Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Approach to Lose Inches, Embrace Your Hunger, and Keep the Weight Off for Good - Brossura

"I have read dozens, dare I say thousands of diet book, covering everything from Fasting for losing weight, to eating no carbs, to adding protein supplements, to exercising it away. All seem to have gimmicks of one kind or another, yet I've seen little to no results. Eating Free is different. It is not a gimmick, just a smart sensible weight lose plan that can work. You cannot eat yourself thin, believe me I have tried. Successful weight loss contains three S's, in my opinion. It is a Slow, a Smart, and a Steady process that needs to be adapted for a life time, not just for the weightless period. I feel Eating Free does this. It puts forth a plan that is livable, not ridiculous, doable, not far-fetched, simple, not complex. I like the way it was laid out and how everything was explained. I highly recommend this book if a livable, permanent solution is what you are seeking. If you want to crash it off (and most-likely gain it all back) then pass on this book." --Sherry Gammon

Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Approach to Lose Inches, Embrace Your Hunger, and Keep the Weight Off for GoodManuel Villacorta HCI, $15.95 trade paper (264p) ISBN 978-0-7573-1635-7. Villacorta, a registered dietician, starts his book off with some shocking statistics: in American today, "47 percent of people are trying to lose weight." Women will spend an average of 32 years dieting, while men will log 28 years before their number is called. Nevertheless, 64% of dieters gain the weight back. But here, Villacorta insists that "Weight loss is much more than just numbers and calories," and offers readers a "carb-friendly" approach to keeping the pounds off. Though he claims his strategy is revolutionary, there's really nothing new or unusual in this book; the same fundamental principles apply—Villacorta covers portion control, healthy foods, smart choices when eating out, and knowing your triggers. Some bizarrely complicated acronyms (e.g., FreeQ, which means "Food, REST [another acronym], Energy Expenditure Quotient"), an online progress measurement tool, and four daily calorie food plans will help readers incorporate Villacorta's strategies into an array of lifestyles. In addition, 25+ pages worth of healthy recipes (including vegetarian chili, pork adobo, and a Cajun jambalaya) and a suggested shopping list ensure readers will be fully equipped to follow Villacorta's program. (May 14)--Publishers Weekly

All in all, this was one of the better diet books I've read lately . . . if you have weight to lose (and who doesn't?), this is a good one to look at. It's clear, concise, and well-laid out and seems to make a lot more sense than 'give this up for the rest of your life' types of books. --Vicky Burkholder , Bookseller

Weighing the Options: Diet and Fitness 2011 (November 28 issue):"Also encouraging a new look at the carb-denial strategy is Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches, Embrace Your Hunger, and Keep Weight Off for Good (HCI, May), in which nutritionist Manuel Villacorta shares the advice that has already helped more than 2,000 people lose weight and keep it off. The book will be featured in Fitness magazine as part of a story on a bride who used the plan to shed 15 pounds for her wedding; several other promotional efforts are in the works."--Publishers Weekly

Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD, is an internationally recognized, award-winning registered dietitian-nutritionist with more than 18 years of experience. He is the author of three books, Eating Free, Peruvian Power Foods and Whole Body Reboot: The Peruvian Superfoods Diet. Villacorta is a trusted voice in the health and wellness industry. A national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics from 2010–2013, he is also a health blog contributor for The Huffington Post and an on-air contributor for Univision. His latest contribution was as leading nutrition expert for a series about Superfoods with National Geographic. Villacorta is the owner of MV Nutrition, a San Francisco-based private practice, and the recipient of five "Best Bay Area Nutritionist" awards from the San Francisco Chronicle, ABC7 News and Citysearch. Born and raised in Peru, he lives in San Francisco. He earned his Bachelor of Science in nutrition and physiology metabolism from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Master of Science in nutrition and food science from California State University, San Jose.