Years ago, Suzanne Somers lost the chance to appear on a hit television series because she was "too chunky." That missed opportunity started her on a "diet roller coaster," trying all kinds of diets. Now Somers believes that diets and deprivation do not help people lose weight in the long-term. In Eat Great, Lose Weight, she explains the food-combining plan she calls "Somersizing": eliminate "funky foods" such as sugar ("my body's greatest enemy") and white flour; eat fruits alone on an empty stomach; eat proteins and fats with vegetables and without carbohydrates; eat carbohydrates with vegetables and without fat. Sommers presents 113 recipes that certainly don't resemble a traditional diet and might make a weight-loss expert's hair curl, such as Crispy Fried Eggplant and Mozzarella Finger Sandwiches, Flourless Cheese Souffle (with butter, eggs, cream cheese, and Gruyère cheese), and Grilled Pepper Steak with Herb Butter (trim the fat from the meat, but add both butter and olive oil). There's no nutritional breakdown, so you can't count fat or calories. Somers admits that "many experts will argue that food combining is a myth," but she says it works for her, and she credits it with trimming her down to 116 pounds, even though she eats "more than ever."


From Library Journal
It has been argued that one can lose weight and still eat large amounts of foods if they are in the proper combination and proportion and are eaten in conjunction with an exercise program. These two books explore this concept with slightly different interpretations. In addition to recommending larger amounts of complex carbohydrates with little or no fat and sugar, actress Somers (Wednesday's Child, LJ 8/92) emphasizes that eating the right combinations (and avoiding the wrong ones) promotes efficient digestion. Vedral, the author of a number of exercise books (e.g., Top Shape, Warner, 1995), proposes a simple modification of the USDA's Food Pyramid, recommending that low-calorie/high-density foods be eaten frequently to avoid the hunger pangs that sabotage many diets. Both books include extensive menus, recipes, and basic workout plans. Either or both would be a good purchase for public libraries. [Somers's book was previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/96.]?Susan B. Hagloch, Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, Ohi.-?Susan B. Hagloch, Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OhioCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
"Life's best memories come from around the table. This is why I love Suzanne's book. If people follow her suggestions, they will learn to enjoy food again, which is a great gift."                              
--Pino Luongo, author of A Tuscan in the Kitchen

"There are lots of great-tasting, healthful dishes to which you can treat yourself."        
--Palm Beach Post


From the Trade Paperback edition.


Review
"Life's best memories come from around the table. This is why I love Suzanne's book. If people follow her suggestions, they will learn to enjoy food again, which is a great gift."                              
--Pino Luongo, author of A Tuscan in the Kitchen

"There are lots of great-tasting, healthful dishes to which you can treat yourself."        
--Palm Beach Post


From the Trade Paperback edition.


Book Description
With no dieting, sacrifice, or self-denial, Suzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose Weight encourages you to eat all the foods you love while staying thin forever, to enhance body image and self-image. The program is based on ten years of research and interviews with nutritionists. It teaches you how to eat foods in special combinations in order to restructure your metabolism. Divided into two parts, Level 1 is for people who want to lose weight and Level 2 is for maintaining the reduced weight.

Suzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose Weight is a complete written explanation of what Somersizing is and how the program works. With more than 100 Somersizing recipes, from soups to main courses to desserts, it offers Suzanne's invaluable advice regarding Somersizing, including how to order dinner at a restaurant, how the program can work on a vegetarian diet, which ethnic foods can be Somersize friendly, and why dark chocolate and wine can be acceptable to eat on the program. "Food is only one component of a happy, healthier life. I firmly believe that you must master not only your physical health but also your emotional wellness," says Suzanne. "In this book, I'll show you what works for me. You'll learn how to be fit, not fanatic; how to make movement and fitness a pleasurable part of daily life; and how to make the most of every moment of every day, including your meals."

Suzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose Weight will appeal to people who want to enjoy life, to lose weight without dieting and undue sacrifice. It's a real program from a real person who has done it herself and continues to do it every day. "With Somersizing I can eat all the wonderful foods I love and still lose weight. I don't have to give up flavor. I don't settle for boring meals with no sauce. I don't count calories or fat," says Suzanne. "Somersizing is an easy and effective way to look and feel your best while enjoying life to the fullest. You'll have more energy than ever before, you'll say good-bye to the bloating and gas that used to rountinely follow mealtimes; and you'll lose weight." Respectful and mindful of what people really want, "Somersizing is not about being physically perfect or unrealistically thin. It's about being the best you can be."

ANNOTATION

With Suzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose Weight, TV star and ThighMaster promoter Somers offers her "Somersize" program for weight loss. Based on eating foods in certain combinations (e.g., no carbohydrates mixed with proteins or fats), the regimen allows dieters to eat "cheeses, sauces, dressings-without worrying about portions." Explanations and inspirations precede recipes that conform to her food combination guidelines. The foreword, contributed by nutritionist Barbara M. Dixon, endorses the "Somersize" program while failing to impart enthusiasm ("Should you give it a try? Why not?")

FROM THE PUBLISHER

No one know the self-denial — and the failure rate — of dieting better than Suzanne Somers. Under constant make-or-break career pressure from thinness-obsessed Hollywood, she has tried every diet imaginable. Now, after years of experimentation and consultation with experts, she has developed a weight-loss plan that truly succeeds. The secret to gaining control over your weight, Suzanne reveals, lies not in how much you eat, but in what you eat, and in what combinations. On her breakthrough program, you'll eat foods in "Somersize" combinations to reprogram your metabolism, shed pounds for good, and gain more energy than ever before! The deliciously satisfying Somersize program allows you to eat incredible meals — with cheeses, sauces, dressings — without worrying about portions! Imagine being able to enjoy, for example, Roasted Chicken with Mushroom-Sausage Stuffing and Tarragon Gravy. When combined with Zucchini Carpaccio and followed by Sugarless Cheesecake, you'll have a perfect Somersize meal that's easily digestible. And these are just a few of Suzanne's more than one hundred recipes in Eat Great, Lose Weight. Somersizing is not a diet, but an eating plan for life. You'll learn how to free yourself from food cravings, how to get off the diet roller-coaster, and how to make movement and fitness an enjoyable part of every day.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal