Customer Reviews Overall Rating:4.5
Great Little Book
2009-05-05
Loved this book. Not much of a meal plan but enough to get started with. I love the workout. I noticed a difference after
one week. I had not worked out in a long time. This was very easy to do and see results. Make sure you have a bench to do
your workouts on. Follow his plan and you will see results.
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5-Factor
2009-04-06
For the most part the book was good, although, some of the recipes were not as simple as indicated. The fitness section is
excellent.
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Almost great
2009-02-15
I really loved this concept. I've done the workout on two seperate occasions and I do well with the structured approach.
I try and stick with the food concept as well but even if I don't follow that completely I still end up losing weight and
toning from the work outs. My frustration with this is that there is nothing beyond. Everyone knows your muscles get used
to the same exercises over time so you need to keep changing it up. I would love to see a follow-up to this book!!!
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Good, sound, realistic plan
2008-12-02
After having been obese pretty much since I was a fetus, and wasting years on fad diets [Slim Fast, Atkins, Cabbage soup,
The Zone, etc.] I finally made the committment to lose weight the healthy way (by eating right and exercising) about 7 years
ago. It's been a long journey and a process of trial and error, losses and gains, but overall, I've managed to lose 65 (only
60 more to go!). Though I've had success on my own (and with some help/support of Weight Watchers), I bought this book basically
to get some fresh ideas for meals and workout routines so I don't get stuck in a rut.
What I love about this book is it is REALISTIC, specifically in the duration and type of exercises included, the results
you can expect, and best of all, the fact that Harley cuts you some slack. You don't see sentences like: "You can never eat
x food again" or "You must run 5 miles a day" (in fact, he discourages running as it is hard on the joints).
The workout plan simply consists of a little cardio to warm up, 2 strength exercises, some ab work, and a bit more cardio
to finish up. As someone who despises cardio, and doesn't run unless there's an ice cream truck in front of me or a serial
killer behind, I appreciate that i don't have to spend a lot of time on any one part of the rountine. When I read the exercises
for the first workout, I thought, "Okay, this looks easy." Wrong! Though I've been strength training for years, the high
amount of reps Day One called for was very challening. I intend to complete the whole 5 week plan, and I'm excited to see
what the results will be with this new way of working out.
The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is that I have a couple of issues with the food plan. While Harley
claims the diet portion is not lo-carb, virtually every meal is loaded with meat and dairy, which he refers to as "high quality
protein sources". Large quantities of animal protein are rough on the kidneys and can deplete the body of calcium. Though
he doesn't specify how many grams/portions of protein one should eat daily, I'd imagine a vegetarian would have to eat PLENTY
of egg whites and cottage cheese to get in the servings suggested. And a vegan would have to practically live on soy-based
meat substitutes.
While it won't yield the quicker weight loss, a diet centered around vegetables and fruits first, then whole grains
and legumes, and healthy fats [nuts, olive oil], plus some seafood and limited, organic dairy will get you the most nutrients
and is best fr your heart. While not totally excluded, grains, beans, and starchy vegetables (like sweet potatos) play a
limited role in Harvey's plan.
The other part of the food plan that I have a problem with the recommendation to have a "sugar free beverage" with each
meal. While this of course can refer to water and unsweetened tea, Harley also has no problem including artificially-sweetened
drinks, which are loaded with chemicals. I guess if you don't mind your body being a science lab, this won't be a problem
for you. I personally choose to stay away from Frankenfoods like that. I give him BIG props, however, for allowing a "cheat
day" once a week.
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Absolute gem
2008-10-28
I have struggled to lose wght all my life. I've done everything from hours of cardio to Pilates to whatever. Nothing has ever
helped me lose wght, tone up, and keep it off except the exercises in this book. Pasternak is a genius for coming up with
this regimen because it is so easy. I don't really follow the meal plan because it is fairly restrictive- I just do the exercise
and I still lose a ton of wght pretty quickly. I have to admit that I do miss the shape my body had when I was doing Pilates
regularly but I had to do ~45-60mins of Pilates to get those results as opposed to 25-30mins of 5 Factor Fitness. Needless
to say I very highly recommend this book. Also try The Shangria La Diet by Roberts if you need help with appetite control.
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