Perfect Weight America: Change Your Diet, Change Your Life, Change Your World

by Jordan S. Rubin

Everyone has a perfect weight. It may not be what you weigh right now. It may not be what your best friend weighs, or what your mother weighs. But somewhere inside, there is a perfectly thin YOU just waiting to be revealed! Join New York Times best-selling author Jordan Rubin as he shows you how to discover your perfect weight and refocus your lifestyle toward attaining that weight. Based on a landmark study conducted by Rubin in “one of the unhealthiest cities in America,” Perfect Weight America has been created as a 16-week program to help you achieve your perfect weight. With solid medical advice from Bernard Bulwer, MD, an advanced clinical fellow at one of the premier teaching hospitals at Harvard Medical School, this book contains the blueprint for what will become a Perfect Weight movement that will sweep the country.

Genres: Health, Diets, Nutrition

358 pages, Hardcover

First published December 11, 2007

Reviews

[Lorileinart · Rating 2 out of 5]

News Flash!!!
Did you know that you can LOSE WEIGHT if you eat healthy, avoid carbs, and exercise!? Jordan Rubin, you are a genius for sharing this new information with the world.

[Stacie Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some great information in here, however, as a dietitian, I am concerned with some of the recommendations in here. There’s no cookie-cutter diet for everyone. Once I got to the chapter, showing the different types of diets, they all looked similar. The serving sizes, the type of food, the amount of supplements, we’re all the same. There were some variations between the meat type and potato type and male versus female. But for the most part when I look at it, they seem the same. This is a low carb diet, which can have benefits for weight loss, however, I do feel that it’s not realistic for people to stay on this diet long-term. Even Jesus ate bread. Also, if you are someone like me, who works out hard, you will have performance difficulties with this diet. There is simply not enough carbohydrates to perform your exercises at their best. fiber wise it is a great diet and the incorporation of omega-3‘s is excellent. Also, there were some quackery that was stated in this book that was Rubens bias and not necessarily based on science. I always enjoyed when he back to his claims by science, but he did not do this for everything, which was very frustrating for me as a dietitian. People read this book, and they see the results of some of the people who tried his program and they assume that this is the way to go. But I wanna know how many of those people actually kept the weight off after they tried his program. more than likely only 5% kept the weight off. That 5% are the people who probably kept eating according to his plan after they finished. That is a problem with books like this. It does not create lasting changes. It’s not realistic for you to go your whole life without eating plenty of carbs. Some people can but most cannot.

[Elena B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess there is a reason why some books are found on the free rack of bookstores. Not a bad reading per se, but the author was not presenting any new groundbreaking information. Lots of self-promotion of the author’s brand as well.

[Nicole Harkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Self magazine and Shape not for the information about losing weight, but because I love the success stories contained in them. “Meet Jane, she weighed 435 pounds, started walking every day, and now 14.5 months later she only weight 100 pounds.” So when I picked up the book, Perfect Weight, I was immediately sucked in by the author’s story. He lost a lot of weight too, but not because he wanted to, because he was sick.

Chapter 2 started out great: how to decode most diet books. Ok, I am game. He tells the reader that most diets have the individual cutting out 500 calories a day from their diet and then exercising 500 calories away. This will equal 7000 less calories a week, or two pounds of weight lost a week. He tells us then that 95 percent of all diets fail and he thinks that is because people are hungry.

Thanks. Very insightful. I am just hungry.

He does go on to cut down one theory about obesity theories that the media repeats over and over: Fat makes you fat. Turns out that the word for fat in food happens to be the same word as fat on your bum. The two fats are not the same. It is basically a homonym. Think of the word type: it can mean both to write with a keyboard or a sort of something. Sounds the same, but not the same.

The book begins to lose me though after this strong start, because he starts selling weight loss supplements in the book. I felt like I jumped into an infomercial. Neither good nor subtle.

The book does end on a strong point. He profiles success stories from an Ohio town that tried to all work his program and has lots of recipes. I suppose I should not be so down on the book…I just did not like that he was selling diet supplements in the middle of this book.

[Honeybee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment. I was expecting an explanation of how we can eat right, exercise, etc., to reach our optimum weight. While the author talked somewhat about those things, his main purpose was to sell product--particularly his Garden of Life supplements and diet aids. He also touted a project conducted in Chicago, I believe, to help citizens reach their perfect weight by following a diet, exercise and supplement regimen which is not at all practical or pleasant for most Americans.

Wanting to try one of the things the author recommended, I spent about $150 on a product called Fucothin, by Garden of Life, which he said would metabolize belly fat in about a month-and-a-half. After several months of taking the product, I saw no change in my weight or waistline.

Jordan Rubin started out wanting to help people find the miraculous health results he did by modifying his diet. Now, he seems to have gotten too commercial for his or anyone else's good. For me, the book was a waste of my time. I'm glad it was a free gift, or it would've been a waste of money, as well. There are far better diet books out there. Don't bother with this one.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

To me, this book is basically a repackaged version of Andrew Weil's books. Rubin does offer ideas on how to take care of environmental toxins in your home, but is unrealistic as to the economic and geographical situations of the average American. In addition, Rubin is not a doctor nor has he any alternative medicine certifications (though he did have a doctor read and ok his book).

For example, Rubin eschews organic dariy products, saying that only unpasteurized milk is good for his diet. He also only eats organic produce (primarily shopping at whole paycheck). While I try to buy organic dairy and meat when possible, it's not always either available or financially feasible.

One concept different from Nutritional Healing: Rubin has you identify if you need to have more meat or more carbs in your diet.

So, overall, if you're going to eschew the traditions of the large food corps, I'd recommend Weil's 8 Weeks to Optimal Health instead.

[Susie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was yet another preachy 'I'm so great so therefore you can lose weight' kind of book. The arrogance of the author is a but much at times. I kept thinking "Thank goodness I didn't marry that guy. Whew. Dodged a big bullet there."

I actually found the beginning of the book were quite interesting. The first few chapters are actually what kept me going through the rest of the book. The physiological aspects of eating were fascinating. Unfortunately, the author lost that momentum and started talking about what he allows and doesn't allow in his house and his high opinion of himself overshadowed the rest of the book.

Don't go out and buy this book. I got mine for free and I'm not sure if that's enough to warrant it sitting on my bookshelf, taking the place of a more deserving book.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ummm, yeah not quite my cup of tea. There were definitely some good aspects to it that he nailed down and some interesting aspects on dieting and eating good foods, but I felt he was demanding unrealistic expectations from "America" in what most Americans have been through and are tempted by daily. Though, there were good aspects and I am more informed on certain things, but I have definitely read better, more worthwhile books about creating a good, healthy lifestyle of fitness and eating.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, I'm not dieting (and I don't EVER want to!) and I don't usually read self-help books. I got this one free when I shopped at Good Earth a month or two ago. With all the nutrition and "fringe" kind of ideas I've picked up over the last few years, I think this book sums up what I think is a healthy lifestyle better and other reading I've done. I'm not quite "there" yet, but I actually did like reading this book.

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't expect too much from a free book from Vitamin Shoppe. Filled with massive amounts of advice that would take eons just to double-check that you were following even a fraction of it. Unfortunately, the advice is unscientific. Worse off, much of it is contradictory to science. Overt religious tones as well. Such as for reasons not to eat pig and most seafood. Shellfish #2 of his “dirty dozen.” White sugar just at #7. Wow, that much worse than white sugar, eh?

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was informative to when it came to GMO's and how to recognize and avoid them, but overall it was like every other diet book out there-- products to sell that would directly benefit the author. Love to read about sound nutrition and healthy lifestyles, not so much interested in lining the pockets of others though.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the most, this is a re-hashing of what Rubin's already written in he's previous books, with the unfortunate edition of the suggestions for "green" leaving... what poppycock.

The only improvement in this book from his others is a modified eating plan (Ch. 7). It's a relaxed and expanded form, using Rubin's established principles

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! Very informational and motivating. He's all about natural, organic, and going green. Some parts are a little extreme, but you get a lot of great information. The author also wrote "The Maker's Diet."

[Kimetha Wurster]

I was given this book at work and decided today...being over weight and uncomfortable...I would start reading it.
Please be praying for me, this is a radical change for me...eating good food that is right for me!
Hopefully, you will SEE the results.

[Rebecca Rash · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is very interesting to me to read health books on diet/fitness, but this one I didn't particularly like. It's ideas are strange, and there are references to yoga, and meditation, which I don't agree with. Some interesting statistics and ideas can be gleaned, though.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only got halfway through this and needed to give it back to the owner, but overall I liked it.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for anyone looking to be healthy

[Marcy]

I have not achieved the perfect weight, but I have benefited from the cleansing aspect of this diet and the overall healthy eating recommendations.

[Allanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sounds do-able ... if only I can work up the self-discipline with which to carry this out. ^_^

[Robi · Rating 1 out of 5]

didn't connect with his presentation.

[Eric]

His products are amazing and its here in the Philippines thru QPLUS..
Vital Code!

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but not much new info, when you've already read The Maker's Diet.

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. There are some good ideas in here, as well as some to leave by the wayside, but mostly it's a long commercial.

[Margaret]

Still reading this book, so will add comments later.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

great help with managing a sound nutritional health plan