Change One: The Breakthrough 12-Week Eating Plan: Lose Weight Simply, Safely & Forever (Hardcover)

~ Editors of Reader's Digest (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This illustrated spiral-bound diet book relies on encouraging those who want to lose weight to cut amounts rather than to radically change their food preferences. Based on a daily 1,300- to 1600-calorie range, depending on body size and level of activity, the Change One program requires those who undertake it to make just one weekly nutritional or other adjustment at a time. Hastings, a health editor, and his co-authors provide menus and calorie counts for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the first four weeks, along with recipes that are not, except for portion size, radically different from what non-dieters eat. A typical breakfast may contain one scrambled egg with a hard roll and fruit salad or four silver dollar pancakes with sliced strawberries. In addition to listing measurements in ounces or cups, serving sizes are also given in colloquial terms such as thumb tip or golf ball. A portion for a beef stew dinner, for example, should be no larger than two baseballs. Restaurant meals are not prohibited and, in fact, eating out is suggested as a twice-weekly activity. Strategies as to what to order or request in many varieties of eating establishments are included. In addition to dietary changes, the authors recommend an exercise regime, stress busting techniques and ways to organize a diet-friendly kitchen. Because the diet plan focuses on detailed lifestyle as well as eating changes and contains many self-assessment quizzes, this is a program that should engage a committed dieter. Color illus.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

A breakthrough plan developed by experts that is safe, effective, and easy to use. Change your eating habits one at a time and in 12-weeks transform your relationship with food. Includes recipes, pantry stocking tips, food diary pages, and other essential tools-plus hundreds of tips for permanent weight loss.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Readers Digest (December 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762104198
• ISBN-13: 978-0762104192
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #715,295 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, Sensible and Sensational!, April 6, 2003

By	"ccolby7543" (Victorville, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I bought ChangeOne by John Hastings almost a month ago and it has been a lifesaver! I poured through the book section looking for something that would help me to permanently take off the extra weight I have been carrying for years. Every book out there, had a gimmick. Protein diets, the Hawaii diet, Sugar Busters, Atkins, etc. I wanted to skip the diet and go straight to maintenance so that I could change my lifestyle to become healthier and thinner. ChangeOne contains the basic information that you need to learn about eating healthier, portion control and how to deal with eating out, family pressure and social gatherings. They have meal suggestions and calorie guidelines. Everything in this book makes sense. Eat healthy. Watch your portions. Exercise. The weight comes off slowly, but surely. I have lost almost 30 lbs in 13 weeks, which is not slow, but I went on the "Fast Track" by incorporating the entire program during the first week instead of one meal at a time. When you understand what size portions you should be eating and begin to follow that routine, you will feel satisfied after eating. I love the website that supports the book changeone.com and I have had no problems accessing any part of the website. I have 20 more pounds to lose and I'm looking forward to losing it and maintening it with ChangeOne!

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Change One -- Finally a Common-Sense Diet, January 12, 2003

By	Daniel H. Adler (Weston, CT USA) - See all my reviews

Change One is a breath of fresh air. Finally, I've found a diet book that is not based on bogus science or the fad du jour. It's based on common sense. It's based on eating a balanced diet and mixing in a little exercise. The problem with any diet is sticking to it, and it seems that the whole point here is that Change One gives me the tools to make necessary changes in my own life patterns to eat well and keep unwanted weight off. With the kind of balanced approach described by Change One, I've been able to get my weight down to a trim 167 pounds for the first time in many years. I recommend the Change One approach to anyone serious about health and weight loss.

Daniel H. Adler, MD
Weston, Connecticut

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly sensible weight loss, January 3, 2003

By A Customer

I've explored a LOT of weight-loss programs, and what troubles me most about them is that they are built on a gimmick -- eat extra peanut butter, gorge on meat, drink weird oils, guzzle this, deny yourself that. ChangeOne is really the first program that seems 1) thoroughly sensible and 2) truly sustainable. Rather than changing you overnight, it teaches you step by step how to eat healthy and smart for the rest of your life. No calorie counting, no points, no protein or carb gram tallying, just sensible portions, healthy foods, and a positive, energetic approach to life. The portion-specific food photos are wonderfully instructive, and the quizzes, success stories, recipes, and tips are fun and motivating. I'm off to great start, and believe that Change One will be the last diet I'll ever need.

This is the perfect weight-loss program for people sick of gimmicks, weird science, and yo-yo dieting. Highly recommended!!