Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This diet has really worked for me and I want to add some of my observations. There are some pretty comprehensive reviews on here already so I will not summarize anything from the book to minimize repetition.
Stats on me:
I started in May of 05 and lost 5 pounds a week for the first four weeks. I only lost so much because I was well over 200lb (as a 5'5'' female). After that it was more gradual with plateaus and minor ups and downs. I have gone periods were I was only following it 50% faithfully and did not gain the weight back. I am moderately active: gym two to three times a week (usually for an hour water aerobics class) and I do not have a car so I walk everywhere.
Diet Pro's:
- Its Healthy. No doctor would be concerned if his/her patient ate veggies and balanced whole grains and lean proteins. Worst-case scenario: you try it and don't loose weight, but you will not have hurt your metabolism or raised your cholesterol in doing so.
- Its Not a Gimmick. This is not based on "eat all the bacon and cheese you want" or some other counter-intuitive nonsense. Its principals are in line with what is known and widely accepted in medical science.
- Cuts Cravings and is designed to keep your belly full. With three meals and three snacks a day of slowly digested food I am not hungry. Additionally, keeping my blood sugar stable stopped the need to binge eat.
- Not dogmatic. Ever read a diet book where you feel like the author is practically trying to convert you to a religion? Gallop certainly believes in this diet and he makes no mention that it might not work for every person (see con below), however he spends most of his time laying out simple science and practical guidelines. He even says your goal should be to follow it 90% of the time. If you have a cookie, big deal, the worst thing that can happen is it will take slightly longer to lose some weight.Diet Con's:
- Unfortunately, as with all diets, this will work great for some people and not for others. Its more likely to work for you if you:
o Tend to carry your fat in the belly. i.e. "apple," "barrel," or "cone" shaped for women, or a guy with a "beer belly"
o Have major cravings for carbs - perhaps even binge eat on things like pastries, candy, pasta and bread.
o Have been diagnosed with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, or even type II diabetes
-The recipes can be bland - more from the author not being a chef, not the principals of the diet, so if you are a practiced cook you can make alterations for flavor and texture that stay true to the diet. The book encourages you to go the author's website where there are recipes submitted by readers available for free and they are quite good.
-You will have to cook. I have been on this diet for over two years and like to cook, so its been great for me. This book in the series is by far my favorite.
***UPDATE June 2008***
Make that 90+ pounds lost in three years. I still cook most of my food from the recipes found in Gallop's books. They have passed the picky boyfriend test, potluck test and the I can stick to this for the rest of my life test. Some points:
-During this time I have gone months and months with no weight loss but I was only *mostly* following the diet. I think I needed these breaks.
-I work out intensely for 60 minutes 4 days a week now.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The G.I. Diet Clinic
It takes only 13 weeks—three months—one season—and you're on your way to permanent, healthy weight loss. Based on the Glycemic Index, and developed by Rick Gallop, author of the New York Times bestselling G.I. Diet, The G.I. Diet Clinic is a complete weight-loss plan that incorporates recipes, meal plans—from breakfast through a late-night snack—motivational techniques and tips, and the inspirational real life stories of dozens of participants from G.I. Diet online workshops, where the average dieter lost 26 pounds—in 13 weeks! The claim to the G.I. Diet has always been its simplicity: If you can follow a traffic light, you can follow the diet. What Gallop does in The G.I. Diet Clinic is show not only how the specifics of the diet work, but how to survive, enjoy, and ultimately embrace a new way of eating. With a different chapter for each week, Gallop covers meal planning, and how to convert a family's favorite foods into "green light" dishes. He writes about behavior change and what to do when temptation's too strong and you temporarily fall off the wagon; here, the combination of insightful tips (distract yourself with an activity; pinpoint the exact flavor you want) and encouraging comments from fellow dieters really helps. And he discusses exercise, dining out, unrealistic expectations, emotional eating, and "the plateau"— how to stay focused and motivated enough to cross it. Included are 65 delicious green-light recipes, from Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes, Rigatoni with Mini Meatballs, and Mushroom-and-Gravy Pork Chops to Apple Raspberry Coffee Cake and Pecan Brownies. That's right: brownies.
