The Best Life Diet Revised and Updated

by Bob Greene, Oprah Winfrey (Foreword)

From the bestselling author of Get With the Program! and Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover comes The Best Life Diet, a lifetime plan for losing weight and keeping it off.

Bob Greene helped Oprah achieve her dramatic weight loss, and he can help you too. You'll eat the same delicious food that Oprah enjoys, and, just like Oprah, you'll have Bob to encourage you at every step. Unlike a celebrity, however, you don't need to hire a staff of experts to aid and advise you, because Bob's plan, easily tailored to an array of tastes, lifestyles, and activity levels, acts as your personal trainer and private nutritionist. Just open the book and let Bob help you get started down the path toward your best possible life.

What sets Bob apart from all the other experts who claim to have plans that work is that he admits that weight loss is seventeen years of watching people struggle to lose weight on a seemingly endless string of trendy crash diets, only to backslide and regain the pounds they've shed, have taught him that dropping pounds is not simply a numbers game. By acknowledging that it is not simple laziness but a complicated web of social rituals, cultural expectations, and habits that drives people to gain weight, Greene is able to attack the problem of weight loss realistically and offer not a short-lived, quick-fix formula, but a long-term program that accounts for the challenges and constraints of the real world.

Divided into three phases, The Best Life Diet gives you the tools you need to change your life. In each phase, you'll be asked to reexamine the decisions you make on a daily basis and gradually alter your habits to achieve lasting results. The book also includes easy-to-follow meal plans that make it simple to meet your daily energy and nutrient requirements, whether you are on the run and breakfast means a quick smoothie or you have time to shop for fresh produce and make something special.

You'll watch the weight disappear as you learn to prepare festive and flavorful dishes like Fire-Roasted Tomato-Shrimp Veracruz, Chicken Sausage Jambalaya, or Flank Steak with Chimichurri Topping and indulge in desserts like Roasted Peaches with Ricotta and Almonds or Apple Rhubarb Walnut Crisp. And for each delicious recipe, there is a detailed nutritional analysis, so you know exactly what you are eating and how it fits into your personal eating plan.

Most important, Bob's plan doesn't end once you've lost the weight. Instead, it gives you the tools you need to make living your best life second nature, because for Greene, a diet is not something you go "on" or "off" but a set of guidelines that will help you claim the life you deserve.

Genres: Health, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Nutrition, Self Help, Reference

336 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2006

About the author

Bob Greene is a personal trainer who writes on health and weight loss. He works and writes with Oprah Winfrey.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Elke · Rating 1 out of 5]

oprah wrote the foreword...

let's see if this is any good

update- this book was very disappointing. it gave me ideas of two new recipes i want to try and that's pretty much it.

bob greene- i expected more from you!

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful nutrition, fitness and lifestyle reminders for living a healthy life.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I have never been much interested in diets, having never enjoyed calorie counting or worrying about my body image. I was much happier to just cover the mirrors in my apartment and grit my teeth while buying clothes. However, after discovering this book my whole life was changed. Following this easy and realistic program I felt happier, healthier, and lost weight. The weight loss was just a perk. I was finally enjoying smiling at myself in the mirror, shopping for clothes, and was living the active lifestyle I had always pictured for myself but had never achieved (mushroom hunting and rock climbing- oh yeah!). I recommended the book to my friend who was very much a calorie counter but who had limited success and she loved it as much as me. Needless to say, this book was just the push I needed to help make my life and body exactly what I wanted.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've skimmed through most of this book, and it is great. There is nothing earth-shattering here, but Greene emphasizes the most effective ways to lose the extra lbs and keep them off. I haven't yet read anything here that I didn't already know, but we all need to be reminded sometimes about how to live a healthy lifestyle. Greene makes some very interesting and insightful points about our eating vs. exercise habits, and suggests little things that you can do which, over time, can make a big difference. (For example, just having one or two bites of this and that at the office breakfast can really add up). The best thing about reading this book is that Greene has motivated me to re-vamp my workouts by varying my workouts and increasing the amount of time I spend at the gym.

[Adrienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bob Greene challenges the person who's overweight or has emotional eating problems to not just concentrate on diet and exercise alone, neglecting the issues in your life that caused you to become overweight.

(1) What is happening in your life now
(2) Examine your motives
(3) Replay events of your past

Better knowledge of what's going on to help you succeed. Be honest and admit your personal weaknesses. (I wish I could figure it out to stop repeating weight loss and gain for the last 15+ years to keep it off).

My author friend wanted the best for my life and weight loss, who sent me the eBook version on Kindle as a gift. He's practiced the phases in the book and loves it, so will see how it can help me too.

Adrienna Turner
Author of "God is in the Equation"
www.adriennaturner.webs.com

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the realistic way that Bob Greene looks at dieting. I have been following Phase 1, and I have lost almost ten pounds. I am not an emotional eater, but I think it is great how he addresses the subject. I love the hungry scale and the food ideas. I am not sure how realistic it would be to follow phase 3 for life, but I am going to try to take on a lot of these ideas into my diet for the long term.

[Amy Binkerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading this. Looked over the meal plans and recipes. Surprisingly, this seems very do-able! I picked this book up (mostly because it was on the bargain book table) but also because I recently lost 16 pounds and want to keep it off. During the process of losing the weight I found that I now view food differently, so I think I am more open to following the guidelines set out in the book. I am excited to see where this takes me!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, if we did what this book tells us to do...we would all live to be 100! Common sense advice about eating with a lot of very healthy recipes in the back. A few full page pictures. One recipe I will be trying: Chicken Salad with Pomegranate, Oranges, and Walnuts. The dressing makes it a double whammy of antioxidants being made out of orange and pomegranate juice.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not impressed...very few pictures and information about cooks around the country didn't help me live my best life. They get paid to cook...I pay good money to buy stuff from the store to cook. That is why I read this cookbook - to find quick, delicious and nutritious meals. Didn't quite hit the mark for this mom-in-chief-cook...I ain't got time for all this.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought that there was too much of a focus on weight loss rather than on healthy eating and life style. I did like the some of the tips on healthier breakfasts and snacks, but otherwise I thought most of the ideas would be unsustainable in the long term.

[Jenny Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrow it.

[Jennifer Mordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book landed in my lap after helping my mother move. I am always on the look out for any good diet improvement tips and anything promoted by Oprah must be great, right? Well, I like how Bob really promotes this plan as a way to make life long changes. He indicates that each of the first two phases should last as least 4 weeks. I think 4 months is probably a better estimate but, I am sure that if most readers saw that they would give up on the plan pretty quickly. It seems like Bob is trying to be realistic about the plan while still appealing to our desire for instant gratification. As a vegan, I disagree with his information about meat and dairy products. I did not try any of the recipes but, they look really good. Prior to my giving up meat and dairy I am sure I would have liked them. I do agree with his encouragement to add more beans, legumes and nuts to the diet. He also really pushes vegetables which is great. Over all, I like his approach to making gradual changes in both removing items from your diet and adding exercise to your day.

[Matthew Wyatt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book based on a friend's recommendation as well as the publicity surrounding it. I was hoping for a book with a simple and nutritionally sound diet plan that I would be able to follow. Although I think the idea of dieting in phases is good, the book seemed to be just more of what is already out there. The recipes were so-so. I like to find recipes that are easy to fit in an on the go lifestyle, and while there were some recipes that would be easy to incorporate, others would be too time consuming for me. I also am skeptical about Greene's idea that it is important to stop eating two hours before bedtime. Many of my friends are now trying to stay up later so that when they eat late, they can still follow the no eating 2 hrs before bed rule - this seems a little silly to me and I would like to see the science behind this idea.

This book does seem to work for some, but it wasn't for me.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is a bit dated, but I gave it a try and it worked for me. I lost about 20 lbs using this method and am looking forward to changing from a weigh loss track to a weight maintenance track. It's a lot of work to watch what you eat and to exercise more, but I didn't find it too difficult. It took me about 6 months to reach my goal weight. It also feels good to have the strength to say no to a 1000 calorie milkshake offered at the local movie theater.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. I read it for some motivation for healthy eating and about food, etc. it was more of a diet plan, but one similar to weight watchers in the sense it’s very logical and a plan for life. I think it educated me, got me thinking; and has me exploring some healthier eating choices. I was eager to finish it so I could begin some novels, I must admit. Also, it references his website many times, and it’s disappointing the site no longer exists.

[Kathy Burden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may not use everything in this, but I liked the way he broke out the plan into "phases", and to not worry about moving through the 3 phases quickly. I think a 'one step at a time' philosophy with losing weight and getting healthier is more doable - breaking things down into smaller parts so you don't take on too much. This book has a great plan on how to do that.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the hunger scale approach and the thought process of physical vs. emotional hunger. Also, he states that HAPPINESS is the KEY to losing weight, not the other way around! Live consciously.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

""

[Amycakes]

I am currently following this books guidelines (for the most part) and I am beginning to see results. The thing I love about this book is that it is extremely easy to follow and I haven't felt deprived at all. Most "diets" I fall off the wagon right away, but now the foods that I have eliminated from my diet I'm not even craving anymore. For instance, soda, even diet soda, which is what I was drinking, I am finding I have no need for any longer. Extremely surprising is alcohol. Before, I would want a beer every time I'm out. Now I am able to control that urge and even not desire it as much. I am seeing the results of not having alcohol included in my diet and that is encouraging me to stay away from it.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really love reading diet books, maybe it has to do with college studies. anyway....i was really pleased with this diet book. bob greene was very factual, realistic and interesting to read. i really liked that he emphasized that changing your diet isn't easy and that things need to change slowly in order to stick. i really appreciated how well he explained the dieting process and what happens within your body in a way that any one would be able to understand. I liked that he was realistic about how quickly (or slowly depending on your view) dieting took. if you are wanting to go on a diet i would recommend this book to help you through the process.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reinforced the early steps that I was taking and helped provide a fairly simple process for changing habits for the better for good.

I had been exercising for about 3 months without any noticible change. I had no idea about proper nutrition or portions, etc.

I saw Bob Greene on Oprah and was intrigued by the system he put in place to use his Best Life stamp on existing, real products people actually see in the grocery store. It makes shopping easier and when I started to follow the steps in this book, in conjunction with the exercise I was doing, my weight loss goals were met within a matter of 6 months. Over a year later and still maintaining a healthy life!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author really annoyed the snot out of me, especially with his incessant references to his website (which you have to pay for in order to use) and his personal eating habits.

That all being said, his overall diet strategy is pretty good (it is not a diet but a lifestyle). I really like that he takes into account different levels of calorie intake and gives options for this in his meal plans. Plus, some of his recipes actually sound pretty good. If I were to actually try to follow this diet, I would completely skip phase one because I have always done the things in it. But for people whose eating is way out of whack and/or don't exercise, it makes sense.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sensible information about good health in general, the process of aging, being active and trying to eat for optimum health - I really am enjoying it! The author eases you into the lifestyle change though phases, changing snacking habits, increasing movement in your life. Nothing new or groundbreaking, but presented in an informative yet motivating way by the author. I can't give it the full five stars as it's rather commercial, referring several times to the authors website, and information that can only be found with a current paid subscription.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good cookbook, with a number of simple to make recipes (e.g., Marinated mushrooms is about as easy a dish to make as there is). The focus is good tasting and healthy recipes.

The end of the volume features useful information, such as recipes from well known chefs, meal plans, basic recipes (such as stock), and cooking/preparation techniques.

Recipes, of course, are the centerpiece for any cookbook. This is filled with good recipes, including vegetarian dishes.

Overall, a good addition to my kitchen library!

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fascinating in its approach to nutrition and fitness. Despite his Oprah connection, Bob Greene stands out on his own for emphasizing exercise and holistic nutrition. Baby steps to a healthier life is really his mantra. I've since finished this book, and felt that it was interesting but not earth-shattering. It lead me in search for more information in holistic nutrition. I've since read a few different books on the general topic and found that I was more inspired by them. My favorite reading follow-up to this was "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan.

[Shellie (Layers of Thought) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook has quite a few simple, realistic, easy to prepare - low cal/low carb recipes that I will probably use. The recipes use ingredients that are available which can be tough with some diet modification books. Theres a section for just vegitarians. He suggests what to look for when purchasing food to be environmentally and ethically sane. As well he has a bunch of star chefs contributing recipes at the end of the book.
Update - I have since tried several of the recipes and have found that they are great. My husband loved them as well. I will be purchasing this book to use!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as I like to gain insight about what is out there so I can recommend books to my clients. In my opinion this is one of the best books out there in the genre as the philosophy behind it is that of making a change of lifestyle for good, not just until you loose a certain amount of weight. It also addresses emotional eating which is a major issue when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, Oprah and her people make my day!

In my quest to work on my health, get fit and loose weight, I found this book filled with useful information. Bob Greene is very realistic on lifestyle changes and reminds us that the only changes that work are ones that are subtle and sustained for the long haul.

[Linda Searby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Greene was Oprah's trainer and weight loss coach. This book is the most reasonable and practical weight loss advice you will find. Not faddish, but a program that is for life. I took notes on it before returning it to the library! I have lost 30 pounds since January using his recommendations.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This approach to healthy eating made a lot of sense to me. I hope to incorporate the ideas and a lot of the recipes into my everyday life. I LOVE the smoothie recipes - I'm addicted to them now! The one thing that kept me from actually following the diet religiously was the absolutely no alcohol for at least the first two months.