Neal Barnard - Foods that cause you to lose weight: the negative calorie effect

HAVE YOU TRIED EVERYTHING TO LOSE WEIGHT?

This book was written because most diets have not been very successful. Many are simply too weak to get results. Others use an artificial formula approach that no one could live with permanently.

Protein is the subject of many myths. The bottom line on protein is this: High-protein diets are dangerous. Many formula diets emphasize high-protein foods and contain very little carbohydrates. This type of diet is not a formula for success! It can cause a rapid, and usually temporary water loss. But generally the weight comes back on very quickly.

There is a much better way.

Neal Barnard, M.D.

CONTENTS

Thank you for purchasing this revolutionary book. You are going to love it. Even more, you are going to love the way you feel in the new body that is waiting for you. As you read, you may find yourself thinking that this looks much too easy. We designed it to be as simple and user-friendly as possible. In fact, it looks so easy that you may be tempted not to try it. People who have struggled with weight problems year after year sometimes feel that if a diet is not punishing, it could not possibly work.

Try this program for just twenty-one days. If your results are like most other people, you will be able to watch yourself getting thinner. You can actually chart your progress week by week. This program is not a diet. It is a delicious way to shift your menu from fat-adding foods to foods that actually increase your metabolism so that the cells of your body burn calories faster. These foods are naturally modest in calories. They cannot go straight to fat and actually increase your bodys calorie-burning rate. You have many of these foods already in your cupboard. The trick is to know which ones they are and how to maximize their action.

This effect can be very powerful. A woman from the Midwest called my office not too long ago. She had seen an interview I had done on television and wanted to let me know how this simple plan had worked for her. She had struggled with a weight problem all of her life. Ive been on every diet there is, she said, and the weight kept coming back, and then some. For me, it just kept getting worse and worse. At first, she was a bit timid about trying this program. After all, she had been on so many diets that had promised results, only to let her down again. In addition, because my program suggests greatly increasing foods that step up the bodys calorie burning, and preferring these foods to others (which do not help the body burn calories), she was not sure if she really wanted to try different foods.

However, she decided to try the program for three weeks, knowing that if she did not like the results, she could stop. She found it hard to believe that she did not need to count calories or limit her portion size. As you will see, this approach encourages you to eat normal portions at every meal, which is a terrific advantage over old-fashioned diets. She also really loved a couple of my soups and entrees, and brought them to work to share with friends. Sometimes, after eating one of the meals from the recipe section, she felt a slight warm sensation, as if her body really was burning calories faster. In fact, that is exactly what was happening.

After a week, she stepped on the scale. Her weight had dropped three pounds. Could be a fluke, she thought. After all this did not feel like a diet at all. But she kept it up. The next week she continued to lose weight. And the following week, she dropped even more. However, a funny thing was happening. Her tastes began to change. She started to prefer the fat-burning foods and no longer desired many of the fattening foods she had been accustomed to.

After six months, she could not believe her success. She had lost more than 100 pounds. Now, I do not necessarily recommend losing weight that fast. It is best to let it come off gradually, but that gives you an idea of the power of this approach.

When you try this simple program, you not only will take into your hands the most effective permanent weight management tool ever devised, but you will also have an understanding of powerful weight management techniques that most other people have never even heard of.

Try this easy, step-by-step method.

1. Read Part One of this book. This short section, called Basic Concepts, will give you all the information you need to start.

2. Now you will have a good grasp of how to proceed. Take a look at Part Two, Lets Get Started. As you do so, imagine all the foods that help boost your calorie-burning (you now know what they are), and choose which ones you would like to focus on for the next three weeks. Many people prefer spaghetti with a rich tomato sauce, rice pilaf, or bean burritos. You do not have to stick to just the recipes you find here. Go ahead and use any others that fit the guidelines you have read.

3. As you begin, familiarize yourself with Part Three, Moving into High Gear. Like the preceding two sections, it is very short, and easy to read and understand. Then flip through the recipes in Part Four, and see which ones you would like best.

I do not ask you to stick to this program forever. Just try it for three weeks. During that time, give it your best effort. Take your picture before you start and jot down your starting weight.

Each week, record your new weight in a diary. If you are like most people, you will feel better, you will have more energy, and your weight will have started to come down on its own without attempting to control the size of your meals. If you like what is happeningand I think you willstick with it. Let the pounds come off on their own, you are going to love the way you feel and look. You will probably find that you will want to stay with your new way of eating. I have been doing exactly this for many years, and I am in better shape and have more energy now than ever before. Many other people are enjoying exactly the same wonderful experience.

As you progress, track your success and add a picture of yourself to your diary every two months. When you have finished your diary, send it to me. I am interested to know how it has worked for you.

In case you are wondering how all this came about, let me tell you a little about myself. I graduated from medical school in 1980 at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., where I also did my residency. Then I moved to New York to work at St. Vincents Hospital, which is a large medical complex in downtown Manhattan.

Afterwards, I decided to move back to Washington, D.C., and form an organization called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I now divide my time between my duties as President of PCRM, and lecturing and writing to spread information about health to as many people as possible. You may have seen me or other PCRM doctors on 60 Minutes, Oprah, Good Morning America, or other programs. It is particularly wonderful that television networks have taken such an interest in this topic. You can write to me through Avon Books, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York, 10019 or PCRM in Washington, D.C.

Let the fat melt away at its own speed. Do not push for overly quick weight loss.