Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy: Lose Weight the Somersize Way with Quick, Delicious Meals for the Entire Family! [Paperback]

But best of all, the recipes are MUCH better than her last books. In her last books, the recipes were more gourmet and "haute cuisine". They were good, for the most part, but my husband really didn't want to eat chicken stuffed with goat cheese - no matter how elegant the presentation - and my budget didn't allow for the expensive ingredients in most of her previous books.

These are recipes that families can enjoy, and she's tried to make most of them fast & easy to prepare. I am soooo happy!

She's included fabulously "somersized" recipes for a shake & bake type mix, ketchup, barbecue sauce, tartar sauce, chicken nuggets, "fries" made from zucchini and "tater" tots made from cauliflower. She's got chili, ribs and even a recipe for "Green Eggs & Ham." She's got boston cream pie, "pink kiddie" ice cream and chocolate cupcakes. (my toddler is in heaven already!) There's even cinnamon bread with an orange icing so I can make cinnamon buns!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Suzanne! This really is food families can eat!

Well guess what? You can eat rich fatty foods. (Fat is your best friend on this diet!) You can drink wine. You can eat chocolate, cheese, and other foods you may have given up in order to lose weight. You really CAN have your steak and eat it too!

The secret is Somersizing. Somersizing is a method of eating foods in certain combinations so your insulin levels stay on an even keel and fat is not stored. When you eat this way, you can enjoy creamy sauces, steak, and cheese and not gain weight.

"Suzanne Somers Fast & Easy" is a book by Suzanne Somers that explains this weight loss method and how it works. This book like her previous books explains in detail how to "Somersize". And like her previous books it continues to refine and develop the program. I feel that many of Suzanne's original ideas were based on the work of French weight loss guru, "Montignac". There are so many similarities in his diet and hers. But many diets are based on others and Suzanne has greatly developed the plan.

In this book Suzanne recaps the weight loss method and then gives information on how to make the program work faster and easier! To make the weight loss faster, Suzanne suggests eating fewer meals with carbohydrates. To make meal planning simpler, Suzanne includes a number of family friendly foods that are quick to prepare that everyone will enjoy. There are over 100 new Somersized recipes in the book.
"Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy" also includes information on supplements to take to enhance health and weight loss. The book has an extended question and answer section.

Her books are carefully written with a lot of detail. The photographs are lavish. She makes the "diet" a sensuous pleasure.

"Fast and Easy" begins with an introduction by Michael Galitzer MD praising Suzanne's work. He discusses why he thinks her plan is safe and effective.

Next the book gets into Somersizing information. With Somersizing you don't have to worry about counting points or calories, you just combine correctly. Suzanne explains all the combinations. Exactly what you need to do to lose weight. She also tells you how to "cheat" once you have lost your weight.
When I started on the program it was like manna from heaven.
I never dreamed I could nibble on cheese, eat full fat dressings and suck down mousse and lose weight! But I did and so can you, if you follow the Somersize rules.

Most of the weight loss information is a repeat from her other books with some surprising updates. She now says a potato a few times a week is ok for level 2 (the level after weight loss). She also covers in detail, healthy habits to develop as a family.

The section on health supplements is written by Paul Schulick. Schulick is President of a company that will be making supplements for Suzanne. Some of the ingredients in her supplements like green tea and cola nut contain caffeine (a no no for Somersizing) so I am not sure how they will fit these in with the Somersize program.

The next chapter deals with frequently asked questions. Most of the questions deal with the nitty gritty of Somersizing, if certain foods are allowed, differences between level one and level two etc.

Suzanne has a lot of products she sells at her website and at a home shopping site.
Suzanne's products include salad dressing mixes, a bread maker, jam, creme brulee (my favorite) chocolate truffles, pasta sauces and more! These are all available as a convenience to the avid Somersizer. And Suzanne refers to their availability frequently throughout her book.

Another section in the book is the extensive recipe section. A lot of family favorites here. Mac and Cheese, Fish and Chips, Pinwheels, Chicken Nuggets and Taco Salad. More sophisticated fare is also included. Scallop Kabobs, Chilantro Lime Grilled Tuna and Raspberry Meringue Cake.
She also includes recipes for her Somersize secret sauce, ketchup and tartar sauce. These are items she sells at her website. I have been buying the delicious secret and tartar sauce and now can make them for much less.

The last section of her book includes a summary of the program for quick reference. An index is included so you can easily find information or a recipe.

Though food combining is not the way most of us are used to eating, it appears that it can be very effective for weight loss. Members of the Somersize list I am on have lost hundreds of pounds! And it's obvious that the lowfat diets Americans are following today are not working as obesity rates are higher than ever. Once you get used to the Somersize method, it becomes second nature. Many people, like myself prefer to give up some starches in exchange for the rich, creamy delights we can now enjoy.

The food combining is described in detail in her book, but a summary is below.

1. Eliminate all Funky Foods.
2. Eat Fruits alone.
3. Eat Proteins/Fats with veggies.
4. Eat Carbos with Veggies and no fats.
5. Keep Proteins/Fats seperate from Carbos
6. Wait three hours between meals if switching from a Pro/Fats to a Carbos meal or vice versa.
7. Do not skip meals.

The book is nicely bound, with lovely photographs and clear typesetting. I do think the cover could have been better. On the cover Suzanne is jumping in a black bathing suit. The back of the book includes a full index and a handy reference guide.

The bottom line is if you want to decrease your "bottom line" and you are tired of low fat diets that leave you hungry and deprived, if you want to try a lifestyle plan that offers plenty of support in the form of books, her website and yahoogroups,
if you want to eat rich, healthy foods till you are satisfied and feel fit..then you should check out Somersizing and Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy!

In her previous books, Suzanne has really gone for the gourmet end of the food spectrum. The food was fabulous, but the budget was stretched. "Fast and Easy" takes the food down a notch, but has not sacrificed flavor or texture!

As for the constant sales pictch...it's mildly annoying. Although, I can't help but admire her tenacity. Regardless, if you're not interested in buying her products you can find most of the recipes in this book (The chocolate dipping sauce is divine). Also, the conversion chart for Somersweet to Sugar is on her website (www.suzannesomers.com). Since Splenda is 1:1 for sugar, use it once you get the conversions. I wrote them right into the front cover of my copy of "Fast and Easy" so I can look them up as needed.

I agree with a previous review on the shake and bake coating. We had such bad gas that our own dog left the room. It was really tasty, though. It's good if you're not expecting company!

After being on the diet rollercoaster most of my adult life, this program is a breath of fresh air. Atkins works wonders, but it's not for me. This is sanity! You eat practically everything, only in healthy, unrefined versions. I lost 6 pounds in the first week alone and am skipping right on down the scale.

Still, my favorite part of the program is the amazing energy I have. I haven't given up caffeine or chocolate and I've been fine. When the quality of the food improves, the portions take care of themselves. I've counted POINTS and lost weight, but always felt hungry. My microwave is running all the time, but not from a pre-packaged dinners! This cookbook is the ultimate "cook once, eat twice" way for busy people to eat well. The microwave now simply heats up my already-prepared, quality food that I ACTUALLY want to eat. There's reason enough to buy!

This is a great book and I recommend it highly, especially to those trying to eliminate carbs and feeling like they're failing. Thank you, Suzanne!