The Abs Diet- The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life Description:

The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life review:
4 stars (Worth reading, food plan needs work) - I am a 38 year old woman who is looking to lose about 20 lbs and tone up a bit. My middle area has expanded a bit in the past year and it is my mission to trim it back before I hit 40. The thing that attracted me to the health lifestyle outlined in Mr. Zinczenko's book was the stress on increasing one's metabolism. The food plan also was appealing as it incorporated many of the foods I already eat. I just needed to get some "organization" in how to eat them in order to achieve the results I was looking for.



This is not a typical "high protein" diet. He stresses the importance (it's imperative, really) of eating whole grains instead of white flour and trans-fats. Fiber is essential to the mechanics of the body as it was designed. Caloric intake is not an issue in this book but I really disagree with that. Maybe he is saying that at first, one shouldn't count calories, instead, eat 3 smaller meals a day and at least two snacks, timed so that one never gets "hungry". Maybe this works when your metabolism is already jump-started, but for me, I can't eat snacks when I'm not hungry. I am the type of person who really doesn't like eating that much anyway so I guess I tend to eat more at a meal so that I "get it over with". This is proving to be the biggest struggle for me with this diet. I don't want to have to think too hard about "when it's time to eat" or "Oh gosh, I forgot my afternoon snack, there goes my metabolism".



The book HAS taught me a lot though about foods I didn't know and the effect on the human body. The whole "eat fat, get fat" thing has always been confusing so it's nice to see the breakdown of "good fat, vs. bad fat". Also, I learned a lot about the nasty High Fructose Corn Syrup additive that is in EVERYTHING! After learning about it I went through my cupboards and refrigerator and was amazed at the amount of products that contains HFCS. I tossed everything that contains it. Even the 100% whole wheat english muffins I bought contained it. Why??? So, I made my own.



The recipes in the book are so easy, even a guy could make them (but of course, the book was written by a guy!). They are almost a little "too simple" but are good basics so if you cook and you want to jazz them up with spices or healthy ingredients, they are extremely adaptable for that.



I did find some inconsistencies with some of the food recommendations. He does a lot of comparisons like: Instead of crackers, Pick: Wheatables original reduced-fat crackers because they don't contain any Trans-Fat. Well, that's true, however, when I went to the store I found that that product contains High Fructose Corn Syrup! So, I checked all the labels and found that Triscuits Garden Herb variety crackers had whole wheat, no transfats and no HFCS. So, one learns from the book but then needs to become their own food investigator really to make the best choices overall.



The entire last third of the book is all about the workout. One might get a little overwhelmed by the workouts and decide it's "too much" however, the overall point is to just get moving on a regular basis and incorporate the strength training into your daily routine in SOME way. The strength training really is Key to getting your metabolism going and keeping it going. That is what allows you to burn calories when you are simply sitting still.



Some reviewers stated that the way Mr. Zinczenko writes is geared toward men. I didn't find that to be the case at all. The writing is light and humorous while maintaining a serious tone when relating the importance of taking care of your body.



I purchased this book along with The Abs Diet Eat Right Every Time Guide. I recommend you spend the extra few dollars for this guide, especially if you eat out at times. There are recipes in The Abs Diet book but there are a LOT more in the companion guide. I think I counted at least 25 different ways to make breakfast smoothies and 20 different ways to fix oatmeal in the Eat Right Every Time Guide.



If it were just me using these books I might have just given them 3 stars but since this is the first diet book my husband has actually picked up and READ, I gave it 4 stars.
3 stars (Abs Diet brought out my mixed emotions, but not my abs) - Well, first let me say for those who say the book is not for women, there is a womens version available but only on the abs diet web site, it's not offered in bookstores, I saw one or two on ebay in the last few weeks, but all the reviews stated the content is almost word for word the same as the regular version.



Second, I have done the diet a few weeks now and have gained weight. The first weekend on it, I gained 2 lbs. Now, let me just say that prior to doing this I was following a low carb lifestyle and had lost 17 lbs...I'm not sure if switching to this plan of eating after being on low carb might have stalled my results or not and unfortunately this is just one of many questions left unanswered by the book.



Most people buying a book don't need convincing on why they should try the diet, so instead of devoting so many pages to talking about why you should try the diet, I think a good Q & A section would have helped a lot more.



I work out at the gym doing circuit training (a curves type version) 3 days a week. I bought a dumb bell bench and two 10 lbs dumb bells to do the exercises with at home instead of using the machines at the gym as I had been. I have followed the plan to the letter and the first thing I noticed was my clothes were tighter in the waist the first weekend on the plan. I do think I gained some muscle, but not enough to account for the added pounds.



I don't things like a womans age, hormones, PMS etc... came into play when writing this book since it is actually geared towards men, but that's understandable since he does work for Men's Health Magazine. I have recently purchased Body for Life for Women and am hoping it will be more female friendly. I will continue this plan for the full time period, in case something drastic starts to happen.



My emotions are mixed on this because the eating plan is a very good one and i'm sure it will help some folks. I have done better on low carb and I think that's because I don't process carbs well, even the whole grain breads and cereals. But, like I said I'll keep trying and if I start to see something happening then i'll just stay on it a bit longer. I'll also write an update to let anyone else switching from a low carb diet know if I think this had anything to do with the poor results. I see many here who have had excellent results. I also wonder if could be because I was already eating pretty healthy anyway with meals of lean protein, veggies, healthy fats, but I did add back the whole wheat bread and pastas on this plan.
5 stars (Lost 15. lbs, one size) - The Abs Diet allowed me to drop 15 lbs. and shrink out of my size 12 jeans, into a size 10, in just a month and a half. These are the things I love most about the Abs Diet:



*It doesn't eliminate any food group. You have carbs, protein, and good fat (olive oil, natural peanut butter, almonds) so you get a variety of nutrients, flavor, and don't miss out on an important food group.

*The numerous Powerfoods can be combined to make delicious snacks or meals. I especially love the smoothies, which are healthy, filling, and really tasty.

*I enjoy eating six times a day - three meals and three snacks. I don't feel hunger pangs in between meals, and know by doing this, I'm increasing my metabolism and burning more fat. While I'm eating more, I'm losing much more weight than I was by skimping on calories.

*There is no calorie counting; if you eat Powerfoods, calories will naturally monitor themselves & you will naturally lose weight. Yippee for ditching the pen and pad of paper!



I love this diet. It doesn't even feel like a diet because the foods are delicious, I always feel full, and yet I'm losing weight. I love shopping at GAP and getting cute polos and jeans I couldn't have fit into beforehand. I love the compliments I've gotten from all my friends and family - even my college custodian. This is a terrific book; if you'd like to lose weight and follow a sensible, healthy diet that will give you results, I highly recommend it.