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Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight:: The Negative Calorie Effect
More than one million copies sold!
No more counting calories--discover the foods that take the weight off and keep it off with this revolutionary plan.
Did you know that certain foods have an incredible negative calorie effect that actually melts fat? This revolutionary approach, outlined by Neal Barnard, M.D., and proven effective by thousands of men and women who have tried it, can bring about the permanent weight control every diet promises but seldom delivers.
Find out how, by following the negative calorie plan, you can:
Boost your metabolic rate
Burn calories more effectively
Lower dangerous cholesterol levels
Enjoy better health--and protect your heart
Eat the delicious foods you love--in the quantities you want
Watch the pounds disappear--without stressful dieting or the temptation to binge
Dr. Barnard also provides delicious negative calorie recipes that use foods most people already have in their home cupboards. Easy, effective, and satisfying, Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight will bring about the permanent weight control every diet promises but seldom delivers.
No more counting calories--discover the foods that take the weight off and keep it off with this revolutionary plan.
Did you know that certain foods have an incredible negative calorie effect that actually melts fat? This revolutionary approach, outlined by Neal Barnard, M.D., and proven effective by thousands of men and women who have tried it, can bring about the permanent weight control every diet promises but seldom delivers.
Find out how, by following the negative calorie plan, you can:
Boost your metabolic rate
Burn calories more effectively
Lower dangerous cholesterol levels
Enjoy better health--and protect your heart
Eat the delicious foods you love--in the quantities you want
Watch the pounds disappear--without stressful dieting or the temptation to binge
Dr. Barnard also provides delicious negative calorie recipes that use foods most people already have in their home cupboards. Easy, effective, and satisfying, Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight will bring about the permanent weight control every diet promises but seldom delivers.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published April 6, 1999
213 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Neal D. Barnard
71 books405 followersNeal Barnard, MD, FACC, is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Dr. Barnard has led numerous research studies investigating the effects of diet on diabetes, body weight, hormonal symptoms, and chronic pain, including a groundbreaking study of dietary interventions in type 2 diabetes, funded by the National Institutes of Health, that paved the way for viewing type 2 diabetes as a potentially reversible condition for many patients. Dr. Barnard has authored more than 100 scientific publications and 20 books for medical and lay readers, and is the editor in chief of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians, a textbook made available to all U.S. medical students.
As president of the Physicians Committee, Dr. Barnard leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research. His research contributed to the acceptance of plant-based diets in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In 2015, he was named a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In 2016, he founded the Barnard Medical Center in Washington, DC, as a model for making nutrition a routine part of all medical care.
Working with the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and the American Medical Association, Dr. Barnard has authored key resolutions, now part of AMA policy, calling for a new focus on prevention and nutrition in federal policies and in medical practice. In 2018, he received the Medical Society of the District of Columbia’s Distinguished Service Award. He has hosted four PBS television programs on nutrition and health.
Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Dr. Barnard received his M.D. degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the same institution. He practiced at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York before returning to Washington to found the Physicians Committee.
His latest book is The Power Foods Diet: The Breakthrough Plan that Traps, Tames, and Burns Calories for Easy and Permanent Weight Loss. With more than 120 recipes and beautiful food photography, it shows the surprising ability that certain foods have to cause weight loss.
Dr. Barnard has led numerous research studies investigating the effects of diet on diabetes, body weight, hormonal symptoms, and chronic pain, including a groundbreaking study of dietary interventions in type 2 diabetes, funded by the National Institutes of Health, that paved the way for viewing type 2 diabetes as a potentially reversible condition for many patients. Dr. Barnard has authored more than 100 scientific publications and 20 books for medical and lay readers, and is the editor in chief of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians, a textbook made available to all U.S. medical students.
As president of the Physicians Committee, Dr. Barnard leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research. His research contributed to the acceptance of plant-based diets in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In 2015, he was named a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In 2016, he founded the Barnard Medical Center in Washington, DC, as a model for making nutrition a routine part of all medical care.
Working with the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and the American Medical Association, Dr. Barnard has authored key resolutions, now part of AMA policy, calling for a new focus on prevention and nutrition in federal policies and in medical practice. In 2018, he received the Medical Society of the District of Columbia’s Distinguished Service Award. He has hosted four PBS television programs on nutrition and health.
Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Dr. Barnard received his M.D. degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the same institution. He practiced at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York before returning to Washington to found the Physicians Committee.
His latest book is The Power Foods Diet: The Breakthrough Plan that Traps, Tames, and Burns Calories for Easy and Permanent Weight Loss. With more than 120 recipes and beautiful food photography, it shows the surprising ability that certain foods have to cause weight loss.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 8, 2012
I found this book really interesting. It helped me shine a light on the fatty foods that disguise themselves as healthy. I also tried out a good amount of the recipes in the book and many of them taste great! Definitely the right book to pick up if you want to get on track to better nutrition and a healthier lifestyle.
April 6, 2011
This is a good book for trying to lose weight w/o going hungry. There are many good recipes in it.
June 23, 2008
Excellent book! It's the most common sense diet out there. It's a great and healthy diet that leaves you feeling great!
Read
October 16, 2020I've only recently discovered Dr. Barnard--after following others with similar beliefs, that a whole food, plant based diet is the best. This book is pretty basic. You're not going to find an in depth study about the foods that are healthy and unhealthy. It's for someone starting out, someone who wants to "try this". I'm not that person, but I still found the book to be enjoyable.
He has a nice writing style, it's a quick read, and there are plenty of recipes, as well as a 7-day menu plan (with those recipes in the book), if that's what you're into. Over half the book is recipes. There are no pictures. But it's a great addition to my whole food, plant based library.
The one weird con is that he discussed how awful processed fats (maybe it was all fats) are for you, but the recipes didn't seem to follow his advice strictly. This isn't the first book I've read that does this, so I think that could be confusing to someone who's new to this way of eating. A better book, in this way, is the Engine 2 7-Day Rescue Diet. The advice is similar if not the same, and the recipes match the advice given.
I gave this book 4 instead of 3 stars because I enjoyed Dr. Barnard's down-to-earth style of information. I didn't buy the book for the recipes, so they don't weigh in on my rating.
He has a nice writing style, it's a quick read, and there are plenty of recipes, as well as a 7-day menu plan (with those recipes in the book), if that's what you're into. Over half the book is recipes. There are no pictures. But it's a great addition to my whole food, plant based library.
The one weird con is that he discussed how awful processed fats (maybe it was all fats) are for you, but the recipes didn't seem to follow his advice strictly. This isn't the first book I've read that does this, so I think that could be confusing to someone who's new to this way of eating. A better book, in this way, is the Engine 2 7-Day Rescue Diet. The advice is similar if not the same, and the recipes match the advice given.
I gave this book 4 instead of 3 stars because I enjoyed Dr. Barnard's down-to-earth style of information. I didn't buy the book for the recipes, so they don't weigh in on my rating.
April 29, 2014
A down to earth, easy to follow book about dietary advice for those of us who need to lose some weight. Some simple plant based recipes and pointers are included. I already eat vegan but this book helped to open my eyes as the where in my diet I can make improvements.
April 3, 2013
It works for me. To lose weight and stay slim go on a low fat vegan diet plus exercise for 30 minutes each day.
December 8, 2020
This is completely outdated. Fat free?? Went out with button shoes!
December 4, 2025
Fantastic alternative and very informative
I really liked how easy the book was to read and understand. Also, the "old way" and "new way" comparison for the recipes was something I didn't know I needed in my life!
I really liked how easy the book was to read and understand. Also, the "old way" and "new way" comparison for the recipes was something I didn't know I needed in my life!
February 3, 2018
This is a great book for those just investigating a vegan diet. The primary theme is definitely all about losing the fat in your dining. Easier said than done. He offers a variety of recipes and meal plans as you would expect from any such book, but the real value is the underlying suggestion that low fat, high carb, moderate protein is the way to go.
For me, there was little new here. I'm already a long time vegetarian and have recently made a dramatic move toward veganism. I get the value. I was hoping for more specific info on what foods, in particular, tend to increase the metabolism to help with weight loss. Honestly, I wasn't looking for a diet book. I want to more naturally keep the weight off as my metabolism slows. Dr. Barnard, in chastising other diet manuals, suggests this is NOT about dieting. I agree with what he says, but it's semantics in the end. This book is definitely suggesting a dramatic change in the foods you eat. It may not be pushing a crash diet, encouraging a life-long change instead, but it's a dietary change any way you look at it.
The book was good at confirming choices I have already made or am making. The recipes remind us it is possible to make interesting food without loads of butter and oil (or any animal products, of course). That was all good.
I've always respected Dr. Barnard's opinions and approaches to nutrition. I'm also a fan of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and their mission. I'm happy to have this book on the shelf and I will experiment with some of the recipes, but my search for specific metabolism drivers continues.
For me, there was little new here. I'm already a long time vegetarian and have recently made a dramatic move toward veganism. I get the value. I was hoping for more specific info on what foods, in particular, tend to increase the metabolism to help with weight loss. Honestly, I wasn't looking for a diet book. I want to more naturally keep the weight off as my metabolism slows. Dr. Barnard, in chastising other diet manuals, suggests this is NOT about dieting. I agree with what he says, but it's semantics in the end. This book is definitely suggesting a dramatic change in the foods you eat. It may not be pushing a crash diet, encouraging a life-long change instead, but it's a dietary change any way you look at it.
The book was good at confirming choices I have already made or am making. The recipes remind us it is possible to make interesting food without loads of butter and oil (or any animal products, of course). That was all good.
I've always respected Dr. Barnard's opinions and approaches to nutrition. I'm also a fan of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and their mission. I'm happy to have this book on the shelf and I will experiment with some of the recipes, but my search for specific metabolism drivers continues.
April 1, 2025
Rookie based primer with recipes that are so very basic. This would be a good starting point for someone who has no clue about what to eat or why. I assume it’s for severely overweight and out of shape people because he talks about not exercising any more arduously than a 30 minute walk. OK! I’m on board with that! Woohoo. I can stop doing my HIIT boot camps and relax with a 30 minute stroll.
You’d do better to find recipes on the internet and eat Whole Foods that are not processed just because they are not animal products.
What I don’t understand is how he seriously thinks fake processed meat like fake hotdogs are better for you than a chicken breast. I think if you’re going to go vegan you should stay away from processed foods and only eat them very sparingly.
Rant over.
You’d do better to find recipes on the internet and eat Whole Foods that are not processed just because they are not animal products.
What I don’t understand is how he seriously thinks fake processed meat like fake hotdogs are better for you than a chicken breast. I think if you’re going to go vegan you should stay away from processed foods and only eat them very sparingly.
Rant over.
April 10, 2017
2.75 This was a bit disappointing because there wasn't as much emphasis on eating whole foods, there was quite a bit of prepared food stuff in there, vegan, true, but still processed. And I still don't understand the emphasis on no fat, especially in terms of nuts. I get the no added oil, but then he lets you have crackers and other replacement meats, if you must, and I think that processed stuff is less good for you then if you eat an avocado or a handful of nuts. It seemed to be more written as if it is more important to get people off the meat and dairy then what you replace it with. OK for the meat eater or vegetarian but not for the person who is trying to live plant-based.
November 7, 2022
So many authors, so many opinions or ideas out there. Who is right? Who is wrong? All, some, none. Who knows? Dr. Gundry says eat olive oil. Dr. Barnard says no to olive oil. I don’t know what the best plan of action is regarding diet/lifestyle but I’ve got to figure out what’s wrong with what I’m doing because I’m rapidly regaining weight that I lost from May through August of this year. I am struggling and frustrated… and my readings are not providing me the solution I need… either that, or I’m not doing things right. I will keep trying…
August 18, 2016
Hope to bring down my cholesterol
I may not be able to cook without a little butter, coconut oil or olive oil, but no animal products other than a bit of butter on my bagel works fine for me. I can do vegetarian with no problem. To totally drop dairy and eggs will be hard but I have done it before and dropped 20 pounds.
I may not be able to cook without a little butter, coconut oil or olive oil, but no animal products other than a bit of butter on my bagel works fine for me. I can do vegetarian with no problem. To totally drop dairy and eggs will be hard but I have done it before and dropped 20 pounds.
January 24, 2025
Good ideas.
This book contains a lot of information and ideas that anyone could use. The writing is very clear and accessible. No hyperbole or guarantee of results. No special ingredients or secret potions to mix.
I haven't tried this revised approach to eating yet, but I have created some meal plans and have my shopping list ready.
This book contains a lot of information and ideas that anyone could use. The writing is very clear and accessible. No hyperbole or guarantee of results. No special ingredients or secret potions to mix.
I haven't tried this revised approach to eating yet, but I have created some meal plans and have my shopping list ready.
December 31, 2017
Doctor Barnard contents that a high protein diet is bad for you and gives advice for a low protein, low calorie diet. Most of the book is comprised a recipes to support his diet. As always, you should consult your own doctor before starting any diet system.
April 7, 2020
This was a great book with a vast amount of knowledge put into it. I’m going to try and give it a go. The science was well put out on how we are basically killing ourself by diet.
I’ve struggled with my weight due to my autoimmune disease so any help in this matter was a for sure plus!!!
I’ve struggled with my weight due to my autoimmune disease so any help in this matter was a for sure plus!!!
February 5, 2021
Quick read - as a diet book should be. Lots of notes taken. Really informative book to try and get people off animal food products. Lots of good recipes. I read and took away a lot from this book in a couple of hours. I've got some good notes and will implement many things into action.
May 26, 2023
This is a book that provides some good information about healthy eating. However, some of the information I found to be outdated and no longer relevant. I did enjoy the many recipes that make up the 2nd half of the book and plan to try a few.
January 7, 2017
Wonderful Encouragement
I love this man's taste profile and cannot wait until I try some of these awesome looking recipes! Let's see what happens!
I love this man's taste profile and cannot wait until I try some of these awesome looking recipes! Let's see what happens!
January 22, 2018
I find it a bit too simplified
This book is perfect for somebody who is not interested in too much science - but it is still pretty convincing.
This book is perfect for somebody who is not interested in too much science - but it is still pretty convincing.
May 16, 2019
I'll be able to hopefully lose weight with some of the advice here. Due to other medical conditions I can't use a lot of the recipes at the end of the book.
February 23, 2020
This book basically is the precursor of the forks over knives movement, where the elimination of meat sources of protein is the pathway to weight loss and health ... in that order.
April 5, 2022
Excellent information. A learning read.
March 17, 2024
Informative
This book makes everything easy to understand and follow. It is very simple and will help you be able to make better, healthier choices for you and your family.
This book makes everything easy to understand and follow. It is very simple and will help you be able to make better, healthier choices for you and your family.
March 22, 2025
Weight loss ideas that keep you from being hungry.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews