Customer Reviews

Neris and India's Idiot-Proof Diet: From Pig to Twig

5 star:		(172)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

I've been doing this way of eating for over a year and having lost nearly three stone. I have been maintaining for some months, but had fallen into a bit of a rut foodwise and was looking for some inspiration.

Boy did I find it! I'm one of those weird people who love reading cookbooks in bed, but rarely actually cook from them. This book is an exception. It's beautifully produced and bound and very well presented. The best thing about it are the fabulous, easy and tasty recipes. It has inspired me back into the kitchen.

My favourites so far have been the chili bake, onion bhajis, celeriac bravas, and the aubergine and feta pie. The 'take five' section is genious. All the recipes I've tried have worked and they have all been lovely. I've fed them to my hubby and the kids, and even used them with guests.

I have several low-carb cookbooks and this is by far my favourite.

I bought this having read the Sunday Times review, read it cover to cover and decided to give it a go, despite having promised myself never to diet EVER again. I am morbidly obese, I have failed at every diet I have tried in the last 10 years. So far this one is working well, I am not hungry (hooray), I am not bored thanks to the additional purchase of the Low Carb Gourmet and I have lost 12lbs in 2.5 weeks with no pain at all. I had a cracking headache on day 3 but apart from that I've felt brilliant. I think I am probably wheat and sugar intolerant anyway so this is a better move for me than trying to exclude those things and do low-far as well which has me climbing the walls with hunger within days. If you've tried Slimming World before, its like red days but with lashings of butter and cream. Yum!

As others have said its probably not the one for you if you are a veggie or don't like red meat but being a total carnivore it works well for me. As you go into the final phase, when you only have a stone or so to lose it puts back certain carbs (including chocolate!) slowly into your diet so you are not on this regime for ever although I probably won't ever go back to croissants and pizza and that's fine because I'd rather be at the right weight. If you like steak and cheese and eggs and double cream and leafy green veg and olives and deli meats then you will be in seventh heaven with this one.

I found the style really encouraging, unlike any diet book I've ever read before and India's humour mixed with Nerys' honesty about how she felt were really helpful.

Well written, informative, comforting and result orientated publication. This is a diet book with a difference, first it smacks of realism and is achievable to maintain unlike other well known diets. The background to both India and Neris' previous dieting and how they got to start the book really helps to put the following diet into perspective - you do realise that you need to come to terms with why you are picking up this book and what you need to do to succeed and achieve your goals.

They are not pretending to be nutritionists or doctors, they are just giving honest, practical advice in a very accessible format. Great work and a fab book ! Great buy for anyone that has tried all the other diets and needs a book that really works.

Thanks Neris and India, to an enjoyable read and a flatter tummy :-)

Loosing weight is not about making one decision to do the right thing, but 1000s of decisions that all finally result in wieght loss. This book has been invaluable to me in the last few months to keep me on track, motivated, and slimmer. I have been roughly following this diet for 4 months and I have just bought my first size 16 jeans after coming down from size 22. Two more sizes to go.

This is not a particularly prescriptive diet, more a set of sensible guidelines, and a whole lot of very good head stuff. As the authors say, most diets work, it is a matter of finding a way of eating that sits well with you. The first two weeks menus are set out for you as a way of re calibrating yourself off sugar, booze, caffeine. The menues are just suggestions, there is nothing stopping anyone taking the guidelines and running in their own prefered direction.

A few months in an I have happily tweaked things more in my direction. I eat out a lot, so a way of eating that takes this into account is very welcome. I keep an eye on portions, stay absolutley away from junk, I am starting to enjoy exercise.

It is not the cheapest way to be. But some advice has been crucial. In getting a new stash of make up, some better flattering clothes, a better haircut, treating yourself makes you feel special enough to warrant loosing wieght. "you might be fat, but you could also do with a new hair cut and some fresh mascara" Basically love yourself a bit more, value your body, and you will be less tempted to feed yourself crap. It might sound silly and obvious to the casual reader going through the reviews, but it was like an epifany to me.

Anyway, super stuff.

I have read through the paperback version which, as the previous reviewer says, has been edited. When it came out in hardcover I and two friends bought it and followed it faithfully. One of us lost the stone she had planned to lose, I lost two and half stone and the other lost two stone. Two of us, including me, haven't slipped up in a year. I found it very entertaining and an excellent prop when my willpower needed strengthening. It isn't easy but there is so much sense about why we eat and general psychology that it's comparable to having a friend with you. I believe I have finally accepted that I cannot continue to stuff food at will without damaging my health. My blood pressure has dropped from 148/92 to 120/78 and the threat of medication has been avoided. I have tried other ways of losing weight, included Atkins, and this is the first time in 50 odd years I have found a sensible, sustainable eating regime - for life.

As others have said, this is basically a rehash of Atkins and numerous other low carb diets that have been around for years, just written in a chummy, all girls together tone. It is an enjoyable enough read and the diet certainly works if you like it and can stay on it long term- personally I couldn't face looking at any more meat, cheese or cream after the first few weeks (and I was eating a variety of foods, including vegetables, every day). So:

Pros: - You do lose weight, at least in the beginning
- Reduces sugar/carb cravings after the first few days

Cons: - As others have said, it basically lies by omission. Throughout the first two weeks it keeps reminding you that although this phase is strict, it is only for 14 days, you can have chocolate next week etc etc. when actually it only lasts for 2 weeks if you have less that a stone to lose, otherwise it continues for as long as it takes to get that last stone in sight. They tell you what they want you to know first and put the truth in the small print- obviously written by journalists...
- India's middle class, jolly hockey sticks tone grated on me- they tend to have this ridiculous notion that everyone can afford to buy free range chicken from Waitrose and stupidly expensive cosmetics that can only be found in Chelsea. They also seem to assume that we all have time to cook sausages for 25 minutes on each side every morning, but reality isn't like that for most people. Tis true you can adapt it for you own circumstances, but having a quick plate of cold meat and cheese wears pretty thin after a while.
- I'm not convinced by the advocacy of Splenda, nor by being allowed slimlime tonic but no other diet drinks. Fair enough, I despise Diet Coke too (the idea and the product) but can't see how it could be of any real harm with an occasional vodka - how is slimline tonic any better?

I'm not going to get into the whole 'how healthy is a low carb diet in the long term' argument- as a biologist I actually think it's probably a fairly safe bet, however my better half, who has a PhD in obesity biochemistry, wouldn't go near them.

If you do like the idea of this, I would suggest using the forum, pig2twig, as the ladies there are extremely supportive and Bee's recipes are good, just don't expect to see India or Neris on there any more. Personally if I were to follow a low carb diet again it would be Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint but if you do decide to follow this, good luck and I hope it works for you.

This book is inspiring and brilliant. These are two totally normal ladies who with common sense and application have managed to shift the weight that we all believe is impossible to move. Whether you follow their Atkins style diet to the letter or have your own slimming plan, the book is full of useful tips and just has a thoroughly practical approach to the whole subject. Buy this book as with Neris and India's support you never feel that you are dieting on your own!!

What can I say? It's a book that thousands of women will be able to relate to in some form or another. The crucial thing is that it is a book about honesty - honesty to yourself. It is all well and good making up a zillion and one excuses about why you have put on the weight and how you've tried all sorts of diets and weight-loss regimes and they haven't worked - but the bottom line is "Have you been really, truly honest with yourself?" If you have been brutally honest, the chances are you've cheated from the diet or have just been plain lazy and finding any excuse to blame it on!

A girlfriend gave me the book as a present - in the hope that we would be diet buddies together. I was thrilled about it - and started reading and am still reading. Once I started reading about Phase two, I thought, "This is inspirational stuff!". My journey began - and in the first week I lost 5lbs. I have kept the diary of how I have been feeling and am doing all the things that the ladies have tried and tested. If I cheat - I am only sabotaging my own success, no-one else's. Time to take ownership and responsibility for my desire to lose the weight.

This book has helped me focus on being honest about my self-loathing and deal with overcoming this. So, I've put on shed-loads of weight - get over it! Now, deal with it, in a positive and focussed manner. India and Neris have shown me the way - I am now trying really hard to follow the map! It's a brillaint book to read, so hilarious that I have found myself laughing out loud whilst reading in a queue! The best present! Thank you.

overweight, bored with it too? you will enjoy this. i bought this as I like india knight's newspaper column and thoughtt it might be a bit different.It was that very rare bird indeed- a diet book that was a good read! Read it as a book first and enjoy their story.Any mum of a certain age will smile with recognition, but somehwere along the line the thought enters your head that maybe you can do it too. Cant vouch for the diet plan- only 5 days in to it, but would say buy the book for itself. Now when did you last enjoy reading a diet book?

I ordered this before Christmas having read a Times article - I'm so glad I did. It arrived on 2 Jan just as I recovered from a monstrous hangover and therefore had no desire whatsoever to touch alcohol. I've eaten some lovely food so far, and can feel a bit of a difference already although I do have a looooooong way to go.

I'd recommend this as not only a good read, but as a very empathetic book for all of us who have a modicum of intelligence but just can't seem to get our heads around losing weight.

I'm feeling quite positive - which is first for me as far as diets are concerned.

Sarah (who's just had prawns fried in olive oil and garlic, marinated peppers and artichokes, salad and mayo followed by cheese for her lunch)