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| The 5 Factor Diet | 
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| Authors: Harley Pasternak, Myatt Murphy
Publisher: Meredith Books
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $4.99
You Save: $19.96 (80%)
New (52) Used (46) from $4.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  77 reviews
Sales Rank: 9001
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0696232243
Dewey Decimal Number: 613.25
EAN: 9780696232244
ASIN: 0696232243
Publication Date: December 26, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 3 Hour Diet is Better April 10, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
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.... March 6, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
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?
 You can do it! February 11, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Easy to read. It makes you feel that you too can be fit! It's worth a try.
It works if you work it! February 9, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
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!
Is your health worth a little extra effort? YES! January 10, 2008
24 out of 24 found this review helpful
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.
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