You, on a Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management

by Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz

For the first time in our history, scientists are uncovering astounding medical evidence about dieting -- and why so many of us struggle with our weight and the size of our waists. Now researchers are unraveling biological secrets about such things as why you crave chocolate or gorge at buffets or store so much fat.Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, America's most trusted doctor team and authors of the bestselling "YOU" series, are now translating this cutting-edge information to help you shave inches off your waist. They're going to do it by giving you the best weapon against fat: knowledge. By understanding how your body's fat-storing and fat-burning systems work, you're going to learn how to crack the code on true and lifelong waist management.

Roizen and Oz will invigorate you with equal parts information, motivation, and change-your-life action to show you how your brain, stomach, hormones, muscles, heart, genetics, and stress levels all interact biologically to determine if your body is the size of a baseball bat or of a baseball stadium. In "YOU: On a Diet," Roizen and Oz will redefine what a healthy figure is, then take you through an under-theskin tour of the organs that influence your body's size and its health. You'll even be convinced that the key number to fixate on is not your weight, but your waist size, which best indicates the medical risks of storing too much fat.

Because the world has almost as many diet plans as it has e-mail spammers, you'd think that just about all of us would know everything there is to know about dieting, about fat, and about the reasons why our bellies have grown so large. "YOU: On a Diet" is much more than a diet plan or a series of instructions and guidelines or a faddish berries-only eating plan. It's a complete manual for waist management. It will show you how to achieve and maintain an ideal and healthy body size by providing a lexicon according to which any weight-loss system can be explained. "YOU: On a Diet" will serve as the operating system that facilitates future evolution in our dieting software. After you learn about the biology of your body and the biology and psychology of fat, you'll be given the YOU Diet and YOU Workout. Both are easy to learn, follow, and maintain. Following a two-week rebooting program will help you lose up to two inches from your waist right from the start.

With Roizen and Oz's signature accessibility, wit, and humor, "YOU: On a Diet -- The Owner's Manual for Waist Management" will revolutionize the way you think about yourself and the food you consume, so that you'll diet smart, not hard. Welcome to your body on a diet.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Diets, Reference, Nutrition, Food

384 pages, Hardcover

First published September 14, 2009

About the author

Michael F. Roizen, MD

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was trying so hard to be common person friendly in explaining it's science, that it made it harder to understand. There were too many metaphors and wasted dumb jokes that I was forced to read while trying to mine out the real information.

[MelissaS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the title of this book is "YOU on a Diet" - this book is not really a "diet" book, as in how to lose weight fast ... it is more of a "lifestyle change" book. The premise of the book is this: if you truly understand how your body works, you will be more motivated to eat healthy and exercise. This lifestyle change will enable you to find your body's optimal weight, and make weight loss more permanent as you develop consistent eating and exercise habits.

The key what has made the book popular is the way in which he describes how the body works: what it does with what you eat, and how it burns energy and stores fat. He describes what are sometimes complicated biological processes in very simple terms, using cartoonish pictures and diagrams, and using very corny humor to keep your attention, and to keep you reading quickly. As such, the book is very easy to read (though the frequent humor can get annoying!), and easy to finish quickly. More importantly, you come away very motivated to eat healthy, because you understand why certain things we eat are SO good for us, and why certain things we eat are SO bad. Armed with this knowledge, it is much easier and more exciting to eat healhty, to exercise ... and it is much easier to avoid things that are toxic to our bodies - things like sugar and fast food that we usually have such a hard time avoiding.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concepts, at least what I was able to read, in this book make sense. But I'm just getting tired of it. I've tried two times to read it. It's always due back at the library and there are other books that are more pressing or interesting to finish before it.

I like any books that talk about healthy ways of eating and living. But I really don't like books (particularly ones on food and diet) that give you the suggested shopping list and recipes. I can't afford 3/4 of the stuff they recommend! And heaven knows if I would know how to cook it. I have been learning to adapt my own way of eating--how often, meal portions, and more healthful foods--so that I've reached a point where the book just seems like a drag for me to finish. However, I will continue to recommend it to others for I have seen it have some amazing results with some of my friends and co-workers.

[Nupur]

So if you're one of those people who are trying to lose weight like me, am sure you suffer from information overload but help starvation. Well, here's some help.

For some time, I kept whimpering I needed to lose weight, but actually didn't know what to do different...I was eating the right kinds of food and knew had to get in some exercise. When I was diagnosed with Thyroid, I used that to justify why I was putting on weight. But I still wanted to lose it. Now we all know that we need to cut out carbs, sugars saturated fats and get in some exercise to be a picture perfect shape. In that sense, the book really isn't that different. So when the husband (who himself went from.230 lbs to 167 lbs in five months) saw Dr. Oz on Oprah one day, he got the book and actually thrust it into my hands. And me, with my ultra cynical view of the world kept thinking...”What can be so different about another diet book?” Was I wrong or was I wrong!!

What is different, and delightfully informative, about the book is that it explains the process behind us gaining weight and what we need to do (including the hows and whys) to lose it. And no, it does not go into scientific mumbo-jumbo...the entire book is in pure layman's terms. So you'll read about the science behind feeling hungry, why, where and how you store calories, what cholesterol does, what's the real deal with fat, why you should keep an eye on your waist size and not calories, why losing weight takes so long, etc.. and actually understand it.

Along the way, Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen bust some very common myths and provide the facts instead. Cartoons, examples, whatever they could use to simplify scientific jargon, they have. At the very end of the book, you get the YOU diet and activity plan which promises to shave off two inches off your waist in two weeks to get to your ideal size. To not exclude those with far more serious health problems and considering medical intervention, they also discuss current options for surgery and drugs.

So has it helped me personally? I think so. I did finally get my Bally's gym membership and try to be as regular as possible. But more importantly, I at least think I can do it. I don't constantly have to think about diet food anymore. A word of caution...this is NOT a diet book. It will not put a new spin on an old diet; it is not going to give you a plan on the platter and make you feel like scum if you have that one slice of chocolate cake; it is not going to make you starve till you get thin and put the weight right back on as soon as you stop. It is a book to make you understand the why and how of healthy living. So if you're tired of yo-yo dieting, doing so much and still not seeing results, I'd say pick it up and read it cover to cover. You have nothing to lose, except those extra rings around your tummy.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a doctor myself, I can say that there is some great information in these pages- a lot about fat and the detriment that it's causing in our culture. Some doctors like to suggest cures to symptoms instead of cures for the problem and it appears that these gentleman may be doing just that. The gimmicky (and funny) "waist management" technique is interesting and fairly unique from what I've seen, but it can be seen as just a diversion. Maybe people who are obese need a diversion and need to stop thinking about food, but it's my experience that people need to focus on how they were designed (we were designed to constantly eat) and then cater to that by eating the right types of foods at certain times. Roizen and Mehmet's humorous approach reminds me of one of my favorite diet/nutrition books, "The Evolution Diet," which makes learning about the body entertaining as well as informative. Perhaps the author(s) of the You On a Diet could have focused more on the appropriation of one's diet as The Evolution Diet, Second Edition does, but it appears that people can really be helped with these techniques and that's the main goal- a fitter world.

[Matt Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

You, On a Diet (2006), Mehmet C. Oz, Michael F. Roizen

The title of this book doesn't do it justice. Initially, I thought it would be a bore, but the content was very relevant and interesting. You, On a Diet takes you through the socioeconomic conditions resulting in obesity, the anatomy of digestion, the body's physiological and chemical reactions to foods and a detailed diet with exercise plan. If anything this book is an incredible resource for those topics. I will admit the repeated exaggerated attention on unhealthy foods for comedic relief got old, but it didn't take away from understanding the digestive system and our body's response to specific foods and exercise. You, On a Diet is a comprehensive work with a solid medical foundation which will help you better understand your quintessential tool…your body. For that I recommend this reading.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated this fresh approach to dieting. rather than just receive a laundry list of instructions or "dont's of dieting", the authors spent the first half of the book explaining the biology of hunger, satiety, nutrition, why high fructose corn syrup is evil, etc. And i swear even those without the bachelor's degree in bio could really get a good grasp on the material. Then it gets into meal guides, excercise suggestions and so on. It even gives you a shopping list to start out. So, another little plug for the book - it did help me lose over thirty pounds. the recipies are really good - i've been impressing myself with how much i enjoy cooking (and frankly how good it tastes!)

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Dr Oz the co- author of this book. For me the book isn't so much about diet. Actually it's not about being on any type of diet. What the book is about are the fundamentals of what goes on in the anatomy of the body. To read about the wonders of the human body is fascinating to me.. He is very specific in how the body takes in food and breaks down food. I like reading about what happens, why it happens, and how it happens that the food you choose effects eveything that can happen to your body.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw a show on Oprah where Drs Oz & Roizon helped a chunky, tired middle-aged woman lose weight, tone up and eventually look really hot. I bought this book hoping it would motivate me to do the same. Somehow, I still have the same 20 pounds to lose.

The cutesy style with lots of puns and silly drawings gets annoying after awhile, but it has lots of good, solid advice on how to lose weight and live a healthier life. Someday, I intend to follow it.

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the humor in the book tried a bit too hard (and was at moments off-putting) the essential message was a good one. Eat sensibly, exercise sensibly and don't try fad diets. The recipes look good, the exercise in the book is doable, and the science in the book (in particular about why diets are destined to fail and make you feel worse) is fascinating.

I don't know that I am organized to follow the plan to a tee since it lists a "14 day plan" to put you on the right track, but I absolutely got some great knowledge out of it and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to eat healthier.

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was sensible and even somewhat entertaining. Haven't tried any of the exercises or recipes, though.

I didn't know that (according to many peer-reviewed studies) it's waist size and not total weight that has the greatest effect on mortality rate. I thought that "waist management" was just a cutesy title.

The authors are both doctors, and apparently they got through medical school by using mnemonic devices, because this book has about 50 of them.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent overview of what happens to your body when you go on a diet, including reasons why you need to get healthy. It is a fun book, done in a light-hearted manner that belies the seriousness of the topic, with tips, tricks, exercises, and a new way of eating (that some people would call a 'diet') that can help everyone get healthier.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book a few years ago, and did the plan, but did not stick with it afterwards. I recently reviewed the book, and I think the main problem was too much time spent preparing meals and snacks, all of which were healthy. The book emphasises exercise, and gives some really great tips that I do like, and still do use, but it's hard to make good things into a habit. Here's the 99 second version of what the diet entails (based on a 14 day jumpstart- things change a bit after two weeks, but not much: 1)eat two meals the same each day (like oatmeal every day, and a chicken salad everyday- you can switch up the dinners) 2)stay satisfied- eat throughout the day 3)inspect food labels 4)eat foods with fiber in the morning 5)eat healthy fats 6)drink 1-2 cups of water before meals 7)keep a log of how hungry you are on a scale of 1-7/try to stay within 3-4 8)stretch every day 9)walk 30 minutes every day 10)do cardio at least 3 days a week 11)strength train 20 minutes 2-3 times a week 12)get enough sleep 13)your waist size is more important than how much you weigh on the scale 14)get tested: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and certain hormone levels 15)it's okay to make mistakes! The book goes into the nitty gritty details, like when reading food lables, what to watch for. You don't count calories, but try to be in tune with you body and to know when your body is satisfied, not stuffed. That's why they have you keep a food journal, but that was a bit time consuming for me. I do like that the book tells all about your body, and exactly what is happening physiologically with the food you eat, the hormones you have, and the reactions to all of this. I would recomend reading this just to get a better idea of the relationship of food to our bodies, and as I stated earlier, I did pick up some good habits that I still keep.

[Jinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Playaway audio version, #9781436157926, 10.5hrs)
YOU-reka! A true manual ... it contains detailed-seemingly boring gist (biology and physiology of fat and such though I actually thought it was fascinating!), sprinkled humor (can get irritating if you listen/read through the entire book), illustrations (I had to get the bound book too), and index (cool).

If you're motivated enough and ready for the leap of healthy eating then this might be the book for you! It was quite informational and motivational. My favorite part was the mantra, "At the next available moment, make an authorized YOU-turn.". Overall, impressive book.

It was good that I listened to this book first. Mr. Heller's narration was vibrant and effective. Perhaps if I had read it, I would have found it too taxing.

Did I try it. Not yet but it did motivate me to walk everyday for 30 minutes ..okay, almost everyday. It's a start! :)

Jinky is Reading

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. It's written in a VERY easy to read style - complete with sarcasm and fun illustrations and diagrams.

This isn't just a diet book. It's more like a biology book. It explains the HOW and WHY part of a healthy lifestyle. For instance, how chemicals from your brain and digestive system interact to tell whether you're hungry or full.

The basic principle of the book is to give you an understanding of how your body works so you can adopt habits that work WITH the way it's designed instead of against it. And by letting the body function the way it's meant to, you will more easily reach your ideal weight. (They're also very realistic about the fact that your ideal weight is likely not that of Kate Moss...)

I love that this book helps me understand things like WHY whole grains are a good part of a healthy diet...and WHY fatty foods seem to instantly appear on my thighs. Understanding the why helps me stick to the habits that are helping my body be healthy.

[Darcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took awhile for me to get into the book at first. I'm not much into biology, and the first half of the book is about the biology of your digestive system. It uses cute diagrams and has many helpful facts and tips though that helped. The part that really applied to me was how our emotions and hormones affect our "waist management". As far as what needs to be done to lose weight, nothing is different than what we know already, eat right and exercise. It just explains better, from a scientific viewpoint, what happens in your body, so you can understand why we need to do what we do to lose weight.

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this book, despite of how I was feeling in the beginning! It is very educational and helps to teach you just how your body works, how food affects it and how to maintain it. We should all know how our bodies function and how to properly care for them, yet we probably know more about how our cars or computers work, UGH! The only part of the book that I have been annoyed with is the constant smart alec remarks and puns. But the actual information is worth rolling your eyes through the obnoxious jokes (perhaps sometimes they help cushion the blow of some things that are kind of brain draining to learn and figure out...?)

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great content, really annoying writing style. If you can tune out the pop culture references (really hard to do after a while), this is a great "user manual" for your digestive system and how your choices manifest themselves physically. There's no shaming going on, nor do the authors advocate any unhealthy fad diets or dwell on beauty standards. Instead they focus on positive and sustainable ways to get your weight and shape under control for maximum health. This is a guide to your body written by doctors -- not magazine editors or self-help gurus. Recommended.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pat and I are currently following the nutrition plan outlined in this book, and we've lost some weight. The book has some corny jokes, but taught me some things about the biology of digestion. The food plan is low calorie, high fiber, and otherwise well-balanced. The recipes are actually quite tasty.
Update: so I'm still following the food plan after seven weeks, and I've continued to lose weight. I find the food plan very easy to stick with (satisfying and tasty).

[JaNae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this before but doing a quick review as I set out to lose some stubborn pounds this fall. I'm not a fan of fad-diets so I really like this book because it is science based. I love that they explain how fat comes on and off of your body and gives you some practical tips for succeeding. I also really like that the focus is on being healthy--not just skinny (even though that's the real goal and we all know it!)

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was encouraging and informative. It's not one of those crazy diet books. It's about moderation in all things. It teaches you how to feel full, how to build up your core muscles to increase your base metabolic rate and such. The book covers some of the sciency parts of eating and exercise in a way that anyone can understand.

[Donna Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I really liked about this book is the in-depth but very readable explanations of the workings of the digestive system and other related body systems. The fun layout and format kept me interested.

The recommendations are straightforward and easy to use. No gimmicks here.

An exercise program and some recipes are included. The book is definitely user-friendly in that Dr. Oz way.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has solid information, but the writing is lame. There are too many cute drawings that do not clarify the information and the use of figurative language is going to make me vomit. I guess that would make me lose weight though...

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really good information, but REALLY poorly written. I could hardly get through most of the guys of the info because of all of the jokes and side comments. I appreciate a book written for "real people" but the jokes were just distracting for the most part.

[Andrea McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

reference guide for anyone starting a diet or wanting reminders to stay motivated. very informational lay dense. second half seems like afterthoughts.

[Ryen James · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been trying to read through all of the books I've collected over the years and over the last couple weeks I've been reading through YOU, on a diet, a book I stole from my grandma when I was a kid.

I've always been a fat person and so part of me growing up was fascinated by the actually science behind it and this book does go pretty deep into the effects of inflamation caused by obesity, about the hormonal process of cravings and the other various aspects of how your body puts on and takes off weight. As a factually biologically resource I found it useful.

But the more I read this book the more it feels Fatphobic???? Theres a section near the end of the main text of the book that you can sum up as we all know this guy hes a 10, hes funny and successful but hes a fatty fatty 2X4 can't fit through the bathroom door. what gives. And after it just literally assosciates being SKINNY AND SNATCHED with being morally good it asks why do we think about food in this black and white way.

But see heres the thing, this book is a hypocrypt??? The whole book is replete with these contrasting doublets of food. Piles of Snapple or a couple of Apples, Celery or a Fuckload of French Fries, A skinny bitch cheeseburger or a 5 billion carbo-load bloody mary, (I made these up but I'm only exxagerating slightly). It constantly posits food in these extremes with is just bad food language.

We have had a lot of people create food philosophy that is post-modern in a sense. Of discussing how we need to get rid of this binary of Good and Bad foods. Not because the constructs of Healthy or Unhealthy don't exist but because these categories are connected with MORAL WORTH. A discussion thats lead with peopel with ED, (eating disorders), people who have had a differcult relationship with food and need to redefine it outside of toxic diet culture. A culture this book propagates and is a part of.

This book presents itself as an objective tome, A rationalist view of the body. But withing its pages it espouses a midnset geared and curtailed by white middle-class american femininity. So many times during this book does it assume that I.

1. Am a woman (sorry, Dr. OZ I am in fact man)
2. Work in an office, (I actually work as a cook which means that I like most working-class people have a somewhat physically demanding job)
3. Am Monogamous (cause sex only burns calories if your married in the temple under the eyes of the One true god)
4. Am an american and/or eat a diet of mainly fattening american cuisine (this book literally posits that you should avoid "diverse flavors" from cuisines like Mexican and Indian)
5. Am Married with Kids

Now obviously this is a self-help book peddling by a TV doctor to sell to stay at home moms in there 30s but its insulting to the intellect to think that women who feel self-concious have to be so heavily peddled to and infantalized on the subject.

This book is presumingly not outdated on the science but it is outdated in public attitude torwards dieting and reading through this was a bit of a chore at points. It ignores a lot of discussion around Eating Disorders, (probably because this book is written by a Heart Surgeon not somebody quailified like a nutritionlist, dietician, clinical psycologists, or fuck it an addiction specilist), including how not to trigger that type of disordered thinking. It ignores the larger econimic capatalist pressures of diets, (Eating a healthy balance diet requires time and money, and large portions of america live in food desserts without access to affordable fresh produce), and a lot of the more complicated feelings torwards dieting.

Honestly just fuck dr. OZ.

[Chappyfamily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good information, my favorite was the part about making a u-turn when you mess up. Nothing else in life demands perfection but our diets always do. And if we mess up we give up.
It was a pretty boring book and had a ton of bad information in it. For example, get a plastic surgery if you platue and never eat coconut oil. It is 14 years old so I’ll give it that, but that just shows how depending on science isn’t always the best choice.

[Priscilla King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much has been learned about the biochemistry of weight loss since most of us learned about calories. This book explains this scientific information with lots of wisecracks and cartoons. For actual weight loss, the authors assume readers already know about diet and exercise and just encourage them to use what they know. They offer a few low-cal recipes and some tips about "diet aids."

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I little scientific but I was able to follow for the most part. Lots of good, practical tips! Good book to listen to on audio while driving the kids around

[Mary Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am surprised how practical and enjoyable this book was. I would recommend.