Customer Reviews

The O2 Diet: The Cutting Edge Antioxidant-Based Program That Will Make You Healthy, Thin, and Beautiful

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was going to wait to write my review on this diet until I'd been on it for a couple of weeks, but a reviewer made an interesting observation, pointing out that all of the current 5 star reviews seem fake (it's the only non-five star review so far), and now I'm wondering if Rodale employees really have nothing better to do. But I suppose that's not the point...

I have been on this diet for 6 days so far. This book starts you out with a 4-day "cleanse." No lemon water and pepper here, folks; you actually get real food for this one. She lays out a very strict meal plan - the same breakfast every day, same snacks everyday, and so on. Also, you're supposed to drink 8 oz of lemon juice mixed into 8 glasses of water everyday. I would HIGHLY advise investing in some sort of juicer. When I bought 21 lemons at the grocery store for my first week on this diet, the cashier looked at me like she knew what I was up to... Oh, she knew.

After four days, you won't want to look at another romaine salad, cinnamon-loaded granny smith apple, or basil eggs ever again. But then you step on the scale. I'll admit that I was a bit lazy about the exercise on these 4 days, and I only started out slightly above 150 lbs to begin with (I'm 5'6", btw), but I still lost 5.2 lbs during this time. Granted, a good chunk of that was probably water weight, but it's still quite motivating. I'll be happy to update my review as I progress along on this diet.

So even as "Wary," the above referenced reviewer, pointed out, this is probably a pretty average diet as diet books go. However, I think it's kind of neat to count antioxidants and strive for a large number (30,000 a day!) as opposed to sitting around thinking about how you only have 100 calories or 1 point or whatever left for the day. I have a lot more energy, my skin is clearing up, and I'm a lot less moody with my husband - All side effects I wasn't even expecting with this diet. And trust me, after those grueling first four days, it's well worth it.

UPDATE - 01/20/2010: I've done the 4-day cleanse plus 2 weeks on this diet now. As I said before, I lost 5.2 pounds during the cleanse. After the first full week after that, I lost an additional pound. I was SUPER lazy about the exercise though. (That means I didn't do it. *blushes*) After my second week, I lost an additional 1.2 pounds, and I actually did work out a few days this week using Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred, but I also went out to eat with my husband one night. I did try my best to find the healthiest thing on the menu, though! I'm sitting at 7.4 pounds total lost, and I am feeling pretty happy with that. I feel this is a lifestyle I could maintain long after my weight loss goals have been reached.

After reading a review about this book in a women's magazine I thought that this would be a great book. I ended up buying it and must say that it is perfectly average and that while the information about antioxidants is interesting, the diet plan itself isn't anything you couldn't find in any other book that promotes eating whole natural foods. Also, I would be wary of the first 20 reviews on Amazon as they were all published on the exact same day (coincidentally the same day the book came out - even though some have claimed to be following the diet for a week or more), they all have the same five-star rating and none of the authors have reviewed a book other than one written by Keri Glassman. It looks to me that they might have (although I have no proof) been written by the same person under different pseudonyms.

Other than that its a decent book about healthy eating but besides the antioxidants spin (and it is a good place to get information about the positive effects certain high antioxidant foods have on your body) it doesn't provide much information that isn't already readily available.

I bought this book after seeing a blurb about it in Women's Health magazine, which is published by Rodale, also the publisher of this book. As a life-long fitness and nutrition enthusiast, I was intrigued by the whole antioxidant thing. The principles of this diet are the same as other diets--lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein, whole grain carbs, and "good" fats such as nuts and olive oil. The focus on the antioxidants is just another spin on the same healthy eating approach that has been written about in countless other books and can be found in current mainstream news stories. Although new research is constantly emerging, the science behind antioxidants and what they really do for us is slippery at best--the author acknowledges this herself. What bothers me is her statement on page 9, "Although the current recommendations are that we eat between 3,000 and 5,000 ORAC points a day for optimum health, why not get all you can?" Considering the latest research concerning the adverse effects of consuming an overabundance of certain vitamins and minerals, perhaps this was an overstatement.

One pet peeve--she mentions some foods in certain chapters and then doesn't include them on the ORAC point chart. The charts are spread out through the book and I have to keep flipping around to find the ORAC points for certain foods. The chart from the website is also not consistent with the charts in the book (such as different serving sizes), which is irritating. The author mentions several times that coffee is very high in antioxidants but doesn't give the readers how many ORAC points are in a cup of coffee.

I never intended to do the cleanse nor follow her regimented eating plan; rather, my intent was to apply the principles to my eating. The book has made me more aware of what I put in my mouth (always good). I find the Abs Diet (another book published by Rodale) to be a much better philosophy towards overall eating, and one could then add some antioxidant-rich foods from the O2 Diet. You can go to www.theO@diet.com and download the food charts with all the ORAC points and skip buying the book. It would be great if someday in the future the ORAC score of a food will be a part of the nutritional label, so we can easily see how antioxidant-rich that food is.

I consider myself a healthy person. I exercise and like healthy foods. However, before this book, I rarely cooked and had a habit of giving in to late-night junk food cravings. For the most part, I've been happy with my body but have considered myself 5-10 pounds over what I'd like to be.

I read about The O2 Diet in Women's Health. I read the book over the holidays and was inspired. Probably because I've wanted to do a plan like this for a while but just haven't made the time. Because the meal plans sounded appetizing. Also because it seemed to line up with specific goals I had:
1. Learn to cook
2. Learn to cook with healthy whole foods I keep hearing about (i.e. Kale)
3. Finally add a healthy eating plan to my exercise routine and shed off the last few pounds
4. Find something I can maintain

I wouldn't consider the information in the book to be ground-breaking. But it's all there in one book, organized. And if you're like me and struggle to find free time, then it's really convenient. My take on the diet is that it's similar to the Zone (balanced diet of carbs/fat/protein) but just centered on antioxidant-rich foods.

I have been on the plan now for a month, and I feel great and have lost weight. I also feel really satisfied by what I've been eating and see no problem keeping these habits up in the long run. This is both empowering and exciting!

Some things to consider:
The 4-day cleanse was HARD, much harder than I thought. I'd recommend doing it on your days off. I was grumpy and at times weak, however, I wasn't hungry. I think I was previously used to getting a lot of fat/sugar/salt and so it was an adjustment.

The diet was time-consuming at first. I'd never really cooked and didn't have ANY of the ingredients/utensils I needed (spices, oils, vinegars, a steamer, good knives etc). I didn't know where to find items at the store and how to pick good produce. But now, I'm able to work everything into my regular schedule and it's not bad at all.

Fun stuff: the recipes are FANTASTIC. I've been pleasantly surprised at how great everything tastes. Some faves are the Tex-mex Black Bean Soup, Dijon Salmon Cakes/Arugula with Lemon-caper oil, Flank steak with Chimichurri Sauce/Mashed Cauliflower, Kale chips (amazing!) and Green Tea Walnut Loaf. Even my boyfriend has been impressed every time I make him dinner.

If you exercise a lot, I found I was a little low on energy when I'd do really strenuous activity like 3-hour volleyball or 90-min hot yoga. So now I adjust slightly to account for these things.

I find the only times I have major junk cravings are when I'm behind on sleep and/or dehydrated.

So in all, I highly recommend The O2 Diet if you have similar goals. My one complaint is that I wish there were more recipes. They're so good!

I am on the last day of the 4 day cleanse. The book was easy to read and the diet is easy to follow so far since you have exactly the same thing for the first 4 days and its spelled out pretty clearly. I don't know how the rest of it is going to go when there's are more choices involved. I've lost 3 pounds, which is what the book says will happen in the initial cleanse period, but I'm not really impressed. Why? It's a VERY low calorie diet with lots of protein and very low carb. This is not novel.
The argument for eating more antioxidants is valid, but I can't tell if I'm losing weight because I'm eating more antioxidants (I doubt it) or because I'm eating less than 1,000 calories a day (probably).
Overall, this diet will help you lose weight and may help you change the way you look at some foods.

I find Ms. Glassman's book a pleasure to read. It's meant for the average dieter with an interest in food without overwhelming the reader with nonunderstandable science. Her style is conversational; I feel like I am listening to my private nutritionist at a fraction of the cost. As a person who has been on many diets, I thought I knew everything about food but she made me really look at food in a new way.

As for the diet itself, I find it surprisingly easy to follow with a lot of variety and choices after the first four days. The quick-start beginning has really motivated me to continue. I have already recommended the program to fellow coworkers who are looking to eat healthier.

I have been following the O2 Diet since June 7th. I have lost 12 pounds, but nothing in the last two weeks. I am surprised that no one has commented on the meal preparation time committment and cost of the program. I really enjoy cooking, so for me this wasn't an issue, but I have spent an average of 45-60 minutes a day on food preparation, from dinner to the next day's breakfast, lunch and snacks. Lots of chopping and dicing for one person meals. In Northern Calif, the cheapest I can find lemons (at Trader Joe's) is $.39 each. With consuming at least 8 ounces of juice a day, I figure I am spending almost $2/day just on lemon juice. Thank goodness its summer and the berries are cheaper, but not super cheap at $2+ per basket for raspberries and blackberries. I also found there was quite a bit of waste if you don't read ahead on the recipes. For expample, in phase II on the first or second day you have a cobb salad that has 2 ounces of turkey and 2 ounces of ham in it - then, no turkey or ham for the rest of phase II so mine went to waste. Same with other ingredients like kale, cottage cheese and pork tenderloin. For the last two weeks of the 32 days, I picked the 7 days of the two-week program that I liked the best and then ate them two days in a row or every other day to keep waste at a minimum. I would recommend this program for a couple or roommates. Would be difficult with kids as some of the food might be too "weird" and to have to prepare separate meals for them would be extremely time consuming.

One the positive side - I thought all of the meals were very good and loved that the majority of the recipes were for a serving of one. Much easier to manage portion control this way! The chocolate cherry scones, tilapia with mango/avocado salsa and the flank steak with chimichurri sauce have been my favorites. (Be warned that the scones require almond meal that was $9.99/pound.) I found Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to have most of the products that I needed for the program.

I am really enjoying the advice and recipes in this book. The diet isn't hard to follow and after all of the holiday goodies, it's a healthy new way of eating. I have tried alot of new foods that I didn't know anything about! Acai, quinoa, mashed cauliflower, who knew?! Fresh whole fuits and vegetables, lots of fish and seafood! I had never tried the greek yogurt and find it to be almost like ice cream. When you add blueberries and a couple of teaspoons of acai juice, it tastes like a forbidden dessert! I am also enjoying the green tea and incorporating fresh new teas like spiced chai.........it's wonderful. I have been trying to follow if for a little over a month now, have lost 5-6 pounds, and feel great! And a yogurt, honey and oatmeal facial scrub is a "must" for everyone to try, on the diet or not!! Buy, read and enjoy!

First, let me say, I am the professional dieter. I have tried them all. Low carb, low calorie, low fat, high fiber, ect. ect. My diet attempts usually go like this- I start. I'm starving. I'm grouchy. I'm depressed. I may or may not lose weight. I get weak. I get flu like symptoms. I get too tired to prepare healthy meals or exercise. I go off the diet and binge. I gain back whatever I lost. I saw the author of this book on Wendy Williams, and thought, "Hey, this makes sense!" I'm at the point where I realize that being healthy is the important thing. I incorporated this diet with another diet I was trying (Jorge Cruiz Belly Good, whole grains, low sugar). Also, I've been watching my calories, nothing extremely low, just my recommended intake. I've been on 2 weeks and lost 10 lbs., but more important, I feel great! I have plenty of energy, my immune system is strong(I work with kids who keep colds around this time of year), my skin looks great( the other day, my mom thought I had on makeup). Before I purchased the book, I checked out its reviews here. I almost didn't purchase it, because alot of the negative reviews said things like, this is the same old diet, eat veggies, cut calories, but thats not true. There's really something to this ORAC value thing.

I'm wondering why I can't just eat some dark chocolate (5,900 ORAC points per ounce) and drink coffee (15,000 ORAC points per cup**) all day and get all the points I need there.

Seriously though, there has to be some additional measure besides just ORAC points.

I ALSO had a problem with her answer on page 9 as to "Why 30,000 ORAC points per day?" The ever-compelling, oh-so-scientific of "Why not get all you can?" Huh? That's it. That's the basis of this whole book...

I think it's basically a low-carb + fruit diet, but if I start feeling better & looking as great as the 20 posts on 12-22-09, I'll come back and eat my words. After the 4-day cleanse, I might be hungry enough to do just that!!!

** - according to Dr. Gourmet's blog: [...]. I had to look this up online as Ms. Glassman doesn't include it in her book nor her web site.