The O2 Diet: The Cutting Edge Antioxidant-Based Program That Will Make You Healthy, Thin, and Beautiful

First, let me say, I am the professional dieter. I have tried them all. Low carb, low calorie, low fat, high fiber, ect. ect. My diet attempts usually go like this- I start. I'm starving. I'm grouchy. I'm depressed. I may or may not lose weight. I get weak. I get flu like symptoms. I get too tired to prepare healthy meals or exercise. I go off the diet and binge. I gain back whatever I lost. I saw the author of this book on Wendy Williams, and thought, "Hey, this makes sense!" I'm at the point where I realize that being healthy is the important thing. I incorporated this diet with another diet I was trying (Jorge Cruiz Belly Good, whole grains, low sugar). Also, I've been watching my calories, nothing extremely low, just my recommended intake. I've been on 2 weeks and lost 10 lbs., but more important, I feel great! I have plenty of energy, my immune system is strong(I work with kids who keep colds around this time of year), my skin looks great( the other day, my mom thought I had on makeup). Before I purchased the book, I checked out its reviews here. I almost didn't purchase it, because alot of the negative reviews said things like, this is the same old diet, eat veggies, cut calories, but thats not true. There's really something to this ORAC value thing.

I consider myself a healthy person. I exercise and like healthy foods. However, before this book, I rarely cooked and had a habit of giving in to late-night junk food cravings. For the most part, I've been happy with my body but have considered myself 5-10 pounds over what I'd like to be. I read about The O2 Diet in Women's Health. I read the book over the holidays and was inspired. Probably because I've wanted to do a plan like this for a while but just haven't made the time. Because the meal plans sounded appetizing. Also because it seemed to line up with specific goals I had: 1. Learn to cook 2. Learn to cook with healthy whole foods I keep hearing about (i.e. Kale) 3. Finally add a healthy eating plan to my exercise routine and shed off the last few pounds 4. Find something I can maintain I wouldn't consider the information in the book to be ground-breaking. But it's all there in one book, organized. And if you're like me and struggle to find free time, then it's really convenient. My take on the diet is that it's similar to the Zone (balanced diet of carbs/fat/protein) but just centered on antioxidant-rich foods. I have been on the plan now for a month, and I feel great and have lost weight. I also feel really satisfied by what I've been eating and see no problem keeping these habits up in the long run. This is both empowering and exciting! Some things to consider: The 4-day cleanse was HARD, much harder than I thought. I'd recommend doing it on your days off. I was grumpy and at times weak, however, I wasn't hungry. I think I was previously used to getting a lot of fat/sugar/salt and so it was an adjustment. The diet was time-consuming at first. I'd never really cooked and didn't have ANY of the ingredients/utensils I needed (spices, oils, vinegars, a steamer, good knives etc). I didn't know where to find items at the store and how to pick good produce. But now, I'm able to work everything into my regular schedule and it's not bad at all. Fun stuff: the recipes are FANTASTIC. I've been pleasantly surprised at how great everything tastes. Some faves are the Tex-mex Black Bean Soup, Dijon Salmon Cakes/Arugula with Lemon-caper oil, Flank steak with Chimichurri Sauce/Mashed Cauliflower, Kale chips (amazing!) and Green Tea Walnut Loaf. Even my boyfriend has been impressed every time I make him dinner. If you exercise a lot, I found I was a little low on energy when I'd do really strenuous activity like 3-hour volleyball or 90-min hot yoga. So now I adjust slightly to account for these things. I find the only times I have major junk cravings are when I'm behind on sleep and/or dehydrated. So in all, I highly recommend The O2 Diet if you have similar goals. My one complaint is that I wish there were more recipes. They're so good!

This diet is very user friendly and it will make you feel great! The 3-day cleanse was super easy to follow and had me feeling better from the start! After 1 week on the O2 Diet, I noticed a difference in my mood, energy level, and complexion. I will admit, having been an artificial sweetener addict for years, omitting them completely from my diet was tough at first, but after 2 weeks on the O2 Diet, my sugar cravings disappeared and 2 months later, I am still artificial sweetener-free and feeling great - less headaches and less bloating! Even with frequent travel and dining out with clients, the O2 Diet makes it easy to make healthy choices anywhere. The O2 Diet offers a highly structured, easy to follow plan for those who need strict guidance, in addition to a do-it-yourself option for those who like to have a little more freedom in menu choices. Overall, the O2 Diet promotes lifestyle changes that will improve overall health, not just weight loss. I recommend this diet to anyone who is looking to make lifestyle changes, you will feel great and make changes that will stick for life!

I was going to wait to write my review on this diet until I'd been on it for a couple of weeks, but a reviewer made an interesting observation, pointing out that all of the current 5 star reviews seem fake (it's the only non-five star review so far), and now I'm wondering if Rodale employees really have nothing better to do. But I suppose that's not the point... I have been on this diet for 6 days so far. This book starts you out with a 4-day "cleanse." No lemon water and pepper here, folks; you actually get real food for this one. She lays out a very strict meal plan - the same breakfast every day, same snacks everyday, and so on. Also, you're supposed to drink 8 oz of lemon juice mixed into 8 glasses of water everyday. I would HIGHLY advise investing in some sort of juicer. When I bought 21 lemons at the grocery store for my first week on this diet, the cashier looked at me like she knew what I was up to... Oh, she knew. After four days, you won't want to look at another romaine salad, cinnamon-loaded granny smith apple, or basil eggs ever again. But then you step on the scale. I'll admit that I was a bit lazy about the exercise on these 4 days, and I only started out slightly above 150 lbs to begin with (I'm 5'6", btw), but I still lost 5.2 lbs during this time. Granted, a good chunk of that was probably water weight, but it's still quite motivating. I'll be happy to update my review as I progress along on this diet. So even as "Wary," the above referenced reviewer, pointed out, this is probably a pretty average diet as diet books go. However, I think it's kind of neat to count antioxidants and strive for a large number (30,000 a day!) as opposed to sitting around thinking about how you only have 100 calories or 1 point or whatever left for the day. I have a lot more energy, my skin is clearing up, and I'm a lot less moody with my husband - All side effects I wasn't even expecting with this diet. And trust me, after those grueling first four days, it's well worth it. UPDATE - 01/20/2010: I've done the 4-day cleanse plus 2 weeks on this diet now. As I said before, I lost 5.2 pounds during the cleanse. After the first full week after that, I lost an additional pound. I was SUPER lazy about the exercise though. (That means I didn't do it. *blushes*) After my second week, I lost an additional 1.2 pounds, and I actually did work out a few days this week using Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred, but I also went out to eat with my husband one night. I did try my best to find the healthiest thing on the menu, though! I'm sitting at 7.4 pounds total lost, and I am feeling pretty happy with that. I feel this is a lifestyle I could maintain long after my weight loss goals have been reached.

Not only is the O2 Diet a great read, but the concept behind the diet is absolutely phenomenal. The principles of this O2 diet focus on the level of antioxidants in food items determined by the ORAC scale and following these concepts will undoubtedly improve numerous aspects of your physical life as well as enable you to drop a few pounds, if you have a desire to do so. This plan is easy, effective and will not leave you hungry. I love how Keri talks about whole, fresh foods and snacks as a satisfying way to lead a healthier lifestyle. I'm excited to contintue eating the snacks and meals from this diet for life. I noticed results in just a few days on this plan; I was experiencing better sleep, a boost in my energy level, a reduction in my stress level and my skin was glowing and resilient! This book is thoughtful, FUN and enlightening! I would recommend the O2 Diet to anyone interested in making adjustments and inspiring, and uplifting their eating habits for life!