Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight

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Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 60 ratings · 41 reviews

THE BESTSELLING MEDITERRANEAN DIET BOOK IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Join the hundreds of thousands who are eating well and getting slimmer with the new Mediterranean diet book. Featuring delicious, fat-burning, easy-to-make Mediterranean diet recipes, a simple plan, and the psychological tools to stay slimmer, this international bestselling diet sensation takes the incredible fla...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Turner

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Sep 10, 2012 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Harry Papas has done a wonderful job with Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight - the book is approachable, informative, packed with great recipes, and inspiring. Beginning with his own struggle to lose weight that he put on when he went away to college, Papas takes an educated and experienced approach - he suffered because of excess weight and when he had had enough, he switched from majoring in economics to diet and nutrition. He educated himself on the best way to lose weight and...more Harry Papas has done a wonderful job with Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight - the book is approachable, informative, packed with great recipes, and inspiring. Beginning with his own struggle to lose weight that he put on when he went away to college, Papas takes an educated and experienced approach - he suffered because of excess weight and when he had had enough, he switched from majoring in economics to diet and nutrition. He educated himself on the best way to lose weight and keep it off in a sensible fashion, and is eager to share this. He created this plan based upon the need for a lifestyle change and it is based on solid health science, such as the Seven Countries Study (he has summarized much of this for readers so that we get a sense of what the Slimmer method is founded upon).
Papas writes in an approachable manner, balancing facts and science with the reality that the modern lifestyle is rushed (as a result, this plan is completely implementable - Papas recognizes that most people need simple recipes with balanced ingredients in order to make lifestyle changes).
The book is divided into three cycles, A, B, and C, with everyone starting with A and gradually moving toward C (the later cycles burn more calories, and Papas organized the cycles this way so that there is no noticeable plateau in weight loss). Each cycle has menus for 3 weeks and recipes are included in the back to make this even easier. Papas has created recipes like Pasta Puttanesca, Fruit Salad with Yogurt Crunch, Marinated Vegetable Salad, Chicken with Orzo, and Lentil Walnut Salad. There are also dessert and drink recipes such as Banana Pudding with Cinnamon, Strawberry Ice Cream, and Red Fruit Smoothie which won't derail your weight loss goals. Papas even includes free days so that you are able to take control of your weight loss, but still enjoy favorite foods. Also, the recipes are quick and easy to prepare, so they can be made for weeknight dinners without a problem.
This book is great, not only for people looking to lose weight, but for anyone wishing to integrate simple, healthy foods into their repertoire. The food is simple and delicious! The one challenge that I saw, however, was that many of Papas menus revolve around seafood (which is packed with good-for-you ingredients), and there are no true accommodations for those with allergies or those who are vegetarian or vegan. While it is possible to skip recipes that wouldn't agree with you, this book revolves around true Mediterranean-style eating, so it does incorporate a lot of fresh ingredients, including fish. Additionally, the recipes themselves are not new - we all have seen most of them - but the balanced approach that Papas has formulated is easy to follow and stick with.
Overall, Slimmer is a great diet plan, and Papas is very realistic, gradually easing readers into a new way of thinking and eating so that the results will be permanent. From shelfishness.blog.com(less)

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Aug 08, 2012 Cassie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, first-reads

I'm so happy to have won this book from goodreads.

Let me note that this book does not have the nutritional information for it's recipes. Some people will probably not like this. I actually do. I have done the calorie count thing, became obsessive over it. I made sure to eat exactly 1200 calories, never over or under. I got down to a size 2, now I'm up to a size 10. I want to lose a little weight but in the right and healthy way for both my body and my mind. Now, I'm rewiring my brain to see thi...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Bree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2012

I almost always roll my eyes when a diet book says the food will actually taste good, but this book really does include good food. Ah, but I'm a Greek food junkie! Now if they could only apply that brilliance toward their economy...

Hooray! I won a copy of this through goodreads first-reads giveaways!

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Aug 07, 2012 Kerri is currently reading it

Won this book in a Goodreads giveaway! Can't wait for it to get here!

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Aug 09, 2012 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won this book from a Goodreads give away! It's pretty good and the nine week program seems very doable because the selections are things we already know are very good choices and they are easy to find at our grocery stores-- nothing strange or exotic. Lots of the recommendations we've been hearing about for a few years now--wholesome foods-- fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, lean protein, Greek yogurt. Great recipes! I found the last section of the book interesting. The author talks abou...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Doreen rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone needing/wanting to drop some weight

Recommended to Doreen by: Won it on Goodreads!

Shelves: goodreads-giveaways, specific-goals-tasks-time-constrain

This is a good book for anyone who is trying to lose weight. I have not followed it religiously yet, but have read through and have tried several of the recipes. It is easy to see that a person would lose weight when following the recipes and diet outlined in this book.

I am familiar with the Mediterranean lifestyle. With two grandparents who lived into their late nineties, I saw firsthand the benefits to following the Mediterranean way of living and eating. For those who are unfamiliar with that...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Kate Kobriger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Slimmer is a fantastic diet plan. After reading through the structure of the diet and looking at the recipes, if I could sum up Papas' plan in a word, it would be "natural". All of the foods he suggests are easily found in everyday grocery stores, none of the recipes seem difficult to make, and the dieter is eating six times per day. There is no calorie cutting or extreme exercise, it is just a very natural approach to being healthy.

The best part is that sweets and treats are included starting t...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Charlotte Rogers rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received the book yesterday! I have been looking for a new way to eat and get my weight down.
It seem like if you go a a diet something always come up that you can not stay on your died. This will not be the case with the one day being "free". I have tried to find a Mediterranean diet for years,but I do not eat what was listed as food. I live in a small town in East Texas if I wanted to try diet where would I get most of the food? I have tried Greek food in the past..for me not so good.
"Slimme...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Lorraine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was a winner on Goodreads for this book. Although the book gave great advice and recipes. I found it hard to keep up with the cycles of food to eat. I am a single mom and three and their sole supporter. So it was hard to get them to eat what I eat on a regular day. But I did find a few receipes that worked. The Egg Salad Pita was great for a weekend luch for all of us. They also enjoyed the Pepperoni Pita Pizza and the Shrimp with Lemon sauce we could eat every day. It was mostlry the cost of...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Carson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just finished reading the book and am getting ready to start the diet. I love that this diet book explains the psychology behind losing weight and that it is such a flexible diet. I am a college student and struggle with diets because they either require you to buy more expensive ingredients or require you to count calories or points. This is the perfect diet for a college student, you can cook all the meals for the week ahead of time and freeze them if you are too busy to make them every night....more

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Jul 26, 2012 MaryKay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2012

I've really enjoyed the recipes and concepts in this book. Mr. Papas promotes eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, dairy products, and olive oil. At the end of his book he discusses making adjustments as needed due to lactose and gluten intolerance. He encourages an active lifestyle filled with quality connections to people and the natural world. I like his concept of "happy moments" - a daily dietary treat such as a low-fat hot chocolate, a small reduced fat pudding, 1...more

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Feb 20, 2013 David Glad rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: winner, fine-living, nutritional-choices

I received this book as part of a goodreads giveaway. :)

Relatively quick read the book part, while the rest are the meal plan/recipes. Author has a degree in Diet and Nutrition (apparently switched from an Economics major..) and yet, despite that, I think the nutritional information is quite accessible to the average person even if I saw one review that thought it "technical."

The author relies heavily on the 1960s Seven Countries Study which was the brainchild of nutrition pioneer Ancel Keys. Al...more I received this book as part of a goodreads giveaway. :)

Relatively quick read the book part, while the rest are the meal plan/recipes. Author has a degree in Diet and Nutrition (apparently switched from an Economics major..) and yet, despite that, I think the nutritional information is quite accessible to the average person even if I saw one review that thought it "technical."

The author relies heavily on the 1960s Seven Countries Study which was the brainchild of nutrition pioneer Ancel Keys. Also mentioned is Japan as being somewhat similar to the food choices of the Mediterranean countries and high life expectancy. (Funny aspect that usually is ignored in the life expectancy of countries in debates is that US medical care means babies that would have been left for dead in other countries due to various conditions are instead attempted to be delivered and for that matter countries such as Cuba self-report, so you can bet how reliable that is. As for my biggest beef on Japan's life expectancy stat, their second or third oldest citizen it was reported a year or two ago that he in fact had not only been dead for well over a decade but had been mummified and the scam -- obviously the family had been collecting the checks from the government -- had only been uncovered when some nosy journalists had persisted in trying to interview him. Hope those cases are rare, but would appear such scams -- especially in bad economies -- will probably be increasingly common across the world, except for maybe the mummification aspect.)

Worth noting that in addition to food choices, it is also about lifestyle choices if you want optimal results, such as at a minimum moderate forms of exercise. Unlike "diets" -- proper nutrition really is a full-time responsibility -- this book recommends sticking to a relatively consistent meal plan which emphasizes good food versus tasteless supplements that often lack the appearance of being food typical of many fad diets. In the Mediterranean food choices, it primarily consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein (mostly from fish), moderate amounts of wine (author suggests avoiding it if it is not currently a habit, as the benefits are not that huge), and of course olive oil. (Note: Like butter, olive oil gets 100% of its calories from fat. Even if author indicates it contains omega-9 (oleic acid), a monounsaturated fat.)

The book also tries to be realistic on sizing expectations by mentioning that pasta and pizza (at least among healthy people) is not consumed nearly as much over in southern Europe as many Americans probably believe.

Nice notes such as purslane, a weed which is seen as both a medicinal and culinary wonder. Worth noting that flax seed, sesame and probably other seeds too must be ground up to get any benefit out of them. (Just passes through you otherwise and author Jared Diamond in one of his books notes that it is a mechanism for plants to spread seeds over much further lands by being consumed by animals.)

Book provides tips on slower living (relaxation..) and making quality connections (wonder if goodreads counts..) through volunteering. Also suggests mental exercises to think of happier things rather than consuming food. Also suggest "free days" periodically for the reader to have a pick on potentially breaking away from the meal plan. The meal plans do seem relatively simple enough (measured and typically only once a day does a recipe in the book need be referred to).

While the book may rely heavily on a southern Europe theme, it still is relatively good advice. Presumably moving away from processed toward real foods could restore energy and create a desire for more exercise. Book putting the emphasis on walking.

As for my own fitness regimen, I generally have been sticking to bananas, vegetables, bread (usually around the house for that choice), and fish lately combined with typically two and half to three hour sessions at the gym every other day along with running on the treadmill(typically 7+ miles) every second or third day. (Had done ~90 sessions each day -- one day focusing primarily on upper body strength while the other was core and leg exercises, but figured I would combine them into a single day workout to save time.) Running does have that quality that helps to instill some discipline on what you consume that lifting weights lacks. Worth noting that salt and hydration effects can shift weight markedly: When I had not been around my parents for a week some time back, my weight slowly slid down by about 5 pounds (~158 to ~153) which I attributed to lower sodium rather than it being long-term loss (seems to have been the case), but could also be that as I moved to not exercising every day that I might have retained less water weight.(less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Turner Publishing rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, non-fiction

Great recipes, solid advice, and the author draws from personal experience (he lost 110 pounds!) We absolutely love the recipes and several of us have lost weight with this awesome plan. Anyone looking for a simple, delicious, and non-gimicky way to slim down, try the Slimmer lifestyle. The recipes work great for people just looking for a healthy meal as well. No wonder it's a bestseller in Greece!

More reviews of Slimmer are available here: http://www.theslimmerbook.com/media/

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Feb 14, 2013 Diana Alexander rated it 3 of 5 stars

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway a few months ago (my apologies for the late review). The basis of the book is good - a diet high in produce and lean meats with meals where you can add what you want so that you don't feel deprived. What I didn't like about his book is that in order to follow the diet you must adhere to a specific menu (detailed in the book) as the author says each meal is tailored to the stage of the diet as far as fat content, etc without giving the details of "the rules...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Marcia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This diet book does not have much new. The basic ideas of using olive oil and eating fresh fruits & vegetables are in most diet books today. This book does offer specific three 3-week diet plans that are easy to make with ingredients easily found in most grocery stores today. As the subtitle states, the diet predominately calls for Southern Mediterranean ingredients with a few recipes using beef and chicken. It also has several chapters explaining the author's approach to diet, falling off t...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Dawna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaway-wins-read

Yum, yum, yum!!! What more needs to be said?? The recipes in this book are very easy to make and are so delicious!! My partner and I have not been tracking our weight loss but have noticed some looseness in the way our clothes fit. Anyone who is looking for some new, delicious recipes to help them lose a few pounds would really benefit from this book!!

**I received this book through a giveaway for an honest review.**

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Aug 05, 2012 Christy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won a copy of this book through the good reads first reads program. I was so pleased with the format of this book and the really good advice! The advice at the beginning of the book is very easy to follow and the author explains why certain foods are good for you and how his plan will work for you. I like that the recipes are simple and easy to follow. I know I will be using this one a lot and I definitely recommend it!

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Aug 07, 2012 Vivian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: diet, first-reads

Often when I have read a diet book written by a dietician, I often think to myself, "Yeah, right. I am not eating licorice root on tofu. Thanks but no thanks." However, these recipes are very doable and simple. As a busy mom, I'm not cooking a meal for me AND a meal for the rest of the family. This plan looks like I can hide the diet plan in their foods.

Cannot wait to start this. A diet that lets me have a glass of wine everyday as a reward? "Yes, please!"

This book was given to me as part of t...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, good-reads

I received this as a first reads giveaway. I did like the book. It doesn't really contain any new information if you have read many books on diet and nutrition. There are a lot of recipes and I will enjoy trying some of these out. If you are looking for a program that you can follow without any planning of meals - this one has it all laid out for you. This should work very well. It was an easy read and due to the volume of recipes - it doesn't take long to read at all.

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Sep 19, 2012 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: food-cooking

I recieved this book as a part of the Goodreads Frist Reads giveaway.

The recipes in this book look really good and healthy. I've yet to try them, but I will be soon, since they are right up my alley.

Whether or not there is any weight lose, the recipes are worth it alone.

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Oct 07, 2012 Alissa Nolan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

It is strange to me to have a weight loss book that does not include nutritional information about the included recipes. I feel like this book is just trying to get in on the "Mediterranean Diet" fad and am not sure that it really sets you up for long term success. Time will tell, but I feel like the book falls short of long term lifestyle changes.

It does offer a 9 week plan, with recipes included. Most of these do not appear difficult to prepare. Much of the advice contained in the beginning of...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent diet book, the recipes I can make as I already have the ingredients in mt panty. I have already lost three pounds. I am glad I won this book from Goofreads. There is nothing like getting a free book and losing weight. Definitely a must buy!

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Aug 05, 2012 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-wins

I received this book for free through the goodreads first reads giveaway. This book has some great ideas about weight loss and a easy to follow plan for losing weight. What attracted me to this book was the mediterranean style recipes. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to change the way they look at food and get some tasty new recipes.

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Aug 19, 2012 Daleine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-giveaways

I received this book from Goodreads. I found the reading part very interesting. I am starting this diet today. I have worked on changing things I eat over the last week. I love the idea of this diet. I believe that it is possibly one I can stay on and that it will work. I am concerned about cost but do think that the views of this author and his ideas will make dieting easier and enjoyable. I like many on the things that were suggested on how to work up and how to do maintenance.

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Aug 09, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. While I'm not a big advocate of diets (tried & failed too many of them over the years), I am a big advocate of heart-healthy Mediterranean cuisine. I'll be hanging on to this book simply for the recipes.

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Aug 12, 2012 Joyce Mosby rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received this from Good reads.

This book contains recipes that I am anxious to try. As a former home ec teacher, I have always advocated a diet high in fiber and low in saturated fats. Papas seems to advocate this too.

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Aug 15, 2012 Sherry Ward rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won this book on Goodreads. The actual diet plan is not anything new or novel as it emphasizes fresh food vegetables, whole grains, etc. it does offer some great receipes and combinations that I am going to try. It also has some great suggestions to help in your weight loss or life change way of thinking and eating it is definitely a book I would have purchased and worth reading and definitely trying the recipes

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Aug 19, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book through a give-away.

I like the idea of eating in cycles, and the recipe section looks intriguing. I will have to add to my review after trying it out some of the recipes.

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Aug 08, 2012 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read-books

This is my first "giveaway book" and I'm very excited about it! How awesome is it to get a book for free? As someone who loves trying out new recipes, I will be trying some of these. It looks like a great asset for anyone trying to lose weight as well as including some healthy options for those just trying to be healthy.

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Aug 11, 2012 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great recipes and menus to follow. Easily explained and easy to follow. Only would love more photos but not needed. :) Thank you again for the book.

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About Harry Papas

As a young man growing up in Athens, Greece, Harry Papas had an enviable life. He looked good, felt good, was popular and smart, and saw nothing but continued success and happiness in his future. Then something changed. He gained 110 pounds in one year.
Many people gain weight as they get older, but what happened to Papas, and what happens to millions of people around the world, was more sudden and...more

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