Customer Reviews

Water With Lemon: An Inspiring Story of Diet-free, Guilt-free Weight Loss!

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book was sent to me by my sister, who saw Zonya Foco, one of the authors, give a presentation in NY. I love Zonya's show on PBS, but I didn't even know she'd written a book. Though my sister and her husband couldn't stop raving about Water with Lemon, and have changed the way they eat because of it, between kids and work it still took me a month before I found the time to read it. All I knew of it then was that it was a different kind of diet book, though truthfully, at the time, I really didn't think that was possible. I mean, aren't all diet books really the same? Boy, was I ever wrong!

Once I began reading, I finished the book, cover to cover, in two days! For me that's a miracle in itself. This is the first time I couldn't put down a diet book, and that's because this diet book is written in the form of a page-turning story! Since then I've read it a second time, and now I keep it on my bedside table so I can pick it up every once in a while just to flip through and soak up the motivation it gives me.

What the authors did is put you into the mind and heart of a woman who has to lose 60 pounds, and just like the rest of us, not only can't she do it, but she can hardly even think about doing it, because just the thought of going on a diet is so painful. Then by coincidence she meets her neighbors, two of the most endearing characters you'll ever meet, who take her by the hand and show her how they lost their weight.

Unlike every other diet book I've read, and I've read plenty, these authors don't tell you what to do. Instead, they show you how it's done, so that you sit back and watch the story. The concept is unique and they do it very very well, and it completely changes how you look at what they're saying.

What they do is move you from one step or habit, to another, all while keeping you in the mind of the main character. While doing this they very cleverly do two things. First, they show you how simple the eight habits are. And second, they describe how just because these habits are simple, they can also be emotionally difficult to incorporate into your life. About a quarter of the way through the book it hit me that this was all part of a well designed plan, because this is how the authors ultimately motivate and inspire you.

What happened with me, was I began, in my mind, to yell at the character, saying, come on, what your neighbors are saying to you is so simple, how can you still not be able to do it! And then I fell into the trap the authors set for me. Because at that point I began to say to myself, wait a minute! If I'm yelling at her to do it, telling her it's so easy, then why can't I do it? And that's when this book began to change my life.

Is there anything new here? Yes! Not the eight habits, as important as they are, we already all know them, but the way these authors show you how to incorporate those habits into your life is completely different. That, for me, was an absolute eye-opener! It completely took the "dieting" out of losing weight, which was exactly what I needed, because I'm a person who just can't follow diet rules.

The best part is that it's all done in a fun way, through fascinating characters. While reading the book there were times when I had to laugh out loud at the situations, and other times when I got all teary, because the story is so emotionally strong and realistic.

Bottom line, it's been nine weeks since I read the book the first time, and I've already lost 14 pounds, and I can truly say that not once have I ever felt as though I was dieting. All I'm doing is following the simple, and I mean, really simple habits, in the way they showed. Like an earlier reviewer said, we already all know the "what," now we have Water with Lemon to also teach us the "how." And that's exactly what I needed.

Let's face it. Everyone knows what they need to do to lose weight. Yet, 2/3 of Americans are still overweight. So where do we go from here?

Using a truly "novel" approach, Stephen Moss and Zonya Foco cleverly apply the concept of motivational storytelling to nutrition and weight loss education. Simply put, we know what to do, and now we have Moss and Foco to tell us "how."

Filled with clever bits of wit and wisdom, "Water with Lemon" empowers the reader by weaving the authors' eight habits of healthy eating into the story of Karen, a woman struggling to lose weight and regain control of her life. Before you know it, the endearing characters and captivating storyline have subtly influenced you, the reader, to adopt "Water with Lemon's" eight lifestyle habits, one by one, until they are integrated seamlessly into your life.

Oh by the way, this isn't as much about weight loss as it is about getting healthy. But as Karen finds out on her journey, get healthy, and the weight will just fall off!

Julie Beyer, MA, RD
Nutrition Education Specialist
NutraConsults, LLC

This book was great! It has tons of helpful nutritional information which is broken down into an easy-to-understand format. This book inspired me to live a healthier life.

Water With Lemon: An Inspiring Story of Diet-free, Guilt-free Weight Loss!

First of all I would like to say that the basis of this book is fantastic, which is why I continued to read it. However, instead of coming out and giving you the 8 habits, the author weaves you through probably the worst novel I have ever read, using highly unbelievable characters,giving you the habits one by one in a very slow and methodical process.

The one character exception,Fowler, is fabulous and it is this character that keeps you reading on. He is very believable and I found him in my head all day long and especially reaching out to me at the grocery store where I began to look at fat and sugar content, as well as chemicals versus real food! He is also with me in the kitchen when I'm preparing meals!

I loved the story line idea used to teach the 8 habits. The 8 habits are fantastic yet simple to incorporate into everyday life. I just had a horrible time getting through this poorly written novel, but in the end, the rewards are worth it because the lessons you learn fall right into what I feel eating right and living right is all about.

I would give the book a 5 star review if it were not for the poorly written story line. Another example of this was the way the author set up each chapter. I could find no ryhme nor reason to why he stopped one chapter and started another! It is choppy and simply doesn't flow well. In fact, I felt compelled to read on sometimes just to see what the author would do next!

Also, at the end of the book you learn that you really need to purchase the receipe book that follow these 8 habits. I have heard that it is simply fantastic and so I am going to purchase it today. It is called Lickety-Split Meals by Zonya Foco.

I should just stop here but for those who want to know why I feel it is a horrible novel I will tell you I had a terrible time believing some of the rest of the characters. For instance, the 6 month old baby was very unbelievable and I couldn't for the life of me understand why this character was even in the story! Also, Karen had just had a baby 6 months ago? Come on now! Most women have extra pounds to shed after having children and it took 9 months to put it on..., so maybe it takes 9 months to get it off. Karen's husband is a jerk and also an irrevalant character I felt.

It is very worthwile reading if you can just get through it!

I loved reading this book. I had a hard time putting it down. I learned a lot and I loved how it was written as a novel. I have had a hard time finding the motivation to change the way I eat, but after reading this book I found the "courage".

I have read many diet books, purchased many fitness products, but would always get so frustrated when I didn't stick to anything. This book has helped me by giving me a missing puzzle piece - PATIENCE - focusing one small step at a time until it becomes a habit. I am impatient - I hate my extra weight and want to lose it all NOW. But I've been wanting that now for at least 2 years, and it hasn't happened because I am so impatient - I jump from one diet/fitness product to another when the results don't show up in a few days/weeks. My impatience has actually slowed/stopped my progress! So if I do the one step process, at least 2 years from now I will be at a healthy weight that I can sustain. Thank you Zonya and Stephen for your very helpful book!

I have never written an amazon review before, but I felt so strongly about this book that I wanted to write this. This may not be the "great american novel", but I couldn't put it down. As a woman approaching 40, I have been on every diet known to womankind. I have had it with diets and the diet mentality. However, I also need to take some weight off. This book offered a new and refreshing approach to health and weight loss. There was so much I related to, and I kept wanting to know what the next "habit" was. If you are fed up with "dieting" but still need to take care of your health and weight, read this book. It is very inspirational, motivating, and educational. It's not so much that the information in it is anything new, but it's the way they lay it out in the book that makes it all seem doable.

I found this book on Amazon quite by accident and I am so glad that I did. This book subtly teaches a sensible approach to weight loss. I found it so inspiring that before finishing the book, I ordered Zonya's cookbook. It is packed full of information and ideas, and the recipes are so easy to prepare that I look forward to making more of them. My family loved them, too, and I have since purchased additional copies as gifts. I always thought I knew a fair amount about healthy eating, but Zonya has lots to teach all of us, and a few tricks besides, i.e., how to get children to eat their vegetables. I quickly ordered many of Zonya's other products and have been pleased with them, as well. Zonya is enthusiastic, energetic and a pleasure to watch. If you are interested in knowing more, you can always go to her website at zonya.com

Water With Lemon is a blessing because I truly related with Karen and her struggles with moving through life, her insecurities which caused her to look outside herself for confirmation about who and what she was as a person. A real spiritual message came through to me when Karen was stuck in darkness with baby Gabe, here a light shined through as Fowler steps in with the dog named Courage> Karen begins to learn how to balance the spiritual and physical food that serves her as she loses weight and gains the Truth of what a powerful and creative women she turn out to be. I read this book over and over and increased my courage to get up and love me and my life.

Mary Highgate

I love this book.
Some call it slow, I call it deliberate.
Some call it simplified, I call it simple.
It's the same tips I've always heard presented in a fresh way. I got it.
Did I say I love this book?