American Heart Association No-Fad Diet: A Personal Plan for Healthy Weight Loss

I just got this book after searching for a plan that would work for me and my boyfriend. We are both average in weight and only need to drop 15 pounds which isn't outrageous, but our current lifestyle is clearly not conducive to that. I love to cook, but I don't want to struggle every night after work trying to make dishes that are confusing and frankly, sound gross. This book offers a structured plan that takes the guesswork out of shopping and many of the dishes are healthier versions of familiar favorites. One person here commented that some of the recipes don't seem heart healthy because they include trans-fats. Yes, there is a menu item titled "glazed doughnut" and one titled "bacon biscuit". But if you look at the entire 2 week menu, it is an exception to the rule. Let's face it, like many of us my boyfriend goes to an office that brings in breakfast Every Friday. At least it's built into the plan that, yes, Friday morning you can have a doughnut but then steers you back throughout the rest of the day. And what about the meetings where they pass around a menu and say, "pick something from this sandwich shop because we are having a lunch meeting"? Thankfully, the AHA has built these scenarios into the plan as well and suggests lower fat/lower calorie options. For working professionals, this book is great. I'm not going prepare elaborate homemade lunches and snacks everyday to take to work (one book called for soba noodles with peanut-tofu sauce and miso soup...I'm not making that at 5 a.m.!). Graham crackers, fruit, carrots and bean dip, though are do-able snacks and much better choices than whatever is in the vending machine. As a final note - for those women out there whose boyfriend/husband is resistant to strict diets - this is the most reasonable choice. I know darn well that you can't take someone whose first choice on friday night is Pizza and a Beer (but the game's on!) and reform them to tofu loving, carb-free enthusiasts without a major breakdown. I've tried that and after after picking over an admittedly gross dinner, he went into the kitchen and fixed himself scrambled eggs with cheese. This program offers a more user friendly menu while still staying within recommended fat and calorie limits for long-term lifestyles changes.

This is a comprehensive book that tries to guide readers clear of get-thin-quick schemes and focus on the only tried-and true method of long-term weight loss. By counting calories and taking in less per meal by reducing the sizes or percentage of the foods consume per sitting. The book offers substantial advice for changing the reader's behaviors while focusing on meal plans based on 3 different calorie levels and healthy recipes. There is a lot of good advice about customizing your approach using 3 key concepts 1.Think before you eat 2. Eat well 3. Exercise more These keys are the author's "circles of success" for weight loss. Take home message Fad diets don't work, eat less, eat healthily and exercise more.

The recipes are wonderful. They use the best of the best nutritional and culinary knowledge to make low cost, low cal, low fat and easy to prepare menu selections. It's like having a new favorite cookbook: the kind that compells you to get excited about trying each and every recipe throughout the year, and I have tried several of the recipes already. As a former chef, I appreciate the dignity of the recipes but I am also pleased that the "lay person" would also be able to prepare all the dishes with confidence and ease. I am a burnt out "Zoner". This summer I watched the scales go higher and higher, commensurate with my apathy for sensible eating. Unacceptable behavior but inevitable considering the five year stretch of in-the-Zone living I did. I read an article in BOOM, a newpaper for baby boomers. The reporter was assigned the task of finding a "diet that worked". He had on his list the AMA NO FAD DIET. Intrigued, he and his wife decided to give it a try. He reported that within weeks he had lost inches and was experiencing that all important psychological feeling of wellness that comes along with a healthy balanced eating plan. It was good timing and I bought the book immediately. I think it most important to have finally found some guidelines that are presented in a manner that really feels like new found knowledge, instead of a mixed up version of the same old same old. The first part of the book, which discusses three different eating plans and why and how to choose which works best for you somehow did a wonderful job of just "sticking" in my mind. It's rare in this kind of book to find that you actually feel satisfied in the reading of it and have knowledge retention afterwards.

I purchased this book looking for a true guide to healthy eating habits without sacrificing the joy of cooking and eating. I was not disappointed. The recipes are great and the weight loss comes naturally. The transition is an easy one if you simply follow the technics and recommendations contained in the book.

This is a very good weight loss/fitness plan. Beware - there aren't any promises of dropping 10Lbs in the next week. Rather, this a a guide for an overall healthier life style. It has a great, easy to follow system for creating your own diets and exercise program based on your habits and personal experiences. It has over 200 recipes for soups, salad, cassaroles and everything else under the sun to help you eat right. While dieting is neither truly fun or easy, this plan will help keep you on the right track.