The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Lif

Eat everything. Concentrate on whole grains. Drink milk. Balance protein with carbohydrates. Avoid processed sugars. Do some exercise. The idea that a diet book making such proposals comes as a pleasant surprise shows just how far afield we've gone in the search for new ways to be fit. The only thing new about this diet by the editor-in-chief of Men's Health is its name, and this, one can presume, is because nowadays, a book simply called "Sensible Eating" wouldn't sell. The book's title is indeed misleading; only the final chapter deals solely with abs. The rest is full of rational recommendations for a realistic diet plan: eat more and smaller meals; have oatmeal in the morning for a nourishing breakfast; don't starve yourself; drink plenty of water; and stay away from sodas and foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup. Whether readers will, in the end, walk away with abs of steel is not really the point. They'll control their weight in a healthy way, without counting calories, cutting out whole food groups or supporting the beef futures market. Best of all, this book tells readers why it works: increase your body's metabolism, gain some muscle and fat burns away. The authors make this seem like a fresh and very attainable ideal.

Review
"The Abs Diet is a sensible eating and exercise plan, not a fad diet. The Abs Diet Powerfoods and the Abs Diet Workout are designed to make you fit, healthy, and lean for life. If you want to get on top of your game, this is where you start. Remember: Don't cheat yourself, treat yourself." --The Rock, movie star

"A must read for anyone who is serious about building a healthy body and changing to a healthy lifestyle. Most diets are based on gimmicks that set you up for failure; this is the first program I have seen that promotes a lifestyle change that anyone can live with." --David R. Pearson, Ph.D., director of the strength-research laboratory at Ball State University.

"Finally, a diet that's focused on what you can eat, not what you can't! . . . You'll look good, but you'll feel great--and you'll succeed at last!"--Heidi Skolnik, staff nutritionist for the New York Giants

"Clear, crisp, refreshingly sensible… There are few ‘diet books’ that I am willing to endorse. I endorse this one enthusiastically."—David L. Katz, M.D., director of medical studies in public health at Yale University School of Medicine