Customer Reviews

Syndrome W: A Woman's Guide to Reversing Midlife Weight Gain

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Harriette Mogul's SYNDROME W is groundbreaking, highly informative - and also fun. Her gourmet recipes make your mouth water, motivating you to start cooking her carb-modified meals right away. SYNDROME W is an absolutely unique mix of solid medical information, gourmet chefs' healthy recipes, and your loving aunt's gentle understanding of your resistance to exercise as she helps reorganize your kitchen for your new way of cooking and eating!

Mogul is an endocrinologist who, in her own research, has discovered that many women who gain a substantial weight in their middle years are suffering from a medical condition that is virtually never tested for. Such women cannot lose weight even with dedicated diet and exercise - until a medication called metformin is added to their regime. With metformin and proper eating habits, Mogul's patients are finally able to lose excess poundage. Because the proper medical tests are not widely done, Mogul lists precise instructions on two pages so the reader can easily photocopy them for her doctor, along with citations to the scientific literature supporting the efficacy of metformin. While the medical information derives from Mogul's academic work, her writing in this book is light, concise, and perfectly clear.

Mogul gives all kinds of unique practical information about how to reorganize your eating habits - e. g., travel and restaurant tips, and which ready-prepared low-carb products in your grocery store are truly tasty and effective (and her grande skim-milk latte tip, along with the scientific explanation of its effectiveness!). The last 100 pages of SYNDROME W are actually a gourmet cookbook full of "Delicious Recipes from Great Chefs." (Typical of Mogul's generous manner, she even includes a bio of each of her chefs.)
Anne Bobroff-Hajal, Ph. D., author Working Women in Russia Under the Hunger Tsars

Before anyone buys this book, he or she should look up metformin on the web, follow some links, and find out about this product, which Hariette Mogul uses with her Syndrome W patients. One site, for example, says that a tiny percentage of women develope lactic acidosis using this product, and 50% of those cases are fatal! Many people ought not to even try it. // Beyond that, the recipes are healthy and her dieting concepts unique and probably very helpful for those who can safely eat up to 12 ounces meat/fish protein a day or substitute sources. Her recommendations of 4 or more vegetables, 3 fruits, 3 starches, some fat, etc. are in line with currently respected healthy diet guidelines for women. The admonition to not eat cereal in the morning, even whole grain, might be worth trying. Some books by MD's state compulsive overeaters should have oatmeal in the morning and that women digest starch more slowly than other foods, so it should be eaten by noon. However, it's also the case that protein in the morning makes many people feel more alert; and after eating eggs, people eat less for lunch. Also, those who overeat at night may find an evening cup of oatmeal, or bowl, staves off evening snacking. // The concise suggestions for each meal, laid out in an orderly fashion on a few pages, are helpful. I recommend this book for reading and thinking about.

When my doctor suggested I get this book my first thought was "oh no, another book on what I am doing wrong and why I can't lose weight". I was wrong! He told me the book can actually explain why some women CAN'T lose weight. After reading the book I began to cry, because I finally had an answer to my problem. The only sad thing is I have gone so long undiagnosed that I am already Syndrome X. The book opened my eyes and actually provided answers to many of my questions. I am on metformin and have begun the process of getting my life back on track. The book is worth the read and a great gift if you know someone who has struggled with metabolic problems.

My doctor (Daniela Paunesky, who was interviewed in Suzanne Somer's book "Ageless") recommended this book and I'm glad she did. It is a good description of why so many middle-aged women are walking around with stomaches that stick out. I learned to change my eating habits (mostly, not go for more than 5 hours without eating) so that I maintain a more steady insulin level throughout the day. Some of the things she talks about in the book are things I would not do, like take the drug Metformin, or, use synthetic sweeteners like Equal (which has been shown to actually contribute to weight GAIN). I have cut high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, bleached white flour and all transfats from my diet, but, I started that a long time ago. That, plus moderate exercise, along with keeping my insulin levels more steady has helped me lose 17 pounds (10% of my body weight) over the last year without feeling deprived at all. I highly recommend this book since it is a good explanation of why you need to change the way (and what) you are eating and it was very motivating for me. If you are serious about losing weight, also read, "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon to get a good perspective on the lies being told the public about "good fats" and how transfats can destroy your health. There you will learn to cook with healthy saturated fats that will make you feel full faster and curb your appetite.

Being a 56 year old who keeps a food journal AND exercises 5 days a week with no successful weight loss, I truly understood everything this book presented. I lost my Mother, Father and Brother all to complications from diabetes and yet my Physician did not even try to understand the simplicity of Dr. Mogul's findings. My peace of mind was of no importance, only his co-pay. The care of both my Mom & Dad was my responsibility and I KNOW from their experiences, that this book is the answer for many, many people who cannot lose weight. The recommendations found inside this book work. I saw weight loss from both my Mom & Dad BUT only after the medication was given and the disease had taken its toll. Wise up people. Dr. Mogul is brillant.

This book saved my life. For the last 5 years of going to doctors that told me I was fine I was over reacting and having panic attacks that I needed to try harder to lose weight this book was my answer.

Not only did I fit the profile of Symdrom W I went from Boston to New York and saw Dr. Mogul as a patient. Just as she said in her book my blood sugar was normal but my insulin was off the wall and very high.

So finally after years of what I know now were bad reactive hypoglycemic events I was having NOT PANIC ATRACKS due to all this insulin. I have changed my diet and follows the books. I have seen a dramatic improvement and do not have the sevear reactive hypoglycemic events any more. Most people do great on the metformin medacation but I tried the medication she suggest but due to bad side effects ( I get from most all drugs usually ) I could not take it. I still feel so much better on the new foods now eat and eliminated all the foods that made my insulin worse. I am totally of sugar bad carbs and doing great . THis can be done by diet and work out alone .

I havd lost 18 pounds over the last 6 months and now know that I was well on my way to becoming diabetic and hope to stop it or slow it down for years.

My own docotor was no help and unsupportive in all of this. He told me I was over reacting but I went on my own anyway. Now my primary care doctor is so impressed with my results and has changed his mind on the whole Syndrom W.

If your doctor does not support you find one that does. Do not belive them when they say you are wrong or do not agree. They are just under educated on this matter and you need to find one or go see Dr Mogule she was great!

I am so thankful to finally find the answeres on what was going on with my body. I would be stuck on alot of anti anxity meds and getting fatter all the times with sever reactive hypoglcemic events if I did not follow up on this book advise and change my life.

Good luck to you and remeber do not listen to any docotr who tells you there is no need to do the insulin responce curve test it saved my life!

I was instructed to read this by a medical professional. I read it got a few things out of it but there is some medication that you are to take along with the diet and I do not feel that I should have to dole out more money for "stuff".