The 20/20 Diet: Turn Your Weight Loss Vision Into Reality

I really like this diet. I'm a terrible dieter and this is the first one in a long time that I actually feel good following, and I am losing weight. Although Phase 1 has a rather limited food list, the foods are healthy and make you feel good eating them. The recipes are simple to prepare, another plus because i am also cooking for a family and fussing with special recipes was always an obstacle to dieting for me. You eat 4 times a day, approximately every four hours. I love the way a daily snack is built into the diet, and the snacks are substantial, almost lunch-size! I very quickly adjusted to this eating schedule (and it's flexible, not rigid) and found I am rarely hungry.One of the best things about the diet is that the foods are really healthy. There are no packaged diet foods, no weird or complicated foods. I have been enjoying appreciating the taste of healthy foods simply prepared. It really retrains your palate. I always hated eggs but am now addicted to the Breakfast Salad-- a cooked egg over a bed of greens seasoned with garlic, fresh lemon, and a generous helping of chopped pistachios. It is so good and I feel like a queen eating this lovely breakfast instead of wolfing down a big white-flour bagel.There are 3 phases to the diet (5 days, 5 days, and 20 days). If you still have weight to lose after that (which I will), the idea is to repeat the phases until you are at a comfortable weight, and then the diet includes guidelines for keeping the weight off. There is also an exercise plan which involves short bursts of intensive exercise, which researchers are finding is more effective than long stretches of repetitive exercise. However, a simple questionnaire in the book helps you determine whether you are ready to start the exercise plan, or whether-- like me-- you need to incorporate more walking and other movement first.A couple of people have complained that the diet is expensive and requires hard-to-find foods. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have been following the diet and the only expensive item is the unsweetened whey powder, which you really only need if you make the shakes and a few other recipes. I was not able to find unsweetened in my local stores, but it is available on Amazon, and a jar will last you a long time. Coconut oil can be expensive, but you use so little at a time that it lasts a long time and, again, it is only in a few recipes. In fact, most of the items are very inexpensive and available anywhere: chickpeas, lentils, black beans, greens, peanut butter, tofu, tomatoes, avocado, chicken breast, corn, carrots, rye crackers (like WASA), raisins, prunes, yogurt, eggs, etc. I find I am actually SAVING money on this diet, because in addition to eating less food overall, the simple unprocessed foods are much cheaper than most packaged foods, there is less meat which tends to be expensive, etc.In addition to the diet plan itself, Dr. Phil is very motivational. Yes, I know he was "discovered" by Oprah, he's not a nutritionist himself, he's a high-profile media figure, and to some people that disqualifies him from offering a credible diet plan. But if you've watched his show, he is also very straightforward and no nonsense, while still being compassionate. Yes, he did hire a team of nutritionists to help him create this plan, but his own contribution as a psychologist, his understanding of why many diets fail and the issues and obstacles getting in the way of losing weight, is spot on. The book will help you identify and deal with reasons why you haven't succeeded before, how to stay motivated but not beat yourself up or rely on sheer will power, how to reward yourself in a healthy way, how to deal with saboteurs, and how to finally feel that you deserve to look and feel your best. He has you reflecting on the things you have not been able to do because of being overweight, the things you would like to do and how you'd like to feel when you lose the weight, what has gotten in your way, etc. He's like a personal coach in this book.No diet is perfect, no diet is truly easy because they all involve some sacrifice, and no diet appeals to everyone. But I've got about 20 other diet books on my shelf and I've been through Weight Watchers and other programs, and this is the one that is working for me!

I've only had the book for a week and have been on the diet, this will be my 3rd day, so this is simply my initial impression. I'm down 4 pounds already, but no doubt this is mostly, if not all, water weight, because the diet does not allow salt. For all you salt addicts out there (that would be me), this is a good excuse to cut it out.I will start by saying that I do best with weight loss when I have a good, solid plan to follow. The "diets" that simply tell you to eat when you're hungry, until you're full, or eat these "certain" foods whenever you are hungry, don't work for me. If I'm left that much to my own devices I tend to eat even if I'm not hungry, and eat even after I'm full, and eat the wrong things. But then the diets that are so restrictive you start climbing the walls from boredom and cravings, don't work for me either. So this diet really seems perfect for me because Dr. Phil takes you by the hand, and walks you through the process which involves eating 4 times per day, at 4 hour intervals and I must say, I'm thrilled with the food choices. He has some awesome, SIMPLE recipes that frankly anyone can prepare if they just read and follow the instructions. They are not hard to put together or time consuming, and within minutes you have a lovely little meal that tastes good and is exactly the right portions of good fats, protein, carbohydrates and leafy greens/ fruits/vegetables, to promote weight loss. And you get to do this 4 times a day. I've had a few moments in the last 3 days I've been on the diet when I thought, " Wow I've got to wait a whole hour/2hours to eat??? I'm hungry!" But when I sit and think about it, I'm really NOT hungry, I'm just used to putting food in my mouth whenever I feel like it and it has nothing to do with hunger!!! So when I confirm that for myself, I drink a glass of water and go on with my day, okay with waiting to eat.An example of a breakfast meal is a cut up (small) apple w/ a tablespoon of lemon on it, a container of Vanilla Greek Yogurt, with REAL sugar in it, 14 walnut halves chopped up and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The recipe says make it "parfait style" but I just put the apples in the bottom of a bowl, poured lemon over them, added my container of yogurt on top, put the chopped up walnuts next w/a sprinkle of cinnamon. Wow, it was so crunchy and sweet and creamy and satisfying! And the bowl was literally FULL of food. It looked like too much to eat in one sitting! If you don't like yogurt, there are egg recipes, a breakfast "salad", etc. This is an example of the type of meals you get to eat during the 1st 5 days of the program and they are all very satisfying. Also note, the most "restrictive" part of the diet is the 1st 5 days when you are only allowed the 20 foods (thus the title) research has shown either help the body to burn fat, keep you feeling full, or in combination cause a "time release" affect that allows you to feel full over an even longer period of time. He adds more food choices during the second phase, (the 2nd 5 days), and even more food choices during the 3rd phase, (the last 20 days of the 30 day plan). If you haven't lost all the weight you want after that, you can go back and begin at any of the phases, or if you're satisfied with your weight loss, you go on the "Management Phase", which is how we should be eating for the rest of our lives.I thought I would be hungry on this diet but the most interesting aspect is that I think the research Dr. Phil employs in this book, showing that there are foods that help keep you feeling full longer and in combination, even have a "time release" quality, is actually true. I have really not felt hungry, and sometimes do not even finish the entire meal (that is very unusual for me).There is also a chapter on exercise which is very doable. The research he is employing with the "30 second burst" exercise, indicates we don't have to go to the gym and work our butts off for an hour a day to get weight loss results. These exercises do not require a gym membership and can be done in the comfort of your own home.Dr. Phil is using the results of some of the latest bariatric research into weight loss in this new book. There are some amazing discoveries which we get the benefit of in our struggle to lose weight and get fit.Believe me when I say I have tried it all, and although I've had some success, I've struggled and ultimately failed as I am, depending on what statistics I use, 20 to 30 pounds overweight at the age of 63. When I try to pick up a 20 to 30 pound bag of dog food is when it really hits home how unhealthy this is. This book gives me hope that I can lick this thing. I'll write an update at the end of the 30 day program. Onward and upward.

This book is the first book I ever read and actually wanted to eat a turkey sandwich. It was an easy read however I did not finish it because I became bored of his ideas.

Love this book. Been following the diet for almost a year now and had excellent results. More a lifestyle now than a diet but still losing weight and never feel hungry. I purchased the book to read all the information around the diet which was initially sent to me by a friend in Canada who typed out all the menus and emailed them to me. Been following the plan ever since. I haven't had time to read the book yet as my daughter ran off with it and I haven't seen it since. I hope she finds the plan as helpful as I have.

very well written, a fluent read, it is as if Dr Phil was talking to your brain, and explaining, in plain English why all the diets so far had failed and what actually will work. Money well invested.

Good read

This is a no nonsense eating plan, that covers every aspect and challenge of losing weight. As one would expect from Dr. Phil, this pulls no punches, and does not purport to be a "magic bullet". The first ten days are a little tough, especially the first five, but after that it is an easy to follow, varied and sensible eating plan. To be honest, I am just gearing up to do it, so cannot report on the success of the diet itself, but CAN recommend the book as very accessible and easy to read. Many people have reported great success with the diet, so I am optimistic !

The whole concept and how it's presented, does marvelous things to boost your willingness to do the diet, you feel take care of