It’s baaack! After 40 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list in the mid-’80s and with 12 million books sold, Harvey Diamond has reintroduced his “Fit for Life” philosophy of food combining for weight loss. Heavy on text, the new tome, Fit for Life: Not Fat for Life (HCI, 2003), offers detailed discussions on topics ranging from eating to environmentalism to spiritualism. Dieters who want recipes, menus, or more details about food combining will need to refer back to the original “Fit For Life” books or cookbooks that Diamond and his now-ex-wife, Marilyn, first produced.
Diamond likes to say his plan isn’t complicated. There’s just one rule: “Eat more living food than dead food.” In reality, it’s not all that simple since you can’t eat fruits with other foods, and you can’t combine proteins and starches. Dieters who are into the meat-potato-vegetable routine are in for some dramatic changes. And while it makes sense not to chug a glass of fruit juice in two gulps, Diamond’s advice about “chewing juice” so it doesn’t disrupt the digestive system is just plain strange.
Basic principles:
First, there are “dead foods” (meats and starches), which tax the digestion system and zap energy. Then there are “living foods” (raw fruits and vegetables), which aid in digestion. To keep fit and to promote weight loss, dieters need to strike a 50-50 balance between the two. You must also follow certain “food combining” rules, since improper food pairings are supposedly toxic and can make you fat. For example, dieters can’t eat proteins and starches together. And forget eating fruit with other foods.
How the diet works:
It’s fruit or fruit juices from the early-morning hours up until noon. For lunch and dinner, it’s live foods (salads) and a dead food (protein or starch—not both). Portions are not measured. Diamond now has a Web site that sells nutritional supplements to go along with the diet.
What you can eat:
Fruits and vegetables galore—just don’t eat them together. Steaks, chops, chicken, seafood, pasta, and potatoes are OK—just don’t combine the starch and meat. And make room for big salads at lunch and dinner. Use moderate amounts of salad dressing, preferably the kind without chemical additives. By the way, all this info is in Diamond’s new book, but be prepared to sift through a ton of rhetoric to find it.
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
No clinical studies or anecdotal evidence show it does.
Is the diet healthy?
Not really. On the surface the diet sounds good since so much of it is about eating fruits and vegetables. Yet it’s way too loose regarding the kinds of starches (carbs) and meats you should choose, making it possible to either shortchange yourself or overeat. The omission of dairy foods means you may not get enough calcium, particularly since there are absolutely no indications of which veggies are calcium rich. Also problematic: Diamond’s advice that it’s OK to drink juice and eat fruit all day. There’s no way that an all-fruit diet will provide the nutrients you need.
What do the experts say?
“When this diet first came out in the ’80s, the lack of science behind it was obvious,” says registered dietitian Jackie Berning, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. “Diamond says you can’t eat protein before noon because it rots in the stomach. That doesn’t make sense.” Berning says the human body needs a mix of nutrients—protein, fat, carbs—to keep energy levels high. “You’re going to be hungry if all you eat is a banana or an apple,” she says. Noted weight-control expert John Foreyt, Ph.D., of Baylor College of Medicine, admits he’s not up on all the details of this diet, but he labels it a fad. Food-combining as a strategy for weight loss? “There’s no data to support this,” Foreyt says. “It’s just silly.”
Who should consider the diet?
No one.
Bottom line:
Dead foods? Come on. This plan is beyond ludicrous. Sure, some folks might lose weight, but that’s probably because they won’t be able to make sense of all the bizarre rules and so will end up eating very little.
Lead writer: Maureen Callahan, M.S., R.D.
Comments (57)
FIT FOR LIFE not only works but works great! I no longer suffer from heartburn or acid reflux. I have lost 30 pounds in 3 months. My energy level is so much greater than before. And that change was immediate. I finally have control over my weight and health.
People need to stop referring to this book as a diet book. It isnt. “Diamond says you can’t eat protein before noon because it rots in the stomach” isnt in the book anywhere. You need to screen the material you post on your webpage more carefully. It is clear the person who wrote this hasnt read the book.
I lost 30 lbs in 2 months following Fit For Life back in 1994. Over time, I disregarded it and I’ve gained the 30lbs, gotten high cholesterol, BP and blood glucose. I’m back on it again and have lost 10 lbs in 6 weeks. Fit for Life is a sensible approach towards healthy living and the principles are easy to follow. I don’t have any signs of malnutrition and my body condition (bp and blood glucose) has since been improving. All we need is some common sense-1)eat more fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables & tofu in moderate amounts 2)stay away from smoking and alcohol 3)eat at the appropriate times 4)eat less meat/meat related product 5) exercise. Just 5 simple steps.
The main reason that anyone says that Diamond’s approach to food cannot make a person healthier is fear: “I like to eat what i want whenever i want it so cutting things out and combining foods cannot be good. I can eat a ’sensible diet’ and lose weight and no one is going to tell me what i’m supposed to omit”.
Does your “sensible well balanced diet” include foods that were made in a corporate food factory and include more chemical than actual food? Does your sensible diet include “lean meats” (a contradication in terms because fat in meat is often more invisible to the naked eye than visible)? How about processed carbs that include loads of white sugar? Do you eat your fruit for dessert? Do you drink water with your meals?
It is true that Fit For Life is bogged down with the author’s tirades against the traditional approach to eating strategies (ie The Food Pyramid). But all of his claims are backed up by undisputed scientific facts. For example, if you eat a big dinner and follow it with fruit for dessert, it is a FACT that the fruit will be trapped in the stomach with the dinner and will ferment before it is able to reach and be digested by the small intestines. If you drink liquids with your meals, the digestive juices in the stomach will become diluted, will become less able to break large food particles down, and those large particles will pass into the small intestines where they cannot be absorbed (because they were not broken down in the stomach). These large food particles will move indigested into the large intestine. They will impede the flow through the colon and will cause a clog in your elimination.
So, it’s better to then take an anti-constipation medication to relieve this “inconvenience”? How much sense does this make, when it was just easier up front to not drink the water with the meal? Which approach is better for the body? I would think it’s the one that didn’t require the medication that was made in a factory and has a pile of additives that the body just doesn’t need.
Read Fit For Life for yourself and you will see that it makes 100% sense and that it can make your body much healtier. Diamond states several times in its pages that Fit For Life is not a diet book. But an added benefit is that a healthy body will burn fat and “loose weight”.
One last thing: Diamond says that you can eat nothing but fruit for ONE day and be fine- not EVERY day. If the author of this article knew ANYTHING at all about how the body works, she would know that the body can survive on no food at all for days and be fine. Add in the glucose we get from fruit, and we are more than fine for ONE day.
Ms Callahan, Registered Dietician, have you ever tried eating nothing but fruit before noon? Just for one day? Try it. And when you do, don’t be all ready to confuse your “excruiciating hunger from having no ‘food’” with the increased energy that you feel. You will LOVE how you feel when you unclog your body. But first you should unclog your feelings about approaches to health that aren’t endorsed by the FDA and the AMA. Open your mind- that feels good too.
Tim E.
“Fit for Life,” is a book that is logical. The so called experts dont like because if every person followed the advice given in the book, most of them wouldn’t have a job. Just try it for two weeks and you will feel like a different person.
All you so called experts who say the principles in this book don’t work need to pull your heads out of your butt. Like the other people who commented here, i have NEVER lost weight more effectively and felt so much better in the process. It is really sad that this book gets negative reviews. I lost 20 pounds in one month, no lie, people say that is not healthy but on this plan my body goes to its natural weight. How can it be wrong to lose the weight while eating healthy, whole foods? The proper food combining principles make total sense, but the problem is people in this country cant stand the idea of not eating a steak with a potato. Well, go ahead and be overweight then.I know not every eating plan is right for everybody,but this does work. Dont listen to these foolish people writing these reviews. You dont have to “chew” your juice, and yes some things may go a little beyond what is necessary, but if you apply the main principles in this book, there is a very good chance you will get down to your desired weight and feel great in the process of getting there. Shame on the person who reviewed this book here!!!
I love fit for life!!!!! I feel GREAT when I follow the program. I have been following this way of life off and on for the last twenty years. I feel the best when I am on the fit for life program!!1
I bought the book in the mid eighties not for a weight loss diet but a healthier diet. Here I am in 2008, I had not followed the principles of the Fit For Life plan for many years. I was suffering from hot flashes horribly and weight was slowly creeping up no matter how much I exercised or how little my calorie intake. So I dusted off the book and started back on the diet plan. I am not suprised to say that my hot flashes are almost gone, and the ones are get are so minor I hardly notice. As far as the comment made about the book not stating which foods are rich in calicum, is not true. Raw nuts, raw sesame seeds and leafy greens are a few that are stated in the book on pages 85 and 86 as being calcium rich foods. As for those pounds that were creeping up, they are gone plus a few extra after the first 30 days. I am staying on the plan, I don’t enjoy heartburn, hot flashes or excess weight – this eating plan is the antidote.
I tried this program back in the 90’s, and within a few days I felt like a new person. I had more energy and felt happier than I had since I was a kid. I went off of it after a while and gained much of the weight back (I had lost 60 pounds total). But I’m going back on it. The weight, by the way, starts dropping as quickly as you start feeling the energy spike. I should also note that part of the time I followed this plan was while I was pregnant. I continued to lose weight during the pregnancy (I was very overweight), and I was never deficient in anything. I did take my prenatal vitamins, of course, but even a pregnant woman not trying to lose weight does that. The doctor was fine with my weight loss because I was eating healthy and getting exercise. If I hadn’t lost weight, the birth would have been very difficult. It went off like a charm, and my baby girl was and is very healthy. I honestly don’t know why I got off the plan. I can’t wait to get started!!
I have been struggling with my weight for years. I am going to pick up the boo Fit For Life today! I hope it works. Will let you know.
Over 15 years I’ve done acid/alkaline cleanses in order to “rejuvenate” and lose weight. I always wanted a sensible plan to follow to keep it going without the stress of cleansing- nothing worked until I dug out the book I bought at a garage sale years ago. I am down to the weight I always thought I should be, even after children, without becoming a gym bunny or sacrificing my real life. I have sustained energy throughout the day and sleep soundly at night, what I call serenity in my life, no more ups and downs. Not every word struck me as appropriate for me, but the general plan makes SENSE. I feel that if I stay on track 75%, I’m good, not guilty, like many others out there. My husband also lost 10 lbs. just trying to follow me. We’re simply happier with this approach to food – and it shows.
I have been reading numberous books on the topic of raw food, detoxing, food combining, juice fasting etc. After gagging on such a horribly ignorant review, by a rather decorated individual, I am more convinced than ever that the medical profession is aiming more at keeping people sick, medicated, fat, and miserable. I turned to a different book on raw food and detoxing after years of battling canadida, mood “disorders”, depression, and seriously cystic ovaries, amongst a whole spread of digestive uprisings. After two years of being committed to eating about 80% raw and combining diligently and correctly I have lost thirty pounds my and am no longer suffering from any syptoms of any kind. I hope for the sake of whomever you may currently be giving your misinformation to that you educate yourself a little more…or maybe a little less? It doesn’t take the degrees to see that a simple understanding of basic chemistry, and pH, are the foundation to understanding this way of nourishing oneself. Dead food? Come on. Eat something living and tell me it doesn’t feel better.
The comments after this review have encouraged me even more now to grab the book and start trying this way of eating. Thanks all :o)
fit for life is the most satisfying method of getting to your ideal weight. You can eat out and still follow the plan. It works.
I have to say, I was a little worried when I read this review. Not because I thought it might not work, because I know it does (I lost about 25 lbs ten years ago on the plan and felt better than ever), but because I thought she would give some defenitive reasons backed by scientific proof negating my belief in the whole system. But she didn’t. All she really did was negate my belief in medicine. If conventional medicine is working, why are so many people overweight, sick, and unhappy???? . I know it works. And it just makes sense. I’m lactose intolerant, have IBS, and suffer from depression. All the pills and junk never work and then I go on this diet and within three days most of my symptoms are gone. No joke. It’s amazing. What the heck is this lady eating (or not eating) to stay healthy? The proof is in the pudding!
I read the fit for life book and followed the plan back in 2006. I was overweight, had bad skin and terrible menstrual cramps. After following the program I felt great. I lost 30 pounds,my skin cleared and I actually didnt have to wear makeup! I didnt get cramps at all when my monthly came. I was the happiest I have ever been in my life. I have the proof of friends and family that can even remember the name of the book and they weren’t even on the diet! Fit for life worked for me! Try it, it will change your life!
I’m reading Fit For Life right now and would like to make a reference regarding Lead Writer: Maureen Callahan’s, M.S., R.D. comment – “The omission of dairy foods means you may not get enough calcium, particularly since there are absolutely no indications of which veggies are calcium rich.” In the book (I have in front of me) a small list of veggies containing calcium are on page 111, third paragraph. Previous to that list on pages 104-111 and following that list on pages 111-113 are the scientific reasons (with references)and cause/effect scenarios for dairy products. Also on page 185 the last paragraph has calcium suggestions.
I had been following the diet/system closely until the Christmas goodies started coming, and I can really feel the difference Fit For Life makes. Those goodies have such a negative lethargic effect on me. If nothing else, going on the diet/system for a couple of months before a holiday snack season will make you see the difference. Fit For Life works!
yes its true fit for life really works i lost 14 lbs in two weeks i have fruits in the morning and then for lunch i have my starch with a salad and then for dinner i have my protein with a salad and then for snack i love crunching down on sunflower seeds you really feel osem.
I am always amazed at the vociferous condemnation meted out to the Diamonds. Their plan just plain works, and it stands to reason. Most food in the US is served in a big mixed-up glop – it’s no wonder we have horrible digestion and are obese.
Someone interested in their health should follow the “unscientific” principles in the Fit for Life book, see the results, and ask themselves about the agenda of such stuffy and negative reviews such as above.
Sorry to disagree but I was on Fit for Life and you do lose weight and I didn’t starve myself. I ate as much as I wanted but stuck to the rules. I not only lost the weight but the cellulite too!!! For the first time in my life I felt healthy, light weight and the sinus problems I had went away.
Don’t comment unless you try it first!!!!
Fit For Life is full knowledge and wisdom. The program works and has plenty of flexibility for personal tastes. I’ve never known anyone who has tried it that doesn’t believe in it. My favorite quote from the book: “Condemnation without investigation is arrogance and ignorance of the highest order”. The critics are wrong.
this really was an awful review! I have just started fit for life, and my body and attitude have already changed! this is not another awful fad diet, but a lifestyle choice, and it is in no way unhealthy!
I’m back on Fit For Life after departing from the path some 20 years ago .. and I feel better than I have in 20 years! Not only has my own experience been excellent, but originally, years ago when I first started Fit for Life (FFL), I had some 7 lbs of post pregnancy weight to lose – and a new baby and a toddler to care for. My sister, vacationing w/my family when I began FFL, w/me was seriously obese when she decided to do FFL w/me. We ate the same meals while on vacation, same times, same amounts. I lost the extra weight in no time and my body maintained a healthy weight. My sister, on the other hand, kept losing weight (which she really needed to lose). Keep in mind: we both ate almost exactly the same meals and the FFL plan addressed our differing needs wonderfully.
I’m not stepping on a scale to note my weight loss, but it’s obvious. Equally important, my energy is excellent .. my sense of well being improves each day that I continue w/this sensible approach to fulfilling my nutritional needs. I do the cooking in our household and my husband eats differently than I do. No problem. I just choose what works for me and leave the rest behind. Same for restaurants. This is not a hard plan to live with!
For nutritionists threatened by an approach that works, I wonder if any of them have sat down and contemplated the fact that when people use the FFL approach no one is asked to eliminate any FOOD GROUP in a given day? (Nutritionists take note: Sugar is not a food) Just cut back on too much dairy and eat the rest of your food choices in combinations that make good sense. What’s the problem?
I have just started Fit for Life again after about 10 years of not using the plan. The thing is, I don’t know why I ever stopped using it.The truth is that FFL works really well. Just yesterday I ran in the field with my two American Eskimos (in the snow) after a long bout of depression after just one day on the plan. I have my energy back. I love this plan because it is really flexible and easy to follow. You just have to remember the principles, and no one will even notice that you’re dieting (except when they see you start dropping weight and being super happy again). Harvey Diamond has made a total difference to me. Forget the critics and get the book. It will change your life. I think the critics should try the program before critiquing his work. It will change their attitude about his contribution. Maybe he should do another book from people who support his program, “Fixed for Life”. Thanks, Harvey and Marilyn, you’re the best!
This way of eating has been such a physical and mental tonic for me. Not only does my body feel more energized, but my mental attitude is helped dramatically. Because my body is not spending energy digesting food, it is being diverted to being enthusiastic about taking on projects (instead of being a slug on the couch); being physically healthy (feeling light); better attitude, am nicer to others (and myself); and just feel better in all aspects of my life. My body lets me know when I have combined something I should not have — low energy and gas (can I say that here ) are my top indicators. If I could only remember how good I feel following a program like this. It is so easy to slip back into old habits.
I would like to purchase the book “Fit For Life” by
Harvey & Merilyn Diamond.
Could you please advise where we can place our order.
Many thanks.
Barbara
Barbara Skorupa, You can purchase “Fit For Life” through Amazon.com
Be certain to check out the less expensive copies (you can buy a used copy for a penny! Or a new copy from a used book dealer for around $3) My impression is that the first book is better than the second. With so many good, healthy food choices in the marketplace today, it’s even easier, in my opinon, to adapt to the food plan than it was in the 80’s.
Amazon link/hope it works: http://www.amazon.com/Fit-Life-Harvey-Diamond/dp/0446300152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232679615&sr=1-1
I happened upon this website and was reviewing the different diets covered. I am overweight and recovering from surgery and you know what…about 20 years ago when I was in the best shape of my life I followed the Fit for Life routine. I don’t know why I stopped! I suppose it was the negative reviews from the so called experts. I am going on again thanks for all of the truthful posts. I’ll let you guys know how I do :)
I have following fit for life for 4yrs now and have so much energy when i stick to the plan, I slacked off when i got very fit :) but am back with it again, have fun staying fit!!!!
Fit for Life is the most logical approach to well being. I am currently back on the plan because it worked so well for me back in the 90’s. I was never hungry, and consistently lost at least a pound a day by adding a 30 minute walk! Marilu Henner’s diet is based on food combination too in case you want more recipes.
i tried fit for life in the year 2001. while starting i was a whooping 100kgs. In just three months, i lost 12kgs. i truly had energy, my skin looked and felt much better and obviously looked younger. i am now going back after so many years of staying at 88kgs and i know only fit for life can work for me without upsetting my system. these so called experts are living in another world and they know that if we all followed fit for life they would go broke the very next day. i encourage anyone to try fit for life. its a revolution.
I’m dusting off my 20 year old copy as well. 5 years in college and a hysterectomy have put 50 lbs on me. 20 years ago I took off 38 without batting an eye. Here I go again
Been on it for three weeks feel fab, this works .
Wow, i have rarely disagreed with an article more. There are thousands of people eating no dairy and doing just fine, eating only raw food, or just fruit and they seem to survive quite well. Vegans and fruititarians notoriously are the healthiest of all eaters, with the least health problems and longer lives. Of course, this is in context, i don’t include people who started late in life with health problems already(though these diets help)and there are always exceptions. In the Diamonds fit for life cookbook they provise complete health charts with all the info you could ever need regarding vitamins etc.
Diamond assumes his readers wont think…”oh great i can binge on potatoe chips as long as I don’t mix it with anything else.” they do say to not overeat, and to stick to healthier options. This diet is not a quick fix, its a lifechanging outline for how to eat. get the toxic stuff out, and fill your body with good things.
Also, diamond again supposes the intelligence of his readers, by saying listen to your body. that is what the diet is really about, learning to give your body what it needs, not what your tastebuds want
Its the only thing that has ever been able to help me lose weight, and make me feel good. Try it before you make rediculous judgements, obviously based on what major food corporations tell us about food.
I have had the book for over twenty years and just now when i was scared at how much weight I had gained, almost fifty pounds in the last fifteen years. I am sixty and started almost a month ago and have lost ten pounds already and I feel great and very happy to finally see results.
I was a bit shocked after reading some of these reviews. I did this back in the early 90s and have recently started it again. It was amazing! I stayed on it for a while, I lost 20lbs in the first month and I had never felt better! My skin cleared up, my energy level was high, I was VERY regular and I NEVER felt deprived. I ate foods from every food group, not dairy because I never liked it but I quit all the packeged food that contained chemicals, etc. What I don’t understand is how this is not considered “logical”? It makes perfect sense. It worked for me, I’ve tried all the Atkins diet and it made me ill, woh this one, you can stay on it and feel satisfied. All I’m really cutting out is all the processed foods.
Feel great after a few weeks already. The proof is in the pudding!
Marc, I only hope that pudding is egg, dairy and sugar free :) … I know what you mean, great energy is restored through this plan.
Fit For Life JUST WORKS – PERIOD. It is certainly healthier than the way I was eating prior to starting BACK on the plan (I had HUGE success with it about 10 years ago and was stupid enough to go back to the junk) and I have lost 15 lbs in 6 weeks. TRY IT – IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
I have been on this way of eating on and off for the last 20 years and have had great success with it. I steer clear of potatoes and rice and just eat fruit, salads, meat and fresh veggies. It really works, I have lost 10 kgs in 2 months. It is great, you should try it.
I am on day 19 and getting smaller every day. Have lost 2kg already and there were even a few times when I cheated. My only gripe being the regret that it took me this long to find something that works. Its so logical, it just makes sense. I’m looking forward to having the body I should have.
This advice is really going to help, thanks.
I lived the Fit For Life way through the 90’s and after getting married and having kids lost track and ate what was convenient. I have slowly gained 30lbs. in the past 10 years and and feeling tierd as i reach 40.
Thanks to all those who posted…i am re-inspired….i don’t need a diet…i need to go back to what works!!!
Off to buy a copy of the new book….
I was on fit for life for 2 years back in the early 90’s. After 4 pregnancies, this way of eating had me the leanest and most fit of my adult life. At the time, I thought taking it to the vegan extreme would be the most effective, but after about two years, I started feeling kind of shaky and cold, so I stopped. Since then, I’ve tried lots of other plans and the result has been a 35 lb. weight gain and a bad case of reflux, among other problems. I remembered Harvey Diamond talking about how this cured his chronic indigestion and decided to give it another try, without the vegetarian restrictions. It’s only been less than a week, but I’m already losing weight, gaining energy and haven’t had indigestion once. If you are actually familiar with this way of eating (which the reviewer obviously is not) you’ll see that it all makes sense. Eliminating processed foods and streamlining your eating can’t possibly be bad or unbalanced, unless you take it to the extremes, which is NOT recommended in the book!
Mary, just wanted to let you know that I think your comment is very useful. It’s true that the Diamonds did not advocate extreme approaches – although, if someone is used to lots of processed foods/dairy and sugar, the healthy changes could appear to be extreme :) I like your thinking. I tend towards the vegan approach only because it offers a bit more variety. Having said that, I don’t eliminate meat or fish and ‘cheat’ sometimes w/plain yogurt topped w/honey, Still feel fine, weight coming off slowly but surely – which is natural and wholesome at my ripe age of 57! It’s also sustainable weight loss .. for the long haul.
I AM NOT SURPRISED ABOUT THE REVIEW AS SOME PROFESSIONALS ARE SHORTSIGHTED AND THEY CAN BE VERY WRONG ABOUT MANY HEALTH ISSUES AS NO ONE PERSON IS THE SAME. I HAD GAINED 80LBS WITH TWO PREGNANCIES AND THEN 20LB MORE WITH LIFE. I NEVER DIETED AS I WAS ATHLETIC BEFORE KIDS. I WENT TO A REG. DIETICIAN AT A HOSPITAL AND WAS PUT ON A CALORIE REDUCED DIET, VERY COMMON SENSE. IT DIDN’T WORK, OH YEAH FORGOT HAD A HYSTERECTOMY. DECIDED TO TRY FIT FOR LIFE ORIGINAL BOOK BEFORE LEAVING FOR A HOLIDAY TO EUROPE. WELL, THE ENERGY WAS INCREDIBLE, AND LOST WEIGHT WITHOUT TRYING. THAT WAS TEN YEARS AGO. WENT TO BACK TO BAD HABITS. FLASH FORWARD TO PRESENT DAY. STARTED TO WORKOUT SERIOUSLY WITH A TRAINER. FOLLOWED A STRICT CALORIE REDUCED BUT ‘HEALTHY’ DIET. LOST VERY LITTLE WEIGHT AND I WAS WORKING OUT 7 DAYS/WEEK BOTH ALTERNATING WEIGHTS AND CARDIO. NOTED I DIDNT HAVE ENERGY I SHOULD WITH NEW HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND THAT BOTHERED ME MORE THAN VERY SLOW WEIGHT LOSS. SO I HAVE RETURNED TO FIT FOR LIFE AND STILL AM EXCERCISING AND CANT BELIEVE ENERGY IS NOW RETURNING, AND I JUST STARTED A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. I WILL CONTINUE JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF FEELING AWAKE DURING THE DAY AND MAINTAINING MY ENERGY LEVEL, ITS AMAZING. OH AND I USE COMMON SENSE, I DONT FOLLOW IT RELIGIOUSLY , FOR EXAMPLE, I LOVE CHEESE SO INSTEAD OF CUTTING MYSELF OFF OF ANY CHEESE, I CHOOSE VERY GOOD AGED OLD CHEESE, ITALIAN STYLE , VERY EXPENSIVE BUT I HAVE VERY LITTLE SO ITS MY TREAT. WHEN YOU ELIMINATE ALL PROCESSED SUGAR FROM YOUR DIET, YOU DON’T CRAVE IT IN FOODS. I LOVED CHOCLATE, THE GOOD STUFF AND NOW I CAN BE OFFERED IT ANYTIME AND I DONT WANT IT AS I DONT HAVE THE SUGAR IN MY SYSTEM TO CRAVE IT. HARD THING FOR ME IS GIVING UP MY COFFEE WHICH I HAVENT ALTOGETHER BUT I LIMIT MYSELF TO ONE CUP AND ITS AFTER I HAVE WORKED OUT NOT BEFORE AND I MAKE SURE I HAVE ALL THE WATER I HAVE TO OR I DONT LET MYSELF HAVE THAT CUP.
As I read all of the comments I think to myself why does anyone that the Fit for Life plan worked for ever go off of it. I guess somehow we forget that its called Fit for Life. The operative word being “Life”. I too was one of the foolish people who adapted this life style some years ago and then thought I had arrived at “life” and went off to do it the “right” way. And, oh, how I regret it. I’ve gained a whopping 60 lbs. I can lose about 20 to 30 pounds counting calories or doing Weight Watchers or some other plan, but I am total miserable in the process. And the misery overtakes me and I just say forget it.
With Fit for Life, I never counted a thing. I never felt deprived. All I did was eat normally and exercised every other day and the weight just fell off. I did not have any preconceived notion of what my weight should be. My body did the work. When it reached its desired weight, I just stopped losing. I had energy out of this world. So now at age 51 I am going for what worked for me and that was the Fit for Life plan. I’ve tried the rest and now it’s back to the best — at least the best one for me. And isn’t that really what it’s all about?
12 million copies sold and you want discredit? Sounds like you are not into evidence-based practices. Here is some evidence, on Fit For Life I have dramatically trimmed down and am in the best shape of my life at 36. I have more energy than ever and am currently training to do some mountaineering in the Andes.
Finally, much of his book is being misquoted and/or misunderstood. Eating fruit before noon is not all about rotting food, it has to do with the 24 hour cycle of the body..did you read the book?
Of course Fit For Life works (I go on it when I’m feeling overly unhealthy which is about 2-3 times a year). But I don’t think it is for any of the reasons the Diamonds claim:
1) Eat a lot of live foods. Yes, vegetables make you healthier and have few calories – that is a no-brainer.
2) Eat fruits in the morning – okay, fruit is important for vitamins and minerals, but don’t eat it all day because it is mostly sugar…makes sense to me.
3) Avoid dairy – 75% of the world is lactose intolerant (whether they know it or not). I can see where people might feel better.
4) Don’t mix carbs with proteins – here’s the genius: foods like pizza, sandwiches, hamburgers, meaty pastas, etc. are all off the diet. These are the foods I love, and these are the foods I don’t eat while I’m on the diet. This is why people, including me, lose weight and feel better. It has nothing to do with your digestive properties, your stomach can digest almost anything that comes its way. It is just eating more vegetables and fruit and not eating crap!
Like I said, I do go on the diet and I do feel better. But it is really because it is 4 easy rules to follow, I don’t have to count calories or fat grams, and I can’t eat the garbage I do when I am not on the diet.
GG, Realistically, the book could work simply for the reasons the Diamonds said it works. Speak only for your stomach – mine cannot “digest anything that comes its way”.
You said, “But it is really because it is 4 easy rules to follow, I don’t have to count calories or fat grams, and I can’t eat the garbage I do when I am not on the diet.” Which is pretty much verbatim what the Diamonds claimed long before your claim, only they framed it within the context of ‘food combining’. They also went to the trouble to research and write the book.
Humility is a powerful quality. Not only can it help us learns something new, it can even help one stay the course of one’s good intentions.
I have lost 24 pounds on Fit for Life, and its the easiest thing I have ever done. Without exercising, and following it only 1/2 the time (except for fresh fruit juice every morning), its still effective. Its amazingly easy and I have never felt better. Bottom line it works, and for the first time in my life I can control my weight effectively.
FIT FOR LIFE REALLY DOES WORK,100%. YEARS AGO WHEN MY DAD AND I FIRST STARTING EATING THIS WAY,MY DAD WAS VERY IMPRESSED
AND AMAZED AT HOW HE FELT AFTER EATING A
PROPER COMBINED MEAL. HE USED TO ALWAYS FALL ASLEEP ON THE COUCH AFTER HIS MEALS,
BECAUSE HE ATE THE WRONG COMBINATION OF FOOD TOGETHER,BUT AFTER THE FIRST DAY ON FIT FOR LIFE,HE NEVER FELT SLEEPY AGAIN AFTER ANY MEALS……THANKS TO FIT FOR LIFE. IT’S BEEN OVER TWENTY YEARS NOW,AND I WILL ALWAYS INCORPORATE FIT FOR LIFE IN MY LIFE STYLE AS LONG AS I LIVE ON THIS EARTH,AND YES,MY DAD AND I BOTH LOST A LOT OF WIEGHT BACK THEN,AND EVEN NOW I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT I HAVE KEPT A HEALTHY STEADY WEIGHT.I KNOW IF DAD WAS STILL ALIVE HE TOO WOULD STILL WANT TO BE EATING THIS WAY. ALL THE OTHER TESTIMONIES MENTIONED ABOUT FIT FOR LIFE ARE SO TRUE,BELIEVE ME,OR JUST TRY FIT FOR LIFE FOR YOURSELF FOR 2 WEEKS,AND THEN YOU BE THE JUDGE.
I first read the book in 2000, did the program and it was like a miracle weight loss. I lost 15kg in two months, I even had to buy new clothes. The best thing was how well I felt. Due to changes in my life, I returned to my old conventional diet and I gained back the overweight I had lost. The problem this time was that for the first time in my life my body began to produce cholesterol, a problem I am now fighting with prescribed drugs. When I tried to do the fit-for-life program again, it was impossible, I got unbearable headaches that wouldn’t even let me think. After several years fighting overweight and physical pain, I’ve been lucky to restart the fit-for-life program with good results (though not as spectacular as the first time). I’ve lost 8kg in two months and begin to feel better. I would strongly recommend people doing this eating program to include whole-grain cereals and legumes plus the raw salad for lunch and good protein (fish or white cheese) plus the raw salad for dinner, and raw nuts for mid morning snack, so they can be sure they have a balanced nutrition everyday.
I LOVE fit for life! I dont follow the plan completely, but I when Im feeling crappy or a little pudgy, I follow it as much as I can, fruit in the morning and veggies in the afternoon, with a protein or starch, and I can eat tons of food, and the weight literally melts off!! On average 2 lbs a day! I always do it after xmas and holidays and it gives me so much energy! I agree, that people would be out of a job, thats why it gets a bad rap. Also they do want people to be medicated, fat, and unhealthy, then doctors make more money….
Its just sad, EVERYONE should follow this way of life!
Wow!!! What a contrast between the book review and the comments that follow. Even if a person had never tried the FFL program themselves, it would seem OVERWHELMINGLY obvious that there IS evidence for its success with all the first hand testimony given here. And I can add my own testimony to that listed here. I followed the program in the early 90’s and felt great and lost weight. However, like almost everyone here, I eventually went back to the old way of eating (which is probably largely due to the fact that we are completely inundated with highly commercialized poor eating approaches.) Now, after gaining 25 ugly pounds, I am ready to give it another go. I was looking online to see if there were any websites publishing recipes and shopping lists to make it a little easier, but haven’t found any yet. If anyone knows of anything like this, please let me know.
Brett, I am not a vegetarian /nevermind vegan .. however, I have found the various vegan sites online helpful for FFL recipies .. no dairy, eggs etc. (also, Kosher rec. sites are good for the vegetarian stuff) .. as for meats/fish etc. I simply combine w./greens that I enjoy .. and find home-made salsa a very satisfying addition to almost everything! :) When I want to “cheat” w/a sweet – I look for non dairy ‘ice cream’ in the market – pretty darned good – my other cheat is Greek yogurt topped w/honey. Hey, I’m no saint – I just want to eat well.
im a 24 year old chick and a few years ago i lost 40 pounds in 30 days. i work with people who stop eating or eat way less to lose pounds. i tell them about fit for life and they think its crap, or that i starved myself. i ate more then then i do now. i think people need to start eatting for health not for tast buds and weight. i wish i could make everybody understand, nothing will make you feel this good, and look this hot