 "I am a weight loss coach and I turn to this so much my book is dog-eared" | 2009-11-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A17V9XL4CWTQ6G |
While I was working on my Masters in Counseling I learned the phrase "It's not what you say but how you say it" and I think this book is a prime example of helping others make changes by saying it right, and backing it up with scientific proof.
As a weight loss coach myself I know that there has to be verbal keys that unlock whatever is holding someone back from making the changes they need to in their life to be healthy...but sometimes explanations fall on deaf ears that aren't ready for change. However, this book changed ME and how I help others. It is packed with proof, guidance, whys and hows and I can't imagine it not making a change for any reader.
I agree with the review that says don't get this in the Audio version. I have both a hard copy and a Kindle edition--the Kindle edition worked find but I prefer the hard copy because you do want to flip back and forth to the food groupings (you'll see what I mean when you read it) However, you can also do this by simply saving certain pages on your Kindle.
I recommend this book over the woman's edition...not enough changes in that one and this is just concise and clear.
I still limit caloric intake but if you pair that up with the way of eating that the abs diet goes into, you don't hit plateaus and your body works as a well-oiled machine to give you more energy and utilize fat stores for energy when you limit your caloric intake.
This is the healthiest way of getting fit and, ironically, a fast way to do it as well. It's not a good read you put down, for me it was a lifestyle change. Oddly, it had other effects aside from just healthy weight loss with no plateaus...my face has broken out since I was a teenager and I'm now 43. After just a few weeks of this style of eating I had flawless skin. When I moved into a new house and had no time to eat right, my old issues of lowered energy, skin breakouts etc. came back...as they have everytime since then that I've gone off track. I rarely do go off track, however...there just is not need to. This provides for excellent meals and healthy living for LIFE rather than just a short term interim diet.
Highly recommend. |
| |
 "Haven't I read this before?" | 2009-09-05 |
| - Reviewed By cineaste3765 |
Caveat: I haven't read the book.
I HAVE reviewed the principles of this diet, however, on the Men's Health website. My initial reaction was that this seems to be a diet plan that was derived from the Oz / Roizen book, "You: On a Diet". So much of what this book recommends are the same as those that were outlined in very clear detail by Oz / Roizen, right down to the cheating and the use of nuts as an integral part of the program.
I must also add that having "six-pack abs" is indeed a function of desirable genetics, and a lack of belly fat. This book should help with the latter, but only providence could help the former. Admittedly, this book promises to help you flatten your belly - now THAT almost everyone can do. |
| |
| "Awesome Abs Diet!" | 2009-08-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3HM2OEQHVY56V |
| My son recommended this to me when I told him that I'd recently been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. I took about a week to read it, and now I'm finishing up Week 2 of using the "diet." I've tried lots of diet/health plans over the years and yoyoed...badly. I found the book to be VERY WELL written and I find this program VERY easy to follow. I'm already feeling better. I highly recommend it! |
| |
| "THE REAL DEAL!!!" | 2009-05-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3TBBTXCY6S913 |
After years of yo-yo weight loss/gain through my 20's, I managed to drop 40 lbs last year on Weight Watchers Online. It taught me proper portion control (more on that in a min). By April of this year I had hit a serious plateau with my weight loss, and even 6 days/wk of exercise and what I thought was careful eating could not shake it (P90X workout by the way, you KNOW that is some stubborn fat!!). Then I picked up this book...
I am just shy of 2 weeks into this program and I am down 5 lbs!! I feel like a million bucks, and I can tell its very close to habit by now to eat in accordance with these guidelines. If I haven't eaten in the last 2 to 3 hrs, I can now FEEL my body telling me to refuel. I look forward to going grocery shopping just to see what healthy, delicious meals I can concoct. I must say its potentially the worst, most misleading title of any book ever, very shallow seeming really, but this defines the adage "don't judge a book by its cover". I agree with many of the other reviews in that it could have been shortened somewhat, and he does repeat himself quite a bit. That being said, the things he says are worth repeating in most cases. But it has truly been an eye opening experience learning the facts and ideas he lay's out inside. This is a plan for an incredibly healthy, eminently workable nutritional lifestyle. Combine this with P90X (UNBELIEVABLE workout program in and of itself) and the results are stunning.
If no review is complete with out a few "cons", I have one, and I think it is the cause of some of the lower ratings and unsuccessful attempts mentioned in the reviews. Two words...PORTION CONTROL. If there is one thing wrong with this book is I feel he does not give enough credence or credit to the value of portion control. My 3 months with Weight Watchers Online taught me the value of such. Be aware of how much you are taking in, and count calories or use this in conjunction with a food diary or something like Weight Watchers if necessary. Once you have figured out what your intake amounts should be and have those down, it will become second nature in no time!!
Bottom line: HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this book!! |
| |
| "Refreshingly for MEN" | 2009-05-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2J6D6D0NB1G44 |
I'm getting back in my fitness kick so I figured I'd add this book while I was at it. I'm going through the Abs Diet book right now, I read this several months ago and it has some pretty good stuff in it. Being the editor in chief of Men's Health magazine, he's seen a bunch of diets, seen a ton of different workouts, so David Zincsenko decided to put together things that work really well to make his own system: The Abs Diet.
The thing about diet books is that they don't really tell you much more than what you probably already know: eat less, more frequent meals. Stay away from high fat and high sugar food. Excercise frequently. Drink a lot of water, eat a lot of fiber and protein. You'll find these suggestions here too but the difference is in how this `plan' is presented and ultimately how likely you are to execute it.
`Abs' diet promises a 6-pack in 6 weeks... yet it's not all about the abs. Zinczenko correlates good looking abs with overall health, not only because we're judged by the size of our belly but more importantly because a strong midsection also gives you a stronger back, stronger core, and eliminates the risk of belly fat which is the most dangerous of all (because of it's proximity to organs).
The diet centers around the "12 Power Foods" of which your meals should be comprised of at least 3-5 of these. Almonds, peanut butter, oatmeal, etc. And with these "12 power foods" comes some of the more refreshing aspects of this book: The author encourages the use of a blender. Seriously, there's a bunch of recipes for shakes, protein shakes, breakfast shakes... Probably the best one I tried was one with milk, a 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal, yogurt, chocolate protein powder, and a tablespoon of peanut butter. Damn that thing came out thick and was really good, I had it for breakfast and it kept me full over three hours.
The author admits that he's not a very good cook so it's cool that he provides recipes with his included 7 day meal plan. Each day is a comprised of three meals and three snacks, all of which is easy to make from stuff you probably have in your fridge (eggs, sandwich, grilled chicken, meatballs).
The other good aspect of the book is that he emphasizes exercise. Not no "walk for 30 minutes daily" BS you find in other books that sound like they're geared towards the elderly. Keep in mind this is the editor in chief of Men's Health Magazine, so he knows what workouts work and which one will get you ripped. He states that circuit training is the single best way to build muscle and lose fat in the process so that's what we get. One day has you doing 14 different exercises at about 12 reps each resting only 30 seconds in between. You can really go hardcore with it if you're serious about losing weight. There's a large section with just pictures showing you how to do each exercise so there's no excuses.
The rest of the book is filled with info on what food is good/bad for you and why which is cool to read but the more interesting stuff is the explanation of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The book does a good job of explaining it and gives you a wider scope to trying to achieve health, not just slim down.
There's a section that pits the Abs Diet against other popular diets and the author rips on the low carb ones, namely Atkins. I feel he went a bit too far, almost as if he recognizes it's the most influential and has to "topple Goliath". Some of his reasoning makes sense but at times uses misguided information (whether he did it intentionally or not) to try to smear the diet. I would bet that he knows Atkins is far more than "eating greasy burgers without the buns and loads of bacon" but I guess you gotta do what you have to do to make your product stand out.
Aside from that low point The Abs diet is worth checking out if you need a book companion when trying to lose weight.
|
| |
Expedited Available
