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Summary: This book works for me!
Review: At age 40, I found myself overweight and vaguely concerned with my eating habits and nutritional ignorance. When I was unexpectedly confronted with high cholestrol and triglycerides scores I knew I had to do something but had no idea what. Fortunately I knew Dana Carpender through the internet. At that time she was writing this book. Under her guidance (I was a guinea pig, a lot of what she sent me appears word for word in the book) I have lost 25-30 pounds (starting approx. 240, now approx. 210) and held it for over 1 year. This works out to a little over 10% of total body weight which I saw somewhere was a good goal for most Americans to have. I feel great and have lots of energy. In addition, the cholesterol and triglyceride scores are much improved. While not following a strict low carb diet (I'm in her "Careful Carb-eater" category), I have drastically improved the quality of the carbs I do eat, thanks to her guidance. I am exercising more which helps but I think improved nutrition has been the key. As someone else noted, Dana offers a range of dietary plans, explaining the pros and cons of each. She is realistic about the challenges that changing food habits present. Her explanations are well written in plain language, easy to understand, fun to read and encouraging to boot. I'm looking forward to the cookbook she promised.
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Summary: Feelin' Great Now!
Review: Since reading this book, I have more energy now than I have had in 12 years. I've lost 30 pounds and 8 SIZES in my clothes so far. It is very easy to follow the guidelines in the book and you never feel hungry.I have tons of energy at night (after working full-time) and I have seen improvements in my hair, nails, eyes and emotional state.My friends and family have all asked what I have done in these 4 months and I have referred them to this book. You deserve to feel great so get the book and learn how!
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Summary: EXCELLENT BUY & FULL OF INFORMATION!
Review: If anyone has ever failed low fat diets this is a must have book! It is packed full of low carb options for just about every person & their own personal situation. I can't wait for Dana's cookbook!
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Summary: Great way to start low carbing
Review: Looking to start a low carb diet? Dana's down to earth appoach gives you a peak at all the popular low carb diets and discusses the pros and cons of each. What's different about Dana's book is that she does not endorse one plan over another but encourages you to experiment and figure out what will work for you. Additionally, Dana writes in an easy, conversational style that just plain leaves you with a good feeling. What have you got to lose?
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Summary: I loved it
Review: I am having those first two week "low energy problems" while I lower my carbs. I was given this book to read while I decide how to make my own life plan and now I can't put it down. It's inspiring and very fun to read. Nothing clinical or hard to understand...just plain layman's conversation. I look forward to the cookbook(s)!
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Summary: Fantastic
Review: This is the best low carb diet book I have read. It covers the medical facts in an east to understand way and gives an outling to the major diets, and unlike Dr Atkins book you don't have to plow through hundreds of pages of goop to get to what you want to know, 'how do i do this and what can I eat' This is a read lady telling of real experiance and I hope I'm as successful as Dana at this way of Eating for life.
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Summary: 4th day on diet and feeling wonderful
Review: This is a very interesting book. I have tried everything from Fastin to Weight Watchers and nothing has worked I was left starving with every diet I tried. I have also struggled with bulimia, for about 10 years now, and I guess doing w/o sugar and carbos, I am starting to lose the craving for them. This book is very informative.
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Summary: non-scientifically speaking...
Review: I recommend ANYONE on ANY sort of low-carb diet read this book. Another like this one you should also have, the first being "The Secret To Low Carb Success", by Laura Richard. Both books cover low-carbing non-scientifically, and go over the many low carb plans, adding advice from the author (a real everyday person) along the way. I don't choose one over the other. They are both that good. I haven't enjoyed reading so much in years. One of the many reasons I am applauding Dana's book is because she goes into detail about the "low carb" products and foods available to us, for example, starch blockers and meal bars. Just a great book to have, newcomer or professional low-carber alike.
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Summary: Dont let the cover fool you! This book gets 10 stars!
Review: I bought this book and read it in 2 days. It should be a "must" have for any low-carb dieter. Dana gives info on all the various low carb diets out there, so you can choose which works for you. She gives you a wealth of information that I didnt find in the Heller's book or the Eades book. She tells you what works and what doesn't. I almost didn't buy this book because the cover looked, well, weird. Never judge a book by its cover! The inside flap has a wonderful before and after shots of Dana, and she is quite pretty. The book had cute little cartoon guys and girls that made me smile. If your still in doubt, read thru Amazon's listing of her table of contents. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? I almost gave up my low carb diet inspite of the benefits because I was struggeling with some things- but Dana cleared up some things. Like I was nashing my teeth alot, and Dana gave alot of info on supplements (do not buy the store multivitamin junk- not sufficent at all! ). I nashed my teeth because I was not getting the correct minerals and vitamins. Read the book, find out more! This book is awesome! I have lost 15 lbs in 2 months and this book will help me reach my goal, and live happily ever after. What more could you ask for?
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Summary: Wish she understood
Review: Dana's book is very good at explaining low carb dieting - motivational too, but my one problem with her book is her chapter on vegetarianism.
She says "Believing that killing animals for food is wrong does not change what your body needs." This is simply the most simplistic and potentially ignorant statement someone could make about vegetarianism.
I know no vegetarians who would complain if someone killed an animal and then ate it, but that's not what we do in this culture. We let someone else do it and ignore the process and suffering that goes into it. Frankly, I don't think you should eat an animal unless you are able to kill it. I'm not saying we need to revert to some sort of tribal state where we hunt and gather all our food, but to claim that vegetarianism is solely based on lack of understanding of the food chain is ridiculous.
Furthermore, I think its pretty obvious that consuming excessive quantities of meat that has been pumped full of hormones and antibiotics because of factory farming or fish that is laced with mercury because of pollution is nutritionally unwise.
Yes I'm aware that you can get local meat and fish but it is much more expensive and I can get tofu for less than a dollar a pound. Finally definitions are tricky, e.g. free range chicken. The federal government has only the vague requirement that the animals from which such meat is derived have access to the outdoors. This could mean one small opening for thousands of birds. There is nothing to prevent an animal so designated from being mutilated, crowded, drugged, transported and slaughtered just like any other factory-farmed animal.
Sorry for the rant but that chapter really bothered me in what was otherwise a well-written and engaging book.
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