I’ve mentioned in several other places that the Men’s Health Abs diet book
and its companion eating guide were really what got me started in my weight loss and shaping up several years ago. I thought that I should give it a proper review and explanation for anyone interested in them.

First, despite what the title says, this is not a diet! The purpose of this program is to change your eating habits and lifestyle. The majority of the book is dedicated explaining what healthy foods are (which isn’t always as simple as it seems), why foods are healthy or unhealthy, and how much of what foods you should be eating. The rest of the book goes into explaining their philosophy that without muscle growth and development weight loss will be only be temporary. Include are some exercises and sample workout routines to get you started.

The healthy eating portion of this book is superb in my opinion. They recommend focusing your eating around several “power foods”, which they arrange to spell “ABS DIET POWER”, the foods are:

1 ) Almonds and Other Nuts eaten with skins intact.
2 ) Beans and Other Legumes
3 ) Spinach and Other Green Vegetables
4 ) Dairy: Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese
5 ) Instant Oatmeal: Unsweetened, unflavored
6 ) Eggs
7 ) Turkey and other lean meats. Lean steak, chicken, fish
8 ) Peanut Butter – All-natural, sugar-free.
9 ) Olive Oil
10 ) Whole-Grain Breads and Cereals
11 ) Extra-Protein (Whey) Powder
12 ) Raspberries and Other Berries

The book goes in depth explaining such things as what carbohydrates are, what complex carbohydrates are, and all those other crazy foods terms. They then explain exactly the effect these foods have on your body. While they have plenty of science and research to back up all of their information, they present it in a manner that is entertaining and easy to read.

The exercise portion of the book talks about the science of how muscle is built and how lifting weights can increase metabolism over long periods of time. Muscle groups and exercises to work those groups are discussed again in easy to understand terms.

However, when it comes to actual work out plans, there are only a few examples of 3X a week circuit training workouts. While this is excellent for a beginner, (these are the workouts I used to lose my weight) this portion of the book is going to get replaced by much better books focusing solely on workout programs, like LL Cool J’s Platinum workout.

The biggest complaint I have come across is the tone the book takes. The author is rather informal with the reader, making lots of pop culture references. The book is geared towards men, as the title would suggest, so some women do not always feel included. However, the eating and fitness principles put forward in the book are universal to men and women. If women really are looking for a book geared more to their gender, there is a companion book
.

Speaking of companion books… There are several other books under the Abs Diet name for sale. I recommend The Abs Diet Eat Right Every Time Guide. It includes numerous restaurants, showing exactly how good or bad the best and worst food s are. It’s a small book and can be kept in the car or purse so that a quick glance before walking inside can arm the reader with sensible eating options.

For readability, humor, good information, and plain common sense, I highly recommend these books.

Not to mention that all 3 of these books can be purchased off Amazon.com for less that $10! Figure in a few bucks for shipping and you just got 3 excellent resources for less than $20! You can’t beat that deal!

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