Other than pushing Slim-Fast products, the nutrition, exercise, and motivational advice found in these 350-plus pages is pretty sound. Written by a team of nutritionists and actress-model Lauren Hutton, the book includes a 14-day, 1,400- to 1,500-calorie meal plan, inspirational quotes, exercise strategies, recipes, and plenty of space to record your weight, rate your hunger, and write down your feelings. There's also a chapter devoted to nutrition basics, another chapter on exercise and relaxation, plus plenty of Slim-Fast success stories to keep you going when the thought of drinking yet another shake makes you gag.
If your idea of dieting is downing Slim-Fast shakes, snack bars, and meal bars, than you're going to love this book. If, on the other hand, you'd prefer a weight-loss plan that emphasizes real food, you'll be better off with one of the great new diet books based on low-calorie, low-fat, high-fiber eating such as The Pritikin Principle. --Ellen Albertson