The Belly Off! Diet [Paperback]

Easy to read, easy to follow and for the first time a diet EASY TO DO! South Beach wanted a week of eating turkey and V8 basically, you'll be craving carbs like crazy on Adkins OR you can eat like a regular person on the Belly Off! Diet. You get fat, protein and carbs EVERY MEAL. I'm never hungry, I eat all the time and it's never stuff I hate. Chili, chicken wings, sandwiches, steak, pizza....everything is great. I'm not even following this diet to the T and I'm already down 17 pounds in 3 weeks. The thing about it is if I really followed their workout plans (no gym required) more often I'd be down a lot more. It's very motivating. I'm using new belt loops on my pants, I feel so much better and again, I eat all the time. Pick this book up, read it, try it and you WILL lose weight. Tons or recipes for great food and you can even join Men's Health Belly Off! group online for free. See other people's stories, progress, recipes and more. I'm beyond happy with the book and the results but for the first time in a very, very, long time I feel in control of my eating habits. Most importantly this is a real life way of eating, this isn't a gimmick. THIS ISN'T A DIET, IT'S A EATING GUIDE FOR LIFE. I plan on eating this way for the rest of my life. Good luck to you!

....Which was basically nothing. During the past half decade, I've been drinking alcoholic beverages more often than medically recommended, skipping breakfast EVERY morning while binging on just about every other meal that I do eat, eating McDonald's (or just fast food in general) five out of seven days a week, and I've ordered the 1 lb. burger at Fuddrucker's for eating competitions (between friends) on close to 3-5 occasions. All in all, my stomach has ballooned to the point that it has all finally taken its toll on my conscience.

It may seem weird for me to be using this book, because my genetics have actually blessed me with a thin frame and a high metabolism. Unfortunately, I'm starting my 5th year of college in three weeks (I'm earning my Pharm. D; six-year program) and in the five years I've been out of high school, I've really abused that privilege. I've abused it to the point that if I'm not wearing a baggy shirt or a coat, it looks like I'm the first pregnant male in history. I've learned the hard way that (at least for me, personally) all my body fat accumulates in my mid-section. And truthfully, knowing my eating habits and lack of exercise, I deserve a lot worse.

That's not to say that I've been completely inactive the entire time - for the first couple of years I tried doing push-ups and sit-ups sporadically from time to time, but without any real program to follow, I failed at keeping up with that. Three semesters ago I had a fairly light course-load, so I signed up for a weight training class and a yoga class - and both were great. But unfortunately as soon as the courses were over, I stopped going to the gym; I just convinced myself that I was too busy to keep up with it.

I found out about this book by reading the Men's Health "Beach-Ready-Body Guide" back in June, which we were joking about and thumbing through during a slow day at the pharmacy - until we realized how awesome it really was. That book lead me to this one, which is incredible for someone like me who has had no experience eating a proper, healthy diet and who has just been in and out of the gym over and over again. The author walks you through everything you need to do step-by-step for 4 weeks; he gives you a (very) specific grocery list for each week and a prescription plan for what to eat for every meal - as well as what time to eat them. The best part of the program is that he teaches you work-out techniques that require nothing but a chin-up bar (at first) so you can work out at home and never use the excuse that you're too busy to make it to the gym again. There are also short testimonials from a lot of people who have committed to the same sort of programs with success. Even if the book doesn't melt my waistline, it's at the very least a guideline for healthier living in general.

As great as I think this book is, I'm only giving it 4 stars because if you follow the program the way that the author intends, you're getting yourself into a lot of investments that might go to waste if you fumble the program. Buying like 90% of the first week's grocery list ran me about $200. (Mind you, I don't clip coupons - if you're a better shopper than I am, it could potentially be a lot less. It was also huge list for just me, so I'm hoping to stretch it out to the second week.) I had to buy a chin-up bar for my doorway that was about $45, and starting the second week of the exercise program you're going to need a stability ball, which ran me about $25. So ideally, my ~$15 book has already ran me close to $300 for just the first 4 weeks of the program.

Later in the program you're going to need a set or two of dumbbells and a weight bench. I already invested in these because I've had weight-training experience and I know I'll use them in the future for curling and benching alone. I bought a set of 15-pounders (about $30), a set of 25-pounders (about $45), and the weight bench (about $100) at local fitness stores around town. So, yeah, that was another $175 invested. So for the book, the equipment, and the first grocery list, that's about $500 total. On the bright side, I'm sure it's a lot cheaper than buying one of those giant home-gym machines...

I still think this book is an excellent read and I'm going to highly recommend it to friends and family at least as an eye-opener; the lessons in this book are worth the price of admission alone. It's up to you if you want to actually follow the program, though. As for me, I'm giving it a shot; junk-food and liquor aside, I'm pretty certain that I can look back and think of more money that I've wasted on worse things than this. If you decide to read this book and try the program, good luck!

I'll be back to update this review if I finish the first four weeks. Just in case anyone cares, I took my weight, got my fat percentage, and calculated my BMI on the first day - 172 lbs, 20.3% body fat, and a BMI of 22.6.

The new year has come and gone for many of us, and for some this might have been a purchase to help get us off the couch and back into shape. I know that is why I bought it initially. What I didn't realize is the inherent motivational value this book can have.

I started the new year year at 242 pounds, overweight and lazy, breathing hard to get up my stairs at home. Reading this at night, and during my down time, instead of sitting on the couch watching TV, really helped to ease my mind into actually doing it. The recipes are awesome, with everything I could ever want. Best yet, the book details cooking instructions, 4 weeks of meals and example exercises. While the exercises have a little less value in this book because it usually takes knowledge of working out to understand the how-to, they are an added bonus.

Essentially, this book tells you exactly what you need to know. Following it to the letter, like other diet books, would be a mistake and the author points this out. In one portion, the author describes the book as a gateway to understanding how to eat healthier on a constant basis, not always having to refer to a book or chart, but rather you gain understanding in what to look for and what will work and not work for you.

I have finished reading this book, and 1.5 months after, I am down 20 pounds. I didn't follow the entire 4 week food regimen, or do every single exercise. Instead I used it for ideas, recipes, and adding exercises into my growing repertoire instead of my growing waist line.

I highly recommend this book, male or female (although it does take a bit of a male presentation, as it is from Men's Health).

Diets are guidelines to life, not restrictions or boundaries to be skirted. This book really shows you that, and if you take anything away from it, do so in a positive manner, because that is the only way that this will ever work.

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