The 3-Hour Diet: How Low-Carb Diets Make You Fat and Timing Makes You Thin

by Jorge Cruise, David L. Katz (Foreword)

Following the amazing success of his New York Times bestseller 8 Minutes in the Morning , America's #1 online weight loss specialist Jorge Cruise is back with a revolutionary diet book that keeps with his trademark hassle–free, time–friendly approach. It's a the low–carb craze is everywhere. Although low–carb diets produce short term weight loss, the results are not sustainable. Dieticians, fitness experts, and medical publications are slowly awakening to the fact that the low–carb diet isn't the answer to weight loss nor a solution to the obesity epidemic. Jorge Cruise's The 3–Hour Diet reveals that timing is the revolutionary weight loss element that has been kept secret until now. By eating small, balanced meals every three hours you reset your body's metabolism and achieve amazing results. Eating every three hours turns off your "starvation protection mechanism" ensuring that fat is released and fat–burning muscle preserved. So get ready to lose 2 pounds each week! All with no calorie counting, no starvation, and no deprivation. Bottom line, timing will sculpt your body slim. With his now trademark easy–to–follow instructions, accessibility, and client success stories, Jorge Cruise's The 3–Hour Diet is a fluid combination of proven success and categorical innovation. Weight loss has never been easier! o For overweight people disillusioned with the low–carb craze and other fad diets that don't work or are even unhealthy. Also aimed at people with busy schedules looking to lose weight quickly and effectively, utilizing a dietary approach instead of committing to a workout regimen. o 8 Minutes in the Morning has sold 1.8K through BookScan. o The dark side of low–carb diets is only just beginning to rear its ugly head, and this book has the potential to be at the forefront of the low–carb backlash. In this book readers will o Why low–carb and other fad diets make you fat, and why timing is the key to sustained weight loss. o The Cruise Down Plate approach to eating that supports lean muscle development by eating your favourite foods (including candy and carbs) with no banned items and no calorie–counting. Includes frozen foods and fast food options! o How to prevent emotional eating. o A 28–Day Planner designed to promote organization and accountability for the dieter. o An all–new meal and recipe guide, that is both delicious and healthy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Diets, Self Help

368 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 2005

About the author

Jorge Cruise is a Mexican author, fitness trainer and proponent of intermittent fasting and low-carbohydrate dieting. He is the author of The Cruise Control Diet (2019) as well as books on The New York Times bestseller list: The 100 (2013), The Belly Fat Cure (2010), Body at Home (2009), The 12-Second Sequence (2009), The 3-Hour Diet (2006), and 8 Minutes in the Morning (2002).

Reviews

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I mostly gleaned from this is to eat every 3 hours only. Meal, snack, meal, snack, meal, snack. But the last snack of the day has to be 3 hours before bedtime. I'm not really changing what I'm eating I'm just eating every 3 hours and even with this I'm getting my weight back down. I had lost a bunch of weight when I stopped watching TV but I've slowly been watching TV again and my weight has been creeping up. When I watch TV, I snack pretty much non-stop. Not when I read though, just watching TV. It helps to say to myself, "Carolyn, you can have a snack in just another 1-1/2 hrs, so cool it." Also, making myself eat every 3 hours helps too. I eat breakfast and then 3 hrs later I think I'm not hungry but I make myself eat a snack. Then when lunch comes, I'm pretty full still and I have not problem eating how he says - protein size of a pack of cards, carbs size of a Rubik cube and vegetables size of 3 DVD cases or 1 piece of fruit. I'm not a huge vegetable eater unless it's dinner time but making myself eat a piece of fruit is really good for me.

I like that I'm not depriving myself or that I'm not starving. So I'd recommend this book for you dieters or people who want to change your eating habits out there.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book emphasizes eating every 3 hours. This is because after 3 hours your body goes into starvation mode and takes lean muscle tissue for energy instead of fat. It also has a plan to eat 400 calories for 3 meals, and 100 for 2 snacks, and 50 for a treat at the end of the day. No food is off limits! He suggested to eat the "3 hour plate" which consists of half the plate of vegetables (fruit for breakfast) the equivalent of 3 DVD cases. One fourth the plate of carbohydrates the equivalent of a Rubik's cube, and the other fourth of the plate with protein the equivalent of a deck of cards. By using this system he says you'll lose 2 pounds every week. Very informative and convincing.

[Stacey James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. Principles in this book are aligned with the Medifast and Optivia 5 & 1 plans. The practice is to fuel your metabolism and keep insulin levels stable by eating small meals every 3 hours. It's sustainable weight loss with a lot less hunger.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept of timing your eating to lose weight. Not sure if it will work. The example snacks he gives are not nutritious (Oreo 100 calorie packs, etc).

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but I will think about the principle behind it and work with it.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting idea, but I'm not sure it would be for me. I've tried eating small meals every three hours, but didn't have as much success as this book leads a person to believe they should.

[Aimee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried reading this book in preparation for the Biggest Loser contest at work, but unfortunately the diet requirements are not practical for me because of my work schedule. The premise of eating a balanced meal or snack every three hours over the course of a day is a good one because you never get really hungry and your body doesn't go into "starvation mode" so your body never cannabalizes muscle tissue for calories, BUT there is a lot of prep work. The prep work involves knowing exactly what you'll be eating at every meal and snack time every day of the week. The book is also geared to people who weigh over 150 pounds and are over 5'3"; there are brief paragraphs on how to adapt the diet to someone smaller, but that's it. I copied out the 100 calories snack suggestions and the size proportions charts(i.e. your fist is so many ounces).

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one awhile ago never marked it but I do really like Jorge Cruise I stuck to his plan once and it was very beneficial he keeps it real and do-able. You just need to stick with it it's like anything else I know to be true I'm guilty of faltering but to continue to be healthy you have to stick with a healthy lifestyle. I might not be much of a credited critic for health books but I would recommend this for those who can't do those extreme diets. I believe, for most people, that even those who can do those extreme diets that restrict you from certain things typically end up back where they started eventually.

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

okay.. so i found this book boring..

all it did was repeat itself over and over again about eating every three hours. which IS a good idea & highly beneficial. i understand that it repeated itself to drill it into people's heads.. but its literally all that i learned.

i LOVE that it gave a list of ideas for snacks & even fast food choices.

[Cathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting and informative. I just wish that when an author decides to write about an eating lifestyle that they didn't spend so much time with all the medical/technical stuff. I skimmed through so many pages until I actually found what Jorge Cruise had to say about carbs and how and what to eat to change your eating lifestyle so you can become more healthy.

[Dan Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sounds like a reasonable plan. Although if you are considering something like this you might as well look into TSFL/Optavia. It's basically the same plan, just more streamlined and goof-proof.

http://vision.tsfl.com

[trixie kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boss wrote this book and he's a genius.

[Robin]

Didn't rate it. Great ideas and quite educational about becoming healthy. I'd like to implement the habits in to my eating regimes. He did do a lot of self promoting though-got a little tiring.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of his stuff. 3 menu lines for meat eaters, carb fans, and vegetarians.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes sense; I'll give it a goodgo!

[Sandra Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book i have read to control my eating habits. Would tell anyone to read this book.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really worked for me!! Helps keep blood sugar leveled

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Logical and motivational with a lot of success stories. Provides frozen food and restaurant choices, but more recipes would have been nice. Also contains a 28-day journal for accountability.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has good information. I was not really interested in doing a 28 day program, but wanted to hear more about this type of approach. I really enjoy reading solid research. I like Jorge Cruise and liked his "8 mintutes" in the morning book.

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a retired nurse, I had heard much of this information already and it does sound medically correct to me. It reminds me of a special diet for hypoglycemia that was used years ago when I worked on a medical unit, which stressed small meals eaten throughout the day rather than 3 large meals. The focus is on eating every 3 hours and not allowing yourself to get too hungry, which keeps your blood sugar steady, although the author did not put it in those terms. His focus is in increasing metabolism and preventing the body from going into fat storing mode. He also includes lists of foods and portions which are helpful. The calorie count is quite low to promote weight loss, but by eating frequently hunger should be kept at a minimum. He also focuses on eating a balanced diet from all three food groups, Protein, Carbs and Fats and no foods are off limits. I like that there is a lot of leeway on what can be eaten as long as you stay within certain guidelines, even listing some fast food options.