Although the South Beach Diet has been causing quite a stir recently, it’s really not anything new… unless you happen to be Rip Van Winkle, and have been sleeping for the last 20 years-straight though the whole “low carb” craze! :-)

The South Beach diet is simply a slightly modified, somewhat more “friendy” version of the popular Atkins diet. And although author Dr. Arthur Agatston’s first words is that the South Beach diet “is not low carb”, there is little doubt that it is.

If you’re not familiar with how and why low carb diets work (i.e., by re-establishing the body’s sensitivity to insulin by the elimination of high glycemic carbohydrates), please read this article. You’ll find it helpful for getting the most out of any of our low carb diet reviews.

The main difference between the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet is that the South Beach diet restricts the saturated fats that the Atkins diet recommends. On the Atkins diet, for instance, you’ll cook your morning eggs in butter. On the South Beach diet, you’ll use a cooking spray, or a little olive oil. The South Beach restricts saturated fats, and instead, focuses on heart healthy fats, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as well as fish fats.

While this makes the South Beach Diet easier for the general public and medical professionals to swallow, it’s also a very valid point; there is much merit in supplementing with fish fat and monounsaturated fats (like peanut and olive oils), and fresh, unrefined omega 3-6-9 fatty acids. The health benefits of these oils are as extensive as they are documented.

The South Beach diet also places greater emphasis (in the earliest stages at least), on the consumption of fibrous fruit and vegetables.

The other major difference between these two diets is the relatively low caloric intake of the South Beach diet. While the Atkins diet does not even suggest moderation (thank heavens!), the South Beach diet’s daily meal plans clock in around the 1200-1500 calorie mark. Sure, Dr. Agatston says you should never be hungry on the South Beach diet. Yeah, right! If you follow the meal plans to the letter, I can guarantee you will definitely be hungry.

Like most low carb diets, the South Beach diet consists of several Phases…

1) Phase I: All moderate-to-high glycemic carbohydrates are completely eliminated from the diet. That means breads, buns, sweets, refined grains, most fruits, and so on. This period is intended to last 2 weeks.

2) Phase II: Moderate to high glycemic foods are very slowly introduced back into the diet. You may wish to add one slice of bread and one piece of fruit per day to start. Phase II of the diet may last for a year or more, depending on the amount of weight you need to lose.

3) Phase III: The most liberal part of the diet, where even more carbs are allowed. Although Dr. Agatston says “anything goes” in Phase III, the meal plans reveal that certainly isn’t the case. While more carbs are allowed into the diet, this is not intended to be a return to the eating habits that got you in this mess in the first place.

If you’re familiar with low carb dieting, you’ll recognize this is all pretty standard. Nothing out of the ordinary here, despite the fact the marketing gurus are spinning this as the diet you can stay on for life. If that weren’t enough, there are some pretty ridiculous things said in the South Beach diet… 

“Lose belly fat first”: There’s no clinical validation of this statement, and not surprisingly; spot reduction is not possible-you cannot control the areas from which fat is burned on your body by eating a certain way, or exercising in a certain manner. This is a common and completely unfounded myth.  

“Lose 8-13 pounds in the first two weeks”: Yeah, you can lose that much, but it will be largely comprised of lost water weight, caused by the diuretic effect of carbohydrates. You will not be dramatically “less fat” than you were two weeks earlier.

“You won’t be hungry”:  If you are hungry and need a snack, just count out 15 cashews, says Dr. Arthur Agatston. 

Hello?

If you follow the meal plans outlined in the South Beach, you won’t be hungry – you’ll be ravenous. They average out at about 1200 – 1500 calories per day. That’s pretty low, low enough to threaten the lean muscle mass that is critical to an elevated metabolism. If you’re going to experiment with this diet, forget the scale, and start tracking your bodyfat percentage and lean muscle mass.

Despite this bit of silliness, the South Beach diet is a pretty decent read. Dr. Agatston talks respectfully of Dr. Atkins, as well as Dr. Ornish and Nathan Pritikin (both low fat, high carb advocators), and outlines the various flaws in each gurus respective diet. He outlines the work of Dr. Ansel Keys, and the work that led to the establishing of the flawed carbohydrate-heavy food pyramid. There’s a great quote here as well…

“I was taught in medical school that the only bad effects of sugars was tooth decay”.

Bottom line?

Other than the extremely low calorie, “one-size-fits-all” meal plans, and little less protein consumption than I’d like to see, the underlying theory of the South Beach is sound. For the most part, it’s a common sense, smart eating plan. While I would suggest a couple of modifications to this diet to protect against the loss of critical lean tissue, the South Beach diet is a good step down the road towards the establishing of smart and sensible eating habits.

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With Body Rx, Dr. Scott Connelly enters the weight loss arena with what is probably the best diet program I have seen in some time. Of course, Dr. Connelly arrives with near-instant credibility. Not only is he a M.D., but he’s also the main man behind Met-Rx, a highly successful sport and weight loss supplement company recognized for their quality formulations.

With that said, let me get to fundamentals of the Body Rx diet plan…

1) No calorie counting. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? After all, calorie counting is something you expect to do on any diet. But calorie counting is one of the real drawbacks on any diet-it’s tedious, boring, and downright impractical.

According to Connelly, caloric intake actually has very little to do with weight loss or weight gain. The type of foods you eat, and the metabolic responses they stimulate within the body are the contributing factors (he calls this “nutrient partitioning”).

Connelly’s absolutely right, of course—eating well, eating plenty, and eating often is a surefire way to prime the metabolic furnace. Conversely, restricting calories only serves to slow the metabolic rate as well as threaten lean body mass.

Calorie counting becomes important when your diet is lacking in quality. When a large percentage of your daily calories come from “less than optimal” sources, extra calories WILL be deposited as fat. On Connelly’s Body Rx diet however, it almost impossible to over-consume calories (the bulk of your food intake will come from lean protein, and low G.I., high fiber carbs).

But if you stop in to Burger King to order a “double whopper with cheese” you may be interested to know you are about to consume 1100 + calories!

2) Implement a weight training program: In Body Rx Connelly advises: stay off the treadmill. Again, research bears him out-aerobic activity is a very inefficient method of burning extra calories. Additionally, aerobic activity often sacrifices as much lean tissue as fat, so your metabolic rate drops as you lose a combination of both fat and muscle. Weight training, of course, builds lean muscle, which increases both caloric requirements and the metabolism.

3) Increase protein consumption: In my article on this site, “Much Ado About Protein” I discuss how recent research correlates increased protein intake with weight loss and fat burning. Increased protein intake is a huge part of Body Rx. In fact, lean protein (chicken, turkey, lean beef, whey protein, etc.,etc.,) should comprise a major part of each meal.

And don’t worry; new evidence indicates that increasing protein consumption has no adverse effects on kidney function (International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 23(11):1170-7., 1999)

4)  Eat well, eat often: Small, balanced meals every 2-3 hours keep blood sugar levels balanced, cravings eliminated, and energy levels on an even keel. 6-7 small meals is a very important part of any successful weight loss plan, and the foundation of Body Rx.

5) Avoid fructose (specifically the high fructose corn syrup used in so many processed foods): According to Connelly, fructose is a metabolic poison, and a “negative partitioning agent”. Again, Connelly is correct—recent research indicates that fructose consumption is indeed a bad idea.

In fact, Arizona State University research headed by Dr. Mike Pagliassotti indicates it is fructose that is the main ingredient behind the problem of insulin resistance. Over-consumption of fructose often leads to obesity and Syndrome X. Symptoms of such include hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Fructose use is widespread in the food processing industry—you’ll find 8-10 teaspoons in a can of pop, and plenty even in processed white bread.

Only one problem… why doesn’t a guy who is so dead set against fructose find a suitable sweetening alternative for his own supplement line? Must of this supplements do contain plenty of fructose.

6) Increase fiber content: A dieting no-brainer, fiber increases satiety, lowers blood sugar levels, and may even contribute to colon health and lower cholesterol levels. I’ve written more about fiber here!

Bottom line on Body Rx?

What I like best about Body Rx is its downright simplicity. In my opinion most diets are inherently impractical and complicated, and a far bigger contributor to dieting failure then usually acknowledged. In Body Rx, foods are divided into 3 categories…

1) Red: Foods to be avoided (sweets, and fatty foods in general)

2) Yellow: Foods to be eaten ONLY in moderation (moderate to high rated GI (glycemic index) carbs for the most part).

3) Green: Foods you can eat to your heart’s content (low GI carbs and veggies, lean protein and so on).

So eating is simple on this diet; avoid “red” category foods, eat small, infrequent servings of the “yellow” foods, and “pig out” on the green foods.

Forget all about calories. Wonderful!

This diet is very easy to follow, and it will work. All in all, well worth trying. You can find Body Rx at Amazon.com!

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Mention the Atkins Diet, and there’s no doubt you’ll generate some controversy. To some, the Atkins Diet is the best thing that ever happened to them, and to dieting in general. Others see the Atkins diet as dangerous and impractical. The mere mention of the implementation of this diet throws them into convulsions.

All in all, it all makes for an interesting discussion.

The Atkins Diet has returned to the spotlight with the resurgence in the popularity of such low carbohydrate diets as “Protein Power”, “The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet”, and Barry Sears’ “Enter the Zone”. But clearly this man is no stranger to the dieting industry. A former cardiologist, his first book “Dr Atkins’ Diet Revolution”, was released way back in 1972. And it differs little from his most recent offering.

So what’s the crux of this diet, and why all the controversy?

Ah… good questions.

The problem with the Atkins diet, according to some experts, is its period of extreme carbohydrate restriction (under 30 grams daily). In the initial stages, the bulk of daily caloric intake comes either from fat (saturated or unsaturated is fine) or protein.

Although the science behind low carb dieting is starting to catch up with and vindicate many of claims made by Atkins and others, that hasn’t prevent nutritionist from claiming…

1) That increased protein intake is dangerous, and seriously hampers and impedes normal kidney function. This is absolute and total rubbish. None of the experts making such claims have been able to dredge up a single example of renal failure as a result of this diet. And I could not find any evidence that an increased protein intake posed any dangers to “normal” individuals not suffering from renal disease. In fact, I found the contrary (see Nutr Metab (Lond). 2005 Sep 20;2:25)…

“…we find no significant evidence for a detrimental effect of high protein intakes on kidney function in healthy persons after centuries of a high protein Western diet.”

One review (Contrib Nephrol. 2007;155:102-12) proposed…

“… that the concept that protein restricted diets decrease the risk of developing kidney disease in the general population is not supported by the scientific literature.

This one, which investigates a higher level of protein intake for athletes (see Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):647-54) indicated…

“…that higher protein diets have quite consistently been shown to result in greater weight loss, greater fat loss, and preservation of lean mass as compared with “lower” protein diets.” 

Of course, there are issues when increased protein is NOT a good thing — anyone with less than optimal kidney function needs to be concerned about increasing their protein intake without first consulting with a medical professional. And as Elissa points out in this blog post, diets rich in cereals/grains, animal proteins, and salt (like the typical North American diet) can get a condition known as chronic metabolic acidosis (CMA). That aside, the available evidence indicates an elevated protein consumption is not dangerous.

2) Severe long term carbohydrate restriction leads to nutritional deficiencies. Yes, this is true. But anyone who reads the Dr. Atkins diet knows that his period of extreme carbohydrate restriction is very short lived—only a couple of weeks. Then you gradually start reintroducing low glycemic carbs (like fruits and veggies) back into your diet. Plus, Dr. Atkins suggests you do supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals during this brief period of extreme restriction.

Additionally, those who make this claim are neglecting to mention that the folks adopting this diet are doing so because their previous eating habits were terrible. It is not liklely, for instance, that the vast majority of individuals embarking on the Atkins diet were consuming perfectly balanced diet complete with highly nutritious meals beforehand. In other words, it’s a valid point, but in the real world, it’s moot.

3) Increased fat intake leads to higher cholesterol levels, and increases chances of heart attack. Any diet that place an emphasis on the consumption of fatty foods can’t be good for you, goes the argument proposed by mainstream nutritionists. Unfortunately, there is no evidence this is so. In fact, a recent 20-year study found no association between low carb diets and the risk of coronary heart disease. In other words, this “danger” is not a danger at all.

It’s also been demonstrated that it’s the low carb diet that is more effective at improving metabolic syndrome!

Now I realize that some of you may have a difficult time accepting this. To you I really have only two things to say…

First, I don’t have a personal stake in promoting this diet. I’m only interested in presenting you with facts. Please review the clinical references I include here if you continue to be skeptical.

Secondly, for most of our entire evolutionary development we have been hunter-gatherers. That means no harvesting of crops, no tending of flocks: just scratching a living from what we scavenged or killed each day. Scientists studying the fossilized feces of early man (now there’s a job for you!), have speculated that as much as 80-85% of their diet came from meat.

Considering our early ancestors lived in Northern Europe around 30,000 years ago, and survived an ice age, it’s not surprising they ate meat. When it’s that cold, there just aren’t bushels of fruit and vegetables available at every street corner!

The bottom line here is very simple… our ancestors often experienced times of severe carbohydrate restrictions for extended periods of time (in fact, the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic did so up until very recently), without any ill effects. So this diet does not present any real threat to safety, especially considering the short period of time you’re actually restricting carbs.

So what is the purpose of this carbohydrate restriction anyway?

It’s to get the body’s insulin secretion system back on an even keel. Simple carbs, like those in preponderance in the North American diet, cause the body to become insulin resistant. In short, this leads to wildly vacillating blood sugar levels. This may lead to weight gain, fatigue, moodiness, lack of concentration, and UN-productivity. Carbohydrate restriction “reprimes” the body, and gets it back to working properly again.

With all that said, this isn’t an easy diet to stay on. Sure, eating all the steak, burgers, bacon, nuts, and cheese you want may sound appealing, but it quickly loses it’s allure when it’s the only thing you eat. Steak isn’t much fun without potatoes, burgers are lacking without fries, and cheese without crackers?

Boring.

Additionally, lean muscle mass seems to be threatened on this diet. Considering muscle burns calories even at rest, the loss of even some of this critical tissue is very undesirable. As an avid weight lifter, the rapid muscle loss I experienced while on this diet was particularly unnerving. I also found that without carbohydrates as a fuel source, strength at the gym dropped dramatically—even after the body had made the adjustment from a carb burning to a fat burning machine.

Despite all that, this diet does seem to be an effective way of losing fat weight. If you’re going to attempt this diet, however, I have two comments for you. First…

The first week is the hardest. On about the third day of the diet, it’s likely you’ll start to feel “muggy-headed” as the body starts to make its switch to a fat burning machine. Hang in there, you’ll soon feel better. Secondly, you will weigh at least 10 lbs. lighter at the end of the first week. Don’t get too excited though, severe carb restriction has a diuretic effect. Most of what you’ve lost is water.

The Dr Atkins diet isn’t perfect, but it does work. That’s the bottom line.

If you’re hypoglycemic, or severely insulin resistant and suffering from metabolic syndrome, the Dr Atkins diet may be just what you need. From what I’ve seen with personal contacts, it is the Atkins diet that leads to the most dramatic improvements in important blood markers (cholesterol blood triglycerides, etc) and weight loss.

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The Zone Diet, the popular diet by Barry Sears, is also commonly referred to as the 40/30/30 diet. “40/30/30″ refers to the proportion of each food group in the diet. In this case, 40% of daily caloric intake comes from carbohydrates, 30% comes from protein, and 30% from friendly fats.

The Zone Diet is all about getting into that mysterious place Sears calls “the zone.” According to Sears, this is the place where athletes perform better, where mental focus is enhanced, and life is generally a better place. Getting there is a simple matter of changing your eating patterns to reflect the 40/30/30 ratio, which, Sears argues, is the best way to stabilize blood sugar, promote general well-being, and encourage weight loss.

Why 40/30/30? What’s the rational behind this ratio of macronutrients?

The whole point of this 40/30/30 ratio is to balance two main metabolic hormones – insulin, which promotes the storing of excess calories as fat, and glucagon, which promotes the burning of fat. Sears also claims The Zone diet also promotes a positive balance of the body’s microhormones (called eicosanoids), although he does not present any clinical evidence to validate this statement. 

As a weight loss book, “Enter the Zone”, isn’t too bad a read. Unfortunately Sears ventures off track enough during his discussion of eiconsanoids to give even the most dedicated of dieters a severe case of boredom.

If you’re going to give this diet a shot, it’s essential you read and understand chapter 7 – “Boundaries of The Zone.” In this chapter Sears maps out the entrance points to “The Zone.” It’s crucial that you know this “40/30/30 ratio” is only the mid-point of this entrance-way. You will- and this is important-have to adjust your carbohydrate intake according to your personal sensitivity to them in order to find your personal entrance to the “zone”.

The main problem for the average dieter will be finding this sweet spot (i.e. your unique entrance point to “the zone”). This is crucial to the entire plan — if you don’t find it, you won’t lose weight. And if you’re hypoglycemic or hyperinsulinemic, it’s likely that 40% of total daily calories from carbs is too much! If this is the case, I recommend you start with a smaller percentage of daily caloric intake from carbs, and increase them only if you can.

Let’s outline some pros and cons of this diet…

The Zone Diet “Pros”:

1. Since you are not significantly restricting any one food source in Sears’ diet, you are never totally deprived of the foods you love.

2. If you successfully find your entrance to “The Zone” you will experience slow, gradual, and permanent weight loss.

3. “The main purpose of this diet plan, that of balancing insulin and glucagon, is fundamentally correct!

The Zone Diet “Cons”:

1. The 40/30/30 macronutrient ratio represents the “mid point” to the entranceway of the mysterious place of which Sears speaks. You have to play around (by adjusting carbohydrate intake), find your own entranceway. This can be tricky.

2. The daily caloric intake for this diet is determined by your protein requirements – which can lead to incredibly low daily caloric intake – much too low!

3. Claiming the 40/30/30 zone ratio creates a positive eicosanoid balance isn’t a bad theory, but it’s a largely unproven one.

All in all, I’d have to say Barry Sears’ diet is probably worthwhile buying – if, and only if, you can read it from cover to cover. If not, I’d recommend checking out my ebook, The Ultimate Fat Burning Diet Primer. It will give you a good handle on the dieting fundamentals, but won’t bore you to death, nor require massive amounts of willpower to get through.  

You can learn more about The Ultimate Fat Burning Diet Primer here!

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I review a lot of nutrition, fitness and weight loss books and e-books on Ultimatefatburner.com. Some are good, some are so-so, and once in a very great while, one comes a long that is exceptionally well done. Lewis Wolk’s A To Z Fitness’ Total Body MakeOver is one of those few products that make me sit and go…

“Wow! This is great stuff.”

What Lewis has done with this publication is brought the collective wisdom of 8 of the Net’s qreatest fitness and weight loss gurus together into one nicely formatted, easily accessible PDF document (also known as an e-book).

Some of the people included in this publication may be familiar to you if you are a regular visitor to Ultimatefatburner.com. Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training contributes his wise words, as does Nick Nillson. Other contributors may not be immediately familiar to you, but trust me… they all know their stuff! The only question really is…

Is this the product for you?

Before I answer that, I have to start with the usual caveat. In this publication each expert lays out his/her most effective, proven methods to lose fat and build muscle as quickly and efficiently as possible. That does not mean, of course, that this is an easy, effortless solution. This publication does not provide any magic pill, nor does it contain the secret to losing tons of fat while lounging on the couch watching “Friends” reruns.

What A To Z Fitness’ Total Body MakeOver does do is provide a road map to success and a whole lot of really solid information. If you are willing to work, and follow the words of these pros, you will not be disappointed.

You will not “spin your wheels”.

However, I would caution that this is probably not the ideal publication for anyone who has not made it past the third chapter of Barry Sear’s “The Zone”. While each expert only contributes between 10-20 pages to the compilation, some contributions are more intense than others.

Secondly, don’t make the mistaken assumption that you won’t get anything from this publication because you only want to lose fat, and are not really interested in “maximum muscle gain”. If you are ever going to lose weight and keep it off, you need to do some sort of resistance training.

That’s because resistance training builds lean muscle mass which elevates the metabolism, causing you to burn more calories at rest. Resistance training causes your body to burn an elevated number of calories for up to 24-48 hours post workout. For this reason, weight/resistance training is one of the most effective arsenals in any weight loss program (aerobics burns calories relatively inefficiently and although helpful, only elevates your metabolic rate for a short period post exercise).

Of course, this doesn’t mean you will turn yourself into a muscle-bound freak. Building muscle takes work and dedication. Building a lot of muscle takes a lot more work, and a lot more dedication. It’s a long-term, time intensive process.

A rudimentary program will work wonders for most people — men or women, young or old.

Skim through the book, and you’ll find meal plans, food recommendations, food lists, best practices for dieting, weight loss and training, general tips and recommendations, and some darn interesting insights.

What I found most beneficial about this publication (other than to pick the brains of some of the Net’s top experts), was the ability to mix and match suggestions from different experts, according to my preferences, lifestyle, and body type.

Another one of the biggest benefits of this publication is the fact that it is broken into 8 easily digestible chunks. Instead of being forced to read an entire e-book, you’re reading the equivalent of a short story at each sitting.

Nice!

For those of you who need some tuition selecting and performing exercises, there are lots of thumbnail photos (and I mean lots — several of the experts make use of them), which makes this an even more valuable resource.

Bottom line?

This is a quality publication and I’d be very surprised if most people did not find it an extremely valuable resource (there are also a ton of quality bonus files that accompany this program). It’s also well written, well edited, and aesthetically pleasing!

You can learn more about purchasing the A to Z Fitness’ Total Body MakeOver here!

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“…physical transformation starts with a goal in mind, but along the way you realize it is the journey and not the destination…” (Jeremy Likeness, “Lose Fat, Not Faith”)

I really like Jeremy Likeness’ “Lose Fat, Not Faith”.

There are numerous reasons why this so. For instance, it’s very well written, it flows nicely, it contains a ton of very useful cutting edge dieting and weight loss information. As a teaching and learning tool, it can carry its weight against publication I’ve read.

But that’s not the main reason I feel so strongly about it. Nope, I like “Lose Fat, Not Faith” because it discusses something most diets skip altogether, or give only passing mention.

And what’s that?

It’s the “personal development” aspect of healthy living. It’s about…

i) Overcoming your fears and insecurities in order to succeed.

ii) Tapping into your inner strengths to make a personal commitment, not to a diet — but to a new and healthy way of living.

iii) Setting goals tied directly to mind, body, and spirit (there is a powerful spiritual element to “Lose Fat, Not Faith”) and then determining”why” that goal is important. This is a critical step. If you can’t come up with a powerful reason “why” your goal of losing weight is important, it’s unlikely you will attain that goal.

“Along the way, I found another “why for losing the fat: control. I was obviously out of control, because my mind was so weak that it let cravings for foods control my health. This wasn’t fair to my children who looked to me as a role model, or my wife who had committed to spend her life with me.” (Jeremy Likeness, “Lose Fat, Not Faith”)

iv) Maintaining a positive “I can” attitude through thick and thin.

v) Achieving a balance between your life, your family, and your responsibilities and a healthy lifestyle.

This isn’t all theoretical, of course. Jeremy’s “been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt.” He’s battled with an expanding waistline and “shrinking” jeans. He’s was unable to bend over and tie up his shoes. He has struggled, as anyone who makes this commitment inevitably will. But Jeremy perseveres, and he does so gloriously.

Sometimes, it’s a little difficult to get out of your comfort zone because you know what dieting entails. That’s why inevitably all diets fail, and the weight comes back. Jeremy’s publication prepares you for a lifestyle change, so you can embrace it, rather than avoid it.

Of course, this publication covers all the nutritional bases. For instance, 2/3 of this 350 page e-book is dedicated to educating you on nutrition and exercise. And there’s no doubt… Jeremy knows his stuff! There’s lots of good stuff here; on caloric cycling, portion sizes… you name it, it’s in here.

So who’s this volume for?

Although I think everyone will benefit from this publication, it’s probably not for those of you who want a very short and precise “eat this”, “do that” diet. If you’re looking more for a structured diet plan, check out Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat program, reviewed here!

On the other hand, it is ideal for anyone for anyone who has struggled with motivation, with dedication, or with fear. It’s for anyone who has not yet been able to draw the internal strength necessary to realize their health and fitness dreams.

If this is you, I highly recommend this publication. You will not be disappointed. And, in the EXTREMELY unlikely event that you are, your purchase is protected with a 60-day completely honored money-back guarantee. So you really can’t lose.

To learn more about purchasing Jeremy’s “Lose Fat, Not Faith” click here!

I’d also recommend checking out Jeremy’s free publication, “10 Fat Mistakes”. You can check that out here!

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Angela Ursprung’s Fit at Forty is a fitness and weight loss publication written specifically for women, by a woman.

This “woman to woman” vibe resonates strongly throughout this publication, making it uniquely distinct from many programs on the market. If you’re a woman who is looking for a friendly voice in the wilderness, or you’ve been intimidated by weight loss and fitness programs in the past (which are mostly written by men), Fit at Forty will be a godsend to you!

As you may have guessed, I really like this publication. Why?

Not because Fit after Forty is built upon sound, proven weight loss techniques (although this is a large part of it). No it’s mostly because of the compassion and sincerity that emanates from her words. It’s obvious to me that Angela is completely, 150% genuinely committed to your success. She’s there for you when you stumble, but also there to share private personal triumphs. She’s there to encourage, cajole, and congratulate… depending on what you need, whenever you need it.

There’s a couple of great quotes I found that summed up the overall attitude of the book…

“… understand that failure is acceptable in the long term. This program is not a diet. It is not something you use to create your ideal body and then go back to old habits. If you want to change your body, you must change your mind, and that’s hard! It will take some work to get it right, and you might fail a couple of times along the way. If you get knocked down, forgive yourself and get back up and keep fighting.”

And another favorite of mine…

“Change necessitates change.”

Angela’s program is not significantly different than many of the better publications out there. For instance, you’ll be eating 5-6 small meals daily (to balance blood sugar and elevate metabolism) and you’ll be exercising regularly (both weights and cardio play a big role in this program).

These are the two fundamental elements of any successful program. If you see them missing from any program, run, do not walk, in the other direction.

The nice thing about Fit Over Forty is that…

You do not need a gym membership — all exercises can be performed at home

You do not need to make a huge investment in home fitness equipment — a small, inexpensive dumbbell set is all that is required for Angela’s program

Angela dispels the myths many women have about weight training (i.e., that it causes you to become big and bulky)

Angela makes the intimidating “do-able.” Many women wouldn’t consider resistance training, and stick to aerobics. In easily understandable jargon, Angela gently explains why resistance training is necessary.. and how it will benefit your life.

Even body types — mesomorph, endomorph, and ectomorphs are all discussed in an easily accessible manner.

Angela is also more than aware of the demands placed on the women of today. Raising a family, working a job, being active in the community and maintaining a healthy relationship with your spouse is extremely demanding. Angela helps you over this hurdle as well… making it easy to overcome any obstacle that may stand in the way of your success.

So what do you get with the Fit Over Forty program?

A ton of well-written, high quality e-books. There’s the main volume that outlines the program (my only beef with it is that the inspirational stories were a little long, and should have followed the “meat” of the volume, instead of preceding it).

There are also a ton of supporting volumes — one each for the exercise program for every muscle group — a recipe book, a diet plan incorporating foods from your favorite fast restaurants (Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, etc), and more.

There’s also access to the Body Sculptress web site — which includes exercises, chat, free e-mail consultation with Angela, and more.

Angela really stresses accountability for successful weight loss. In other words, you will be more successful if you have to be accountable for your results to someone. Angela offers e-mail and phone consultations if you want to take the program to the next level.

Bottom line?

A solid, well written, friendly, accessible and sincere publication. The fundamentals are 100% solid. Angela knows her stuff, and better than that, she “walks the walk.” Just take a look at the photos on her Web site!

If you’re a woman who’s sick and tired of not having the body you deserve, I heartily recommend you investigate Angela’s program. It’s well worth the money.

You can learn more about obtaining Angela’s program here!

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Bill Phillips’ Body for Life program is one of the most popular diets on the market today, and for good reason…

Supporters of the Body for Life diet say that it emphasizes a variety of mouth-watering, nutritious foods, while stressing the need for weight lifting and aerobic exercise on a daily basis. It’s hard to go wrong following this advice. Keep in mind however, this program is not so much a diet as a way of life.

And that’s the way it should be.   

Also available is an exercise journal designed to accompany the book, Body for Life. The journal includes daily nutrition and exercise charts, a place for dieters to record their progress, along with “Body for Life” success stories.

Phillips calls the journal a “documentary of each and every participant’s success in completing the Challenge and creating their own body of work — a healthy, strong physique, a clear and empowered mind, and exciting, fulfilled positive emotions.”

Phillips’ Body for Life has certainly been successful. It was on the New York Times bestseller list three years after its publication, with more than three million copies sold.

Fans of the program say that the guidelines for measuring portions of food are easier to use than those found in many other popular diet programs. The diet also keeps you satisfied and energetic since you typically consume six small meals a day – except for a free day when you can eat anything you want (eating small meals balances blood sugar levels, and reduces cravings).

Those who’ve found success with the program say that, while at first the free day may be a temptation to overindulgence, it eventually becomes a day like most others in terms of food consumption.

In Phillips’ own words: “I certainly don’t think there’s anything special about my DNA. I think it’s a myth that you have to have a certain type of genetics to get in shape.”

His “Eating for Life” plan is based on four elements: the right foods, in the right amounts, in the right combinations, and the right times. Phillips claims that, by following his formula, you can “feed your body in a balanced, healthy, satisfying and effective way.” He promises dieters more energy, strength, and reduced bodyfat.

A sample diet would include a ham omelet with whole wheat toasts for breakfast; an apple and cheese for mid-meal; taco-seasoned ground beef with onions and tomatoes for lunch; a strawberry-banana nutrition shake for mid-meal; peppered steak with vegetables for dinner; and a fortified fudgecicle for dessert.

The program is a 12-week program with time sensitive goals. This can be seen as a disadvantage, since successful weight loss needs to be an on-going matter rather than a limited engagement.

Phillips also uses dietary supplements and nutritional shakes in his program – a turn-off for those who do not like to spend extra money on weight loss concoctions. No surprise here, Bill’s long-time involvement with supplement giant EAS is well-documented.

Those who rate diets say that Phillips’ version tends to be better than most because of its focus on exercise. In fact, exercise is the one element that appears to be most crucial in long-term weight loss.

Phillips, however, de-emphasizes cardiovascular exercise, and for good reason — building muscle is the most effect exercise for weight loss. Not only do you burn calories while you exercise, your new-found muscle increases your metabolic requirements. Weight training can elevate the metabolism for up to 48 hours post workout — a benefit not provided by cardio.

Bottom line?

It’s a good, solid program. It covers all the fundamentals — stick to the guidelines, and I’ve no doubt you’ll succeed. But you’ll fork out quite a few extra dollars for shakes and supplements.

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I’ve read a lot of diets, and I like Stephen Adele’s Lean System Success Plan. For one, it’s not some huge, weighty tome that will take you weeks and weeks to read — perhaps even growing dust on your night table in the meantime.

No, the Lean System Success Plan, with its laminated, colorful pages and practical design is easy to navigate, simple to read and get through easily. When motivation is a fleeting commodity, getting to the meat of your new diet plan before you die of boredom or lose interest is key!

And get to the meat of the Lean System Success Plan quickly is something Stephen Adele, the author, has definitely planned upon. You’re barely into the book before you’re learning about BMI (Body Mass Index) and BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate).

Not to worry though… both the explanation and the application of both of these values is clearly defined, so that even beginning dieters are left without questions. From there, it’s on to a crash course in nutrition and specifically proteins, carbs, and fats.

I especially like the “Question and Answer” format of some of the earlier chapters. The back and forth flow of these discussions change the pace of the book somewhat, again making it easier to read and digest (oh, bad pun!).

Like similar diets (i.e. Bill Phillips’ Body For Life) the Lean System Success Plan advocates the use of supplements to ensure clear sailing while on the plan. The supplements in this case are manufactured by Isatori, which happens to be the author’s own company.

While this seems to be a blatant conflict of interest, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind, should this sort of self promotion bother you…

Bill Phillips’ Body For Life implements the same practices (with EAS supplements), and remains a very popular program with high success rates.

Isatori products are high quality, easily on par or better than the best the industry has to offer.

Supplements are handy, but they are not necessary. On any diet plan that involves 5-6 small meals a day, the convenience offered by a meal replacement powder for instance, cannot be sneezed at. On the other hand, there’s nothing preventing you from following the program without supplements, instead obtaining all nutrition from whole foods and prepared meals.

And you can always substitute Isatori products with your own favorites if you like.

Bottom line is that if you’re OK with this, The Lean System Success plan is a darn solid diet plan. It’s got all the right elements — a proven, workable solution, ease of use, plus it’s easy to understand and easier to implement. Everything is covered — diet and eating plans, plus a detailed exercise plan (with photos and everything even a “newbie dieter” needs to get his/her plan off to a raging start!).

Best of all, the guarantee is another good one. Use the Lean System Success Plan for 60 days, and if you do not achieve your goals, Isatori will refund your money — you even get to keep the book! (Isatori’s iron-clad guarantee-which they actually honor-is one of the main reasons I have no hesitations in recommending their products).

There are few diet books that offer this sort of guarantee, and if you’re serious about losing weight, I heartily recommend checking this book out — you’d be hard pressed to come across a better plan or deal anywhere — especially for just slightly over $20!

You can buy the Lean System Success Plan direct from Isatori by clicking here!

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The Low Glycemic Diet Breakthrough is based upon the consumption of low glycemic foods, or foods that have a relatively little effect upon your blood sugar levels. To fully understand the significance of this, a detailed introduction to the glycemic index (also referred to simply as “GI”) is in order…

The first thing you need to know is that the glycemic index refers to carbohydrate-based foods. These foods are broken down and released into the body as sugar (the body’s primary source of energy) upon digestion. Pure protein and fats do not have a GI value, as their digestion does not result in the release of sugar, but amino acids and fatty acids.

The glycemic index therefore, refers to a value (from 1-100) assigned to a carbohydrate according to the rate at which it is digested and released as sugar into the bloodstream. Carbs with lower values are digested and released more slowly, and those with higher values are released more quickly. At one end of the GI spectrum we have foods like grapefruit (with a GI of 25) and at the other end we have foods like white bread (with a GI of 95).

This, of course leads to several other questions…

1) What is the significance of the GI rating of any carbohydrate? Or in other words, why should I care what the GI value of any carb is?

That’s a good question. The answer lies with the function of insulin in the body. When blood sugar is released into the body, insulin is released to lower blood sugar levels by shuttling it where it is needed for energy production.

The problem is that when large amounts of sugar is released very quickly, the body responds by releasing a large amount of insulin from the pancreas to counter this rapid rise in blood sugar. When large amounts of insulin are present in the body, the body goes immediately into fat-storing mode, and responds by reducing blood sugar levels so quickly that you experience an energy crash, followed by unbelievable cravings for high-G.I. goods — mostly sweets and simple carbs like breads. Thus the cycle continues over and over.

To make matters worse, over time the body can slowly become desensitized to the effects on insulin, and this can lead to Adult Type II diabetes.

2) What factors affect the GI rating of a carbohydrate?

One of the biggest is fiber content. Carbs rich in fiber are digested much more slowly by the body, resulting in a gradual and manageable release of blood sugar into the body.

Another factor is fat content.

For example, a Snickers bar has a GI rating nearly half of that white bread. Why? We all know there’s a ton of simple sugar in a Snickers bar. The answer is the fat content of the bar slows the release of blood sugar, much like fiber does in fruits and vegetables.

The overall idea therefore, is to consume less high GI carbs, and more low GI carbs in your diet.

Now that you know a little more about the GI value of carbs, let’s get back the diet, “The Low GI Diet Breakthrough”…

Unlike typical low carb diets (Atkins, South Beach, etc.), this diet does not focus so much on carb restriction, but on the type of carbs you consume. The GI diet is great for anyone who wants to lose weight and prevent the possibility of diabetes. Surprisingly enough it’s also great for athletes, as it can provide plenty of raw energy required for vigorous activity. Best of all its focus is the maintaining of steady and balanced energy levels throughout the day.

The Low GI Diet Breakthrough will show you how to prepare low G.I. friendly meals, and how to live with the low GI diet in the real world. You’ll learn which carbs you can eat with impunity, and which ones you’ll need to restrict, eating them only occasionally.

Bottom line?

The Low GI Diet Breakthrough provides you with the tools to eat a smart, sensible, workable, no-starvation diet that will help you lose weight as well as providing you with balanced and sustained energy levels.

If standard, ultra-low carb diets are a bit much for you, then it’s well worth your while to have a look at the Low GI Diet Breakthrough.

Aesthetically, the Low GI Diet Breakthrough is a professionally formatted, attractive PDF software download. It comes with several additional bonus files… all worthwhile.

You can learn more about this diet, as well investigate purchasing options here!

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