New Year, New Self: The Simple Diet by James Anderson, MD and Nancy Gustafson, RD- Book Review and Giveaway

Well we can't have a New Year without a discussion about diets, can we?

While I am starting with Sensa, I also want to start eating healthier, and I have heard nothing but great reviews about The Simple Diet, so I was quite happy to review the book!

WHAT $61 CAN’T GET YOU:

*A new wardrobe

* Dinner for two with wine at a fancy restaurant

* Date night at the movies, including a babysitter

* A monthly membership to a full service gym

WHAT $61 CAN GET YOU:

*AN ENTIRE WEEK’S WORTH OF FOOD ON THE SIMPLE DIET PLAN,

 THAT IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ATKINS AND THE ZONE

Incredibly easy to follow,THE SIMPLE DIET will turn your regimented, boring and expensive diet into a thing of the past. THE SIMPLE DIET calls for a healthy mix of store-bought meal and snack replacements (from brands like Banquet, Weight Watchers, Kashi and Balance) and whole foods (fruits and vegetables). The book includes recipes for homemade shakes and smoothies, as well as suggestions for eating out at restaurants without derailing progress. and worksheets to chart your progress.

Best of all,THE SIMPLE DIET has proven results. In clinical trials, individuals on the Simple Diet lost 18.7 pounds in 2 months; compare that to 4.6 on the Zone diet, and 9.5 pounds on the Atkins diet. The 6 month results are even more striking: Simple Diet, 30.6 pounds; Zone, 4.2 pounds; Atkins, 10.6 pounds. 

The plan allows you to:

• Stay on a budget even cheaper than fast food
• Eat the style of foods that you want, whether it’s Italian, Mexican, Chinese, or meat and potatoes
• Treat yourself to snacks, bars, fruits and shakes
• Get healthy and lose weight
• And keep the weight off for good!

Review: The key elements of the plan- 5 meal replacements, load up on fruits and veggies, drinking a full glass of water before meals, and burning 2,000 calories a week are concepts we've all heard and KNOW are what we need to loose weight. Did you know that a quick loss means you are more likely to STAY on a plan? It's called motivation! Which is why most diet plans are so restrictive the first couple of weeks! With the Simple Diet, you loose 6-10 pounds the first 2 weeks!


Here's a sample daily menu:
Breakfast: Strawberry (Special K) shake blended with 1 banana
Snack: 1 cp cantaloupe
Lunch: Ravioli Florentine (Smart Ones), 1 cp roasted mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini
Snack: Rich Chocolate Royal shake (Slim Fast)
Dinner: Roasted Chicken Marsala (Healthy Choice), 1 cp steamed carrots, and 1 cp steamed snap peas 
After dinner snack: Creamy Eggnog


That's a pretty filling day! Your meal replacements are all under 200 calories. Thus, you WILL loose weight! The book provides you with a simple, but effective weight training program (with pictures) and a great chart to show you how many miles you need to walk in one week, to reach the 2,000 calories burned mark (figure around 1.5 to 2 miles a day for most). While the book provides charts for you, there are alot of smart phone apps out there that can help you keep track of what you eat, while you're on the go, and admit it, you always have your cell phone with you!


Once you get past the first 2 weeks, you move into a new form of the diet- a low fat, high fiber diet. By keeping you full on foods that are healthy, like fruits and veggies, you'll eat less. You have more foods to choose from, They recommend you follow the second phase for 4-6 months, for optimum weight loss. During this time you will learn new healthy eating habits, that will allow you to leave the meal replacements behind. 


Here's a sample of the 2nd phase diet:
Breakfast: 1 cp Cheerios with 1 cp skim milk, half a grapefruit
Snack: 2 cps coffee, decaf coffee or tea with 1/4 cp skim milk and Splenda
Lunch: Small garden salad with low-fat dressing, 6 inch subway Veggie Delite sandwich, 1 banana
Snack: Slim Fast French Vanilla Shake
Dinner: Healthy Choice Garlic Roasted Shrimp dinner, 1 cp green beans, whole wheat roll, 1/2 cp strawberries
Snack: 1 cp mixed fruit salad


Once you achieve your weight loss, then you switch to a 2,000 calorie healthy diet, to keep it off and maintain your new weight. Exercise is STILL key! 


The book gives you charts with the foods, their calorie levels, and how much you can have. I think once you get comfortable on the diet, it will be easy to maintain. They offer great ways to get yourself back on track, should you divert off the plan. They offer advice on bariatric surgery (don't do it basically) and how to stay on a healthy diet for the rest of your life.


The only question I did not get answered about the plan, reading the whole book, was whether PLAIN coffee (or tea-iced or hot) was allowed as part of your fluid intake, during the 1st and 2nd phases. Obviously if you drink more than 2 cups of coffee (or tea) a day, you don't want to go cold turkey, or you will have caffeine withdrawl. Sugar and creamer are obvious no-nos due to added calories, but plain?  Otherwise, everything question is thought of and answered! I plan on using a moderated form of this plan this month, as I get used to the Sensa, and then seeing about switching over. I'll keep you updated! But if you are looking for a SENSIBLE plan, that will not cost an arm and a leg, give this book a try!


Recipe:
Here's a simple recipe that would be a good on-the-go meal replacement for any busy mom!


Mocha Cooler
3/4 cp water (6 oz)
1 serving chocolate flavored powdered shake mix
1 tsp instant coffee


Add all and blend on lowest speed. Add four ice cubes, one at a time, blending in between. Blend on low speed for 1-1 1/2 minutes. Then on high for 10 seconds for extra creamy effect. 




About the Authors:
James W. Anderson, M.D., is a reviewer for many of the world's most prestigious medical journals, and he's published more than 350 scientific studies and founded the Obesity Research Network. He lives in Kentucky. 

Nancy J. Gustafson, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietician and served as a nutritionist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, clinical dietician at the University of Maryland Hospital and Carle Clinic in Illinois, and nutrition instructor at North Dakota State University. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota.



Now how about TWO of you get to win you rown copy of the great book?


*
a Rafflecopter giveaway *



Disclosure / Disclaimer: I was sent this book, free of charge, for review purposes, by the Penguin Group. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.