Customer Reviews

The Bread for Life Diet: The High-on-Carbs Weight-Loss Plan

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When a friend of mine sent me an advance copy of this book, I was a bit hesitant. We have had it pounded in our head over and over again that carbs are bad and make us fat. However, I was two months away from a tropical vacation and wanted to lose weight before hitting the beach. So I took the book and gave it try. What did I have to lose? I will tell you. I lost 17 pounds in six weeks following Olga Raz's amazing diet. And, I didn't feel hungry, frustrated, or dissatisfied with the food choices available on the diet. For six weeks, I ate delicious breads with a wide variety of fillings, tasty salads, soups and stews, vegetables with lean meats (chicken and fish mainly, but I did have filet mignon a couple of times), whole grain pastas, and brown rice with stir fried veggies. I even had wine a couple of times a week with my meals. I didn't even feel like I was on a diet and did not have cravings for sweets and other junk foods like I did when I tried Atkins and South Beach (both diets that were harder to follow and I did not feel good on these diets). One unexpected perk of this diet was that had a ton of energy to exercise, go walking, and do the things I enjoy to do in my spare time.

Another interesting fact with this diet is that it is much cheaper than the Atkins diet -- bread, vegetables, and pastas are much cheaper than meat (and much better for your cholesterol). Olga even has some recipes in the book to give the diet more variety.

I now fit in my clothes again and the Bread for Life Diet has really taught me how to eat in a whole new way (smaller meals, several times throughout the day). I feel better, look better, eat better, and I have Olga Raz to thank for it.

If you want to lose weight in an easy, healthy, and affordable way and keep it off, try this diet.

I love this book and diet! I have tried and tried to lose weight the last few years. Menopause has stalled everything! I am a bread lover from way back and I could never be successful on a low carb, high protein diet...though I tried. I just happened to pass this book in a bookstore and thought my prayers must have been answered! I (nor my family) can believe that I can lose weight eating 5 sandwiches a day! And, yet I am! I am not hungry, have tons of energy and DO NOT CRAVE SWEETS! It's wonderful and I will stick with this plan. A loaf of bread every two days....who would have thought it possible. I encourage anyone who's tried and failed at high protein, low carbs to give this plan a try!

Of the bad reviews I've read, I can tell that the writers of these reviewers have not read the actual book. You need to read the entire book to see how it works and understand it. This diet works by increasing the consumption of whole grains, such as whole grain breads or pastas, to increase serotonin levels and keep them up. Protein and sugars raise serotonin quickly but soon after it drops fast. Serotonin controls things such as moods, but also can contribute to hunger. The increased serotonin levels cause you to not feel as hungry along with the fact that you eat every three to four hours.

If you doubt the science or healthfulness behind this diet, read the book first. Saying that people who say low carb diets make them feel sick are just whining is a bunch of crap. I could hardly last a week on a low carb diet without feeling tired, cranky, unhappy, and sick. Some people handle these things better that others.

I also highly recommend this diet for those suffering from depression. I've been battling depression and anxiety for a few months now and since I've started this diet, I've never felt better. The increase in serotonin levels along with increasing physical activity in conjunction with any professional treatment you've been perscribed by a doctor can be a wonderful therapy for these diseases. Not to mention it's helping me to lose the weight I've gained after months of eating ice cream and cookies when I was sad, which ended up being a daily occurance for awhile!

So, in conclusion, I highly recommend this for carb lovers and if you doubt this diet, read the book. The concept seems much healthier, in my opinion, than Atkins.

Just ordered this book. Began the program nearly a week ago from the article on this diet in a recent Woman's World magazine. I love bread and am happy to be able to eat it once again while still remaining on a weight conscious eating program. I have tried high protein, low to no starchy carbs in the past and they are much too hard for me to remain faithful to long-term. Whole grains in the form of bread or brown rice with lots of vegetables and smaller portions of protein is an eating method I am comfortable with and can adopt with little or no effort. (Stir fry is a favorite meal). Too much protein causes me to have headaches. I followed Atkins for months and never lost my craving for sweets and could not lose weight with the high amounts of fat consumed in the meat portions. If you have researched Atkins, he himself states that there are people who cannot lose weight on his plan without practicing low fat consumption as well as low carbs. It's unfair to criticize a diet plan because it doesn't suit you, personally, and particularly if you haven't read the program or practiced it first-hand. Everyone's body responds in its own way to different foods. And Women's bodies do not respond the same as men's. That's human nature. I have friends who follow Weight Watchers and love it - they are slim and feel good. Same for Low Carb, or Low Fat. Several years ago I followed a plan similar to this one and with only addiing cycling every day as exercise lost 30 lbs. in three months. Unfortunately I went back to my old habits of high fat and high sugar and am overweight once again. With a loss of 5lbs in less than a week and feeling as if I'm not on a diet other than having to eat so frequently, it's a keeper for me. Many find comfort in a T-bone steak or a plate of ribs - I find mine in bread. By the way, I emailed Ms. Raz with a question and she was kind enough to answer me. If I continue to lose weight and "stay happy", I'll add another "STAR".

This book capitalizes on the latest research that shows complex carbs are really good and necessary. It suggests a varied diet that includes carbs, but only the complex ones, not the refined ones or simple sugars. On the one hand, it says you have to eat bread, but upon reading it, you see that you can make exchanges, such as tortillas, oatmeal, and other grains for your daily bread.

One reason this diet may work (but be hard to follow) is that it suggests very little saturated fat, a limited selection of meats, and no sugar. Also lots of fluids. You are basically restricting yourself to a small range of choices. The author says too many choices create a cafeteria style of eating where you eat too much because you sample it all.

Overall, I liked the book and found it easy to understand. It is basic nutrition advice that you can find a lot of places now. I found it a bit confusing to follow exactly what you are supposed to eat and when. I think this material would have been better presented as an article with a food choice chart.

That said, it was a quick read and good reinforcement of simple nutrition principles. Enjoy!

I get to eat bread and you don't. The 2 bad reviewers HAVE NOT read the book. Don't have to be a psychic to figure that out. This diet allows u to eat meat and anything else healthy really. The bread IN THIS BOOK on equals around 600 cals or less for 12 slices! and yes u can buy it at the store. any walmart. This book recommends a very commom sense diet. It never makes since to write a review on a book you have not read. and yes you eat protein, not just yogurt, but chicken, pork, etc. THIS IS A GREAT DIET. I started losing weight within 2 days of beginning this diet. Is it water weight like with Atkins? Don't know, but I know this is one I can stick to, and Atkins is one that I can't.

Last year my New Year's resolution (as it is every New Year) was to lose 40-50 pounds. With no "real plan" on how to do it -- I found myself at Costco in April looking to buy a cheap pair of 44 inch waist jeans for my 41st birthday, and found out according to the Costco customer service rep that "Costco doesn't sell jeans that big."

Embarrassed and determined to never set foot into a Men's Big and Tall store, I considered once again an Atkins Diet (which never worked long term) and then I read about the Bread for Life Diet in a magazine.

The book seemed to make a lot of sense to me because the church I belong to has a particular "health code" where we're counseled to "Eat Meat Sparingly" and that "Grain is the Staff of Life." So I ordered the book, and found it to be a Godsend for me.

Talk about easy! Hello bread ... and goodbye to 61 pounds in 8 months! Once I understood how my mind reacts to different foods (as described in detail by the author) -- this book makes a lot of sense.

When I started, I thought once I lost 40 pounds that I'd feel good and stop. But honestly, as easy as this plan is to follow, I've reset my goal to lose another 15 pounds, which will comfortably put me into a pair of 34 inch jeans.

Best advise I can offer to anyone looking to lose weight -- don't just buy the book and skim thru it. READ IT, FOLLOW IT and you'll be amazed at the results!

Best wishes!

Robert in Utah

PS -- my wife, sister, and friends have lost weight following the principles in this book too.

I just read the two reviews that are on here and for two atikins diet users to give negative reviews doesnt give it justice. One guy said on a high carb det he got fat, he got fat becsaue he ate more calories then his body burned. I read this book and loved it. I used to eat relaly high protien and moderate carbs for a reason i didnt know of. Then i read started eating a loaf and a half of whole wheat bread a week and lowered my protien. My results shot through the roof. Once you see that almost all diets ( yes even this one) are fad diets becasue it comes down to eating less calories then you burn in a day. Plain and simple you can't reverse it sorry. I am in the best shape of my life and i eat bread everyday and yes it's very satisfying along with moderate protien (about 80 grams a day) and moderate fat. Eating less carbs is a good way to lose weight why? Less calories again. This book is great showing how low-carb diets are the dumbest diets.

As long as these carbs are fruits, grains, veges, potatoes, oatmeal stuff like this (healthy carbs) then theres no need to lower them.

It's nice to see a book about this with almost everyone in the world being an expert in nutrition now i guess becsaue they know what a carb is. I havent known anyone to die from eating a high-carb diet. Eat a peice of bread lifes to short enjoy your foods and to me eating chicken on a plate and not on a sandwich is boring and won't last long.

So to say the least is was good i gave it a four because some things in the book i just didn't think were neccesary other then this it's a good read.

High-carb and loving it, enjoy your life

First of all you eat Light bread (i.e. 40 cal per slice max). Second of all you can't eat all day - you have to have 4 hour breaks. Third, you do NOT eat beef or pork, just chicken and turkey (without the skin and the fat etc.), Third - NO SUGARS!!! no candies, chocolates, sugar in your coffee etc. Fourht - no potatoes. And the list goes on. The good thing though is that there are a lot of YES's. You are not hungry and after a couple of days of adjustment - you get in to the program if eating every 4 hours. So far - 7 days int the program - 9 pounds off. And I should exersise more and would probably would have lose more. In any case - worth 14 bucks!
:)

I tried this diet just because all the other diets I've tried haven't worked for me, but I still want to lose weight, and I didn't know what else to do! For the record, I've tried Atkins, the Zone, SugarBusters, the Schwarzbein Principle, Fat Loss for Idiots, Slim-Fast...I think that's it).

I was really afraid at first that I'd gain weight fast, eating all the bread. However, when you really look carefully at the diet, it's not what it sounds like. For example, a woman should eat at most 12 slices of lite bread a day (and at least 8 slices, I think. I always eat 12.). Each slice is 40 calories (some brands are 35). That's at most 480 calories of bread. That's really not that much! The sandwich fillings are very thin --- that's very important --- but they can consist of protein, fat, or other carbs. The vegetables are unlimited.

I'm not going to list all the diet rules, but I feel like I am eating lots of other stuff besides bread each day. The sandwiches are satisfying and tasty. It feels like there's plenty to eat.

I've had big problems with diets causing digestive problems: bloating, gas, discomfort. This diet seems to be very friendly to my digestive system and I feel physically better than I have in a long time. I also feel that my mood has improved.

I've lost 3.8 lbs so far (I'm still in the first week, in Stage I). I feel really positive about this diet. It's easy and it's working. Even I, who has no time at all, can throw a few sandwiches together each day. Some diets have such complicated meal plans, there's just no way a busy person could possibly have time to follow them.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone who is curious, especially if the high-protein thing hasn't worked for you. It seems obvious that no one diet will work for everyone, but I have always been hopeful that something would work for me, and now I have found it.