Customer Reviews

Dr. David Reuben's Quick Weight-Gain Program (tm): Safe, Easy Weight Gain for Every Age and Situation

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I don't believe this book turns you into a glutton!! I am very underweight, and need 20 pounds on me. Nothing else has helped me. Not "eating healthy" or eating "empty calories" it doesn;t encourage you to be a gluttonous pig. it says about the recipes "eat as much as you can" thats not a glutton to me!!! Eating as much as you can till you feel full. Apparently some of these people in the reviews are not that seriously uderweight from what I get. No other book has shown me how tp pack in the calories and get the most out of gaining weight. And it doesn;t encourage eating junk food. It even recommeds certain vegeatbles to eat during the six-month-period. If your seriously underwieght, this book is for you.

Another thing: it will not turn "skinny people" into fat people, if you're underweight, its not gonna happen. Anyone who is underweight will not look back and say "gee I wish I was 20 pounds underweight again. That is not what I call the good ol days. I think this book is very helpful.

As someone who has been attempting to gain weight for years, I was excited to find this title. However, while there were some helpful suggestions about caloric content and certain foods which I can use, I have problems with various aspects. I don't wish to deny that this program could work for gaining weight; however, the book encourages people to gain weight by using the diet for a limited time, after which one can resume a healthy, lower-fat diet. There is never an indication of how one is supposed to keep weight on after returning to a normal diet. It isn't scientifically possible - your metabolism doesn't slow down just because you've eaten junk for 6 months. (Moreover, we hear constantly about people who diet to LOSE weight and then gain it back as soon as the diet is over.) This brings me to another problem - the diet basically recommends just that - eating a lot of junk. Not exactly rocket science. Another point to be taken here: even people who are very slim can have high cholesterol. This method isn't concerned with health and doesn't account for other risk factors, not to mention how sluggish and de-energized one can feel on a high-fat diet. There is ample medical evidence that the risks of being overweight are far greater than those of being a little underweight. This is outright denied and reversed in the book (while no studies to the contrary are cited). Many examples of people's proportions given in the book indicate that they are not drastically underweight but are within a standard deviation of the norm, which, especially for a small-boned person or a quite active person, isn't a big deal; however, it is spoken of as being 'severely underweight' and at risk for all sorts of evil things. I also had a problem with the way in which society's standards of beauty and sexiness are constantly held up as goals, rather than being questioned or criticized. (It is no better than the sad and dangerous pressure on larger people, especially women, to be thin). There was something very eerie about this man 'directing' young women to shape their bodies to a certain standard. His descriptions of meeting with patients (male and female) are strangely patronizing - patients address him as "Doctor" in every sentence, and constantly praise his work. (Or maybe I'm just sick of the tiring self-agrandizing tone of self-help-book 'experts'.) While we might like to gain a little weight, I don't think it helps to be constantly reminded that no one likes to look at a thin person. The drastic problems associated with this were unbelievable - i.e. never being able to sit comfortably because you are too boney, having a partner look horrified when they hug you because your thinness is so unattractive, 'small breasts' being considered evidence of a major health problem!, etc... It's hard enough to remember that people can be attractive and normal at a range of sizes, shapes and body types, without being labelled inadequate. My impression was that the author felt the need to scare would-be followers by drastically exaggerating all potential problems in order to sell his case - an unnecessary approach, as anyone who was reading had already bought the book and was already interested in the issue. I also want to comment that the 'soup can' approach to weight lifting isn't likely to make any difference. To shape, tone and especially to put on any bulk, the weight you lift needs to be very high, with few, slow repetitions of the exercises. Even at this, it takes ages to become much larger. I remain hopeful for some healthier models for how to put on a few pounds.

This book is exactly what it says: A quick weight gain program. It certainly isn't for anyone, but it works. Because of my height I was having trouble gaining weight ever since, but this book has turned me into a normal looking person. However, I strongly suggest that you make a diet-plan for the "time after", so that you can stay on the weight you wanted. This diet is nothing for a lifetime, but I thouroughly enjoyed the success it brought me. Another hint: Work out while you stay on the diet -despite what the author says- and the results will look much better.

I gave this book five stars because it told me what it would do, and did it. I never thought I of all people could gain a pound per week. I'm obviously very happy about it. I was a little confused by one reader's comment about not knowing what to do when you had reached your ideal weight. It seems to me thats the point when you go off the diet. I dunno. As far as health concerns, the author convinced me that my health is more at risk by being underweight than by eating a high-fat diet to achieve a normal, healthy weight. The recipes are a big help and the tips for doing it are great, in my opinion. I wish I had known about this book sooner in my life....I heartily recommend it to anyone who is underweight and doesn't want to be.

Prior to buying this book I was 6'4" 165 lbs. I've tried many different things to gain weight (I once got up to 180 through weight lifting and protein shakes, but came back down). It's hard unless you make eating more a habit and know how to do it, which this book explains. After just about two months with this books help, I've gained 17 pounds and I now weigh 182 (and climbing). The one shortcoming of the book is that it should include a basic exercise section, so that the new weight doesn't just go to your gut, which it probably will if you don't work out some. Overall, definitely a good buy which will provide you with real help in gaining weight. It includes mealplans and tips to get more calories, which is the strongest area of the book.

I have been UNUSUALLY stick-thin all my life, and I heard all the "Oh you should be happy you can eat and eat and not gain weight, " and"I wish I had your metabolism." Well being close to 30 with no womanly figure, no hips, no butt, no thighs, no chest, is not something to be envious of.
This books really did help me to understand that yes, I was eating, but I had to just be more focused on picking the foods I could get the most calories from.
I gained the most weight I have been my whole life, unfortunately I lost it as fast as I gained it. I gave my book to a friend, and am ordering another copy for myself, I know if it worked once, it can work again..but you have to really work at maintaining it...like ANY weight program.

The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars was because he doesnt go into much detail about how to maintain, but I did gain 8 pounds within one month..which is a record for me!

This is a great book for anyone who wants/needs to gain weight. The author understands the problems that go with being underweight. He provides easy to use menus and advice for quick weight gain without fads or extreme diets you can't follow. I've gained 10 lbs. in 8 weeks, without a lot of effort and will reach my goal of 10 more.

As a 5'0", 85 lbs. vegetarian, I feared I'd never find any information on how to gain weight. Dr. Reuben's book has a section for vegetarians. His book doesn't recommend eating a high-fat diet for your entire life. (See previous reviews.) I asked other vegetarians about gaining weight, but no one could help me. Americans are mostly OVERWEIGHT so if you are underweight, this book has a lot of good information. Big helpful hint: The Body Mass Index is explained very well in plain English. You can use it yourself to determine your normal weight, make your goals, and determine how much you need to gain. SOME fat on your body is healthy and normal. Too much is as bad as too little. (I know a woman who is very, very thin and she's often in the hospital.) Give the book a fair try. In my opinion, his writing of vegetarian concerns wasn't negative or insensitive.

The book had some good tips on how to maximize calories in food selections. However,the book possibly encourages bad practices, such as habitually eating in front of the TV. Many children are overweight due to this practice. It suggests that it will be OK for the reader to eat fatty foods because the program will only last six months. It is stated that the people who die as a result of their eating habits have eaten that way for many, many years. For the reader, it will only be 6 months. Yet, I never found any instruction on how to resume proper eating habits and maintain the weight after the 6-month period. Perhaps I missed it. What am I supposed to do after the six months has ended? Also, vigorous exercise is apparently discouraged because it would burn vital calories. Instead, the book suggests "body-molding" exercises which are supposed to shape the fat. However, it is preferrable to gain muscle weight as opposed to "fat" weight. Therefore, exercise (preferably weight-training) is recommendable. It seems to me that this book promotes an unhealthy lifestyle as a means to gain weight without telling the reader how he/she can resume healthful diet patterns once the six-month period is over. It seems that this book is a recipe for obesity. I thought that most North Americans in this country were already overweight as it is. It's likely that if a person follows the regimen outlined in this book, they probably will gain weight, but not in a healthy way. They may end up overweight or worse. They also may end up longing for their "slimmer" days. I want to gain weight, I feel that I need to, but I want to become healthier, not fatter. This book may work for some people, and I may be completely off on my review of the book, but the information struck me as being unhealthful in the long run. I'm certainly no nutrition expert, but I am an athletic person and I would like to stay that way. However, when it comes to people who need to gain weight due to special health problems (such as disease, etc.) the book may help a great deal.

A very interesting and unique method of gaining weight. Some information that has never been shown before. A must for the underweight.