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The Best Life Diet

Fitness trainer Bob Greene has a new book out entitled The Best Life Diet. Greene has already authored a number of books (Get With the Program), and has worked with Oprah Winfrey (who writes the foreword in his new book).

With the volume of diet advice currently available - don't expect to see radical innovative answers - however Greene covers the bases well in his three phase plan.

Rather than going for instant results, Best Life focuses first on habits and emotional eating issues. This is refreshing - as most books are obsessed with how quickly the pounds are supposed to "melt" off.

The first phase looks at making gradual changes (in lifestyle and in exercise habits):

Eat 3 meals plus one snack
Start eating breakfast
Increase activity level (depends on what activity you do now)
Eliminate alcohol (you can add it back in later).
Take a multivitamin, an omega-3 supplement and a calcium supplement if you're not getting enough from your diet.
Stop eating at least two hours before you go to bed.

The second phase is a more aggressive weight loss phase offering menus and meal plans. There is an emphasis on eliminating unwanted foods from your life (just think of any vices you may have - soft drinks, certain junk foods etc).

Phase three is a lifestyle phase that provides meal ideas and fitness plans "for life".

This kind of approach to weight loss is the one that works, however bear in mind that people like Oprah - have mentors (such as Bob Greene) right on hand (or a phone call away). That's a bit more helpful than a book.

Caveats:

There seems to be some product/brand endorsement going on here - with certain food brands being given the "Best Life" seal of approval. Some menus include SlimFast shakes.
A journal is also available.
There is a certain level of "celebrity pull" here with a full week of Oprah's menu's being listed.

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33 Comments

Val

slimfast shakes
though I eat the slim fast bars once in a while the shakes leave me starteved

iFitandHealthy

Hmm, sounds promising, though SlimFast shakes (at least the ones I have seen) should be reformulated with better ingredients and less sugar.

Edwin

Slimfast shakes taste real good, but they have to much sugar, and i agree with Val, they leave you hungry.

James

Try this diet:

No trans fats are refined carbohydrates.

That is:

Eat fruits and veggies, meat and nuts, milk and other whole foods.

Stay away from: doughnuts, fried foods, sugary drinks, white bread, etc.

That's all.

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I am confident that Gerald Ford's death was from old age. It is not caused by heart trouble nor lung problems. Ford's hospital stay recently was recently only for rutine tests, as well as: "a stent to improve blood flow", and "pnunomia from a bad cold". Betty ford said that Gerald Ford: "died peacefully at the confort of his own bed."

Dr.J

James, that style of eating sounds like a good plan, which will work!
An interesting fact about Gerald Ford is that the "Right Turn on Red" law was a bill he signed. Give the man a thought the next time you do it!

Spectra

I don't like Slim Fast shakes...they give me the runs and they make me feel half starved. I pretty much feel that a natural diet that is mainly unprocessed foods works wonders.

Miss M

I agree with James.....keep it simple

I's like to add drink lots of water....lots especially if you increase your protein intake

A simple rule to follow when shopping...it really works.

Don't go down the isles....stick to the outside square where all the fresh stuff is ..... don't go down the isles that's where all the junk is

caroline sloan

I'm a nurse and I'm on my feet for 12hours and I'm 210 lb. and i'm 5'7 i need to lose weight and keep it off, can you help.

caroline

Anna

One good thing about being on your feet all day is that if you eat right and increase your physical activity just a little bit, you'll lose weight without a problem.

I was a nursing assistant for almost a year and I had never been so successful with a weight loss plan. I only went to the gym a couple times a week for about an hour at a time, but I think that since my job was so physically demanding, it made up for it.

Plus, since you're in the health field, your co-workers are probably having the same problems you are and are aware of the health risks behind it. So it could be a good way to find workout buddies, or people who want to go on a diet plan with you.

nph

Exercising and eating healthy should do the trick! Drinking lots of H2O is a big bonus and does help improve your overall appearance.
What is the deal with the Gerald Ford comments?

mtl

Regarding Bob Greene's diet...the yogurt he recommends has HIGH-FRUCTOSE corn syrup in it. That's an ingredient that the body can't properly digest or use and it IS all stored as fat. Much better to get yogurt with natural sugar or even with sucralose.

Jan

mtl, what you just said about HFCS is a myth. There is more info about it right here on Diet Blog. Your body does digest HCFS just as well as it digests sugar. You may personally believe sugar is more nutritious for some reason, but not for the reason you just mentioned.

Urpos

Jan: HFCS is shown to be a no-no on just about ever healthy diet, weight loss or otherwise. It IS metabolized differently that other sugars and contributes to weight gain. Unsweetened yogurt is best, but regular sugar is definitely better than HFCS.

Cassidy

As regards to the Bob Greene Diet I purchase the book and I have been following Phase one now for two weeks, I like the concept that is behind the book but as for some of the things Bob recommended such as the yoguart and the one a day women vitamin the yoguart is definety not one you should be eating if you are trying to follow a healthy diet and the one day does not have the sufficent amount of vitamin your body need. there are other vitamins that are much better. Also why do I have to sign up for ten days on Bob Greene site if I have already purchase the book. A lot of this new book is geared to making money and I find it offensive. Not everyone can afford what Ms. Oprah can as a matter of fact I am sure 99 % of us can't. Anyway I am sticking to this one and see what happens in the next six months if anyone else is in Phase one I would love to hear from you it would be nice to hear from other people and how this working for them. Thank you!

I just landed on this site while looking for a good book on the NY best sellers. I'm so sad to see so many Americans dieting. I don't have weight problems but I'm always interested to flip through diet books and see what's out there. This best life diet looks like one more scam to make money, though he does make some good points. But, please, to all of you: stop dieting. Just eat nutritious-rich foods. Stay away from high quantities of fat or sugar. Natural is ALWAYS better for you. I would rather put a little half-and-half in my coffee than that powdery substance called creamer that has who knows what in it. If you want something sweet, have a LITTLE... and regular sugar and honey are natural. Stay away from processed junk that we're all going to find out causes cancer in a few years. Have some meat in your diet, have a little dessert, but MODERATE. James had it right: fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, dairy products (if they are high fat or high sugar, moderate). Fresh veggie advice: Wash, cut up, put on a pan, cover with olive oil, salt, and pepper, broil for 10 min. Tastes fabulous and works with broccoli, brussel sprouts, squash, zuccini, asparagus, you name it! And how delicious is a piece of fresh fruit? Just enjoy these fresh foods and stop eating the junk. Caroline, take my advice! As far as exercise, find something active that you enjoy... walking, riding a bike, frisbee, and do it several times a week! I surf and I have so much fun, I don't know I'm exercising. I wish all of you luck!

jamie

i want to know if anyone has really lost weight from this diet or is it just another scam. i truly want to loose weight but i also would like to be able to pay my bills. i also dont want to eat the same thing every day just because it is healthy. i find it so hard sometimes to find things that are good but at the same time good for me and i also dont have all day to cook some gourmet meal im a fulltime worker and i need something quick, easy, and tasty. every time i try to eat healthy i find my self eating the samethings all the time. either some salad or a turkey sandwhich on wheat. im a picky eater and i need foods for real people not movie stars or billionairs. so in conclusion if this diet works please tell me or if someone knows how the solution to my problem please let me know. thanks.

Matt

The Diet Works. I have been on it since November of 2007, and it is now September 2008 and I have lost 60 lbs. The toughest for me was the first 2 weeks of the diet, but once I got past that, it couldn'g have been easier.

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