4.04

5

Jun 17, 2013

I'm starting week 3 and I feel AMAZING. This takes willpower and it is best to have a support system with your family/friends. It IS hard, but if I can do it, anyone can. I'm eating MORE food on this diet than I normally do and I've lost about 8 lbs in two weeks and I'm literally shrinking before my eyes! I've lost a solid 5 INCHES from my waist.

After the first week, I wondered what I had gotten myself into, but I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did! I would suggest though that if you're a I'm starting week 3 and I feel AMAZING. This takes willpower and it is best to have a support system with your family/friends. It IS hard, but if I can do it, anyone can. I'm eating MORE food on this diet than I normally do and I've lost about 8 lbs in two weeks and I'm literally shrinking before my eyes! I've lost a solid 5 INCHES from my waist.

After the first week, I wondered what I had gotten myself into, but I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did! I would suggest though that if you're a sugar nut like me or even your coffee, don't make the same mistake I did - don't go cold turkey....the first two days were rough!

I went on vacation for 3 days and was able to stick to this...with some work. I prepacked my grains and nuts for breakfast and snacks, bought my salads and fruit while out and about and kept a water bottle filled at all times.

If this 47 year old, sugar-hooked, processed food lover can do this, YOU CAN! ...more

0

May 29, 2013

I can't figure out how to rate this book. Do I rate it purely on writing, or on content? And how would I rate the content, the diet, without trying it to see how it works? I'm at a loss.

The first half of this book reads a lot like an infomercial. You'll read about clients who have been angry - yes "angry" - at her "because this was so easy", and you'll read about how this is not a diet, and about how much food you get to eat, etc.

It sounds great. A little too good to be true.

And then you get to I can't figure out how to rate this book. Do I rate it purely on writing, or on content? And how would I rate the content, the diet, without trying it to see how it works? I'm at a loss.

The first half of this book reads a lot like an infomercial. You'll read about clients who have been angry - yes "angry" - at her "because this was so easy", and you'll read about how this is not a diet, and about how much food you get to eat, etc.

It sounds great. A little too good to be true.

And then you get to the actual diet. Which "isn't a diet!", but eliminates all corn, wheat (only sprouted breads & tortillas 2 days a week) dairy, caffeine (not even decaf coffee or tea is allowed) refined sugar, and most fats. That, to me, is a diet. For 28 days, no yogurt, no cheese, no coffee. Definitely no desserts, ice cream, not even a hamburger at a cook out - that is a diet. It made me a little angry, after all of the hype, to read how difficult this diet will be to follow. Although she states over and over that all of these ingredients can easily be found in any grocery store, that is definitely not true in my area. I will have to visit a health food store for items like almond butter, and sprouted bread. But, to be fair, my local grocery store has horse and buggy parking and the entire store is smaller than the entrance area of some super wal-marts.

I googled the diet and found a couple of blogs where women have tried it, and apparently it does work. Other sites have stated that of course it works, it is an extremely low calorie, low fat, diet. Quite a few have tried the diet, lost up to 10lbs the first week, but then quit the second week because it was so restrictive. That is my fear, that it is just way too restrictive for 28 days.

The exercise is just as regimented. I've been running 3 times a week, this program allows running only two days a week, day one and day two - phase 1 of the diet. On days 2 & 3 strength training only, and days 4-7 yoga or meditation only. I'm nervous that I would lose the progress I have made with my lung capacity and running on that schedule. It also eliminates all flexibility. Currently if I have to switch my run days around do to weather, or our schedule, it's no big deal - but on this plan, if it's thunder storming on Monday and Tuesday, or the kids schedules get in my way, I either have to find a treadmill or skip my run for the week and substitute some other cardio exercise. That concerns me almost as much as the restrictive food choices. But I DO need to add more strength training, I've known that for awhile.

The facts and science seem sound, although I have not researched them to be sure they are accurate, they make a lot of sense. The three phases each week allow for a lot of variety. The diet is do-abe, it's just not as easy as she hyped it up to be in the first few chapters.

With all of my reservations, the book still just makes enough sense to make me want to try it. I think I will ease myself into it first. Rather than starting the full diet straight off, I will try a week of making sure I drink that much water (half your body weight) eating every 3-4 hours (at least 5 times a day)making sure I eat within 30 minutes of waking up, and for the first week I will try her specific breakfast recipes. I'm not expecting the drastic results that her diet offers, but those are sound principles that I should have been following all along anyway.

She is honest that this is like a medical treatment, and you have to treat it as such. If a dr told me I had to follow a specific therapy after a surgery, I would do it, no matter how difficult. In theory. In reality, I tend to follow the drs instructions only about half as long as they prescribed them for, and that is why I doubt my ability to follow 28 days of this diet as well.




...more

2

Sep 05, 2018

This wasn't for me. The bad news is that the recipes are not as flavorful as I want and I find a lot of the food either too salty or bland.

4

Aug 24, 2014

If you follow the plan faithfully, you will: spend a LOT of money on groceries; devote as much time to planning, shopping, preparing and eating your food as you would working a part-time job; drink more water than you ever thought you could; eat a wide variety of foods; and you will lose weight.

If you continue to use the principles she puts forward after the 28 days are up, you will continue to lose weight. 35 lbs in three months and counting.

4

Jun 27, 2013

This is my miracle book. I'm following the instructions as closely as possible, and I'm loosing weight for the first time in years. All with good food, and with feeling like I've been eating enough, or some days, too much. I wish I had this book 5 years before I spent a ton of money on doctors, diet supplements, exercise classes etc.

4

Jan 18, 2016

You can find a detailed summary of this diet at the bottom of my review. I made it so I could post it on my refrigerator and it has helped me a lot. I understand there is also an app to help you through the phases.

I've been fortunate to have a fast metabolism for most of my life, but was dismayed to note it slowed down considerably once I reached my 50's. I ate less and less but still kept putting on pounds and inches. I didn't see how I was going to change this trajectory until I found this You can find a detailed summary of this diet at the bottom of my review. I made it so I could post it on my refrigerator and it has helped me a lot. I understand there is also an app to help you through the phases.

I've been fortunate to have a fast metabolism for most of my life, but was dismayed to note it slowed down considerably once I reached my 50's. I ate less and less but still kept putting on pounds and inches. I didn't see how I was going to change this trajectory until I found this book. I'm happy to report that this health plan did wonders in restoring my fast metabolism.

The nutritional plan is rather strict, but well worth it. There are a lot of little details and I missed many of them the first week or two. Despite this, I still had great results. The only days I felt deprived were the Phase 2 days (since I am not a big meat eater). But it really is not that hard to get through the two Phase 2 days and then you have the enjoyment of Phase 3, when you can enjoy healthy fats. When I did this diet with my daughter, she compared the final hours of phase 2 to the eager anticipation of Christmas Eve . . . only a few more hours and then you can delight in nuts, etc. So when anyone in my home is doing this diet, our standard line every Thursday night is, "Tomorrow is Christmas!"

I found I quite enjoyed the exercise recommendations: running on Phase 1, weight lifting on Phase 2, and yoga on Phase 3. I believe the exercise is key to the success of this plan. I hadn't run for years and had never lifted weights so it was very satisfying to get into shape.

When I first did this diet back in October of 2013, I dropped the 10 pounds I'd been trying to lose for years, and amazingly, was able to keep it off even while indulging in plenty of holiday goodies. Not only that, I also felt like I shed 10 years as well as the 10 pounds. I seriously feel great living this health plan.

It has been over two years since I first did the fast metabolism diet. I've repeated it a few times--about every 6 months or so. Sometimes I just do it for one week, other times I go the full four weeks. I'm always happy with the results because it really works to speed up my metabolism on top of helping me meet my weight loss goal. So I drop the weight and it stays off for a good long time before I start thinking that it's time to do the diet again.

I tried most all of the recipes in the book but find I like adapting my own recipes to meet the criteria for each phase. Also, you can find tons of recipes for each phase on Pinterest and Haylie Pomroy's website.

Here is my detailed summary of The Fast Metabolism Diet:

The Five Major Players:
1. Liver--manufactures carnitine which escorts fat to the mitochondria. This influences 90% of the metabolic rate.
2. Adrenals--secrete hormones regulating the body's response to stress of all types (physical, mental, emotional, environmental)
3. Thyroid--performs many metabolic tasks so T3 is key to the metabolic rate. RT3 is secreted in times of stress and blocks the T3 receptors
4. Pituitary--stimulates the thyroid
5. Body Substance: white fat, brown fat, and muscle--brown fat is thermogenic and enhances your metabolic rate because it releases a ton of energy from food. It is stored around the neck, under the collar bone and behind the shoulder blades.
Three Phases:
Phase 1--Unwind Stress and Calm the Adrenals Days 1 & 2
Phase 2--Unlock Stored Fat and Build Muscle Days 3 & 4
Phase 3--Unleash the Burn--Hormones, Heart, and Heat Days 5, 6, & 7
Rules:
1. You must eat five times per day
2. You must eat every three to four hours except when sleeping
3. you must eat within 30 minutes of waking
4. You must stay on the plan for the full 28 days (keep repeating if needed until you reach your target weight, then repeat either full 4 weeks every 6 months or 1 week every month)
5. You must stick to the foods allowed in the phase
6. You must follow the phases in order
7. You must drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day
8. Eat organic whenever possible
9. meats must be nitrate-free
10. Exercise according to your phase
11. No wheat (excepting sprouted or natural yeast wheat)
12. No corn
13. no dairy
14. no soy
15. no refined sugar
16. no caffeine (or alcohol)
17. no dried fruit or fruit juices
18. no artificial sweeteners or fat-free diet foods
Phase 1 (high-glycemic, moderate-protein, low-fat phase)
High in carbohydrate-rich foods
brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, rice milk, rice pasta, tapioca
High in natural sugars
mangos, apples, cherries, cantaloupe, melon, kiwis, figs, peaches, pears, pineapples, strawberries, watermelon
High in B & C vitamins
Lean beef, turkey, tuna, lentils & legumes, oranges, guavas, kiwis, lemons and limes
Moderate amounts of protein
Vegetables
green beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, cucmbers, chilies, onions (green, yellow, red), jicama, kale, leeks, lettuce (except iceburg), mushrooms, parsnips, peas, peppers, pumpkin, spinach, sprouts, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini, squash
Herbs, etc
Brewer's yeast, broth, all dried and fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, ketchup (sugar free), mustard, pero, Liquid Aminos, pickles, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, curry, raw cacao powder, nutmeg, onion salt, sea salt, salsa, tomato sauce or paste, stevia, vanilla, peppermint, vinegar (except rice)
Low fat
Phase 1 Exercise:
Do at least one day of vigorous cardio, like running, or an upbeat aerobic-based exercise class

Phase 2 (high-protein, high vegetable, low-carbohydrate, and low-fat phase)
High in foods that support liver function
leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, onions, garlic, lemons
High in lean proteins
Lean beef & pork, chicken and turkey, low-fat fish (cod, halibut, smoked salmon), tuna, turkey bacon & sausage, nitrate-free jerky, boiled egg whites
Rich in alkalizing green, low-glycemic vegetables
kale, collard, chard, lettuce, arugula, watercress, mustard greens
High in carnitine-producing foods
Beef, chicken, cod asparagus
No fruits or grains (except lemons and limes)
Low in fat
Veggies
same as phase 2 but no beets, carrots, peas, pumpkin, sprouts, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, squash or zucchini
Herbs
same as phase 2 but no salsa, tomato sauce, paste or ketchup
Phase 2 Exercise
Do at least one day of strength training (weight lifting). Focus on lifting heavy weights with low reps
Phase 3
(high healthy-fat, mod-carbohydrate, mod-protein, low-glycemic fruit phase)
High in healthy fats
nuts and seeds, avocados, coconuts, olives, olive oil, safflower mayo, Tahini
Higher-fat proteins in moderate amounts
salmon, sesame and almond butter, hemp seeds, hummus, tuna, turkey bacon & sausage, shrimp, whole eggs, crab, clams, chicken, lean beef
Lower-glycemic fruits
blackberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, plums, raspberries, cranberries, grapefruit, lemons and limes
Lower-glycemic vegetables
artichokes, asparagus, beans, cauliflower, bok choy, leafy greens, spinach, seaweed, sweet potatoes
Moderate amounts of unrefined carbohydrates
Barley, wild rice, oatmeal, quinoa, sprouted-grain bread
Thyroid-stimulating foods such as
seaweed, coconut, oil, shrimp, lobster
Foods rich in inositol and choline
Legumes, liver, nuts and seeds (almond milk), brussel sprouts
Veggies
same as phase 1 plus rhubarb, radishes and those listed under healthy fats and low glycemic vegetables
Herbs, etc.
same as phase 1 plus carob chips
Phase 3 exercise
Do at least one day of stress-reducing activity like yoga, deep breathing, or enjoy a massage


Portion sizes for 15 - 40 pound weight loss goal:
Food-- Phase 1-- Phase 2-- Phase 3
Meat-- 4 to 6 oz-- 4 to 6 oz-- 4 to 6 oz
Fish-- 6 to 9 oz-- 6 to 9 oz-- 6 to 9 oz
Legumes-- 1/2 to 3/4 c.-- 1/2 to 3/4 c.-- 1/2 to 3/4 c.
Grains-- 1 to 1.5 c-- none-- 1/2 to 3/4 c.
crackers-- 1 to 1.5 oz-- none-- 1/2 to 3/4 oz
bread-- 1 to 1.5 slice-- none-- 1/2 to 3/4 slice
Oats-- 1/2 c. uncooked-- none-- 1/4 c. uncooked
(15 lb goal)-- 1 c. cooked-- none-- 1 c. cooked
Oats -- 1.5 c. cooked-- none-- .75 c. cooked
(20-40 lb goal)-- No uncooked ........................................
Fruit-- 1 to 1.5-- 1 to 1.5-- 1 to 1.5 cup or piece
(Lemons/limes unlimited)
veggies-- Unlimited-- Unlimited-- Unlimited
Oils-- None-- None-- 4 - 6 Tablespoons
Hummus-- None-- None-- 1/3 - 1/2 cup
Guacamole-- None-- None-- 1/3 - 1/2 cup
Avocado-- None-- None-- 1/2 - 3/4
Raw nuts-- None-- None-- 1/4 - 3/8 cup
nut butter-- None-- None-- 2 - 3 Tablespoons
dressings -- 4 to 6 Tbsp-- 4 to 6 Tbsp-- 4 to 6 Tbsp
Smoothies-- 12 to 16 oz-- 12 to 16 oz-- 12 to 16 oz
*Herbs, spices, broths, condiments are all unlimited for all phases

...more

4

Nov 23, 2015

So, having gotten quite sick of carrying my fat around, I decided to be a bit more positive and try Pomroy's fast metabolism diet. I've now been on it for 11 of the 28 days recommended, and I plan to go through to the end, and perhaps even go beyond that to lose all 30-35 pounds, getting myself to my ideal weight of 130-135.

Let me say, before I tell you how the diet is going for me, that it's clear to me that this diet is not for people who have a large amount of weight to lose--say, more than So, having gotten quite sick of carrying my fat around, I decided to be a bit more positive and try Pomroy's fast metabolism diet. I've now been on it for 11 of the 28 days recommended, and I plan to go through to the end, and perhaps even go beyond that to lose all 30-35 pounds, getting myself to my ideal weight of 130-135.

Let me say, before I tell you how the diet is going for me, that it's clear to me that this diet is not for people who have a large amount of weight to lose--say, more than 40-50 pounds. I know this because I was once around 90 pounds overweight and at that time in my life, this diet never would've worked for me. It's *very* restrictive and it's designed for the person who's already familiar with healthy eating and who also works out, at least to some degree. If you are more than 40-50 pounds overweight, the habits that got you to that point are probably unhealthy, and jumping into something like this will probably be overwhelming. That's not to say there aren't people who could bust through the barriers of those bad habits, but I know I couldn't have, not because I didn't have resolve, but because making such a dramatic change would've doomed me to failure from the outset. In my opinion, it would take a huge amount of resolve to go from being 90 pounds overweight and not exercising to giving up dairy for a month, eating only healthy fats and ONLY three days out of each week (the rest of the week, you basically eat NO fats except what's already in the lean meat and whole grains you're allowed) and to exercising regularly. It would have been tough, to say the least.

Also, it's important that you either already know, or are willing to learn, a bit about cooking for this diet. Since you can't use "bad" fat (butter, mayo, sour cream, etc.) or sugar (ketchup, BBQ sauce, store-bought salad dressings, etc.) to flavor your food, you have to be creative, which requires some knowledge of how to build flavors. I use lemons/limes and apple cider vinegar with salt and pepper on arugula, for example, and it's actually delicious. Most veggies can be flavored with lemon and vinegar, and you won't even miss the oil, especially if you add the right amount of salt and pepper. This diet requires adjusting your palate, but if you do it right, and you know a little about building flavor, you'll be fine. Also, in the 3rd phase of each cycle, you get to use "good" fat--like hummus, avocados, nuts and nut butter, olive oil--which gives you that fix you might have missed for the first two phases of the cycle. What's lovely, too, about the 3rd phrase is that it's the longest, so you get to use those healthy fats basically nonstop for three bliss-filled days.

Finally, you also need to be organized with this diet. You need to plan ahead for the week instead of just running to the store when you need something. One of the main concepts of the diet is not letting yourself get to the starvation point. If you feel hungry, and your stomach is growling, you have to shove something in your pie hole. You can't let the hunger linger because that's what slows your metabolism, and it also makes your body consume your muscles, not fat. So, you need to have the foods allowed for whatever phase of the diet you're in around at all times. For instance, since I know that for phase 3 (the last three days of each week) I will need to have avocados ripened and ready to eat, I go and buy them while I'm in phase 1 or phase 2 and let them sit on the counter until they're ripe, then put them in the fridge for later in the week. Anyone who eats avocados knows that, generally speaking, you can't just go and buy an avocado at the store and be able to eat it that same day. You need to plan ahead, is the point, for every phase. It requires time and organization.

Having said all of that, I went into this diet already knowing quite a lot about healthy eating, but I still had the attitude that "especially at this age (40), I'm basically going to have to starve myself if I want to lose weight." I had this attitude because I was doing moderate to high cardio 5 days a week *and* doing strength training and Pilates on top of that, and I felt that doing that amount of exercise *should* allow me to consume a lot of calories every day, but it didn't. I went through a phase when I first moved myself out of the "obese" category where I basically starved myself all day and then ate a big (nay, ginormous) dinner, plus three-quarters of a bottle of wine. Eventually, I burned myself out with that and started feeling exhausted every day. And I decided I needed to take better care of my body, so started eating a small breakfast (two eggs), having some green juice in the afternoon with some crackers and hummus, and then eating a regular sized dinner (along with three-quarters of a bottle of wine). At first, I put on about 5-8 pounds, then the scale hovered around 150 for a while. Then, over about eighteen months, I ended up gaining around another 15 pounds, which is where I found myself at the start of this diet. When I was in the 150s, I almost felt I could live with that, but when I tipped 160, I resolved to do something about it because I absolutely don't want to be this overweight, especially after knowing what being ten pounds away from my goal weight feels like.

So that's where I was when I started the fast metabolism diet. Now, first off, Pomroy recommends giving up caffeine for the 28 days. I, however, refuse to give up my morning coffee. I'm not a huge caffeine person, but I need that one cup in the morning to give me a little wake-up. But it's a fairly small cup, and I don't put any sugar in it, just a little creamer, and that's it. In the first week, I didn't want to give up wine either, but my weight loss was too slow, so I've now given that up, at least for the time being. I do believe I could get away with one glass of wine a few nights a week, but for now, I'm really giving it my all to stay off the alcohol until the diet is over.

The great thing about this diet is that you do actually consume a lot of food, but it's very nutritious food. My digestive health is wonderful and my energy level is high. I can't say that I crave the bad foods that I love (cheese, for example), but I have had moments of missing them. At the same time, my body feels totally nourished in a way I don't recall ever feeling before, and when I'm hungry, I eat the designated snacks or meals that I've already bought and put in the fridge and I don't oscillate about whether I should eat something that's not allowed. I just do what I've already planned, and it works great.

The exercise regimen is also kind of great because I used to run myself completely down trying to make up for all the calories I consumed. I hated going to the gym some days, but I knew I had to go. This diet gives me permission to vary my workout and to be less stressed out about it. I do two days of cardio, two days of heavy strength training, and two days of Pilates. The variety is a relief, and my body feels healthier than ever.

So far, I've lost 7 pounds, which is a huge triumph because that's despite cheating last week with (too much) wine and lingering Christmas candy. Because I made those bad calls in the first week, I think I'm going to have to do at least an extra, if not two, week on the diet to make up for it. Either way, it's almost worth it just for how healthy my body feels.

**UPDATE**
I've officially finished 28 days of this diet, and I've lost 10 pounds total. Not as accelerated as Pomroy claims in the book, but I cheated by having caffeine every day and a (large) glass of wine here and there. Otherwise, I followed the diet exactly. I *was* feeling really amazing because of all the nutritious eating for a while there. I think I still would be if it weren't for a medical condition that has returned--electric-shock drumming in my foot, which wakes me several times a night every night, resulting in a lot of stress as well as lost and disrupted sleep ... and which the doctors *can't* seem to identify. (Hopefully this condition will leave me soon, and I'll return to good health.) The stress, of course, is terrible for weight loss (and a whole bunch of other things). That's not the diet's fault though. I think it's a healthy and sustainable way to drop some weight, and I plan to do it indefinitely, though a little less strictly, since I still have more weight I want to lose and it's especially important right now that I maintain my health as best I can. ...more

5

Dec 01, 2016

I feel inspired after reading this. I like that you eat from every food group and you only have to eat specific foods for 2 days at a time. It seems like it would be easier to maintain than many other diets. I may change my rating after I've tried it.

In January 2017 I went on this diet and I lost 18 pounds in 28 days! My sister lost 15! More importantly though, I felt so energized, my body seemed to run better than ever - it was a noticeable difference. My hair, nails, and skin were stronger and I feel inspired after reading this. I like that you eat from every food group and you only have to eat specific foods for 2 days at a time. It seems like it would be easier to maintain than many other diets. I may change my rating after I've tried it.

In January 2017 I went on this diet and I lost 18 pounds in 28 days! My sister lost 15! More importantly though, I felt so energized, my body seemed to run better than ever - it was a noticeable difference. My hair, nails, and skin were stronger and healthier than I've seen them in years. I felt so good on it that I decided to keep going. I'm not as strict with it - I'll allow dinners out here and there that aren't phase-specific and I'm exercising more because I really had to pull back with that during the diet. But as my new "normal" for the next while I'm going to be eating like the diet and have these occasional nights out or whatever. I must have a fast metabolism now because not a single time I've had a treat meal have I gained weight yet. I don't go nuts and pig out on really unhealthy things but still, this feels like my body can handle extra on occasion and I don't have to feel guilty about it. I am more excited for a workout after a meal like that. I'm on week 6 now and down 23lbs and counting!

I will say though that this diet requires a LOT of planning. I plan the entire week before it happens. And every day I think about what's coming the next day so I'm prepared. This is all about preparation! So be warned for people with busy schedules.

Ending week 11 at 40lbs lost!

It's been 70 weeks and I've lost 106lbs. For several months I was stalled in my weight loss because I was not strict at all and had a lot of extra snacks but since getting back to basics 2 months ago I'm down 25lbs. ...more

2

May 21, 2013

Diet is easy to follow, but her instructions are too wishy-washy. Many conflicts between the recipes at the back and detailed charts. The charts are incomplete, you need to re-read sections thoroughly in order to grasp the "my way or the highway" instructions.

HATE, Hate, hate the kindle version. Charts are too small and with the disorganization of the book chapters and headings, I am constantly going back and forth. I had to contact the book's publisher to get pdf versions in order to actually Diet is easy to follow, but her instructions are too wishy-washy. Many conflicts between the recipes at the back and detailed charts. The charts are incomplete, you need to re-read sections thoroughly in order to grasp the "my way or the highway" instructions.

HATE, Hate, hate the kindle version. Charts are too small and with the disorganization of the book chapters and headings, I am constantly going back and forth. I had to contact the book's publisher to get pdf versions in order to actually read the meal plans.

I am a serial dieter. I can follow a well laid plan carefully; therefore I get results. The recipes are pretty great but they are so lacking in quantity and variety. Pomroy supposedly has cookbook coming out in Dec '13.

It is a real shame that her scientific background, which serves as the basis for the diet process, is touched on superficially. This book needs more! More recipes, more attention to detail and more step by step instructions. Scientifically sound, it is working for me, but I can see others getting easily frustrated and giving up before 28 days.

Oh, and she has a forum on her website. Another case of rushing to get things out there...it's not moderated and dieters are floundering with seeking answers. ...more

2

Jun 23, 2013

First of all, DO NOT buy this book online or for an e-reader. This is what I did and regretted it. You can't print out the charts in order for you to follow the darn thing. I went to my local library and got it from there. STILL, the charts are done in grey and dark grey and not printer friendly.

I gave it two stars instead of one because I did really like her explanation of the five major players in the role needing to take care of for a faster metabolism. It was very informative and have a First of all, DO NOT buy this book online or for an e-reader. This is what I did and regretted it. You can't print out the charts in order for you to follow the darn thing. I went to my local library and got it from there. STILL, the charts are done in grey and dark grey and not printer friendly.

I gave it two stars instead of one because I did really like her explanation of the five major players in the role needing to take care of for a faster metabolism. It was very informative and have a better understanding because of this. Aside from this Chapter, everything else I read in this book sounded way too familiar from other diet books. The recipes are non-impressive and have gotten better low-fat recipes elsewhere.

In conclusion, I recommend that anyone who is even considering a diet should ask yourself what kind of weight are you trying to lose. Are you in your 20's, 30's, or older? I was trying to lose the few couple of pounds I gained around my waist due to being over 40 and pre-menopausal. Ask you doctor questions about your own particular situation and then find a good diet match for your case. ...more

5

Jun 01, 2014

In a little over a week this plan has totally transformed my life. I have lost 6 pounds and my flabby middle is disappearing right before my eyes. Not to mention that I am less anxious and much happier. It sounds difficult to do but it really isn't. Since the diet changes every couple of days you never get bored. The key is to plan and to cook ahead and freeze. My approach to food has drastically changed. I am cooking way more than I ever have and I haven't felt this good in years. Just do it In a little over a week this plan has totally transformed my life. I have lost 6 pounds and my flabby middle is disappearing right before my eyes. Not to mention that I am less anxious and much happier. It sounds difficult to do but it really isn't. Since the diet changes every couple of days you never get bored. The key is to plan and to cook ahead and freeze. My approach to food has drastically changed. I am cooking way more than I ever have and I haven't felt this good in years. Just do it for a week and then see how you feel. I am guessing you will finish out the 28 days. If you have an IPhone I highly recommend the app - easy to plan your meals and automatically generate a grocery list. And her new cookbook has a lot of great recipes. Good luck' ...more

1

May 02, 2013

Of COURSE you're going to lose weight following this plan. It's super regimented, and your meals are small. The plan is far too strict for a normal person to follow, though I think it's an interesting theory that you need to "trick" your metabolism by changing up the types of food you eat frequently. I am curious about it, but not enough to be a slave to a highly regimented meal plan for a month.

4

May 31, 2014

I'm on day one of the diet right now, so far I love all of it and how detailed it is. My family has had great results on it so it's not the diet that I'm critiquing as much as the book itself!
I wish there was a little more information about the food industry and the gross stuff that goes into processed food so we're more turned off of it. There was plenty of information about how your body reacts to these foods, but I want the nitty-gritty details!
I also was kinda irked with how much she I'm on day one of the diet right now, so far I love all of it and how detailed it is. My family has had great results on it so it's not the diet that I'm critiquing as much as the book itself!
I wish there was a little more information about the food industry and the gross stuff that goes into processed food so we're more turned off of it. There was plenty of information about how your body reacts to these foods, but I want the nitty-gritty details!
I also was kinda irked with how much she over-sold herself and her diet. I already bought the book, I'm already gonna do the diet, I don't really care how many celebrities she's worked with. I don't care how many people think she is the second Jesus, she just seemed kinda full of herself. Maybe that's the ego you get when you actually have a successful product though.

Pinterest was also an extremely beneficial source for information you can't find in the book, recipes, etc. I felt like info was more clear online than in the book.


Otherwise the book was good and motivated me enough to start this diet, I guess I'll have to review after I finish the 28 days! ...more

3

Apr 27, 2013

The most entertaining diet book I have read - very interesting. Regarding the diet - very restrictive - not a lot of calories, low fat (if any), no dairy, wheat, corn, sugar, caffeine, etc. - in other words no processed foods - keep it natural! What I did like was the info about your metabolism, how it gets broken and how to repair it...

The diet has three phases that you rotate through each week:

Phase 1 (two days - Monday & Tuesday) - high-glycemic, moderate-protein, low-fat
Phase 2 (two The most entertaining diet book I have read - very interesting. Regarding the diet - very restrictive - not a lot of calories, low fat (if any), no dairy, wheat, corn, sugar, caffeine, etc. - in other words no processed foods - keep it natural! What I did like was the info about your metabolism, how it gets broken and how to repair it...

The diet has three phases that you rotate through each week:

Phase 1 (two days - Monday & Tuesday) - high-glycemic, moderate-protein, low-fat
Phase 2 (two days - Wednesday & Thursday) - high-protein, high-vegetable, low-carbohydrate, low-fat
Phase 3 (three days -Friday, Saturday & Sunday) - healthy-fat, moderate-carbohydrate, low-glycemic fruit

Also includes exercise:

Phase 1 - at least one day of vigorous cardio
Phase 2 - at least one day of strength training
Phase 3 - at least one day of stress-reducing activity (i.e. yoga, deep breathing, massage)

...more

4

Oct 01, 2013

Bottom line: Lost 10 lbs. and more than 2" off my waistline in 28 days. I'd say that was pretty successful.

Pros: You get to eat carbs and yummy food and you don't starve. The portion sizes are very reasonable. Success is very motivating, and baggy pants feel great. You are also eating super healthy food. Avoiding the long "no" list was not as hard as I expected (except it was sweet corn season, so I HAD to have an ear on day 29, but skipped the butter). Now I'm done with the first 4 weeks, I'm Bottom line: Lost 10 lbs. and more than 2" off my waistline in 28 days. I'd say that was pretty successful.

Pros: You get to eat carbs and yummy food and you don't starve. The portion sizes are very reasonable. Success is very motivating, and baggy pants feel great. You are also eating super healthy food. Avoiding the long "no" list was not as hard as I expected (except it was sweet corn season, so I HAD to have an ear on day 29, but skipped the butter). Now I'm done with the first 4 weeks, I'm generally sticking with it (though not quite so strictly). It helps establish good eating habits. It didn't take a ton of exercise, just doing a cardio, a strength training, and a yoga session 1-2x/week for each type. In all honesty, I didn't keep every rule to a T, but I think my infractions were few and minor (e.g. eating tomatos and carrots in Phase 2, and a couple things I ate in small quantities had a wee bit of sugar, not separating out egg yolks in Phase 2 except once, not everything was organic, and went more than 4 hours without eating a couple times, etc.) I think I do have more energy.

Cons: It did seem like I spent almost every spare minute of the month prepping meals. I did try to cook a few meals ahead on weekends, and on work days I got all meals prepped for the following day on the evening before. It got better as the month went on as there were more leftovers available. You do get a little hungry in Phase 2, but I suspect I should have been eating even MORE protein than I did, but organic food, and meat in particular, is expensive. Loved Phase 3. Eating 2 snacks a day was cutting back from my usual 4 snacks/day, although you can always add more vegies. At one point, I thought I would binge on all the forbiddens when 28 days were up, but I'm still motivated to keep going, as I would like to drop another 25 lbs. The jury is still out on how this will go over the long haul.

P.S. I have no gall bladder (which is something she talks about stoking in the book), and it was still effective. ...more

2

Dec 09, 2015

While I found the premise interesting, I soon realized that you would have to eat certain foods on certain days. I wanted to check the book out after seeing the infomercial on tv recently. I quickly decided to stay on course with my "everything in moderation"/watch how much-how often I eat the white stuff (sugar/white flour) way of eating. It fits better with me.

Therefore, another book for my ditch-a-roo pile!

5

Feb 27, 2015

This is a short and easy book to get through. My husband and I started the diet on Monday and on Friday we have each lost 6 pounds. You eat on this diet! There is also an app for the iphone that makes gracery shopping and menu planning easy! We have tried some new foods and new ways of preparing foods that are delicious. Fair warning... getting off caffeine and sugar gave me a 4 day headache. By day 5 I feel great, energized and healthy. Try it, it works!

5

Feb 29, 2016

This was very interesting and helped us greatly. My husband lost 20 pounds and I lost 10. It gives you a new way to look at food and a better way to eat without causing the stress diets usually cause. The hardest part besides giving up my butter for 28 days was to eat that often every day. Three meals and two snacks daily. We are still using the maintenance portion and probably will except maybe a dessert or two thrown in. Very good. Diet = Did I eat today!

4

Nov 08, 2013

I found this diet much easier to stick to than many. And it's working as I am down about 15 pounds

3

Feb 18, 2017

Didn't annoy me tooooo bad. Logical advice based on agricultural science.

And so I downloaded the official Fast Metabolism Diet app. Between Book Bub, Goodreads Deals, Etsy printables, and the iTunes store - my husband LOVES it (not) when our CC ledger looks like this
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4

Jan 29, 2016

My husband wanted to try this, since his friend was having great success at weight loss with this plan. We have finished week 1, and like it a lot. We both eat like crap, and want to get educated about how to eat healthier. This seems like a good place to start. There is a diet section and a maintenance section.

The recipes we have made from this book have all been really good. I think that's pretty unusual for diet meals, to taste good and leave you satisfied.

I am attracted to the "clean My husband wanted to try this, since his friend was having great success at weight loss with this plan. We have finished week 1, and like it a lot. We both eat like crap, and want to get educated about how to eat healthier. This seems like a good place to start. There is a diet section and a maintenance section.

The recipes we have made from this book have all been really good. I think that's pretty unusual for diet meals, to taste good and leave you satisfied.

I am attracted to the "clean eating" portion of this plan. No wheat, no corn, no dairy, no refined sugar, no soy, no caffeine, no dried fruit or fruit juices, no "fat-free" or "diet" foods. Sounds awful, but it feels and tastes great so far. Better than Mountain Dew, chocolate donuts, and pounds of sugar a day.

I wish I'd bought a hard copy, rather than Kindle, because I flip around a lot and that's hard on kindle. ...more

3

May 07, 2013

This plan is difficult to follow. You have to cut out all alcohol and coffee as well as processed foods. I did not personally go through the program, but it seems like it should work. It's a 24-day system that you go through once to really increase your metabolism. You can then run shorter versions quarterly or so to maintain it. Some of the ingredients for the recipes are hard to find. Ostrich and elk are on the food lists, but recipes often call for buffalo. Even if the program is too This plan is difficult to follow. You have to cut out all alcohol and coffee as well as processed foods. I did not personally go through the program, but it seems like it should work. It's a 24-day system that you go through once to really increase your metabolism. You can then run shorter versions quarterly or so to maintain it. Some of the ingredients for the recipes are hard to find. Ostrich and elk are on the food lists, but recipes often call for buffalo. Even if the program is too difficult to follow, you will get a lot of good information about what to look for when avoiding processed foods. It's something you should read if that is something you're interested in. Did I mention you have to cut out coffee? ...more

4

Jan 18, 2016

Read this and did the diet in 2014 to lose baby weight, it got the last 12 pounds off and had me down at a pre-college weight--I felt really good and I didn't even exercise. I wished then that I'd found about it early and done it first, rather than spending months counting calories on an app and making very slow (and then no) progress.

Now I'm re-reading it to do it again, this time to burn off Baby #3's weight!

UPDATE: I started doing this again after Eva was born and I got NOWHERE. A friend got Read this and did the diet in 2014 to lose baby weight, it got the last 12 pounds off and had me down at a pre-college weight--I felt really good and I didn't even exercise. I wished then that I'd found about it early and done it first, rather than spending months counting calories on an app and making very slow (and then no) progress.

Now I'm re-reading it to do it again, this time to burn off Baby #3's weight!

UPDATE: I started doing this again after Eva was born and I got NOWHERE. A friend got me onto counting macros & working out instead and it has been awesome. I still use some of the recipes (Thomas and I really like the turkey chili) but I love not having to cut whole food groups out of my diet. ...more

5

Jun 01, 2013

This book really aligned with my own ideas. I love that she doesn't say to start a diet instead, she says "Did You Eat Today." This book has a wealth of information that makes sense from a HEALTHY standpoint and not just a "gotta lose weight" standpoint. I have read it and have followed it for 2 weeks now- lost 10 lbs. Went to London, gained some of it back, went back on her phases and lost all of it and still losing! I feel great and smile everytime I see my transformation.

5

Aug 17, 2014

No wheat, corn, soy, refined sugar, dairy, caffeine or alcohol, no artificial sweeteners or fat-free/diet anything, no dried fruit or fruit juices...NO PROBLEM. The list of what you can have is a mile long. (You'll want to get her cookbook, too.)

P.S. You'll eat more than you've ever eaten in your life. Awesome!!

She made this all so easy, it will be a lifestyle for us now.