The Martini Diet: The Self-Indulgent Way to a Thinner, More Fabulous You!

The title of this book can be a little deceptive. I thought somehow I was going to be reading my way into Martini drinking weight loss. That is not at all the case in this fun little book. "Gin" Sanders uses Martinis as a pun, a metaphor for good times, the martini glass for measurements, and does believe that an occasional martini is a wonderful indulgence. This book was designed for women. It is about following three simple principles 1. Eat real food, good food 2. Eat smaller amounts of that good food 3. Eat only at meal times.(no snacking) It sounds so simple, but it makes perfect sense. Gin is funny, factual and gives you good reasons to love yourself and treat yourself well. This is not a quick weight loss routine. This is not about low carbing, low fatting, counting calories or points or fat grams. This is about eating like a grown up with a plate in front of you, a napkin, eat small, eat slow. No more golden arches, slurping down thick shakey things with the motor running, while cramming down fried potatoes and talking on the cell phone. Gin reminds us that food is an art,eating is an art. No more fat free filler foods, with ingredients that sound like poison, no more packaged stuff, no more drive through stuff, no more fruity dyed stuff. This is common sense real food, to eat, real drinks to enjoy and a real life to live and love and pamper.

Are you a food lover? Does the idea of cottage cheese and peaches make you reach for a girdle instead of a diet book? Why can't a diet be enjoyable? Jennifer Sander shows us how a food snob can tackle a diet effortlessly, dining on wine, chocolate, and filet mignon. Spoil yourself thin with the Martini Diet! Martini Diet Rule #1: Eat Only the Very Best Martini Diet Rule #2: Eat Somewhat Less of the Very Best Martini Diet Rule #3: Only Eat the Best at Mealtime Eat only the very best foods. This means the freshest, highest quality foods you can find or afford. Sander teaches us to focus on the food, and enjoy every morsel. She advises us to avoid what she calls Ghastly and Tacky foods, that include food horrors such as ramen noodles and chicken nuggets. She also teaches us why many of these foods should be avoided, as they frequently contain trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and a variety of chemicals. Dining on the best doesn't just treat our taste buds, but is also healthier overall. Eat smaller portions. Remove terms such as super-size and buffet from your vocabulary. It isn't as much what you eat, as how much you eat. One of our 3FC forum members once said "I'd rather have one tiny piece of real, imported chocolate, than a whole bag of sugar-free candies". The real thing IS better! But, portion control is required, and that is the basis of the Martini Diet. Self indulgence doesn't include gorging on fine foods. It involves pampering yourself, within reason. Sander recommends using a martini glass as a measure for your foods. The standard martini glass holds 3 ounces of liquid. She advises us that this is the perfect portion size for most foods. Don't snack between meals. Sander explains that part of our excess weight can be blamed on between meal snacking, which usually involves junk or sugar-laden foods. It is true that traditional snack foods are not healthy. However, many successful weight loss plans do allow for 2 snacks per day, if those snacks are well chosen. We recommend applying the Martini Diet philosophy to carefully planned snacks, to round out your day. The Martini Diet book is filled with humor, celebrity anecdotes, and even fitness tips. Yes, self indulgence includes being good to your body by exercising regularly. Instead of aerobics, we are given suggestions of horseback riding, ballet classes, and fencing. What does the self indulgent dieter eat? Sander shares her favorite recipes to help us dine gracefully at home. We can enjoy sour cream waffles, bourbon cheese straws, prime rib roast, and even chocolate fudge cake. We enjoyed reading the Martini Diet and think our lives would be a little nicer if we can apply this philosophy to our own lives. We recommend picking up a copy to read while you have your next pedicure or bubble bath.

Instead of advocating any particular type of diet for weight loss, "Gin" Sanders recommends a fun, painless way to lose those unwanted pounds.Her simple method involves three steps:1) Eating only the best2) Eating slightly less of the best, and3) Eating the best only at mealtimes.Her method makes losing seem effortless, and yes, even indulgent. Also, dieters learn to respect/accept themselves RIGHT NOW, even before the pounds come off.And lastly, there are those great martinis to enjoy...Reviewer: Linda Painchaud

Don't be fooled by the title, "The Martini Diet" by Jennifer "Gin" Sander, is not a version of the drinking man's diet. Instead it's a truly delcious way to lose weight! The Martini Diet consists of 3 very simple rules: Rule #1 - Eat only the very best. Rule #2 - Eat somewhat less of the very best and Rule #3 - Eat the very best only at mealtimes (ie no snacking). According to Gin if you follow these rules the pounds will drop. Personally I have tried a number of methods to lose the baby weight I gained (and baby is 14) from questionable supplements to lo-fat foods to food combining to Weight Watchers. I would get very hyped on these plans only to discover that none of it worked LONG TERM. You see, I like my comforts and that includes chocolate, wine, good bread, etc. So I just couldn't stick to programs that didn't include these goodies or that encouraged eating fake foods that made my appetite increase! Gin's book teaches balancing pleasure with moderation. If you give up the fake, tacky foods like processed cheese whiz, and diet nutrition bars and lo-fat fake cookies etc. and if you eat real food in modest portions and don't snack much if at all, you can lose weight. And you will LOVE the process. My dinner last night was a simple piece of grilled chicken, corn on the cob (no, you dont have to give up starches..just eat them in modest portions) and asparagus. Washed down with a glass of zin and chased by a piece of rich dark chocolate. What could be better? I love Gin's book because of the refreshing way she writes. She entreats you to become a food snob and turn your nose up at the twinkies and boxed scalloped potatoes. You are too good for that. I love the way Gin tells you to treasure yourself and indulge in the very best. However, there are a few things that bothered me about the book. The first is though Gin implores you to eat "REAL FOOD" she confesses she has a penchant for Slim-fast. Though Gin tells you to "LOVE YOUR FOOD" she then shares that she enjoys Slim-fast because, "it gets that morning meal out of the way". Huh? What happened to enjoying your food? She also includes recipes at the back of the book and a few include questionable ingredients like soda pop. Despite the few inconsistencies, I give the book top ratings because of the core message. Gin's message is to "Spoil Yourself Thin". This will help you get out of the weight loss means depriviation and punishment mode. She suggests you treat yourself to the best food. When you get a craving, pamper yourself by beautifying yourself instead of eating. You participate in exercise you love instead of killing yourself at workouts you hate. By now you may be wondering why the title, "The Martini Diet". This is because Gin suggests you indulge each day in a glass of wine or martini for the health benefits and pure enjoyment. She also gives simple techniques to figure out your portions sizes by using a martini glass. Nifty! Gin admits she is not a scientist or doctor. She

If you're tired of strict, no fun diets, pick up this book. The author espouses simple yet indulgent ways to lose weight. For example, after reading her section on trans fats, I decided to NEVER touch fast food again. I won't settle for it in a rush anymore either. If I'm eating, I'm eating something that tastes great and doesn't leave a film of chemicals on the roof of my mouth! Yuck! I've also picked up walking over grueling, runs. I "indulge" in an hour walk each morning with a friend. We get our coffee; we talk. We have fun. My exercise isn't a chore, it's something I love to do because I'm having fun with a friend. Just by following Gin Sander's advice--and not suffering (I ate chocolate on Easter but only the good stuff!), I've dropped a pant size in a little less than a month. Don't let the title fool you into thinking this book isn't about health. It is. And the author's advice is awesome!