This is really a great book. Well written, humorous and you feel that they understand exactly what you go through, unlike other diet book authors! Only problem I had was with the measurements for ingredients. I need the American translation. But I loved it! Great book!

Works for men, too. I lost 20 lbs in three weeks. Funny stories and salty language make enjoyable reading, my wife tells me.

The book was a fun read. Written with great wit and insight. It is a high protein diet. I found that the perspective of two women dealing with and living in the real world made their take on a high protein diet unique. It was very very encouraging and dead on as the diet progresses to give that pat on the back or kick in the behind. I also purchased the cookbook, but did not care for it. I think mainly due to the difference in Engllish and American foods. Many of the fish dishes were not foods I had ever heard of or probably would ever make.

This makes so much sense and I felt like the ladies were sitting at my kitchen table having a cup of coffee with me. They are funny but so down to earth and sincerely trying to help us learn what they have learned. This is one book I'll never lend to anyone. I would read it aloud to them first.

I spent about 19 years going from slim and svelte to corpulent and colossal. Over the last few years I made a few half-hearted attempts at changing, either dieting or exercising for a week or two before throwing in the towel. I read all kinds of diet and exercise journals and spent a ton of (wasted) money on them.

This book is different.

First of all it is written by two people who have not only been obese and battled through the change, but they are willing to share not only the 'before' pictures but the trials and tribulations of the journey (including the failures).

Secondly it spends the first few chapters just getting to the point of WHY and HOW they got fat (and helping the reader to do the same). It gives some of the lies they told themselves (some of which were the same as mine), including avoiding photos/full length mirrors to avoid being confronted with their overweight bodies.

The perfect diet (IMO) is:

1. The one that works for YOU.
2. The one YOU can live with for the rest of your life.

It's not about dieting, as I've found out, it is about changing your "Way of Eating" and lifestyle - forever.

The Authors: The book is very blunt and straight to the point - which it NEEDS to be - if you can't handle being honest and blunt with yourself then you won't like India's writing. She is extremely blunt. Someone in another review called her "snarky", which I guess if you can't handle bluntness you might think that.

Neris on the other hand has a harder time coming to grips with her weight loss goals, getting motivated and staying motivated. There are quite a few of us who have 'dieted' who can relate to that. Throwing in the towel, giving up, feeling overwhelmed. It happens to a lot of people. I appreciated seeing that very human side of her and reading about her getting beyond it.

I give this book five stars and recommend it to everyone. Even if you do not feel that low carb is right for you as a diet, this is a recommended read just for the first few chapters. Even in the later chapters they tell you that if you skipped over those first few chapters you need to go back and read them.

Reviewed by Vicky Burkholder
on 07/08/2008

I've read a lot of diet books. This is the first one written by someone who actually followed the diet. Neris and India are not dieticians, health experts, doctors, or any other expert on losing weight. What they are, is two women who were overweight and tried multiple diets until they found something that worked for them. What they came up with is basically a modified Atkins/South Beach diet that puts you through a heavy carb detox the first two weeks.

The language is frank - sometimes a little too frank (if you're opposed to the "f" word, skip a couple pages), but you don't doubt their sincerity. They are honest about their struggles and about how hard it is to lose weight. In the diet portion of the book, they are also honest about how they felt each day of the diet, including constipation, cravings, and generally feeling like crap. But they did lose weight - nearly 140 pounds between the two of them.

I have to admit reading this book was almost as entertaining as reading a novel. It is honest and pulls no punches. If I have any issues with it, they are because of the printing and some of the language. The language is noted above. Though realistic, it is disconcerting. The other issue is the colorization of the pages. The print is normal size black print but the pages are anything but normal white. They range from off white to dark gray. The darker the pages, the harder they are to read. Eyestrain is a definite possibility while attempting to read, especially when light is less than optimal. The publisher should pay less attention to cute marketing ploys and more attention to readability.

So, if you want a realistic book based on low or no-carb diet, and you've got excellent eyesight, this is a definite book for you. It will tell you what's going on and help you through the worst days to a new you. But as with any diet book, be sure to check with your doctor before trying anything.

I really enjoyed the first part of this book, in which the authors describe how they came to the point of embarking on their diet together, and in which they encourage the reader to truly think about why she (this book is not written for men) overeats. There are also some nice tips on choosing clothes, pampering yourself in ways other than eating chips or chocolate, and staying motivated. But...the diet itself is the same old low carb diet that you can find in any number of diet books...and in what feels like a deceptive turn, the reader eventually learns that the authors did not even follow their own diet as described. Instead of observing a 2 week very-low-carb introductory period, as they recommend in the book, they observed a 6 MONTH introductory period- probably not recommended in the book because the publisher would not want to advocate something so extreme (and probably unhealthy). So basically, you could follow this diet quite faithfully but with no realistic expectation of losing 70 pounds in 1 year as each of the authors did.

I read about half this book, after a friend recommended it to me. Atkins. And snarky commentary.

I found India downright unpleasant, and Naris sort of wimpy, so I didn't relate to the "characters" very well, nor did I find their diet particularly "idiot proof." We'll see how they manage it for the long haul. Most people can lose weight. It's keeping it off for more than 3 years where the odds drop significantly.

I don't think their diet is sustainable for life, particularly not with 8 recommended vitamins and supplements. I mean, seriously, who wants to add a pharmacy bowl of pills to their breakfast every single day.

I was looking forward to reading this book which was hyped to be better than common sense which it is not! There is a smattering of offensive language in the book. I am going to pass this off to someone who wants to wade through the look for something they find helpful as I am not going to wade through it. I found nothing helpful!

Read the book in two days....Have followed the plan for five weeks...have lost 15 pounds...easy to follow...

I read this book in 2 days from front to cover! I love it and I felt like they knew me all too well! There is many funny moments, many aha moments and lots of inspirations. This is unlike any other "diet" book i have ever read. I plan on starting this type of eating on monday. It makes so much sense to me as I am a carb whore! I am also a nurse and I bought all the supplements with no hesitation and I agree with this type of eating as to be healthy. I love eating fresh foods, organic foods and regular fat foods not fat free or light as they are not healthy for you at all.

If you are stuck in a rut, and the scale keeps going in the wrong direction, read this book. It is entertaining and they give lots of resources and web sites for things. What do yo have to lose, it is worth the 2 shirt days of reading, trust me!

If you want to do an Atkins-type diet, this book is much more fun and inspiring to read than the original.

However:

The different color paper every few pages is hard on the eyes, as are the constantly changing typefaces/colors. Also, a lot of good information/quick tips should have been in lists, not buried in long paragraphs.

The "situational eating tips" (for parties, weddings, etc.) could easily be summed up in one sentence: "Stick to protein and stay away from carbs". And there was 'way too much emphasis on alcohol being allowed without any alternative indulgences for those who do not drink. Hopefully that was an oversight.

Given recent news stories about how taking supplements may not really be all that good for you, you might want to just stick to a multi-vitamin.

I would like to have seen more in terms of quick-prep or on-the-go meal combinations, and much more emphasis on exercise. The before and after photos, well, given that they mentioned proper support underwear more than once in the book, made me wonder whether some of the change in looks was due to better-fitting clothing. Not to say that they need to be perfect, not at all, but while it was clear that they lost a lot of weight, I was surprised that they didn't look more toned, but that might also be due to the photography--they were in different poses (and in different clothing) for the before and after pictures, and that does make a difference.

I am looking forward to their cookbook, since this book didn't have too much in the way of recipes/menus.

I bought it. I read it. My opinion: Yuck. Atkins on colored pages with "fashion tips" from broads who shouldn't be giving out fashion advice.

This plan was simple and straight forward, I like that. My only issue was having to give up fruit. I lost some weight and feel pretty darn good!

The book is funny and well written...but the 'diet' is the low/no carb Dr Adkins diet...It is a breezy read with some interesting fashion tips...but I wish I had known that this was what they were offering before I bought the book.

5 stars for creativity and laughs. But as far as the diet itself, I give it 2 stars since it's a low-carb diet. Yes, if you follow the high protein, low carb diet, you'll lose weight. Guaranteed. But, the problem for everybody I've known who has tried it - and I know plenty - is that though you're allowed things not normally associated with dieting (heavy cream! butter!) and lots of other nummy things, the diet gets boring. As all diets eventually do. They say it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. But it's a diet. And you have to stick to it for the rest of your life or you're back in the same pickle you were in before you started it.

People want carbs. They love carbs. They eventually miss carbs terribly . . .like an old girl/boyfriend who's not very good for you, but not terrible either, so you go back. And POOF goes the diet. And back comes the old way of eating. And the pounds. For me, the proof of the pudding for "The Idiot Proof Diet" is whether the authors, or anyone else who follows this kind of diet, keeps it off for the long haul. And the long haul means freedom from eating more food than one needs for the rest of one's life, not just a couple of years.

I admire their zeal. They're on a mission of good will, hoping to help others. But I'm curious to know how they do with the diet and if they sustain their weight loss into the distant future. That would be the only way to see, in their own cases, if their diet really is "idiot proof." Perhaps they could blog. God bless them, I hope it keeps working for a very, very long time. It's so difficult, I know.

I am half way through the book and going to start my journey tomorrow, to a new lifestyle. However, I want to comment on this book now and will check back in later. These women are hilarious and I could read this book as a novel and laugh out loud, even if I weren't going to follow the plan.
I have seen some comments that there are not enough recipes in the book, this is somewhat true, however I don't think it is a bad thing. The recipes are fantastic, basic and a great guideline for the follower to make changes and try new variations. This is a diet book, not a cookbook. The first thing I did was pull my "Tyler Florence's Ultimate Cookbook" off the counter and flag everything I can make, and was amazed at how much I found.

Another reason I love these women is that they know the important things in life.....there is no alcohol in the first 2 weeks, however, if you want to stay on phase 1 longer, they let you drink!!! Also, beware of the F-bombs, you may not want to get this book for grandma, or maybe you do, because you have a cool grandma!

I highly recommend this book and will be checking back in later.

Bests!

Neris and India are the Trinny and Susannah (of What Not to Wear fame) of dieting. This book could have easily been called "What Not to Weigh," and it is more of a dieting companion than an actual plan. The Idiot-Proof Diet is basically a low-carb diet with a slight spin and some really wonderful recipes (sadly too few of them) thrown in.

The humorous, self-effacing tone is engaging and the journal-style entries truly make the reader want to join Neris and India on their day-to-day ups-and-downs of trying to lose weight - which they successfully accomplish. There are lots of great and useful tips, too. This book is basically for weight loss support, and it successfully fulfills that mission in an utterly charming way rarely found in other diet books.

This is definitely a book that appeals to women. I don't think men would identify with it at all, but of course the subtitle lays that out.