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The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet: The Lifelong Solution to Yo-Yo Dieting
* After eating a full breakfast, are you hungrier before it's time for lunch, than you would be if you only had time for a cup of coffee?
* Do you have a hard time stopping once you start to eat bread, pasta, or sweets?
* Do you have a tendency to gain weight easily, or if you lose weight, to gain it back again?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may not be experiencing a lack of willpower but rather a physical addiction to carbohydrates--a compelling or recurring craving for starches, snack foods, or sweets. Now, Drs. Richard and Rachael Heller of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York have discovered a revolutionary new diet that eliminates the cravings and helps you to overcome the yo-yo syndrome--permanently--without deprivation. based on the Hellers' nine years of research, thousands of case studies, and their own personal victories over cravings and weight (maintaining a 200 pound loss between them!), this healthful, unique diet features a pleasurable way that adapts to your lifestyle and does away with measuring, food exchanges and calorie counting. A daily Reward Meal, along with wholesome, balanced Complementary Meals, fit easily into busy schedules, restaraunt meals, holiday celebrations, and vacations. Filled with sound advice and effective strategies--including wonderful recipes and menu plans--this groundbreaking book helps eliminate carbohydrate cravings and puts you in control of your eating and your weight--for life.
* Do you have a hard time stopping once you start to eat bread, pasta, or sweets?
* Do you have a tendency to gain weight easily, or if you lose weight, to gain it back again?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may not be experiencing a lack of willpower but rather a physical addiction to carbohydrates--a compelling or recurring craving for starches, snack foods, or sweets. Now, Drs. Richard and Rachael Heller of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York have discovered a revolutionary new diet that eliminates the cravings and helps you to overcome the yo-yo syndrome--permanently--without deprivation. based on the Hellers' nine years of research, thousands of case studies, and their own personal victories over cravings and weight (maintaining a 200 pound loss between them!), this healthful, unique diet features a pleasurable way that adapts to your lifestyle and does away with measuring, food exchanges and calorie counting. A daily Reward Meal, along with wholesome, balanced Complementary Meals, fit easily into busy schedules, restaraunt meals, holiday celebrations, and vacations. Filled with sound advice and effective strategies--including wonderful recipes and menu plans--this groundbreaking book helps eliminate carbohydrate cravings and puts you in control of your eating and your weight--for life.
322 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 29, 1991
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234 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 1, 2021
I read some of the comments about this book saying they can't go no carb all day-it does not tell you to do that. Saying it is like telling you to eat at McDonalds one meal a day-it does not say that. People are misreading this book then rating it on their incorrect interpretation of it. Someone said they couldn't go without eating cereal for breakfast. If you can eat cereal for breakfast and be satisfied you are not a carbohydrate addict and this book is not for you.
This is one of, if not the first book saying low carb is healthier for you than what the USDA's food pyramid said was healthy at the time. At the time the food pyramid said a lot of starches such as breads, potatoes, grains and pasta was the largest food grouping for you to eat.
Thirty years later this book is still relevant. If you struggle with being hungry all the time, this is worth the read. Make sure you understand what it tells you to do. It is very healthy and absolutely works.
This is one of, if not the first book saying low carb is healthier for you than what the USDA's food pyramid said was healthy at the time. At the time the food pyramid said a lot of starches such as breads, potatoes, grains and pasta was the largest food grouping for you to eat.
Thirty years later this book is still relevant. If you struggle with being hungry all the time, this is worth the read. Make sure you understand what it tells you to do. It is very healthy and absolutely works.
March 21, 2011
I heard about this book from a fellow patient at physical therapy and my curiosity was piqued. It has a questionnaire that you take to find out if you are a carb addict. I scored in the severe addict range, big shocker.
The book explains that those who are sensitive to carbs have an excess of insulin released (from eating too many carbs), which makes you think you're hungry (for carbs) when you're really not, and disrupts the production of serotonin, which helps you to feel full and satisfied.
The idea is that you restrict your carb intake to one meal a day, so that you don't get the constant triggering of insulin over-production. It all makes a lot of sense to me. I've been on the diet for 2 weeks so far, with good results. I've lost weight, but I've also felt more energetic and less tired than I have in a long, long time.
I guess time will tell how I fare with it in the long run.
The book explains that those who are sensitive to carbs have an excess of insulin released (from eating too many carbs), which makes you think you're hungry (for carbs) when you're really not, and disrupts the production of serotonin, which helps you to feel full and satisfied.
The idea is that you restrict your carb intake to one meal a day, so that you don't get the constant triggering of insulin over-production. It all makes a lot of sense to me. I've been on the diet for 2 weeks so far, with good results. I've lost weight, but I've also felt more energetic and less tired than I have in a long, long time.
I guess time will tell how I fare with it in the long run.
March 11, 2017
It works. Go to dietsinreview.com for some outstanding comments, but don't just read the book and leave a review. That's not fair. Give it a try. I found it worked great.
November 13, 2018
An excellent change in approach to dieting. Working for me.
August 21, 2011
Easy to follow, and fairly to the point. The inclusion of participant anecdotes was informative and helpful. I like that the rules are simple and easy to remember. There are lots of useful tools, such as lists of foods to avoid that you wouldn't realize are high in carbohydrates, a sample menu, and a chart for recording and averaging your weight in order to get an accurate portrayal of your weight loss. I appreciated that there was an extensive chapter of potential recipes to use; it makes following the rules easier as well as providing a way to get variety. I'm excited to attempt this lifestyle change and improve my health/appearance.
January 23, 2014
I was on this diet about 15 years ago….I lost 35 pounds, and I had a "club" of ladies wanting to know how did I lose weight and still ate regular food. My club grew to 12 women, and some follow to the letter, and others hopeless. But for me, it was easy, and I stayed on this way of eating for 3 years. I had to get off because, it got too skinny. Thats because I was eating 2 meals after I did the 2 week start. Now I've gained 35+ and decide to do it again. I was hoping there was a modify or updated book, but its still the same. I pretty much know it by heart. The diet works. I was so surprise how simple it is, and people still muck it up.lol any way, here I go again.
May 20, 2013
If you are helpless infront of rice (or any other starch), this book is written for you. All I can say is that in about three months I've lost about 22lbs, and the credit goes to this book. If you realy are a cabo-addict, then this book, coupled with some cardio-vascular is going to do wonders. I recommend a quick read through the whole book the day you get it (!) and then a more detailed review later by highlighting whatever looks useful to you.
April 12, 2013
This book changed the way I see myself as an eater. I have been constantly battling with binge eating and starvation it order to lose weight and obsessing over meals and snacks. I hope this diet will continue helping my cravings stay under control and bring me down to the weight I always wanted to be, but could never wish to reach without killing myself working out 5-7 days a week.
September 11, 2015
Great read. Inspirational and motivating. I've struggled with carb issues. I always gain weight the minute I have a carb. But once I have a carb, I want another one. This diet let's you binge every day and lose weight!!! Only a few rules to follow, and they are easy. Without carbs, I don't crave them and lose weight effortlessly. Highly recommended! Great case studies in there as well.
Currently reading
February 19, 2008I'm not one to suggest a diet, but this isn't a diet. If you're one of those people miserable or starving yourself to lose weight or be healthy... this book is for you. If you don't like it, no harm no foul. It's changed my life, but it doesn't have to be for you. :)
January 4, 2020
Makes sense to restrict/limit carbs to regulate and reduce insulin release especially for those who may have developed insulin resistance. My niece shared this book with me and has been very successful following it.
October 3, 2009
There was a lot of good information in this book, but I don't buy all of it. It explains a lot about insulin, and how you can get too much of it from eating too many carbs, which will make you think you're hungry (for carbs) when you're really not, and will even hamper your brain's production of seratonin, which is supposed to tell you when you're full. I admit that I still don't understand very much about it, but I understand a lot more than I did before reading this book.
There are some great ideas about improving eating habits. I plan to use many of their ideas, although I will never go on the "carb addicts diet." I like the idea of being very, very good about what you eat most of the time, and they say you can eat whatever you want for one meal per day. That one meal must last no longer than 60 minutes and it must still be balanced evenly between carbs, protein, and vegetables. I actually like that idea, and I can see how it might help with cravings, and so on.
What I don't like is that for the rest of the day, they urge their readers to eat practically no carbs at all outside of the daily "reward meal." I was extremely skeptical of this diet when I read how Dr. Rachel was first inspired to develop the idea for this diet: she ate nothing all day (because of some sort of medical test that requred fasting before), and then noticed that when dinner time came, she was not craving sweets as usual. So, the idea is that if you eat practically no carbs all day, your insulin doesn't go up and tell you that you want more carbs. Then, for dinner (or whatever meal you decide for your "reward" meal), you can eat whatever you want, but if you keep it within one hour, your insulin goes up once. If you keep eating beyond the hour, your insulin will supposedly spike again and tell you that you want more dessert.
Now I'm not sure if "addict" is exactly the right word, but for lack of a better one ... if there is such a thing, then I am definitely one. If anyone was ever addicted to sweets, it's me. I have a terrible sweet tooth. If anyone ever wants to go back for more dessert, it's me. I plan to incorporate ideas from this diet, but eating almost no carbs other than one meal doesn't sound healthy to me. These authors don't distinguish between "good carbs" and "bad carbs" because any type of carbs will raise your insulin. But it just doesn't seem healthy to me, to say you can have absolutely no bread or fruit at all, but in your reward meal you can have pie or ice cream or whatever. How many "carb addicts" are going to incorporate whole-grain carbs in their "reward dinner" when they could be choosing dessert? These people are losing weight, I don't doubt that, but it can't be healthy if somewhere close to 0% of their carbs are complex carbs.
I'm going to adjust the diet to be a little closer to what I think is actually healthy, and re-read The Culprit and the Cure for additional inspiration :)
There are some great ideas about improving eating habits. I plan to use many of their ideas, although I will never go on the "carb addicts diet." I like the idea of being very, very good about what you eat most of the time, and they say you can eat whatever you want for one meal per day. That one meal must last no longer than 60 minutes and it must still be balanced evenly between carbs, protein, and vegetables. I actually like that idea, and I can see how it might help with cravings, and so on.
What I don't like is that for the rest of the day, they urge their readers to eat practically no carbs at all outside of the daily "reward meal." I was extremely skeptical of this diet when I read how Dr. Rachel was first inspired to develop the idea for this diet: she ate nothing all day (because of some sort of medical test that requred fasting before), and then noticed that when dinner time came, she was not craving sweets as usual. So, the idea is that if you eat practically no carbs all day, your insulin doesn't go up and tell you that you want more carbs. Then, for dinner (or whatever meal you decide for your "reward" meal), you can eat whatever you want, but if you keep it within one hour, your insulin goes up once. If you keep eating beyond the hour, your insulin will supposedly spike again and tell you that you want more dessert.
Now I'm not sure if "addict" is exactly the right word, but for lack of a better one ... if there is such a thing, then I am definitely one. If anyone was ever addicted to sweets, it's me. I have a terrible sweet tooth. If anyone ever wants to go back for more dessert, it's me. I plan to incorporate ideas from this diet, but eating almost no carbs other than one meal doesn't sound healthy to me. These authors don't distinguish between "good carbs" and "bad carbs" because any type of carbs will raise your insulin. But it just doesn't seem healthy to me, to say you can have absolutely no bread or fruit at all, but in your reward meal you can have pie or ice cream or whatever. How many "carb addicts" are going to incorporate whole-grain carbs in their "reward dinner" when they could be choosing dessert? These people are losing weight, I don't doubt that, but it can't be healthy if somewhere close to 0% of their carbs are complex carbs.
I'm going to adjust the diet to be a little closer to what I think is actually healthy, and re-read The Culprit and the Cure for additional inspiration :)
July 14, 2016
I have mixed reviews on this book. While I can see the positives of a diet like this (not feeling deprived of favorite foods and being able to lose weight), there are also negatives I see. During your reward meal, which you eat once a day, you can eat ANYTHING you want. While the eat within an hour rule may help you to lose weight (I'm not certain though. I've never tested it), I can't imagine eating the recommended margarine (full of trans fats), two desserts (full of refined sugars and trans fats), Cheetos (who even knows what those are made of), etc are good ingredients for a healthy lifestyle, especially when eaten every day. Sure the authors say your meal needs to be balanced, but getting in a few extra vitamins from certain foods doesn't wipe out the damage you're doing with the others. So maybe you can lose weight with this diet, and if weight loss is what's important to you over health, I say go for it. I lost all my weight giving up refined sugar, alcohol, and junk and I also never feel deprived. I feel healthy on top of that. To each their own though.
August 11, 2009
This book really helped me understand why I was having problems losing the amt. of weight I wanted. When I followed the advice given I lost weight rapidly, even from the very beginning. It gives good, sensible advice along with some tasty recipies. If you are serious about this diet then I also recommend getting the additional carbohydrate counter book that lists all the foods and their carb. contents- you'll be surprised what you find out!
January 21, 2011
The book was a good one at the time. There has been subsequent research in this field that could stand to be updated. I really enjoyed the book at the time I read it, which was some time in 2000 or 2001? I followed the diet on and off for a time, but over time, the low carb lifestyle was difficult to maintain and I have since stopped following this diet.
July 13, 2012
My nurse practitioner recommended this book to me. My blood sugar is a concern (trying to prevent diabetes), so I'm trying to improve my diet. The nurse says this diet works for her and many of her patients, but I know I'd never be able to keep it up. I have to eat fruit whenever I want it! I think it could work well for someone more disciplined.
October 2, 2011
Not for me, or for me to recommend either. Spawned many other diets including Bodytrim I reckon. Have a day off your diet and eat McDonalds. That's basically how I saw people doing this diet.
However, I enjoyed reading it.
However, I enjoyed reading it.
July 2, 2008
Great book --after I ate it, I still weighed the same. HA!
It teaches you how to eat without craving sugar.
now back to some birthday cake and a mountain dew...
It teaches you how to eat without craving sugar.
now back to some birthday cake and a mountain dew...
August 15, 2011
This diet expects you to go without carbs all say until dinner. Not possible for me.
November 30, 2016
Excelente libro, permite comprender la importante relación que existe entre la insulina y esa necesidad imperiosa de comer esos alimentos ricos en carbohidratos, realmente recomendado.
November 13, 2019
Too many testimonials. The ratio of puff to content was way out of balance.
June 16, 2024
The book is old (over 30 years) so the information may be outdated. The diet laid out in this book seems like an interesting concept. It's different than any other diet I've heard of.
The book is written well and is easy to follow, containing not only the how-to, but also the biological mechanisms, how they work and why this particular diet may be helpful for a particular group of people - the "Carbohydrate Addicts".
A word of note: after reading this book, I brought it to the attention of a dietician friend of mine. After explaining the idea behind the diet and why it works, my dietician friend said it didn't make total sense. She suspects that while the results may be positive, the reasoning behind them is different from the book's claim. Even more so, she continued, if the book's claim is correct - that carbohydrate addicts produce too much insulin - that would be evidence for type 1 diabetes. There obviously isn't anything harmful about the diet, it only may be lacking in information.
In summary, by all means, read the book, try the diet, but consult your doctor, continue your own nutrition research, and don't allow this book to be your absolute biological education.
The book is written well and is easy to follow, containing not only the how-to, but also the biological mechanisms, how they work and why this particular diet may be helpful for a particular group of people - the "Carbohydrate Addicts".
A word of note: after reading this book, I brought it to the attention of a dietician friend of mine. After explaining the idea behind the diet and why it works, my dietician friend said it didn't make total sense. She suspects that while the results may be positive, the reasoning behind them is different from the book's claim. Even more so, she continued, if the book's claim is correct - that carbohydrate addicts produce too much insulin - that would be evidence for type 1 diabetes. There obviously isn't anything harmful about the diet, it only may be lacking in information.
In summary, by all means, read the book, try the diet, but consult your doctor, continue your own nutrition research, and don't allow this book to be your absolute biological education.
July 19, 2022
Very interesting book that I read quite quickly. This book is from the 90s and outlines a carb-addicted person. Are you hungry all the time? Do you obsess over food? Are you unable to stop eating when you want? Do you have a hard time controlling yourself around pasta/chips/rice/bread/fruit/desserts? Then you might be a carbohydrate addict. This book discusses the authors’ experiences with their own addictions and outlines how they stopped being addicts and lost some weight along the way. They share a lot of case studies from people they have helped through their clinic whether that person wanted to lose weight or just didn’t want to be a slave to their stomach. There were quite a few people I related too and I did score relatively high in their carb addict quiz. All this has helped me decide a low-carb diet is a good match for me. I’m unsure whether I will follow their plan (which is actually very flexible and changeable depending on what kind of results you want and the results that you actually get) or be more loose about it, but I will definitely use their advice.
April 27, 2021
I'm revisiting this book after many years. I followed it to the letter back then lost weight over many months and convinced after trying for a year. I have tried many other ways of eating and forgot all about it till I ran across it at a thrift shop. I know at this age in my life results may be different but it time to try to get this carb cravings in check!
It is easy to follow and understand. Best of luck to all.
It is easy to follow and understand. Best of luck to all.
June 4, 2025
Read this book around the year 2000. My husband and I were going to Ireland and I wanted to lose a few pounds. Between The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet and Flex Breathing, I went from a size 12 to a size 6 in 1 month! The diet works and knowing that reward meal is just a day away helps. Started it again yesterday because I want to lose 10 lbs. I'm 67 yo now so it might take a bit longer but I know the diet will work!
June 21, 2021
Very insightful ideas, tricks reality check. It worked for me until i started to cheat. Then it was game over. Back to the drawing board
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May 28, 2011I'm reading this to learn more about carbs addiction, not necessarily to find a diet. I truly am a carb addict - I cannot stop at one piece (or even 3) of bread or dessert.
***Update: I've officially given up on this book. It makes a lot of sense, but I have too little willpower and too little desire to actually change my life. I just can't see myself eating salad at breakfast! I need cereal to start my day. ***
***Update: I've officially given up on this book. It makes a lot of sense, but I have too little willpower and too little desire to actually change my life. I just can't see myself eating salad at breakfast! I need cereal to start my day. ***
Read
February 21, 2012The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet: The Lifelong Solution to Yo-Yo Dieting (Signet) by Rachael F. Heller (1993)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews