Eating For Life
by Bill Phillips
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Book Reviews of Eating For Life
Book Review: I can't believe it!
Summary: 5 Stars
UPDATE 1-8-08
Exactly one year ago, I read Body for Life and Eating for Life and decided it couldn't hurt to try. I am 5'10" and have never had a problem with weight, and had never actually been on a diet; however, after 4 pregnancies, and not much excercise, I realized that I was going to need to go out and buy some size 14's to replace my 12's or do something different. Everyone said "You're so tall, you look great, you don't need to lose any weight", but I did need to get in shape. I was a size 5 when I married in 1993, and knew by body would never be the same (kids do that to you), but it could be better, so I started.
I went shopping last weekend and purchased size 4 jeans!!! I still don't think I am as small as I was when I was a 5. I think the designers have started to fudge on sizes, and the spandex they are adding to pants now helps folks to fit in smaller than you'd think sizes...but I am NOT complaining! I feel better, look better and proudly wore a bikini on the beach last summer.
The excercise plan was SO easy to start. I few dumbells and a super cheap weight bench from Wal-Mart made up my weight program and pounding the pavement or an $89 "Gazelle" on super cold/rainy days has been all the equipment I have used. No fancy gym for me. This allows me to be finished with my workout, before my kids even get out of bed.
The eating plan was the hardest at first. Not the menu or the foods or the measurement - that part's easy. It was SO HARD to eat 6 times a day, and I kept thinking I hadn't eaten enough when I was finished, but about 20 minutes later I forgot that I was still hungry. I managed to follow the plan FAITHFULLY (not even ONE "cheat) for about 8 months. Sometimes that meant sitting in a restaurant watching my family eat if it wasn't time for me to eat, which was a bummer, but it paid off. My "free days" were gorges, and just like to book said, I would feel so sick the next day. Now, if my family is eating and it's not quite time for me, I am not so rigid and will usually join them, and my "free days" aren't such gorgefests.
Overall, I have a healthier lifestyle and choose healthier foods than before the program. That's the best part, the weight loss is a bonus. I never in a million years would have thought I would go from busting out of a size 12 down to a 4!
Give it a try!
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I am not a "dieter". Never have been. I have always been tall, thin and in pretty good shape. While all my friends were worried about their figures, I just pretty much ate what I wanted. But now, in my mid 30's and through 4 pregnancies, I have developed a "spare tire" that won't go away. I was eating healthy, walking in the mountains at least 2 miles a day, and doing hundreds of crunches a week. What was I doing wrong?
I read Body for Life and started the exercise part of the program, but thought I would never be able to stick to eating 6X a day. Plus, what would I do for my family? They would never go for eating "diet food". There was no way I was going to make two sets of dinners every night. So, although I continued to eat healthy foods, I did not do what he suggested...at first.
After a few weeks of BFL exercise only, I was happy with my increased energy level and strength. I came across Eating for Life in the library and thought since the excercising was going so well, I might as well give it a try...it couldn't hurt. WELL, I had to go buy my own copy because after 8 weeks on the program, I have lost 5 pounds and and inch off my "spare tire". (That's halfway to my ultimate goal of losing 2 inches to be rid of that tire.)
One thing I like is that every snack is not "veggies" like in many other eating plans. "Eat all the raw veggies you want,", they say. OH BOY! Veggies are fine, but I'm sorry, I don't want to eat them four or five times a day, especially if they are raw. Putting spinach on a wrap or having a protien fortified dip with pita chips and a few veggies is much more appetizing to me than a bowl full of raw broccoli.
Every recipe I have tried has been delicious. In fact, there are so many good choices, I have trouble deciding which ones to have on a given day. My family eats the same dinners as I do, (From EFL) and all I have heard are compliments. I feel better that they are eating healthier too.
Some people don't like how much he touts the Myoplex supplements in the book - that doesn't bother me. The man has come up with a good program and promoting his product gives you a springboard for substitutions. He even says feel free to substitute. I live in a small town and can't get Myoplex Lite locally, so I use something else. If you can get Myoplex and like it, great. If not, no big deal. You can get the same results.
I can't believe how easy it has been to change my eating and exercising habits. I feel better and look better than I have in over 3 years. I plan to be bikini ready in May!
Book Review: A bit of a con
Summary: 3 Stars
I howled with laughter as I read this "cookbook". One of Bill Phillips' first textual acts is to rant about the stupidity of diets: "Diets, all of them, are potentially dangerous, most always dumb and ultimately a dead-end street," (Page 14). And then what does he go on to do? He lays out a diet program!
A diet is where one restricts what they eat, adds to what they eat, or adjusts portion size (usually down) -- Phillips endorses all three measures. One of his focal points includes the consumption of "nourishing shakes," many of which incorporate the use of a product called Myoplex. This product forms the basis for an expensive but healthy protein shake. Does Phillips own stock in Myoplex? I don't know but he should.
Now, will Phillips' diet program do what he purports it will do? I'd say "probably" if you could stick with it, (which is pretty much the hazard with any diet). But be aware that half of the deal includes exercise. If you consume even just the shakes on this program and not exercise, you'd likely balloon out like Bluto.
As far as the recipes go, they are very nice if you can live with a very limited portion size (which I cannot). Most entree dishes promote turkey, chicken, or fish and in the few instances where beef is included it's typically four ounces or less per serving. While these recipes look quite appetizing, they would clearly be more flavorful if one utilized regular ingredients as opposed to "lite" or "low-fat" ones. All beef is pre-trimmed of any visible fat in these recipes so be prepared for that caveat as well.
And be on notice for just a tad more bending of the truth when you read the names of the recipes: The so-called "Turkey Reuben" is just that... sort of. I would not call any sandwich which does not contain either corned beef or pastrami a "Reuben," regardless of any other ingredients. And the "Shrimp Scampi" is quite skimpy, with no butter! You might call it "Mock Scampi" at best. There are many examples of such wordplay.
Still, there were certain recipes which I would certainly try such as the "Ham and Cheese Egg Casserole," (Page 229, although I'd definitely eat more than the recommended portion size.) The "Seafood Pasta Salad" (Page 269) also sounded pretty tasty. The brownies look great but you only get to eat one! (To be fair, I think that the brownies are more of an afternoon snack between meals.)
Most recipes are set up for quick preparation (probably not quite as fast as Phillips says, but close). The work is divided into three segments:
-- Part I deals with various "eating problems" including text on obesity, fast food, dieting (not noting his own "diet"), and myths.
-- Part II includes all of Phillips' recipes which is a good part of the book.
-- Part III is a section of appendices relating to Phillips' cooking and to his wellness philosophies. Here you will also read testimonials which illustrate some of his "success stories," punctuated with "before-and-after" photographs.
All of Phillips success stories look like Charles Atlas clones which is important in that this defines the overall work: this is a bodybuilding book as much or more than it is a cookbook. I would be remiss and perhaps unfair if I did not mention that many of these folks are in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, so Phillips demonstrates that one can pretty much enter this program at any age as long as their health is okay. In my case, I have a bad heart and could not begin the exercise facet of the program but some of the dishes (not the nutritional protein shakes) would definitely benefit me.
In summary, here's my final assessment:
-- This is a bodybuilding book which offers many fairly appetizing recipes.
-- This is a diet by anyone's definition (except for Phillips'!)
-- If you could follow this exercise regimen and eat these foods, (remembering that you need to purchase Myoplex Lite at about $72 for 42 servings, not including the additional recipe ingredients such as fresh fruit), then you could likely develop a great body over a year or so.
Still, I cannot recommend this book for folks who simply want to cut some fat out of their recipes. There are better cookbook choices in this realm of cookery.
Book Review: They Should Call Him "Dollar" Bill Phillips
Summary: 4 Stars
One reviewer asked if anyone else is reminded of a used car salesmen when they see Bill Phillips. Well, as a car salesman, I resent that comment. But, as a car salesman, I also must agree. Is he trying to make money? Yes. Is he entitled to? Why not? Four years ago, after reading Body for Life (BFL), I said, "Man, wouldn't it be great if they had a cookbook to make this easier? The 'Nutrition for Life' section of this book needs fleshing out." Never came about but nonetheless, I did the routine and managed to lose a lot of fat and put on a lot of muscle. But year after year passed with no cookbook. Sure the Web site had recipes but they were kinds of cheesy half-assed user-posted recipes. Many of them were redundant and many of them were just plain nasty. One day I said, "I'll bet he's gonna' wait for the popularity of BFL to wane and then make some comeback with a more detailed workout book or nutrition book." Sure enough...here's Eating for Life.But...the guy is entitled to make money so why complain? So what if he waited for book sales of BFL to die off before releasing this (which basically just expounds upon the Nutrition for Life section of the BFL book)? That's smart business. He'll sell 4 million of these and another 2 million of his first book. Who's better than him? I say stop your whining. Bill Phillips does give a lot to charity. And even if it is just for favorable tax status, the money does a lot of good. And of course his fitness ideas (while nothing new) have changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people--including myself. All my life I'd read Muscle & Fitness, watched Bodyshaping, accumulated nutritional articles and knowledge...for naught. I was probably eating Twinkies while doing all that reading. BFL was the only book (which regurgitated all the basic concepts I had been bombarded with over the years) to challenge me and inspire me. And I got in shape. So what if the guy was out to enrich himself with that book as he is with this book? Enron execs and televangelists gave nothing back to the people who enriched them. At least Bill Phillips sells knowledge. Frankly, I was more suspicious of his motives when I bought BFL than I was buying this book. At the time he was owner of the nutritional supplement company EAS. Whenever he mentioned "Myoplex shakes" (their biggest seller) in that book, I felt like I had purchased a 200-page commercial and was being brainwashed into buying more of his stuff. On the plus side, I sent away for the kit to enter his yearly BFL Challenge and got tons of free stuff. Three free videos, the book on audiocassette and more. So I felt like less of a rube when buying my Myoplex--I guess I had been brainwashed :-)
So anyway, my review. Great book. Just what I had dreamed of all those years. This is a must have if you own BFL. It makes things so much easier. It's not a piece of crap like his "Body for Life Success Journal" was. I mentioned above that it just expounds on the Nutrition for Life chapter in BFL. While that's true, it's definitely a chapter that needed to be made into a book so get this one. It has helped me get back on track (as my healthy eating has leaned toward the unhealthy side of the spectrum over the years). It has appetizing, colorful pictures and they all taste good...so far. Way to go Bill. You may an opportunist as well as being cocky and narcissistic (just read the "interview" in Jan 04 Muscle Media magazine. It sounds like Bill is the interviewer as well as the interviewee. The questions and answers are so phony and contrived as to be laughable) but you provide the spark that so many people need. And for $35 minus 30% right here on Amazon.com, I'm willing to buy that spark. I'm sure in 4 years when things start to get slow again we'll see "Workout for Life" with more exercises, sport-specific routines, stretching regimens, etc. And you know what? I'll buy it.
Book Review: Delicious, nutritious...fabulous cookbook!
Summary: 4 Stars
Bill Phillips of "Body for Life" fame comes up with another winner with "Eating for Life: Your Guide to Great Health, Fat Loss and Increased Energy".
The book is a scrumptious way to eat healthy, lose weight and feel better. Bill's philosophy is that people should eat 5-6 healthy, size appropriate meals per day to keep blood sugars level and ward off fat. So the book is broken up into categories to eat at each of the meals: breakfast, desserts, lunches, midmeals, dinners and shakes.
Each recipe comes with a mouthwatering full color photograph and detailed instructions on how to make it. There is also a handy little picture that shows the actual brandname ingredients used in the recipe. For example Albacore Tuna Casserole shows a large color photograph of the dish and another smaller photo with a picture of the ingredients in it; Bumble Bee tuna, Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup, Lucerne fat free milk, Healthy Harvest pasta and Birds Eye peas...what a neat idea!
So far I have made a number of recipes from the book and they have all been delicious. There are a number of recipes such as Egg-Cellent Enchiladas, Golden Protein Pancakes, Cool Ranch Dip, Greek Pinwheels, Frosted Key Lime Pie (shake), Pina Colada (shake), Cilantro Burrito, Cool Taco Salad, Cajun Chicken, Beef and Barley Soup and many more.
The ingredients are easy to find and the recipes easy to prepare. Even if you are not on the Body for Life plan this is a wonderful cookbook to own.
There is a major drawback with the book and that is the lack of nutritional information. Yes you can go on the BFL website and get this information, but you shouldn't have too. It should be right in the book. One of the drawbacks with not having this information is portion size. The recipes are designed to be BETWEEN a man and a woman's portion. That means for example that the recipe for Singapore Shrimp as shown and prepared in the book is about 374 calories per portion. BUT a man could eat 468 calories as his daily portion and a woman would have to modify the recipe to 281 almost 100 calories less! But it does not tell you this in the book. I only learned this from gathering the nutrition information on the site where it gives average portions and male portions and female portions.
Another aspect of the book I don't care for is the use of foods like butterbuds (why not use a tiny portion of real butter) and fat free cheese and sour cream which I find tasteless. Instead I substitute tiny amounts of the tastier full fat version.
I really had to debate on whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars. It is my favorite cookbook now and its helping me eat healthier...but the lack of nutritional information in the book is a major blunder especially when the portion sizes vary so much from male to female. I know Bill might say use your palm or fist, but thats hard to do for certain food products. Thus I have to give it 4 stars.
Great recipes, beautiful layout..next time Bill give us the nutritional info. too! (BTW: Really appreciate Amazon's price on this too, much less than the bookstore.)
Book Review: Very well done. Good advice, good cooking
Summary: 5 Stars
Part 1 of the book (74 pages) describes how modern society has trained us to eat incorrectly and how a few simple changes can turn weight gain into weight loss. There are chapters on Myth vs. Fact (that covers common misconceptions), and specifics on the four-part formula for eating right (the right foods, right amounts, the right combos, the right times). The chapter where the author describes his own experiences is the weakest (in spots it contradicts the earlier chapters and it has an overly-conversational style), but it does contain a few additional insights.
I am finding the eating guidelines very effective because they are sustainable--I don't really feel like I am dieting and believe I am adopting new ways of eating that I can use indefinitely. It's much easier to follow than other diet plans that require counting or buying specific foods. I get the sense that as long as I follow the principles, rather than having to be exact, I'll end up with great results without all the stress. I've lost eleven pounds since reading book and following its guidance (3 weeks).
Part 2 contains 248 pages of full color recipes that follow the guidelines of Part 1. It breaks down the recipes by meals with dinners followed by desserts, breakfasts, lunches, midmeals, and nutrition shakes. What really makes this stand out for me is that there are very few recipes I'm not interested in trying. These are practical, mostly easy to make (there are a few exceptions), and very tasty. It has plenty of creative ideas and successfully finds ways to make each dish interesting. The recipes have a few other unique features: each section has a variety of meals that serve differing numbers of people, so it's easy to find a ready-made idea for yourself for lunch or for a family of four for dinner (of course, they can all be adjusted to meet the necessary number of servings). In my experiences so far, the photos with each recipe are faithful to the actual result. Many of the recipes also include a photo of the actual ingredients required, which is an easy way to know at a glance whether everything needed is already on hand. Several of the desserts and most of the nutrition shakes call for Myoplex Lite, the nutrition powder sold by the author's company, but presumably any comparable supplement could be used.
The end of Part 2 includes sample meal plan charts, blank plan charts, and grocery lists. These items can be downloaded from the web site and printed by owners of the book.
The appendix contains stories and photos of people who have had amazing success with the Body for Life program (which this book could be considered an extension of). It's interesting to look over those case studies but some of them are actually a bit frightening. I think most of us are looking for more moderate success. There are also typical sections including a glossary, descriptions and photos of kitchen utensils, and conversion charts.
I have been very pleased with the book and look forward to making many more of the included recipes.