Customer Reviews

The Leptin Diet: How Fit Is Your Fat? (Take Charge)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

If you want the correct information about leptin, this is the book you will want to read. Byron Richards is a clinical nutritionist and the only author writing about leptin that will give you the correct information; the only author that will tell you the truth. It is easy to read and the science is represented in a format that is easily understood. What you learn will turn conventional thought on its ear. Other than the new science about the discovery (in 1996), importance and function of leptin, most of the nutritional science explained has been known for decades. Richards explains it in a way your biology teacher never could. Even doctors that know this science have fallen prey to the pervasive myths about diet in this country and are not giving patients correct information to change weight and improve health. My practitioner hadn't even heard of leptin and it is one of the biggest discoveries ever, in human biology.

I purchased all three of the books on Amazon dealing with leptin. (see my other reviews) The Leptin Diet is the only book that tells you the truth about the ever important issue of snacking. Richards is incredibly thorough in explaining what happens when your body is digesting the food you just ate and how snacking disrupts that crucial process leading to leptin resistance, insulin resistance and obesity. Eating according to Byron Richards' 5 Rules will restore the natural function of your hormones (particularly leptin and insulin)and is the only way to take weight off and keep it off. Don't be mislead by the title. This actually isn't a diet as we are all used to interpreting that word, but is actually the way all humans ought to be eating. I've tried many diets (the reason my leptin was out of whack) including Weight Watchers. I always lost weight but had cravings for sweets and carbs while dieting that continually derailed the effort and made it especially hard to keep off the pounds lost. Richards explains why this happens with dieting and why, when you lose weight following the 5 Rules, your body is forever rid of cravings and your weight will stablize for life. Following the 5 Rules is an easy way to eat: three meals a day, no snacking, and not eating after dinner are three of the rules that turn people off right away. I know what you're thinking as you read this---I can't do that, I need my snacks to get me through the day and at night to help me sleep. My reaction was the same and I argued with a friend recommending this book why it was necessary to eat every 3 hours which is what we've all been taught since the late 70's. When my friend told me about the 5 Rules, one being to allow 5-6 hours between meals, I knew, immediately, I could not do it. Well, I proved myself wrong.

After the first 2 days, I could easily go 5 hours between meals and be satisfied. I now eat 3 meals a day eating whatever I like with the correct portions of protein and complex carbs. Remember when Americans used to eat like this? I'm 50 years old and when I was a kid we ate this way, running outside to play between meals. Our bodies were doing the work of digestion and calorie burning while we went about the business of living. I no longer snack between meals nor do I need a snack at night. In fact, the problem I have had with insomnia since college is gone. I had very little energy to get through a single day before reading this book. Now, I have more energy than I know what to do with, I no longer crave sugar and simple carbohydrates, I no longer need a nap every afternoon, and I am losing weight every day. The changes have been pretty dramatic for my friends, as well. If someone told me a few months ago that I would drink my coffee without sweetner or turn down dessert because it sounded too sweet, I would have told them flat out that they, obviously, didn't know anything about me. I think the biggest example of change that says it all for me was the day I realized that the chocolate bar on the kitchen counter had been there for a week without me really paying attention to it. The changes sneak up on you just like that as your body enjoys the changes you have made.

I predict The Leptin Diet will become the revelation this culture needs to face up the fact that we are not being given correct information from our government or the media. Snack food companies have a lot to lose if we all stop eating between meals. Snacking has become a national obsession and the advertising by these companies perpetuate it. Moreso, EATING has become a national obsession, not the natural bodily need it used to be. The human body isn't designed to be ingesting food all day. Richards will explain to you why the myth of eating 6 small meals a day is completely unhealthy. If you love your potato chips and cookies, you can choose to eat them as part of your meal, but you will probably find yourself disinterested in them after your body is back in hormonal balance. I know you have probably heard this before, but this book truly changed my life. Every human body needs this book.

Mastering Leptin: The Leptin Diet, Solving Obesity and Preventing Disease, Second Edition

after having read Byron J. Richards's recommendations my daughter and I started to apply them right away.
Two years ago, shortly before my daughter's 18th birthday, we were both diagnosed with prediabetes and I additionally with high cholesterol and hypertension and given 1000 mg metformin/glucophage twice a day. As we did not want to rely on medication we both went on a almost no-carb-diet. A year later we both had lost a lot of weight and gotten rid of all medications, but then, after about one and a half years of no-carb, the weight started to creep up again, even 'though we were still adhering to these stringent rules, living almost exclusively on protein and having about 5 meals per day. Moreover, we felt totally drained of energy, which was worse than regaining the weight.
So far we are losing weight very slowly, promising but not spectacular, but there are no mood swings, no signs of hypoglycimia, my daughter's acne is clearing up, and most importantly, we are full of energy again and our quality of life has improved tremendously.
We live in Europe. Low- or no-carb is still considered exotic here and you really stick out not eating this or that at friends' homes or when ordering in a restaurant. Now we can just share what everyone else is having as long as we apply the simple rules outlined in this book. "The Leptin Diet: How Fit Is Your Fat" does an excellent job in outlining the main principles. However, if you want to know more you should also read "Mastering Leptin: The Leptin Diet, Solving Obestity and Preventing Disease" by the same author, which I found extremely informative, a must have, about hormonal balance and metabolism.
I recommend the first book to everyone, who wants to get a quick start and the second one to those, who are not only trying to lose some pounds, but also knowingly improve their health.

I thought that this book would contain actual recipes and food plans. In fact is contains the same material found in his other book, Mastering Leptin, in a condensed version. It is all good info but you only need that book or this one, not both.

This is a short book and simple. The core of it covers 5 simple eating habits that will change the way the body deals with leptin, the hormone that signals us that we are full. The first three: never eat after dinner, eat three meals a day - at least 5 hours apart and don't eat large meals specifically address how our bodies interact with leptin. The next two: eat a high protein breakfast and reduce carbohydrates are more general diet tips. While I couldn't find this specifically, the carbohydrates in rule five seem to refer to the simple carbs in refined foods. In other places in the book, the author recommends whole grains and legumes, both carbohydrate rich foods.

I've been following the plan for about a month and have lost 5 pounds. That may not seem a lot but I've been eating carefully for over six months and had lost almost 30 pounds already. But like many who lose weight I'd hit a plateau. It seems that non only what I eat matters but when I eat it. Fewer carefully spaced meals better regulate leptin metabolism. I'm now substituting fewer and larger meals for the six small meals a day that many diet experts recommend. It took a couple of weeks to not feel hungry, but I've made the transition and am again shedding pounds.

If you want your explanations simple and general guidelines rather than detailed diet plans, this is your book. The basics are here and the science is simplified without being dumbed down too much. There is the kind of sales pitch for this plan that you'd expect from any diet book that sidesteps areas where research is less than certain. But we are just now learning the mechanisms of weight gain and loss so that's probably for the best. Citing conflicting reports makes things messy.

Okay, so I always thought that I had nutrition figured out, but that I was just too lazy to actually make it happen - make and eat 5 meals a day EVERYDAY. I'm so glad I read this book. It actually explains and makes sense why a 5 meal a day plan won't work in the long run and thank God, I only have time for 3 meals! I had never heard of the hormone leptin and don't have a science background, so it was really nice that the author used analogies to better explain the science. That really helped it all come together for me. Best part - no food exclusions! I can eat the foods I've eaten my whole life following the 5 Rules!

I also have had chronic neck and shoulder pain for a few years now. I've been to chiropractors, gotten massages, bought expensive pillows and heating pads, all to no relief. The explanation on the fasting between meals and at night made me think maybe my pain was from lymph congestion from eating at night and not muscular. 4 days of not eating after dinner cleared it up! Thank you, thank you!

5 Stars! This book is a must read!

One thing that I think you will love about Byron Richards is that he doesn't tell you to count calories, he doesn't tell you to avoid the foods you love, he doesn't tell you to change your life dramatically. He simply shows you how to understand what your brain is thinking behind the scenes.

The Leptin Diet won't limit your current lifestyle, you won't feel like you are on a "diet" and you may finally understand why your body wants to regain that weight or maintain the present weight that you want to get past.

Knowing what your body is thinking and doing and WHY it is doing it, is a wonderful thing!

This is a very good diet that lets me eat everything I want. Naturally you have to use your head and eat well, but more than "you can't" attitude it is "what you need to do". Following the 5 rules has changed my life. Slowly I have lost 17 lbs. The book is written well and easy to follow. I think it helped that I read his other book first. But this one is very simple to understand. I always like to know why I am doing what I am doing.

I accidentally happened upon this book. On a forum I frequent, one of the folks posted a very scientific explanation of leptin that was, frankly, over my head. But my curiosity was piqued, especially since I was, at the time, trying to lose a couple pounds. After doing my research on the subject, and coming across many articles on the subject that were over my head as well (I was *not* a science major!), I found that Byron Richards was supposed to have written a good book on the subject and in non-scientific terms, Mastering Leptin. I didn't want to pay for that book, so I cheaped out and bought this one. I just wanted to read about the basics, to see if I might be interested in the longer book. I didn't want to pay too much money for a book I couldn't understand!

So, I bought this, and it was perfectly comprehensible and made such perfect sense that I found a way to apply these principles to my own life. That was about three weeks ago, when I was trying to lose five pounds. I've lost eight so far. And it's basically effortless, as long as you look at it properly. The 'diet' boils down to this: Don't snack, and plan your meals for at least 4 hours apart, though 5-6 is preferable. Also, give your body time to digest your food before bedtime (about 5 hours). There are also guidelines on what you should put on your plate (not too many carbs, a reasonable amount of protein and non-starchy veggies). And include a little exercise in your days.

I almost knocked this down a star, because he's a little over the top about natural foods (beyond just plain eating organic). However, the principles of eating described in the book are just so... good that I didn't want to turn anyone off the book. Anyone who has a mind of their own can figure out what is or isn't going to work for them, personally. And common sense is all it takes to figure out if this plan is do-able for you.

It's worked so well for me that, already, I can't imagine why I would grab a snack when my stomach wasn't truly empty. Just habit. A hard habit to break, but I feel so much better now! I've learned to distinguish between feeling 'snacky' and actually being hungry, with the help of this book. Good job.

I have to agree with C. Conners' review. I have only been following this "diet" (that is not really a diet) for 3 weeks and I am bouncing off the walls with energy and mental clarity. I am spending less on groceries and the very first week I lost a waist size in my pants. I have not changed what I am eating at all (My diet is pretty healthy and organic to begin with). I thought I would be hungry or feel weak, but this is not the case at all. (I should have known the "eat every 2-3 hours" philosophy of mainstream "experts" was bogus - Who has time or the digestive energy to eat 5 to 6 times per day?! This is non-sense. Think back a generation or two before our whole country got fat...If you would have told my grandfather to eat 5 to 6 times per day, he would have looked at you like you were an idiot. He was one of the strongest, fit men - just like others of his day. He ate 3 meals a day and didn't snack.)

I felt weaker before because I was constantly stressing my pancreas to come up with more insulin and never letting a full digestion cycle occur. Like other reviews I have read, I have found that I actually get tired at night and can sleep, whereas before I ate late and couldn't get to bed before 1 or 2.

I also run a holistic acupuncture practice and have put a few of my patients on the leptin diet. They also have responded well. Even one lady who has suffered for 15 years with fibromyalgia and a myriad of other systemic problems says that she feels energy and like "her old self" for the first time since becoming ill. She is also losing sizes.

I think the Mastering Leptin book is full of more research for those wanting the nitty gritty science behind why it works.

To grab your attention, because I know you are interrested in results, I have lost 60 pounds! By following The Leptin Diet, I have lost 60 POUNDS!!! After a decade of being obese, I have moved out of the "obese" BMI into the "overweight" BMI. I know that I still have another 30 or so pounds to lose to get into the "normal" BMI, but I am confident that I will reach my goal.

I started The Leptin Diet in October of 2008. I lost 12 pounds before getting pregnant in January of 2009. By following The Leptin Diet during my pregnancy, with the Byron Richard approved modification of eating 4 times a day during pregnancy, I was able to just gain a healthy baby and not additional fat. With my first two pregnancies I was left with about 20 pounds of fat that was not baby. The fact that I was able to gain a baby and not fat was amazing for me! I lost some weight at the end of 2009, but most of it came off in 2010, when I was able to follow it for weight loss. Four pounds of it has been in 2011. Two to four pounds a month may not seem like a lot, but done consistently, it really adds up! This has all been done with very light occasional exercise. I keep thinking to myself how much faster I could lose it if I would just exercise, but being busy mother of three...

It might even suprise you to find out that I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). This has truely been a blessing to me in my life. For the first time in a long time, I have energy again. After I got through the first two weeks (kinda rough for me), I decided that I would eat this way for the rest of my life, because of how much better I felt.

Don't be swayed by negative reviews. When I was researching the book, I found that everyone who had ACTUALLY TRIED the "diet" for any length of time lost weight. This was why I decided to try it too. Plus, I liked that I could eat my own food and I never have had to tell myself that there are foods that I CAN'T eat. I have to say that The Leptin Diet is saving my life.