The author recommends that we reduce the volume of
complex carbs in the diet. Eating 5 smaller meals
per day will assist in reducing insulin resistance.
The result will be a significantly increased
metabolism, fewer mood swings and more energy.

The book recommends that we eat more fiber to
aid in digestion and elimination. In addition,
8-12 glasses of water should be consumed daily
along with good fats. i.e. Omega 3,6 fish oils

The author recommends having a low fat protein at
each meal. Samples of good carbs are lentils,
beans, veggies and quinoa. The objective is to
reduce LDL and increase HDL.

Examples of model foods are broccoli, butternut
squash, cauliflower, spinach and sweet potato.
Frozen veggies are another good source of
nutrition. Stevia is a natural dietary supplement
for sugar.

Frequent exercise is another hallmark of the diet
program. The author depicts sample exercises
with dumbells, bell squats, light weights and
step-ups.

Overall, the acquisition would be an excellent
addition to your personal health library.

I've tried the south beach diet last year and lost weight. i went off of that diet and gained it all back. i started to get dizzy and sick, because i wasn't getting the nutrients i need. so i decided to get this book and give it a try! if i can eat carbs and then have a cheat day. i think it's more than worth a try. so i've been on it for 5 days and lost 5 lbs. I'm never hungry and i love all the recipes!!! there's so much to choose from!!! i think this is really a life style change. i mean i eat carbs the whole day and i'm losing weight!! i'm soooo happy with this diet!! thank you harley!

The book is awesome and so are the recipes. Very easy to read and follow.
Recipes are simple and quick and easy, which is good for my busy lifestyle.

The diet REALLY works and that's why I gave it a few stars. In the first 4 days my hubby and I both lost 5 pounds. The thing I didn't like was over half the book is telling you why you should do the diet, you don't have to convience me I already bought the book! And there are only a handfull of recipies in the last chapter. The recipies weren't awful, but hard to eat every day, much less 5 times a day. It mainly is baked white meat from poultry, fresh veggies and fruit, and grains. Period. Cut out ALL sugar and refined foods and BAM you've got the "5-facor diet"! I coulda done this own my own! But I only paid a few dallors for the book, but a long time reading it.

the main reason diets dont work for people is because they see them as a temporary solution to the problem. this book focuses on the opposite. it is based off of making healthy lifestyle choices and changes to help you live and feel better. it is a sustainable diet because it allows you to lose weight by enjoying 5 meals (small) a day with five core ingredients all which are supposed to take 5 minutes or less to prepare (eh...not really) but the best part is that it allows you one "cheat" day per week to enjoy a not so healthy indulgence or two.

I decided to check this book out at the library since I had heard so much about it lately. I wanted to review it before buying. I tried the meal plan for a few days and couldn't take it anymore. These meals definately take a lot longer to prepare than 5 minutes! They require a lot of shopping as well. I agree with some of the other reviews that the meals are not well balanced either. The 3 Hour Diet, which is basically the same eating regiman, has much better recipes and also teaches you how to eat normal, everyday food, even when eating out or short on time. I lost 35 pounds on the 3 Hour Plan a few years ago and have kept it off. I had to stop running about 9 months ago due to tendonitis and gained about 10 pounds, so I was looking for some new inspiration.
That being said, I am going to try the workout plan since the short time frame (25 minutes) works well in my day. It also looks like exercises that I am familiar with and can do without going to the gym.

good book, but.... great idea on 5 meals a day or every 3-4 hours small meals., already thought of, but it works. but the 5 ingredients per meal. i'm not sure on that. my meals are usually more simple than that especially if i'm watching what goes into my mouth. 5 items, huh, too much! why not 2 or 3, or 1?

Easy to read. It makes you feel that you too can be fit! It's worth a try.

The concept is revolutionary! The book is easy to read. The step-by-step, easy-to-follow- instructions are excellent and not daunting.
Plus 1/2 the book has recipes which are really simple and tasty.
Overall it works if you work it!

I will preface my review by noting that I have a full time job in a "professional" (management) atmosphere. I'm also a full time student at university, as well as member of the armed forces. I'm married, and I participate in extracurricular activities such as the performing arts and volunteer work. In a nutshell...I am a BUSY person. Also, I'm certainly no movie star or any other kind of star. I have found a way to MAKE this lifestyle work for me. It was a tremendous adjustment, and there are days that I'm very frustrated. However, the improvement in my overall well-being, as well as that of my husband, is worth every moment spent in the kitchen.

The most important thing to realize about this plan is that YOU are in control. No one counts for you...no one cooks for you...you are responsible for the menu choices you make, etc. I've been living this lifestyle for almost a year, and I will address two of the chief complaints I've heard about the eating plan.

1) "I don't have time to do the cooking...I need a professional chef!" First off, I am not a professional chef, and neither is my husband. We don't pay for anyone to come in and prepare our meals for us. Every Sunday, which is the "free" day we've chosen for ourselves, we go out and do the grocery shopping. We purchase all the ingredients we will need for the week. Then we go home and TOGETHER we prepare four of the meals for the next day. We select menu options that will be easy to reheat or require no reheating. (Quesadillas, pears with peanut butter, and the pita sandwiches are all favorite choices.) The next day, I use the microwave in the office breakroom to prepare my specialized meals. I don't take a break; I'm fortunate enough to have my own office and I simply eat my "snacks" at my desk. That evening when I get home, my husband and I share the time together to prepare dinner. After dinner, we take about an hour or so and prepare the next day's meals. This routine repeats itself Monday through Friday. Saturdays are nice because I have my own kitchen. However, if I know I'm going to have a busy Saturday, I prepare easy "on-the-go" meals the night before. I have read both of Harley's books, and I know the foods that are "five-factor" friendly, so if I happen to have a lunch meeting or dinner date, I order the appropriate meal from the restaurant I'm at. I usually also ask for a lunch portion so I'm not tempted to eat everything placed before me. (*Note: Most of the meals take five minutes to "prepare." This does NOT include cooking time. Read the recipes. If you don't have time to prepare a certain one in a certain amount of time, DON'T prepare it.)

2) "The ingredients are too expensive (or too hard to find)!" No they're not. I figure that with thirty meals a week, and spending approximately $120 on groceries per week, I'm spending four dollars a meal. That is cheaper than a fast food salad. Yes, some products are pricier than others. Sometimes I can't find a particular ingredient for a meal I really want to prepare. Well...YOU'RE in charge here. Select something different that is more within your price range. How much is your personal health worth, anyway?

Harley does not promote unhealthy habits such as diet pills, fasts, or diet shakes. He encourages lots of water intake. He promotes cardiovascular fitness coupled with strength training, which promotes general fitness and can help with bone density. (My husband and I choose to do a little more than he recommends, but we started out at the prescibed amount of exercise.) He explains the dangers of some artificial sweeteners and makes recommendations. However, he doesn't DEMAND you use a certain brand; he empowers you through the information provided to make an educated personal choice. He teaches about the science of certain foods and how they can help you feel fuller longer. I truly enjoyed READING this book. He's funny, and want's YOU to be in charge. There's a lot of good information, and I felt smarter about my health after reading it. It basically takes the US Dietary Guidelines (the food pyramid) and puts it into recipes FOR YOU, so you're getting what you need.

If you're not willing to make a significant change in your lifestyle, this plan is definitely not for you. If you're looking for a fad diet that will force you to lose weight fast, this plan is not for you.

He's laid the plan out so it's virtually fail-proof, and teaches you it's okay to "fall off the wagon." I can't tell you how much this book has changed my life...between my husband and I, we have lost over 60 pounds. But it didn't happen in a month, and it certainly didn't happen in a week. We followed the plan, exactly as written, for five entire weeks. This plan improved the way I FELT, because I was smarter about my eating choices; losing weight was a bonus! I felt so good that I MADE it work for my crazy busy life, and I'm delighted!

I've recommended this book to all my friends, and will recommend it to you as well.

Have been on this diet now for 3 weeks and down 13 pounds. Recipes are great if you like a lot of fish dishes for dinner, if not it is still good to use as guide lines and put your own spin to things.

Since beginning the 5-Factor Diet 2+ weeks ago, I am eating much more, full and satisfied all the time, yet the excess weight appears to be coming off. While it can be difficult making the time to prepare several meals a day, there are many quick and easy substitutes for the two daily snacks, so I eat some fruit with cottage cheese or cream cheese mixed with sour cream, or make a healthy protein shake instead of following the guide exactly. I also have found that I am not craving sweets, and even have been able to do without my main forte of life which is chocolate!!! I highly recommend Harley Pasternak's 5-Factor Diet, not only to those who are having a hard time getting their weight down, but to everyone as a healthy way of eating.

You go Harley! Wonderful way to get fit! Has really helped me to eat healthier and get in more exercise. Very easy to make your own adjustments to the foods. Not a diet, a lifestyle.

I was so excited to get this book in an attempt to finally focus on losing some weight. Being that I've already started working out 4-5 days a week, I just needed a somewhat realistic and healthy eating plan to go along with it.

I ran to the bookstore and shelled out $25 for this book. Now I wish I hadn't wasted my time or money.

The author advises you to choose what you like from each of the 5 factor food groups, yet the options are so limited. The snack list includes jerky, oatmeal packets, no-flour crackers (huh?), and veggie meats.

I flipped through the breakfast section to see if there was a variety there, yet 90% of the breakfast items include egg whites. I like eggs just as much as the next guy, but there's no way I want to eat them every single day for the rest of my life.

He also mentions that you can create your own meals if you don't want to use his, but he doesn't advise you HOW to go about doing this. I know enough about healthy foods to figure it out, but the average person bought this book so it would be clearly explained.

Finally, you are to drink a sugar free beverage with every meal, meaning no more cream and sugar in my coffee (yuk!) and no more milk with my dinners.

On a positive, the exercises will be useful and some of the recipes can be added to a daily menu.

Otherwise, I just don't see it as a realistic way to eat for the rest of my life.

Cicero once said: "In nothing do men approach so nearly to the Gods, as in giving health to men."

Virgil said: "The greatest wealth is health."

So many of us take our health for granted. It's truly THE MOST IMPORTANT asset each of us have. I am posting this review to not only share my favorite, most important health books of 2007... but more important, to hopefully convince just one person to read a book that might strengthen their health and maybe help them live a little longer and a little healthier.

My Most Important Health Books of the Year...

* You: Staying Young - Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen hit a home run with this book. The advice is sound and the nutritional recommendations are cutting edge, presenting the latest research on nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and cayenne. This book may very well help rejuvenate your health and allow you to drop the extra pounds and possibly protect, and even reverse, certain ailments such as diabetes, high cholesterol, arthritis, and others.

* The Natural Bird Flu Cure They Don't Want You to Know About - The deadly bird flu is spreading like wildfire across Asia, and it's only a matter of time before it hits the U.S. The CDC and government officials have said as much. Unfortunately, we don't hear a lot about the bird flu in the U.S. anymore because of the media's preoccupation with O.J. and Britney Spears. This book reveals a possible natural cure to the deadly bird flu supported by 2 Nobel Prize-winning chemists.

*You: On A Diet - Another book by Drs. Oz and Roizen. While I do not like the word "diet" (it conjures images of strict calorie cutting, sacrifice, and, well, torture), this book does share a wonderful plan for finally and forever dropping those extra pounds. Let's face it, the majority of illness and ill health in America today is food related. This really is an important, worthwhile book, despite its somewhat gimmicky title.

The 5 Factor Diet is a great diet book. The eating plan is simple and doesn't require a lot of specialized foods. Likewise, the recipes are pretty simple. I especially like the recipe for scrambled eggs and sweet potato homefries. The 5 factor diet is a diet I can follow easily.

Linda Hynds

Being an owner of MANY diet books and having tried quite a few I was a little sceptical about 'yet another diet book'. After reading Harley's book I have been so impressed with the simplicity and the normality of the daily requirements. There is no need to feel like I am missing out on certain food groups just to be able to lose a few pounds. The simple exercise regime is also fantastic especially for someone who is not inclined to join a gym!
I have encouraged other friends to also purchase this book and to get on
board! It is fantastic.....thanks Harley for making getting fit and staying fit potentially so easy!

Really great and comprehensive information. This book is about understanding what you are eating and the effect it has on your body,linked with an easy and very effective workout. I loved it.

The diet plan is easy to follow and doesn't require starving yourself. In fact it was too much food for me so I cut it down a little. However preparing the meals involves a lot of grocery shopping and cooking which is why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

I've read the book and have been following it for about 3 days now. I think the idea behind it is very sensible- eating several times a day, high protein, low GI carbs. That all makes sense.
I think that the whole "5 Factor" thing was maybe just the author's desire to have a gimmick? The 5 ingredient thing is kind of a stretch for some of the recipes- many of them would be just as good with 3 or more than 6 or 7 (For example, you could add flavorful veggies to many of the recipes without changing the nutritional value much). The 5 minute prep is a total stretch. I spent an hour this morning getting all my food ready for breakfast, lunch and snacks. And while the workout seems very useful- I like the way it's laid out by day, with varying weight routines- the 5 minutes of cardio just does not seem like enough to see results. I've added about half an hour of cardio at the end of the weights and I think that should help.
Also, I wish there were more guide lines as far as grams of protein per meal. The meals seem strangely inconsistent as far as the amount of protein. Maybe a better list of foods that belong in each category would make it easier to build your own diet.
Overall, I think the idea is great. The way the book was written and the way the information was put together leaves a little bit to be desired. Still, I'm confident that anyone who strictly follows the plan in the book should see results- myself included.

I read the whole book which for the most part was pretty basic stuff. He compares his diet to every other one under the sun and drops celeb names who have used his diet/exercise plan and of course look amazing. If anything I bought the 25 must have foods, but haven't really done the exercise plan, it's pretty simple though.

I am really enjoying the food. He absolutely does NOT skimp on flavor and textures. I get plenty to eat. It eliminates cravings. I feel very good on it. Plenty of energy. When you use a variety of the menus, it is well balanced in fruit and vegetable intake.

I love that he has 5 weeks of menus all written out in a chapter. If you do not want to choose your own meals for the day, simply go there and it will suggest 5 recipes for the day.

I do wish he had put the nutritional information on each menu plan in, but after figuring them myself, I know what it is and it's all pretty balanced and routine for each day in that respect.

It does take me more than 5 minutes to prepare my meals - only reason I did not give it 5 stars, as that is what he says on the book cover. I am sure he can do that, being very familiar with it. There are some recipes that can be done this quickly and I suggest that you find those, use them when you will not have time, and then enjoy preparing your meals as any normal person would on the rest. Also, as I become more familiar with the recipes, as doubtless Pasternak is, they will go much more quickly. I'm still transitioning over and trying to prepare two different meals for my family.

It is not a cheap diet. No diet that includes whole, healthy foods is going to be, unless you are starving yourself. But again, there are varying recipes concerning ingredient costs. The cheapest foods are white processed flours and sugars. Those are not included in this plan.

For those who feel he's no different than anyone else, I can only say they must not have really studied up on the intricacies of each diet, but simply overviewed them in a general fashion. There are differences that are plain to me, and that is what makes each one of these ways of approaching the diet unique.

I have seen some people comment on the lack of portion control in his book. I personally believe this is an irrelevant complaint as, so far, all the menus for entire days come up to only approximately 1400 calories per person.

That, in combination with a sensible exercise program is a perfect amount for healthful living. The portions are often quite large, as the food is not laden with sugars and refined flours, which make up the bulk of most foods people choose to eat today. If it were not for those two things, food portions would not be an issue. You can eat nearly as much of a well balanced, whole foods diet as you like. You will not likely gain weight if you are active.

Yes, anyone can eat this way and lose weight, without Pasternak. I am sure he would agree with you. The problem that people today have is sticking with something because it is just so darn easy to fall into bad eating patterns with our lifestyles and the availability of easy, but unnatural food sources. A book such as this gives you a peer group to align yourself with, a cheerleader to encourage you, a spelled out plan to help you remain focused, and - above all - a shopping list, menus and recipes to make it all much easier.

I am really enjoying the food. He absolutely does NOT skimp on flavor and textures. I get plenty to eat. It eliminates cravings. I feel very good on it. Plenty of energy. When you use a variety of the menus, it is well balanced in fruit and vegetable intake.

I love that he has 5 weeks of menus all written out in a chapter. If you do not want to choose your own meals for the day, simply go there and it will suggest 5 recipes for the day.

I have seen some people comment on the lack of portion control in his book. I personally believe this is an irrelevant complaint as, so far, all the menus for entire days come up to only approximately 1500 calories per person.

That, in combination with a sensible exercise program is a perfect amount for healthful living. The portions are often quite large, as the food is not laden with sugars and refined flours, which make up the bulk of most foods people choose to eat today. If it were not for those two things, food portions would not be an issue. You can eat nearly as much of a well balanced, whole foods diet as you like. You will not likely gain weight if you are active.

I bought this book because I was trying to lose my "pregnancy weight" after giving birth to my daughter. I really only stuck with it a week, but I could tell a slight change in my mood, energy, and physical self. However, this diet plan is not sensible if your on a budget.

I have been working out with Harley's 1st book, 5-Factor Fitness and I love it, so I purchased this new book for the advanced workout in the book. I have not really tried the food because I was already doing another diet when I found his book but it looks great and the best part is it is truely heathy. I am going to switch to his diet and put my husband on it also.
I love the workout because it only takes 25 minutes a day and it is something I can do at home.
I recommend both of Harley Pasternak's books to anyone looking for a workout and diet that is easy and healthy.

The book overall is o.k. It written in a very simple method, and I really like the fact that he does not push any "Fad" methods (no carbs/all protein/etc) to make this work. Additionally, I enjoy the fact that he does not promote taking some special pill to enhance the program. However, the book lacks nutrition information about the recipes. Furthermore, I think the book sends a message that the recipes take 5 minutes to prep/cook. This simply is not true. Some meals, such as the Tomato Tuscan Soup, take about 2 hours to reduce and cook thoroughly. There are many meals that take at least 15 minutes in the oven as part of the process, then additional steps outside the oven. The recipes require a LOT of cooking - there are very few "quick lunch" items available - so you do have to plan ahead for the next several days. Also, be prepared to eat A TON of Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, Beans, Tomatoes, and Peppers - which I would say 98% of the recipes have one or more of those ingrediants.

Nonetheless, the food is hearty and actually pretty tasty. The workouts are easy to understand and follow with the pictures from the book - this is what I have always been most intimidate about when it comes to good health - so for that, I am grateful to Harvey.

Thank you.

This book is amazing, I have been doing the plan for 3 weeks and I have lost 10 pounds.
It is better than any weight loss book I have ever read. It is not a diet it's a life style change.

The information in this book combines all of the latest diet techniques into one book. The author states why the other diets don't work (i.e. The Zone Diet, South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Meal Delivery Programs) but he uses something from all the books/services and puts it into his book. I felt the information in this book was too basic. We've heard it all before. It's not worth the money!

I agree this book MIGHT be a little bit useful if you have ZERO knowledge about nutrition/fitness. But if you know just the basics -- SAVE YOUR $$. This guy and his book annoyed me so much, I don't even know where to start. Here's a short list of the top inconsistencies that bugged the living daylights out of me:

* He starts off with the obligatory "why THESE common diets are good and mine is the best" spiel, where he bashes Atkins, the Zone, South Beach, even Weight Watchers and Body for Life. He even devotes an entire chapter to why HIGH PROTEIN DIETS ARE EVIL. But THEN he goes on to state this HIS diet is "high protein-moderate carb"??? Ummm, helloooo, weren't you just telling me that high protein diets were the devil??
(he also mistakenly lumps The Zone in as a "high protein, low carb" diet, when it clearly is not.)

*He critiques Body for Life for its use of "supplements" then goes on to suggest using Myoples -- one of BFL's so-called "supplements" -- in his "recipe section."

*And then - the recipes. He makes a HUGE deal in the beginning of stating the 5 components every meal should have - Healthy Fats being one of them. But hardly any of the recipes call for healthy fats!!?? Just lots of FF cream cheese and FF sour cream. W.T.H???

In summary, I don't know if Harley is just delusional, needed a better editor, or what, but this book could have really used ALOT of polishing up before it went into print.

The precurser of this book is really all you need (5 Factor Fitness). Although this one does have some good recipes.

Great concept...I truly see why it works in Hollywood. While The exercises are easy to do, the problem is the recipes are definitely not for the working person unless you have a personal chef. Maybe I can try the diet when I retire.

Like any fitness plan, this book simply provides one way to do it, but its plan was appealing to me because I don't have a lot of spare time in my day and personal trainers and chefs are just too expensive. I needed a plan that was reasonable -- that did not require an extreme commitment to the gym or to an unrealistic diet. I also needed a plan that made the most out of the little time I had available.

This book does a good -- but not quite great -- job of meeting these criteria. Where it really comes through is on the exercises. It provides a multi-week, day-by-day plan to exercise in an intelligent way for 25 minutes. While it's true that goal-oriented exercisers (not me) could probably reach their goals faster if they spent more time at the gym, I think the plan set up by the book yields results and lives up to its promise on 25 minutes.

My experience with the meal plan has been uneven. I like eating five times a day, and though that was a change from my prior diet, it really didn't require much more of a time commitment. Making the meals is more difficult. The author promises only "five minutes of prep time." Without exploring what counts as "prep time" and what doesn't, I will simply say that some of the meals require a substantial time commitment -- over an hour. It has nothing to do with cooking or kitchen experience -- brown rice just takes at least 45 minutes to make, for example, because it just has to cook that long. Also, despite a detailed meal plan and a promise of tasty food, I so far have found the recipe section of the book to be a bit of an obstacle course. Some of the meals -- one Indian curry dish and the ropa vieja dish, for example -- are good. They don't taste like diet food. Others -- and particularly some of the snacks, like the strawberry bar and the white bean dip -- are just bad, bordering on inedible.

In contrast to some of the reviewers who have posted here, I think the book actually does a decent (but I will agree not great) job of "teaching a man to fish" in terms of trying to customize a diet. The author identifies the things to look for and lists his favored ingredients and snacks, which helps to define the healthy universe of foods for the fitness plan he proposes. He somewhat unnecessarily identifies the flaws in other diet programs (after all, if you have already purchased his book there is little for him to gain in convincing you not to try other programs), but if you can get past this self-serving exercise, his critiques helped me understand the program he proposes in a little more detail. I agree that it requires some effort to follow the plan exactly, and that's unfortunate given that one of the benefits the author claims is low time commitment. But you can always fall back on the day-by-day meal plan offered by the book if you don't want to figure out the science yourself.

Overall, I have been happy with this book and recommend it, particularly if you don't have a lot of time or money you are willing or able to invest in perfecting a fitness plan. Different plans will suit people with different priorities, but this one has worked for me.

Great idea, not practical for average use. Says it is easy, but you would need lots of prep time.

"The 5 Factor Diet" is a practical, easy-to-follow lifestyle. You don't need an advanced degree in chemistry to follow the diet, recipes are simple and delicious, Harley gives you tips on eating out (even at fast food restaurants!) and the exercise program not only fits into anybody's daily plan, it's quick and painless. You never have to see the inside of a gym to get a good workout. I love "The 5 Factor Diet" and I LOVE Harley Pasternak!

This book is full of excellent nutrition information. The diet plan is very easy to understand and follow. The book itself was an "easy" read.

I have been working out regularly for more than ten years, and I thought I was doing okay. I bought this book for my mother, since she wanted to start a new workout plan. I started to read the book, and I never gave it to her! I have been doing the workout program for four weeks now and I DEFINITELY notice a difference in my body, especially in my waist. I am consistently challenged and I am noticing more definition in all areas. I haven't been following the diet really, but the workout plan alone is worth the price of purchase. The best part is, the workout only takes 30 minutes per day and you don't have to think about what moves to do. A must buy for anyone looking to change up their routine, lose some weight and add definite tone and definition to their body!!

It was easy to follow and the recipes were pretty good. Just like any diet, if you don't follow the instructions, you will not see results.

I enjoyed this book; It is filled with great nutritional information. I just felt that something was missing. While reading this book, I used the ABs diet for women book as well. I found the abs book more useful for my lifestyle. However,the receipes and tips in Harley Pasternak's book are wonderful. So I am referring to both books and have actually lost about 10 pounds with just eating right,walking and lifting weight in my home 3-4 x a week and walking 2-3 x a week. All of this has occurred within a 4 week period.. I look and feel great!!!!! no more stomach pooch..

I decided to read the entire book before I started on this diet and have been completely satisfied with the results after following the books directives.

Even though I haven't been at it long I can tell I will have a successful outcome when I finally reach my goal.

Believe me - you will never be hungry and the recipes are so easy to follow.

The Five Factor Diet book is great for anyone wanting to lose weight or just maintain and tone. Great step by step instructions. I have been working out 4-5 times a week for the past 2 years and this program has really helped me get over my same old routine that was no longer doing me any good.

I love this book. I dropped 30lbs in 4 1/2 months and was shocked that it worked. This man is a genius and he makes weight loss doable. If I could recommend a weight loss product to people, it would be this book and its companion, "5-Factor Fitness".

I have read many diet and exercise books and this one should be considered one of the good ones. I am on the workout plan which seems to be working well (2 weeks so far) and the eating plan with the recipes are great. The workout and his eating plan are simple and easy to follow. Not sure if you will end looking like a star though. I have a feeling he works his personal clients harder in the cardio department! It is good buy for the money and the workout is aimed at beginners and the advanced.

I bought this book this afternoon because several others here recommended it as a simple plan. I've spent the afternoon and evening studying it, and frankly, I'm confused. The recipes seem really erratic and inconsistent in terms of how much protein, how much low-GI carb, etc. Some recipes seem really protein heavy and others really carb heavy. One dinner recipe: 4.5 oz of ham steak (after he says to pick fish or chicken), a sweet potato, and 1-1/2 ears of corn. That's an awful lot of saturated fat and starch, and corn was NOT considered low GI the last time I checked the charts.

Conversely, the author acknowledges the need for healthy fats but includes them nowhere in his plan except for the erratically-placed spoonful of peanut butter. Nonfat cream cheese + peanut butter + a pear (that's another meal recipe) does not equal a balance of protein and carbs. I don't mean to split hairs, but don't tell me it's an easy plan and then muddy the waters with inconsistency and misinformation.

He puts down Body for Life as being a commercial for supplements (it's not, simply recommends protein drinks for folks who are too busy to assemble 5-6 meals a day). 5-Factor seems to have actually ripped off a lot of Body for Life's food plan, except that Body for Life is better.

He puts down the South Beach Diet, but frankly, his program seems very similar to that one, also... only low-GI carbs balanced with protein. He puts down other diets by saying "Who eats like that?" but his own diet is hardly geared toward normal eating habits. Low GI doesn't matter nearly as much as was once thought, if you're combining your carbs with protein and (hopefully) some good fat.

Glad it's working for some... I'm sure it does work, it looks like it's low in calories for the most part.

This is not a diet. It is a simple way to eat properly with very little effort. The exercises are quite, simple and you see results within the first two weeks.

The 5 Factor Diet offers some unique ideas on diet and exercise. The idea of several small meals a day, ie, grazing, is not all that new but Pasternak further defines this with the five food groups which should be in each of the five meals.
He lists everything in groups of five. Most of the time this is okay, but othertimes it comes off an the verge of being silly. If there are only three or four items, don't stretch to make up some more just to reach the magic five.
Like most diet books his recipes leave much to be desired, even though some are pretty good. the two I've actually tried were tasty, filling, and since I had all five food groups, healthy.
The 5 Factor Diet is worth buying and reading. You likely will not follow his palns to the letter. However, I'd be very surprised if you don't walk away with some useful ideas.

book arrived when I was on vacation and did not really read it today as I just got home, but will in a day or so

1. Very easy read, easy to use
2. Delicious recipes
3. Fun exercises
4. Get results fast
5. My family, including my kids, enjoy the recipes.. Makes family happy.

I am very happy with this book. The portions are plentiful and exercise is quick and fun. I am lactose intolerant so I had to modify some of the dairy choices. Overall, very happy with this book. Thank you, Mr. Pasternak.

This is essentialy a non-fat diet. I was unable to find a grocery or health food store that carried non-fat diary products. Check out the availability of these products before you buy this book.

I love this book! Harley explains why other diets fail and teaches you a new way to look at food in general. Diets need to be a lifestyle change so he lays out his eating plan in such a way anyone can do it. Scientific, smart and extremely easy! This is a wonderful book to have and share with those you love.

Harley supports his claims and backs his fitness and nutrition program with great research. He presents it in such a way that is understandable yet engaging even for the most reluctant of readers. I felt as if we were really having a conversation due to his unique use of voice. His "5 Factor" idea really makes the whole program easy, there are 5 phases of the workout, every meal contains the same 5 essentials, meal prep is literally 5 minutes (cooking time extra). I have engaged in the fitness part of the program and definitely have been feeling the soreness from working mass muscle regions unlike when I was using weight machines, and even though I don't always follow his recipes, I always search for or make meals with the 5 essentails he teaches you about.