drives people to gain weight, Greene is able to attack the problem of weight loss realistically and offer not a short-lived, quick-fix formula, but a long-term program that accounts for the challenges and constraints of the real world.
Divided into three phases,
The Best Life Diet gives you the tools you need to change your life. In each phase, you'll be asked to reexamine the decisions you make on a daily basis and gradually alter your habits to achieve lasting results. The book also includes easy-to-follow meal plans that make it simple to meet your daily energy and nutrient requirements, whether you are on the run and breakfast means a quick smoothie or you have time to shop for fresh produce and make something special.
You'll watch the weight disappear as you learn to prepare festive and flavorful dishes like Fire-Roasted Tomato-Shrimp Veracruz, Chicken Sausage Jambalaya, or Flank Steak with Chimichurri Topping and indulge in desserts like Roasted Peaches with Ricotta and Almonds or Apple Rhubarb Walnut Crisp. And for each delicious recipe, there is a detailed nutritional analysis, so you know exactly what you are eating and how it fits into your personal eating plan.
Most important, Bob's plan doesn't end once you've lost the weight. Instead, it gives you the tools you need to make living your best life second nature, because for Greene, a diet is not something you go "on" or "off" but a set of guidelines that will help you claim the life you deserve.
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The Best Life Diet Revised and Updated (Paperback)
I can't count how many authors and diet companies have empited my wallet over the years. I feel like I'm the person they named the term yo-yo diet after. Since reading the last 15 I feel like I've finally got the answers I've been looking for. In the past 2 weeks I've lost 8 pounds, am loving what I eat and have more energy than I've had in years. For once I feel like someone has told me the truth about food. You should read this.
