The T-Factor Diet

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy it--go to a bookstore and flip through it
Review: and you will be able to pick up everything worthwhile in two minutes. If I had done that instead of [buying it], I would be a few dollars richer.

I ordered this book after reading the hype in Men's Fitness or whatever magazine employs these folks. A diet that helped maximize testosterone without supplements, etc. sounded like a good thing--and it may be, except that the whole diet is in two pages. First, you figure out your maintenance calorie level then you add or subtract depending on whether you want to gain or lose weight. Then you subtract the amount of calories that 2 gm of protein per kg of bodyweight provides and split the rest with fat and carbs. That's it. Does it work? I'll see. It will be exactly the same amount of protein I have been eating with slightly higher total calories and quite a bit more fat.

Another thing I learned is that cardio is dangerous. If you don't run, you won't have a heart attack while running or get hit by a car. Good points. Should one do a little postworkout cardio or some on off days? The book is silent, but says that lifting is all that is necessary. The lifting in the book is essentially cardio--especially for the first two weeks when it is three circuits of about ten exercises with 20 reps. That will get the lactic acid building up as well as running hills and keeping good form for that many reps is about as boring as a treadmill.

Will it work? Who knows (even the authors don't seem to know--they admit that their wonder testosterone diet is based on a test with no control group in which they didn't even measure testosterone levels)but the results of the people in the book don't seem too impressive. All the guys they showed droped some weight and look better but are by no means huge or cut. They improved their chin up ability slightly for what that is worth, but no news on body fat percentage, etc. In fairness, the authors did not use the Body For Life trick of taking very muscular but fat guys and showing them all ripped, oiled and shaved after 12 weeks of dropping fat.

All that said, I'm going to give the diet and workout a fair shot for a little variety, if nothing else. It could turn out to be the best program ever. The book certainly isn't, however.

Rating:
Summary: The Easiest Way to Lose Weight and Get Healthy
Review: I read this book back in 1992, but in light of all the Atkins-hype, I felt compelled to share my success with the plan in this book and give credit where it is due. What I got out of it is if one performed at least 40 minutes of cardiovascular exercises at least 4 times a week (which includes something as affordable and low impact as brisk walking, which the Dr. highly encourages in his book) and watched their fat intake (which was 20-40 grams of fat per day for women and 30 to 60 grams of fat per day for mean I believe) that one got down to and maintained their ideal, healthy weight. It worked, and wasn't restrictive because I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I stayed in the 20-24 g range. I didn't even try to count calories. I was one of those individuals who struggled with her weight since childhood, teetering around a size 14 as an adult, which isn't enormous, but isn't healthy for someone only 5'3", and I got down to a size 8 in 2-3 months. Also, I was a vegetarian, so I ate MOSTLY carbohydrates. Therefore, I find it confusing how the current trend is anti-carb and potentially high-fat when I achieved such success on a high carb, low-fat diet. This book is worth the read. Hope this has helped some of you out there who are looking for a "doable" weight loss plan. Good luck.

Rating:
Summary: The Easiest Way to Lose Weight and Get Healthy
Review: I was able to lose 20 pounds on this diet. The book is very helpful in learning the correct way to eat and how to monitor your calorie intake to maintain your weight. I have kept the weight off and Iam enjoy my new look. Should you like more information on how I was able to do it, pls E-mail me at: [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Recommended
Review: The book was recommended to me by my doctor to lower cholesterol in 1990. I stuck to the routine for a full year, lost twenty pounds and lowered my cholesterol from 250 to 160. Felt great the entire time. I still have the book and still use many of the recipes and menus. The menus make it easy. The recipes are easy and great tasting. It really just sets up a common sense approach to eating.