Hello Everyone.

Just wanted to start a topic on the ABS diet. I lost over 30 LBs paying attention to the food used in this book, with very moderate exersice.

FYI I would not suggest signing up and paying for the ABS diet online ( kinda Lame IMHO ) but I do recommend the book.

Here are the foods in a fun manner and a more useful form

I have no affiliation with Rodale or the book, just a happy camper. :)

BK

I've read the book as well and found the content very valuable! Everything from the recipes to the exercises, it's a good little book.

However, after reading it, I'm not so sure the second book will tell me much more than the first one has...

Very True. If you own the first one no real need to buy the second. But I did find the DVD and companion book "Eat Right Every Time Guide" to be useful. Lots of "eat this not that" fast food choices for when your on the road.

BK

However, after reading it, I'm not so sure the second book will tell me much more than the first one has...

I didn't like the book so I can't say I've tried the diet.

The book, in my opinion, was poorly written and didn't do a good enough job of laying out a step-by-step plan to make things happen.

It was good reading for insight into the culture of food and exercise (or the lack thereof) in society today. I just wish it was a bit more focused.

wh

How come they have pizza listed as something to eat often? And why is peanut butter listed as something to eat rarely? I thought the fat from peanuts was healthy fat, as long as it's taken in moderation. Personally I love the Natural peanut butter from Skippy. It tastes so good and there doesn't seem to be any hydrogenated oils listed in the ingredient line. Calories are still a lil high, but I've stopped eating it with bread and am now eating it in moderation with celery. Any thoughts? Pizza? Peanut Butter?

Yeah, the monounsaturated fat from the peanuts is great but the problem with the non-natural PB is that they yank out the peanut oil and replace it with something not-so-healthy. If you're going the natural route, you're stylin'.

I used the dutch version of this book and lost about 10 kilograms. I'm very sattisfied with the book and it realy change my lifstyle.
Everybody in my environment is saying how good I look now and is asking how I did it.

They distinguish between natural and regular peanut butter. Natural peanut butter (which in the brand I use is just peanuts) is actually one of their Power Foods, the 12 principle foods the diet is based around. Regular Peanut Butter, not so good.

Pizza..... I read the book, but I can't remember why they would have Pizza on the often list. Perhaps because a big emphasis is put on eating what you want, for stress reasons. They advise you to eat desert every day too. There are some foods the human being is just not meant to give up, and Pizza might be one of them. I still eat it (altho not in the whole pizza, all meat form I used to).

I've lost 70 plus. And the Ads Diet book galvanized me. I was doing OK before, but once I started basing my diet on those 12 foods I started enjoying life a lot more and continued losing the weight while feeling much better. I consider my own eating plan a modified version of the Abs Diet, and an almost vegetarian adaptation at that (I still eat Salmon now and then, or the occasional chicken breast if out). It changed me from being tired and deprived on a "diet" to just living a very easy routine. I bet I have lost 50 of my lbs since reading that book (which I didn't even finish).

The beauty of The Abs Diet is the simplicity. As someone above pointed out, the book is pretty snarky and doesn't add a whole lot of high level discourse to the world. But that's because the plan is so easy and simple there just isn't anything to say about it and they had to fill the pages with smartass humor to make it book length. It's also a product of Men's Health Magazine, so they consider their audience to be a bunch of goofy dudes who like a wisecrack. It's low on science, but I assure you it works and the information is presented in way that you can be using it 5 minutes after you crack the book. My advice is go read the first chapter at a book store, then just go have dinner. It's easy. The whole second half is pictures of simple exercises you can learn anywhere.

The key to the Abs Diet is by combining those 12 foods in every meal. That sounds like some rigid thing, but it really isn't. You are basically just memorizing 12 foods and trying to build meals around them. It's probably the simplest diet book ever written, and that's why it works. A (Almonds and other nuts), B (Beans), S (Spinach and other greens), D (Dairy - low fat of course), I (instant Oatmeal), (Eggs), T (tirkey and other lean meats), P (Peanut Butter - natural), O (Olive Oil), W (Whole grain), E (Extra Protein from Whey) and R (Raspeberries and other berries.

That spells ABS DIET POWER. I actually use regular oatmeal instead of Instant, but that would mess up the spelling

There. I just told you the entire diet. You're done.

The only thing I do differently, really, is they advise you not to count calories and to eat as much of these power foods as you want. I still keep my portion sizes very small and have a pretty good idea how many calories I am eating. I don't trust their diet enough to totally let go of that, but their 12 core foods definitely allow me to relax a bit and still enjoy lots of good stuff. I lose 3-4 lbs a week and I feel fine.

All my allergies have gone away too.

If you really want substance, I found the book UltraMetabolism was a fantastic book about weight and metabolism that explained why certain foods work. I read it just after starting to eat the Abs Diet way and came to understand why those "Power Foods" work as they do. Ultrametablism will also tell you alot about your health in general. That book really changed my way of looking at the world. If I had my way, it would be mandatory reading in every school.

AMIT: I agree with you and was ABOUT to post the EXACT same thing. I love skippy's Peanut Butter. I melt 1/2 a tablespoon and drizzle over a banana or apple slices for a tasty treat!
And I thought the pizza thing was weird... Bagels were on the 'eat rarely' list, but pizza, not? pizza is dough, AND OIL, AND CHEESE, AND TOPPINGS...
At least bagels have a serving size built in, unlike pizza, where the whole pie seems pretty tempting.... lol

Hey Joe,
I totally agree with you about Ultra Metabolism. It really opened my eyes.

I've lost about 12 pounds so far since June conceptually following its ideas (including adding exercise 4-5x week) without getting totally neurotic about my diet (ie writing down everything and tracking every calorie).

I also liked the book Inflammation Nation a lot (which also focuses on the right foods), The Detox Diet and some information I found about structuring each day's menu slightly towards low carb (mainly no fruit) or high carb days on www.global-fitness.com. I liked the The Abs Diet - 6 min meal book for the recipes and the simplified concept.

Aside from healthy food choices, these books convinced me to stop eating most processed foods and almost everything with fake ingredients in them (not perfect on this but doing the best I can). I found that after a few months that I stopped getting migraine headaches! The other benefits so far from my lifestyle changes is that my GERD went away, my blood pressure is down and my doctor just took me off of my chlorestoral medication yesterday.

I always read that food and lifestyle could affect your health but I guess I didnt expect to see these kind of benefits so quickly (especially not having frequent migraines...totally unexpected and feels like a small miracle!).

I go to the hippie health food store with a peanut butter grinder right next to the almond butter grinder. Lurve that almond butter.

Huh, I never knew there was such a difference between the peanut butters... makes sense. Unfortunately I'm frugal and have two more containers of the regular stuff to go through!

I second what all the Abs Diet lovers are saying. I'm trying to focus on their key foods and it's easy to remember...

Hyrdogenated oils, sugar and preservatives are in your Jif and Regular Skippy .


I started buying Natural Skippy for my son and also started buying hippie Almond butter at the local rabbit food shop. Great stuff, but eat in moderation!

http://www.bantransfats.com

I have been working on the abs plan since the beginning of the year. My co-worker started around thanksgiving and he bought the book and I have since read through it. I enjoyed the education it offered regarding eating right and the "don't go on a diet" attitude just change your lifestyle and eating habits. I have been trying to follow the meal plans including snacks. who know almonds actually tasted decent!! I really enjoy the smoothies Recipes and have one almost everyday before work. I'm looking to get the 6 minute recipe book as well and try some of them.I have been doing strength training once or twice a week and balance it w cardio exercise about 4 days a week sometimes 5.One of my goals is to lose 1 lb per week for six months for a total of 40 lbs. There are a total of 5 of us guys at work that have turned our individual goals into a mini competition with weekly and 6 month targets. So far we are keeping each other motivated and enjoy busting eat others chops during the process. I have lost some weight and feel great and drink less coffee now without any coffee withdrawl headaches.. More to come...............

The pizza the book advocates is made with canned chicken, spinach, part skim cheese, and whole wheat pita bread.

ok.. I have started the ABs diet and love it.. quick question though..

I am allergic to peanuts so I eat organic sunbutter made with sunflower seeds.. sunflower seeds are to be eaten often.. should I still watch the consumption as you might with peanut butter?? The organic sunbutter has no oil or sugar.. just sunflower seeds

Thanks for opinions and thoughts on this.

I agree with all the praise of the Abs Diet. I just started it seriously about a week ago but I've had the book for a couple of years and agreed with it wholeheartedly when I read it. It basically outlined how I would be eating if I were being as healthy as possible, given all the research I've done on nutrition.

Karin, as for your question, you should watch your consumption with sunbutter as well. All nuts are to be eaten often, but they need to be eaten in moderation as they have a lot of calories. A small handful is a serving. It's easy to go overboard when they're put in the "butter" form, so while it is healthy for you, use it in moderation and use the serving size of normal peanut butter as a guide.

I bought the book a few months ago. Not sure why I got off the diet. I may start eating the foods again. I liked eating 6 meals a day, although they were smaller.

I've never read the book, but my diet (when I'm being healthy) generally follows a similar pattern. But I question whether 12 core ingredients allow for enough variety to keep me interested in this type of diet for the long-term.

It would be helpful to see a broader list of substitutable options for each of the 12 recommended "superfoods"--even if there are only 1 or 2 alternatives for each.

For some categories, there are multiple varieties available. You would have to read the book or look on the website.

I know this post is 2 years old, but it made me laugh. Can someone buy me a self-help book and come to my house and read it to me?

Seriously, how much hand holding do people need? If YOU can't fire YOURSELF up to do something, you can't and won't do it. You can't depend on other people for motivation or step-by-step instructions. That's not harsh, that's not cruel, that's just life. Sure other people can help keep you motivated, but if you don't have a foundation for them to bulid on, that house is a' comin' down.



That's like saying that because most soups start with sauteed onions and garlic that they all taste the same. They're just a basis, a foundation really, and a lot of it is pretty much stuff people probably already eat, just not enough of. Beyond that, there's quite a bit of variety you can do with the "superfoods" and, while the book only offers a limited selection of recipes, it certainly gets you started on thinking about what goes in your body and how to get more out of it. For example, I was already using ground flax seed before I read the book, but now I sneak it into everything I cook. Spice it up! Get creative!

hello everybody! well i got a couple of questions for any of you who can help me with them.

My name is Gibran, I am 18 years old and although i dont consider myself to be obese, i surely am overweight since i cant see my abs. I bought the ABS Diet book and I am going to start on it tomorrow but I have this question specifically regarding the 12 power foods

The only whey powder protein that I found was the following:
-Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein chocolate flavored

But when I bought it the guy from the store told me that this product was for people who are bodybuilders otherwise you will get fat. And now I am confused since I want to follow the workout excersises that the author has on the book and the diet as well but it has whey on it and this guy now got me confused with his warning.

Did i get the wrong powdered whey protein?
If I did, does anyone know where can I get another one?

I live in El Paso, TX in case it helps

I really thank you all in advance for taking the time to help me with this questions!
sincerely Gibran

Hi,

I just looked at the nutritional info for 2 scoops of Body Fortress and it doesn't have any hidden calories. I'm guessing the guy didn't know what he was talking about. It's high protein, low-carb, low fat. It's not a bulk-stack type of powder, maybe that's what he was thinking?

Anyway, good luck with the program!

hey Bionic Samm thanks for your help...it is good to know that so i can start on it right now

Hello, guys, I've read all the posts on this thread and I loved all your good experiences. I have been on a protein diet for 6 weeks now, eating veggies, oat meals, granola, chicken and salads, and unfortunately it hasn't done much good for me. I gained muscle mass from going to the gym 4 times a week and cardio once or twice a week, but I haven't lost any weight what so ever. I always keep thinking that there's something I'm doing wrong with the food. So I am gonna start this ABS diet, (found the book), but it's made pretty much for Americans, meaning we don't have some of the stuff mentioned in the recipes. ...
I have 2 questions:
Can someone please share the actual food they were eating, how big were the portions, how many meals, and all that ..
anddd, can I acctualy make it without the peanut butter?? see, thats not really a popular food here, no one eats it, I don't think Im gonna be able to find a good one for a deacent price.

Any kind of nut butter will work. And if you don't have any, then don't worry about it.

In the book, he says, more food = more muscle = less flab or something like that. After trying that method, I don't believe him. You still have to control your portion sizes. I think that he thought that the average person wouldn't be able to fit in too many calories if they were only eating healthy food, but I love healthy food so that method didn't work for me. Overall, the ABS diet has a lot of great stuff in it, but keep in mind that portion control is still necessary.

I tried following this after reading about it and had no luck. It seemed like a good idea but I guess it just wasn't for me.

Now I just follow a 2000 calorie per day diet with one day of eating what I want and it seems to work. Quite simple to do with all the online tools available and having one "free" day really helps keep my cravings in check. Also, no books to buy or DVDs needed

PS - I just found President's Choice Organics peanut butter that tastes even MORE like shelled peanuts, I love it, just wished it was 10 calories per spoonful so I could eat a whole bunch at a time.

I've found a pretty cool food blog along the ABS diet that has ALMONDS in pretty much every recipe - www.elanaspantry.com/recipes/

very simple recipes and they are free!