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Jumpstart to Skinny: The Simple 3-Week Plan for Supercharged Weight Loss (Skinny Rules) Hardcover – April 23, 2013

by Bob Harper (Author), Greg Critser (Author)

4.2 822 ratings

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In The Skinny Rules, celebrity trainer and coach of NBC’s The Biggest Loser Bob Harper delivers the ultimate strategy for healthy, long-term weight loss and “thin maintenance.” But what if you have a big event looming—a reunion, wedding, beach vacation, or other special occasion—and need a fast-acting plan to meet your short-term goals?

Jumpstart to Skinny features thirteen short-term Rules (no one gets thin on mere suggestions) that will supercharge your weight loss. Taking any confusion or decision making out of the equation, Harper also provides a day-by-day plan for success, including his body-toning “Jumpstart Moves” and deliciously slimming recipes specially designed for your get-skinny needs.

Jumpstart to Skinny lets you in on the secrets Bob shares with his red-carpet celebrity clients. This is not a marathon diet; it’s a quick sprint to the finish line. And the victory lap comes when you slip into that sexy dress or swimsuit and feel fantastic. Get started today!

THE FOUR-PART JUMPSTART PLAN TO A SKINNIER YOU

• Your Jumpstart Rules: Thirteen must-follow principles to get you ready for your own “big reveal,” including Rule #1, a precise breakdown of the proper protein/carbohydrate/fat proportions for every meal, and Rule #3, which explains why you need to just say no to complex carbs after breakfast during this three-week plan. These are the Rules that Bob Harper and his celebrity clients use to get ready for their big events—and now you’re in on the secrets, too.

• Your Jumpstart Day-by-Day: No decisions, no confusion! Here is the simple, three-week game plan: the food to buy and prepare ahead each week, when and how much to eat each day, and the when and how of your exercise schedule.

• Your Jumpstart Moves: Bob’s unique, twenty-minute, at-home exercise routines. From sit-ups, push-ups, and squats to jumping rope, lateral jumps, and simple chair dips, choose one of the seven “packages” of body-toning moves when your day calls for Bob’s “metabolic conditioning.”

• Jumpstart Recipes: Cleansing or juice fasting? No way! You need to eat to lose weight, so here are twenty-one days of slimmingly delicious recipes—including “Peanut Butter and Jelly” Oatmeal, Sweet Potato Hash, Spaghetti Squash Bolognese, Buffalo Chicken Salad, and Bob’s signature Shrimp Skimpy—formulated with your Jumpstart protein/carb/fat proportions (see Rule #1!) and calorie maximums in mind.

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About the Author

Bob Harper is a world-renowned fitness trainer and the longest-reigning star of the NBC reality series The Biggest Loser, which went into its fourteenth season in January 2013. He has released several popular fitness DVDs and is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Skinny Rules. Harper still teaches a local spin class in Los Angeles, where he resides with his dog, Karl.

Greg Critser is a longtime science and medical journalist. The co-author of Bob Harper’s The Skinny Rules, Critser is also the author of the international bestseller Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World. He lives in Pasadena, California.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Part I

The Jumpstart Rules

Rule 1

Take Control with Proper Proportions—40/40/20

It’s one thing to hand someone a tough battle plan and tell her to “just get going.”

It’s another to give her the tools to execute said plan and win the battle.

I want you to win.

That’s what this rule is about.

The 40/40/20 plan is the nutritional architecture of your Jumpstart eating regimen. And it is easy, especially since I’ve done all the work for you in my menus and recipes!

The 40/40/20 plan is my way of making sure you get the right amount of the three essential macronutrients in your diet: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Without them, you’d be in trouble. Without them in the right amounts, you’ll stay fat, and you’ll never get into that dress, tux, Speedo, or bikini. (Of course, you also need fiber, which is why I give you license to eat unlimited quantities of Jumpstart veggies.)

I’ve tinkered with this formula to get it right: I’ve tried different percentages, added, subtracted, split things up one week and then tried something new the next. In other words, I have been your guinea pig, and I know this is the formula that will work. Don’t make my effort for nothing—use what I’ve learned!

But I’ll back up a step and give you a macronutrient primer:

Protein is a dieter’s best friend. Not only does it help maintain muscle while you are losing fat, it can also prevent you from feeling hungry. Why? Because protein helps control blood sugar and insulin—two elements that, out of balance, can make you feel famished and craving all the wrong things. During your Jumpstart program, 40 percent of your calories will come from protein.

Carbohydrates—nature’s sugars—are the body’s fuel. We need them to keep our energy levels up, to keep our thinking sharp, and to replenish starved muscles. But carbohydrates come in two different forms: simple and complex. I’m oversimplifying, but think of it this way: simple carbohydrates are found in fruits and vegetables (which, again, also give us needed fiber) and are, generally, “good.” Complex carbohydrates are what we find in processed starchy food—breads, baked goods, pastas, crackers, and potatoes. It’s not that complex carbohydrates are evil or that you can never have them again (you can!), but most people rely too heavily on carbohydrates of the complex variety, and don’t get enough simple ones! When we overload on the complex carbs, we wreak havoc on our systems.

If we can control our carb intake—if we use them rather than abuse them—we can push our body during exercise, and the carbs we have eaten will replenish our starved muscles. As with protein, you’re going to be eating 40 percent mostly simple carbohydrates (see Rule 3 about when you can have some complex ones) for the next three weeks.

Net Carbs

In addition to simple carbs and complex carbs, there’s one more vocabulary word I need to explain here, folks: net carbs. Net carbs refers to the amount of carbohydrates in the food after you have considered the way in which the fiber in that food offsets the carb number. A food like, say, blueberries, has 21 grams of carbs per cup, but 4 grams of fiber. So, to calculate the net carbs for a cup of blueberries, you subtract the grams of fiber from the carbs: that’s 17 net carbs! You’ll see in Part IV that I list the nutritional value of each recipe. When I list the carbs per serving, I’m talking about net carbs.

We also need fats—whether in the form of oils or solids. Fats help maintain the essential barriers around our cells, help keep our skin and various other tissues flexible, and provide a dense source of fuel—120 calories for every tablespoon! Fats are not “bad”—we just need to use the right ones the right way. If we do, we can reduce feelings of hunger and stay on the path to successful weight loss and an awesome big reveal body. Your Jumpstart diet will allow 20 percent fats.

In the daily menus in Part II (“The Jumpstart Day-by-Day Regimen”), I’ve already calculated your macronutrient diet as close to 40 percent protein, 40 percent carbs, and 20 percent fat as possible for each meal. (Remember that because the fiber in fruits and veggies brings their net carb number down, you may sometimes be getting far fewer than 40 percent carbs from my recipes. But I’m assuming you’ll be snacking on fruits and veggies all day long, so you’ll get your needed carbs over the course of the day.) Meaning: these proportions are already basically figured into each meal. All you have to do is fix the meal and eat it. No excuses.

So, this is easy math, right? Made easier because I’ve done the menu planning for you. These proportions—40/40/20—are the same ones I use when I’m getting ready for a cover shoot. Thwse are the proportions my celebrity clients use to get red-carpet ready. And they’re the proportions you’re going to use for your own cover shoot. You’ll have an amazing, for-the-ages wedding album, a jealousy-inducing reunion photo, a bathing-beauty shot that your spouse just can’t stop looking at!

Screw the Math

Last time I checked, 40 plus 40 plus 20 equals 100. And 100 percent of anything is all there is, right? But wait! There’s some good news here: I’m going to give you some free calories above and beyond your 40/40/20 allotment. See page 37 for a list of Bob-approved Jumpstart veggies. You’ll see in Part II that you’ll have many of these vegetables daily, but feel free to add as many you want—more than I have called for!—to your meals. In fact, you’d be crazy not to. These are freebie calories—no need to think about your 40/40/20 proportion when you are eating them.

In addition to possibly satisfying your urge to just munch on something, these veggies will ensure you are getting lots of fiber. And more of the right kind of fiber means greater—and healthier—weight loss.

Rule 2

Cut back on calories. Then cut back again.

Brace yourself for the truth: for this diet to work on time (three weeks!), you should eat 800 calories a day if you’re female and 1,200 calories a day if you’re male.

Why did I say brace yourself? Most diet experts and motivators prefer to keep people in the dark about calorie restriction, but they all know the truth. They dress it up in pretty prose but never tell you the truth about the number of calories it takes (or doesn’t take) to meet your goals. I think you deserve my honesty. You’re an adult: you can take the truth in plain terms.

Are you miffed at me for being so hard on you? That’s OK. I can take it. Remember: I spend most of my time convincing ravenously hungry obese people not to eat! And, believe me, they’ve said some choice things to me about that.

But here’s what they usually say about it later: thanks, Bob, I needed that!

They, like you, get it: special circumstances call for aggressive measures. Jumpstart to Skinny is not a permanent regimen. But it is safe, and it will get you into that dress, Speedo, or bikini.

And that, if I remember right, is what this is all about for you. Keep your eyes on the prize.

Now, where do those numbers—800 for women, 1,200 for men—come from? In short, they come from years of experience with clients in your shoes. They come from years of my trying to be accommodating, sensitive, and empathetic when folks said things like, “Can’t you just give me a little more food?” or “Bob, can’t you let me have a tablespoon of peanut butter or something before bed? After all, protein is good for weight loss. Right, Bob?”

Yes, I tried to be compassionate, I tried to be Mr. Sympathy—and my clients didn’t meet their weight-loss goals.

There is just no way around it. You’ve got to ratchet your intake way down if you want a skinnier you.

All that said, it’s not just calories in, calories out that makes for weight loss. It’s also what’s in those calories that counts. That’s why—as you’ll see—I’m so specific about what you should eat and when you should eat it. The 800/1,200 model works. Trust my process, OK?

Or you could trust the science:

What you’ll be embarking on for the next three weeks is known as a very low-calorie diet, or VLCD in nutritionist terms. One conventional whack against very low-calorie diets concerns weight regain—what happens when you go off the aggressive regimen. A nation of diet relapsers tells us there’s no doubt that regain happens. We are not entirely sure why. But we do now know that regain is not an inevitable outcome of VLCDs.

As early as 1995, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine concluded that “just 7 days of caloric restriction can produce dramatic improvements in glycemic control; moreover, VLCDs produce greater improvements in glycemic control than more moderate diets, even if weight losses are the same.” With my added emphasis in italics, that means that better glycemic control means better weight control.

More recently, a giant and ongoing study in the European Union has been trying to connect the dots between success in losing weight and success in maintaining that loss. One of its interim findings, just published as I was writing this, concludes that “LCD (low calorie diet)-induced changes in BMI [and] fasting insulin . . . are inversely associated with weight regain in the 6-month period following weight loss.” In other words: the positive metabolic changes that the low-calorie diet induced made weight regain much less likely.

And another study, from Maastricht University in the Netherlands: “VLCD with active follow-up treatment seems to be one of the better treatment modalities related to long-term weight-maintenance success” (italics mine).

In other words, short-term very low-calorie dieting can produce a whole bunch of positive changes that will keep you from getting fat again. The trial is not over, and the jury is certainly not out. It’s still hearing evidence. But, again, the more I observe my own clients and the more I study, the more convinced I’ve become: in the short run, it’s the way to go. And right this moment, you’re in the short run. Eight hundred calories for women. Twelve hundred for men. Got it?

All of which means: at nine o’clock at night, when you’re dreaming about food and ruminating over this Jumpstart Rule, you’ll hate my guts!

But trust me: when you’re walking down the aisle, you’ll want to kiss me.

Oh yes, brothers and sisters, you will!

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0345545109
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books; 1st edition (April 23, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780345545107
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345545107
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.7 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #549,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #743 in Exercise Injuries & Rehabilitation
- #2,585 in Weight Loss Diets (Books)
- #4,034 in Other Diet Books

Customer Reviews:
4.2 822 ratings

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Bob Harper

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BOB HARPER is a fitness trainer and health expert who starred as the host of NBC’s The Biggest Loser. A three-time #1 New York Times best-selling author, he has his own line of bestselling workout DVDs and an online fitness program called Black Fire. Since his much-publicized heart attack in February 2017, Harper has redoubled his efforts to educate and enlighten his fans about nutrition and its role in building health.

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Customers find the book's weight loss program effective and easy to follow. They appreciate the simple, straightforward approach and delicious recipes. The information provided is helpful and common-sense, with detailed explanations of protein and carbohydrate intake. Many customers describe the diet as healthy, filling, and effective.

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Weight loss Ease of follow Recipes quality Information quality Diet Effectiveness Exercise intensity Value for money

155 customers mention "Weight loss"152 positive3 negative

Customers find the diet helpful for weight loss. They say it provides a 21-day program to jump start weight loss. The book's rules for losing weight are good and will definitely incorporate them in their big plans. It teaches portion control and helps detoxify. The diet is a three-week program with healthy food, not intended as a permanent lifestyle.

"...This book has ideas on how to jumpstart progress in a three-week plan emphasizing 13 rules including daily low-impact cardio exercise such as walking..." Read more

"...Update (5/26/13) - I finished a few days ago. Lost 15 pounds. Loved this plan. Thanks, Bob!!!" Read more

"...I finished it on Sunday May 19. I lost 5 lbs in the 3 weeks and did not vary from the eating plan nor the scheduled exercise...." Read more

"...This meals is very filling and satisfying - especially when you are not in the mood to eat a bunch of raw veggies in a salad. 2...." Read more

120 customers mention "Ease of follow"92 positive28 negative

Customers find the book's weight loss plan straightforward and doable. They appreciate the clear guide and easy-to-follow recipes. The workouts are varied and simple to follow, making it a good option for summer. Overall, customers find the rules in the book reasonable and helpful for achieving a healthier diet.

"...The exercises are hard, but completely doable, and they really don't take all that much time...." Read more

"...This was especially easy with the turkey Bolognese...." Read more

"...-Doable. It's 100% doable. Nothing is crazy is this book. Of course you will have to work at it but it's within reach. Plus it's only 3 weeks...." Read more

"...I am only a couple of days in but I am impressed with how easy it is to stick to the plan when it is laid out for me. Pros:..." Read more

104 customers mention "Recipes quality"84 positive20 negative

Customers find the recipes delicious and easy to follow. The book offers over 60 recipes, complete with nutritional information and tips.

"...was concerned about the low calories, but the food is so filling and delicious (I admit that I have to add a tiny bit of salt to some recipes), that..." Read more

"...It is delicious and I'll definitely incorporate that into my meals. Same with "Chicken Alla Fresca" on P 136. Watermelon makes it! "..." Read more

"...They are delicious (and cute!). But don't feel obligated to use them...." Read more

"...Provides step-by-step recipes and exercises. It's almost as if we have our own trainer in the house...." Read more

88 customers mention "Information quality"79 positive9 negative

Customers find the book provides good information about weight loss and nutrition. They appreciate the detailed explanations of protein's importance and chemistry. The book offers over 60 recipes, complete with nutritional information and tips for preparing meals. Readers appreciate the simple, straightforward approach that quotes actual research. Overall, they find the information useful and practical for weight loss.

"...You DO get to eat whole grain carbs like whole grain pasta, Ezekiel bread and whole grains on his approved menus...." Read more

"...-Doable. It's 100% doable. Nothing is crazy is this book. Of course you will have to work at it but it's within reach. Plus it's only 3 weeks...." Read more

"...ground, where I can acheive my time goals and yet the food can be healthy and balanced. Jumpstart, as Bob says, is not a long term plan...." Read more

"...is a diet that teaches you portion control and helps to detox you from sugars such and carbs and retrains your taste the water helps to flush the..." Read more

85 customers mention "Diet"61 positive24 negative

Customers like the diet. They say it's healthy, filling, and balanced. The meals are huge, with plenty of vegetables and protein. While the calorie intake is low, they find themselves not hungry because the meals are balanced.

"...grain carbs like whole grain pasta, Ezekiel bread and whole grains on his approved menus. However, you only eat these healthy carbs at breakfast...." Read more

"...the 800 calorie/day plan, but it's only 3 weeks, and it really is A LOT of food. The meals are big and very filling and extremely healthy...." Read more

"...I lost 5 lbs in the 3 weeks and did not vary from the eating plan nor the scheduled exercise...." Read more

"...glass of water. Plus, they are zero calories and made with Stevia so I preferred that too...." Read more

77 customers mention "Effectiveness"74 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's program effective. They appreciate the basic exercises and principles. Readers say the three-week plan works well. The book is described as a motivating read with an encouraging approach.

"...I will make them again and again. "Quinoa Rancheros" on P 119 is really good. "Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Salmon" on P 128 is really good...." Read more

"...However, if you're in a similar position to me then I think the book is great and I do believe it will work...." Read more

"...The plan works, try it. Also, amazing that with the 800 calories I do NOT feel deprived, light headed or weak...." Read more

"...IM SURE THE BOOK PART IS GREAT.. JUST REALLY MAKE SURE YOU WANT IT! I am so sorry that you did not find my honest review helpful...." Read more

45 customers mention "Exercise intensity"39 positive6 negative

Customers find the exercise plan in the book intense and varied, with low- and high-intensity cardio that keeps them interested. They appreciate the home workouts that don't feel onerous. The workout regime is similar to Crossfit, and customers report feeling more energetic and satisfied after every meal.

"...Exercise seems sensible and consistent - just 45 minutes of walking in the morning a day, and 5 days a week 15-20 minutes of basic movements as..." Read more

"...I have increased energy, either due to the daily walk each morning or to the lack of sugar "ups and downs". But, whatever the reason, I feel great...." Read more

"...I get up an hour earlier to walk and cook and the exercise doesn't feel onerous. I really love this diet and may continue for longer...." Read more

"...I just finished week one and have lost 8 lbs! It is hard...." Read more

92 customers mention "Value for money"62 positive30 negative

Customers have different views on the book's value for money. Some find it worth it, with a reasonable and detailed 3 week plan. Others consider it too expensive for the diet.

"...in shape for the beach or a special event, this book is an inexpensive alternative...." Read more

"...Some of the stuff is really good (more on that later). And I think I can now be legally classified a spinach and raw kale addict. Yum...." Read more

"...It's a little bit pricey, especially if (like me) you like to go organic...." Read more

"...Recipes are fairly quick and easy. Relatively cheap (depends on current food budget and pantry items). Gets me going in the morning...." Read more

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L.M. Keefer
How To Jumpstart Getting In Shape
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2013
Verified Purchase

If you want to jumpstart your eating and exercise routine for a vacation, reunion, or wedding, or just to amp up your get-in-shape progress, you may be interested in Bob Harper's new book telling you how to jumpstart to skinny in three weeks. Bob created this 3-week plan for clients who want to get in shape quickly such as a musician client who was going on tour, wanted to look her best, and shape up in a healthy way.

This book has ideas on how to jumpstart progress in a three-week plan emphasizing 13 rules including daily low-impact cardio exercise such as walking, and metabolic-conditioning 20-minutes exercises for five days a week.

If you wish you had a "get-in-shape" coach to advise you on a combined diet and exercise program to jumpstart your progress, Bob acts as one via this book.

The 13 Rules to jumpstart getting in shape are in brief below - recommend reading the book as the explanations, scientific research and rationale in Bob's words are motivating. Research shows that reading a diet and exercise book is a commitment and makes it much more likely that you will continue on that path to getting in shape. This is similar to the dynamic they found if a child opens a savings account and only puts $1 in it, much more likely they will go to college than if they hadn't opened one up at all. ANY positive action you take towards a goal, makes it many times more likely that the goal is going to be achieved. So, creating a shopping list for this book, trying a new recipe in it, going shopping for the healthy foods each week, or ordering an exercise ball multiplies significantly the potential that you will achieve the goal say psychologists. Here's a very quick overview of Bob's 13 steps which are also listed on Dr. Oz's website in more detail, if you want more background.:

#1 - Take control with proper proportions--40/40/20 - 40% protein/40% carbs/20% fat plus unlimited vegetables on Bob's freebie vegetable list that you want to eat. Carbs you can eat DO include whole grain pasta, oatmeal and others he includes in recipes. The protein is not all meat-based, and he lists other protein sources for this plan.
#2 - Cut back on calories: 800 calories for women & 1200 for men - plus the additional calories from Bob's recommended vegetables.
#3 - Eat no complex carbs (in whole grains) after breakfast - eat whole grains with breakfast foods.
#4 - Get rid of water weight by drinking more water - he explains reasons for this based on research and names other beverages that meet this requirement.
#5 - Get your electrolytes - ensure you have enough electrolytes - Bob recommends a mix he likes that is fairly inexpensive that you can add to water.
#6 - Do 45 minutes a day of low-intensity cardio, preferably before breakfast.
#7 - Five times a week, do 15 to 20 minutes of Bob's Jumpstart Moves. Part III of book has seven distinct routines you rotate with over 50 photos of Bob doing the moves.
#8 - Cut the salt - recommended salt amount is explained.
#9 - Take advantage of the restorative power of fish oil - preferred amount is listed and why.
#10 - Fall back on veggies - a list of recommended unlimited veggies for optimum weight loss is provided.
#11 - No fruit during week three - the fructose (fruit sugar) in fruit can slow down weight loss. That's the only food that changed for the last week.
#12 - Lay off all booze - for a number of reasons including calorie count to optimize weight loss.
#13 - An espresso a day ... or two or three - Bob lists other hot beverages also acceptable for this three week plan.

You DO get to eat whole grain carbs like whole grain pasta, Ezekiel bread and whole grains on his approved menus. However, you only eat these healthy carbs at breakfast. This doesn't change during the three weeks. A day-by-day meal menu is provided with 63 new recipes. If you find a dish you like for his "power breakfasts, lean lunches and thinner dinners", you can have it more than once a week. Here's a few of the creative names for recipes Bob includes in the book: Shrimp Skimpy, Pizza Toast, Chicken Alla Fresca, Turkey Scramble, Mango Chicken, Eggplant Chili, Salmon with Watermelon Cucumber Salad, Jumbo Stir-fry, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Mediterranean Salad, Gourmet Pork Chop and Spanish Scramble.

Exercise seems sensible and consistent - just 45 minutes of walking in the morning a day, and 5 days a week 15-20 minutes of basic movements as outlined by Bob any time during the day. If you are already walking 30 minutes a day, then it's just 15 minutes more walking and add the metabolism conditioning movements which add to your lean look, says Bob. There are 57 photos of Bob doing the jumpstart metabolism conditioning exercises in correct form.

Regarding preparing a shopping list: if you eat pretty healthy, you may be buying these foods already and have some of them on hand like canned vegetable broth, or chicken breasts and lean ground turkey breast in the freezer. I load up on vegetables every week for salads, soups and roasting. So, would only need to buy a few new ingredients. Most of us are probably not going to try a new recipe every meal. You can eat the same meal 7 days a week says Bob. Personally, I may skip the swiss chard and halibut. If you find a few core recipes you like, have the ingredients on hand, you can have them every days, says Bob. If you have NO foods already in the house, and are going to make every recipe, below is what you may want to buy for the first couple week's shopping list. Bob seems to provide variety so we won't get bored, but we can find core recipes we like and make them again and again over the three weeks. I buy, or have, 80% of these ingredients already, and will skip some after deciding on the recipes. Here's a sample shopping list:

PROTEINS: egg whites, no-salt sliced turkey breast, lean ground turkey breast, roasted chicken, chicken breasts, salmon, halibut, shrimp, cashews or walnuts

VEGETABLES: eggplant, spinach, arugula, kale, mixed greens, broccoli, cauliflower, spaghetti squash, celery, avocado, plum & cherry & regular tomatoes, asparagus spears, green & red cabbage, zucchini, red-yellow-green onions, red bell pepper, sweet potatoes, radishes, baby bok choy, swiss chard and the infamous Persian cucumbers

FRUITS: apples, fresh blueberries, frozen berries, watermelon, mango, unsweetened apple sauce, lemon-lime-orange for juice

GRAINS & FATS: rolled oats, quinoa, ground flax seed, Ezekiel bread, whole grain penne pasta, almond milk, almond butter, non-fat Greek yogurt, light sesame oil, extra virgin olive oil, olive oil spray

SEASONINGS & OTHER: fresh cilantro-dill-parsley-rosemary-thyme-bay leaf, garlic cloves, cinnamon, Dijon Mustard, Parmesan cheese, pesto, balsamic and red wine vinegars, fennel bulb, black and red pepper, vegetable broth, pico de gallo, hot sauce, Bragg's liquid aminos-for stir fry

These look like healthy mainstream foods we should be eating anyway. Bob provides make-ahead recipes in this book, which can be prepared in advance for busy nights. There is a variety of options for the three weeks. Frankly, I tend to eat yogurt with fruit, oatmeal or eggs for breakfast and salads and soups for lunch, chicken and roast vegetables or stir-fry for dinners most days. So, preparing a shopping list from this will be easy. Was glad to learn about olive oil spray which Bob mentions for roasting vegetables and baking chicken.

After the three weeks, you can transition to menus in Bob's SKINNY RULES book - which uses most of these same foods in recipes - which is a healthy life-long eating plan. If you've been wishing you could hire Bob to fine-tune your menu and exercise to get in shape for the beach or a special event, this book is an inexpensive alternative. To help decide if you want to read the book, there's an excerpt from this book, and a short video of Bob talking about this jumpstart program, at the top of this product page just under the picture of the book.

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IH8Poodlez
Don't Listen to the Haters
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2013
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I love this book. Granted, I've only been on the plan a few days, but I truly believe that I can stick to this one! At first I was concerned about the low calories, but the food is so filling and delicious (I admit that I have to add a tiny bit of salt to some recipes), that I haven't felt hungry once. I was afraid that I would be famished at bedtime, which is my worst snacking time, but I have honestly had no problem at all. The exercises are hard, but completely doable, and they really don't take all that much time. I was very sore the first couple of days, but I already feel so much stronger.
Several people have mentioned the lack of grocery lists, which seems silly to me as many diet books don't come with them. And for the many people who don't know how many servings are in each recipe - try reading the book. He tells us more than once that each recipe is one serving for women (men have to increase the recipes a little). I love that! So many diet books have recipes for 4 or 6, and if you're the only one in the house following the plan, it can be very difficult to do.

Another aspect that I really like is that at the beginning of each week, he tells us what to prepare in advance. A couple hours of chopping and cooking once a week, and for the rest of the week the recipes are a snap!

I understand people's skepticism about the 800 calorie/day plan, but it's only 3 weeks, and it really is A LOT of food. The meals are big and very filling and extremely healthy.
I am refusing to step on the scale until I'm done, so I can't say what I've lost in 6 days, but I feel healthier than I have in a long time. If you're on the fence about buying this book, go ahead and give it a shot. I think you'll love it, too.

Addendum (5/5/13) - Re:hard to find ingredients-

Several commenters have griped about not being able to find a few of the ingredients in Bob's recipes. All I can say is, "substitute." I had to do a Google search for Persian cucumbers. They are a small (~ 5-6 inch) variety of cucumber. They can be replaced with English cucumbers (the really long kind that come wrapped in plastic in many regular super markets), for a similar taste/texture, or with any other green vegetable from Bob's free vegetable list. I found mini cucumbers at my Safeway in small-town Oregon, so I'm using those. Quinoa can be replaced with just about any whole grain (brown rice, millet, oats, etc...). Ezekiel Bread is really good and worth the hunt, it's a sprouted whole grain bread and often found in the freezer section at regular grocery stores. If you can't find it, I'm sure that any good quality, whole grain bread will do. Bragg's Liquid Aminos are similar to soy sauce in flavor. Try low sodium soy sauce instead.

Please don't pass up this plan because of a few specifics. Not all of us live in big cities with a Whole Foods, but all recipes/ingredients can be tweaked if you just do a little research.

Update (5/26/13) - I finished a few days ago. Lost 15 pounds. Loved this plan. Thanks, Bob!!!

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Amazon Customer
Great book, fast delivery and well packaged.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2025
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Great book, fast delivery and well packaged.

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GINA MELTON
Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Reviewed in Canada on August 18, 2013
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Okay for all the skeptics out there I have to give this book a great review. Not only did I lose my goal weight following this diet plan, I have managed to keep it off and have kept losing more weight. It has been three months now since I completed the three week plan and could not have been happier I did it. I am not going to lie, it was really hard and you have to be dedicated and motivated but it can be done. There are some difficulties such as planning and cooking meals. I felt like it was a full time job trying to prepare my meals everyday and in advance. What I did was stick to some of my favourites that were yummy and easier to make. My first week I spent a tonne more money on groceries as well. I did go throught it all, however, that was definitely a big drawback as well. If you need to lose weight fast, give this a try it really works!

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AMERICAN PRODUCTS
Reviewed in Germany on October 8, 2013
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i was so looking forward to receiving this book as a few pounds were a must..... But although really easy to understand, all the recipes were with American products, I did not know what some of them were, and this book was very clear for it to work, you had to follow the food to the very letter, so could not do it, waste of money-

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Beach Girl
good starting advice
Reviewed in Canada on November 19, 2013
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even tho can't do exercises, the food and health advice in this book are very helpful. Not worth orig price of book, but at Amazon's

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The Buying Scotswoman
Bob rocks!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2013
Verified Purchase
I'll keep my review slimline. I had two weeks to get some extra timber off for a photoshoot. I shifted 6lbs with Bob, yay!

I'm in the UK, so some ingredients aren't available here, but they're substitutable or omittable. I also bought a set of US measuring cups for a fiver from M&S, which you'll need unless you like doing pain-in-the-ass calculations.

At first I was underwhelmed when I read the recipes. Meh. They looked a bit dull and filled with swathes of greenery. Well, yes, they ARE filled with swathes of greenery. But, boy, on the whole, I found the meals to be super tasty (perhaps with the exception of the porridge/quinoa breakfasts; they're pretty bland but filling). It's amazing what a wee spoonful of mustard, black pepper and lemon juice can do to bring out all the flavours of the food.

I was a bit crap and feeble when it came to the exercises, I have to admit. Couldn't do a single burpee, but did have a reasonable crack at most of the other 15-minute workouts. Bob omits to instruct you to have a stretch as a cooldown... so do that and you'll be slightly less stiff the following day. Slightly. Muhahahaha!

All in all, though, I think this is a smashing book, and I cannot fault where he's coming from nutritionally. Go, Bob! :o)

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Pricey and mildly tastey - some receipes I will make again

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5.0 out of 5 stars How To Jumpstart Getting In Shape

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Listen to the Haters

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, fast delivery and well packaged.

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, awesome, awesome!

1.0 out of 5 stars AMERICAN PRODUCTS

5.0 out of 5 stars good starting advice

5.0 out of 5 stars Bob rocks!

How To Jumpstart Getting In Shape

Don't Listen to the Haters

Great book, fast delivery and well packaged.

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

AMERICAN PRODUCTS

good starting advice

Bob rocks!