The Hungry Girl Diet: Big Portions. Big Results. Drop 10 Pounds in 4 Weeks

I've read through the new Hungry Girl Diet book and here’s a recap of what I've seen: If you need someone to hold your hand and walk you through step-by-step, this book does exactly that! The book is a 4-week program. There is a separate chapter for each of the 4 weeks, and within each week there is a separate page for every day of the week (i.e., Week 1 - Day 1, Week 1 - Day 2, Week 1 – Day 3, etc.). Every single day has its own menu plan broken down into Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks. It is very structured, but there is also a lot of flexibility within that structure. For each meal, you can choose from 3 different menu choices (breakfast on Week 1, Day 1, for example, offers your choice of Mega Fruit ‘n Yogurt Bowl, Egg Scramble & Bun, or Growing Oatmeal B-fast). For every menu item, there is a reference to the page number in the book where you can find the recipe for that item. There are over 60 recipes in this book. There are also little reminders throughout about when to drink your water. When the book is opened to a menu plan for a given day, the menu plan is on the right-hand page, and the left-hand page has helpful hints, time-saving shortcuts, money-saving tips, ideas for food swaps, etc. There are chapters, amongst others, on how to maintain your weight loss after you’ve completed the 4 week program, on how to handle dining out at restaurants, etc., and on helpful hints about exercise (although this book is geared almost exclusively around food, the subject of exercise is touched upon). OK, and now some notes about the Hungry Girl Diet... It can be used on its own, or in conjunction with other weight-loss programs (i.e., Weight Watchers, counting calories, etc.). It will work with vegetarian diets and there are a number of sample vegetarian recipes included in the book. It is not, however, vegan-friendly because she says there are A LOT of recipes with Greek yogurts and egg whites. If you’ve got other Hungry Girl cookbooks that you’d like to use during this diet, no you don’t! COMPLETELY forget about those books for now. While you’re on this diet, the book instructs you to ONLY eat from the recipes in this book. There are some recipes in her other cookbooks that use processed foods for simplicity’s sake. Written under the direction and supervision of a registered dietitian, this book, on the other hand, concentrates on recipes using natural foods and avoids processed foods. You’ll not be buying microwavable quick meals with this diet; you’ll be doing a lot of cooking from scratch. The recipes, however, are all very simple to prepare, even if you’re not talented, so to speak, in the kitchen. A number of people have already gone through this diet as the book was being developed, many of which are staffers at Hungryland (the Hungry Girl headquarters). Weight losses of 10 to 20+ pounds have been quoted during the 4 week period. She says you WILL lose weight on this diet if you follow it to the letter. Given the flexibility it offers in the day-by-day meal plans, it should be an easy diet to follow. My review originally posted on Facebook: [...]

I say I was pleasantly surprised because I WAS!! this is not like any diet book I've ever purchased before. I like the way this book is broken down into sections. There are all kinds of diet tips and tricks. It's loaded with all kinds of great information such as good snacks to have on hand whether you're traveling, out and about or the office, ingredient swaps, food expanders, dining out survival guide. I love the recipes which are all food items that are readily available and not anything that's "weird" or "strange".... I love the Hungry Girl versions of different type of food where they're made to be a more healthy version. I think it's an easy plan to follow since it has so many options, and even if I don't lose weight using this diet, I feel good knowing that I made better choices in choosing my food and snacks. Most of the desserts and snacks are soooooooo simple to make and sound so delicious, made me wonder why I hadn't thought of the recipe myself..lol.... I don't feel deprived of anything and following this plan, you really aren't deprived of anything... Thank you, from all the Hungry Girls all over!!!! I would highly recommend this book especially if you're like me having tried every diet out there, most of them being very restrictive on what to eat.

The diet portion of this book is closer to 5 stars, but the book is a bit... cheesy and cliched for my preferences, so overall it lands at a solid 4 stars. Lillien's book persona is over-the-top cheerleader "DO IT!" "Try It!" "I'm obsessed!" "Amazing!" about a lot of things. Also, she likes fake sugar a lot... more than I'm personally comfortable with (i.e., a lot of her recipes include 1 to 2 packets of no-calorie sweetener, like Stevia or Splenda), BUT a lot of her recipes are sans-fake sugar and/or can just be made w/o the added sugar (e.g., the oatmeal may taste sweeter w/ the packet, but it's just fine w/o it!).. <u>Overall, I was impressed with: </u> - Her thorough guide to eating better in the real world. - Her variety of options. She includes a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables (as expected), with enough of the "other stuff" to make you feel like you don't hate yourself for dieting. She does have some processed options in there (e.g., Fiber One brownie bars), but you could totally do the diet w/o ever using those options. - The size of portions, as promised. You do get a lot of food. Real food. My breakfast actually fills up a full normal size (i.e., not appetizer sized) plate. The oatmeal is a big serving that is actually filling. You get to eat fruits in nice big quantities. - My success so far! (it's only been 3 days of being ON the plan, but I have already lost 2 pounds :)) - Ohmygosh the App. The App is brilliant. Not because it's a great app (see below), but because of what it DOES do. So there are 3 sections -- 2 of which you'll use. My Meal Calendar, you can add your meals a day at a time... you pick from a list of the options WITH pictures and create your day. When you're done you can go to the Shopping List and the app will CREATE the shopping list that you need for the meals you picked on the days you've selected. BRILLIANT. Additionally, your shopping list will have extra notes and comments where relevant (e.g., if you need to put 1 cup of strawberries, she tells you that 8 large strawberries is usually 1 cup; or, if you need to buy 2 cups of big-fiber vegetables, she lists your options! but this is all in "notes" so that it doesn't muddy the list itself). AND the list is organized by section of the grocery. But..... (see 3rd "complaint" below) <u>Overall, I was not as impressed with:</u> - as mentioned above, she's a bit over-the-top with some things, though I imagine this sort of cheerleader attitude does over very WELL with many people :) - I'd have appreciated a "if you don't eat fake sugar, try ____" options. Like, in her oatmeal, could I add a packet of real sugar? would the 20 extra calories really be problematic? or would the fact that I'm eating "sugar" be problematic? As I said above, it's fine w/o the sugar at all, but a little sweeter might also be nice ;) I *am* going to try a packet of stevia this weekend and I'll see how I like that... - The only thing I'd change w/ the App is adding the recipes for the options... THAT would be perfect. Then I wouldn't have to lug around my phone AND the book whenever I want to make something (including at work). I understand that perhaps she needs to make money, so maybe the FREE app would include what it currently has, and you'd PAY for the app w/ the recipes, <i>except for people who have bought the book, who should get a code to buy the pay-app, so they can have it for free</i> <u>Overall, I was neutral about:</u> Her organization. On one hand, I liked the color-coordinated pages (helps you find your section quickly!) and that the recipes were all in one section, etc. But it was weird having more discussion at the end of the book, the color pictures should have come all before or all after the recipes, and some of the interspersed discussion I feel could have been better placed. In particular, if you read the book AS you were doing the plan (as most people would), you might not realize there are some really good tips and discussion points interspersed throughout weeks 2-4, when you are only in week 1. So. I guess maybe that's a publisher issue, but it was noticeable to me. So, overall 4 very solid stars. And I'm excited about this whole plan.

I NEVER write reviews for products, but I love Hungry Girl and I was really excited to try her new diet. The food is great, and I'm always completely stuffed after the meals (sometimes I can't even finish them, and I have to save some for later). There are tons of options, and it's perfect for someone like me who really can't be trusted to make their own judgement calls for what's "on" my diet and what's not. She has all kinds of tips and tricks for dining out, maintaining afterward, etc. and she does it in such a fun, encouraging way. The recipes are delicious and really easy, and she even has a margarita recipe in there! I'm actually excited to eat my "diet" food every day, and I've been steadily losing about a half a pound a day with this diet and a little (minimal) exercise. It's a great, easy, FUN diet!

After 2-1/2 weeks I'd dropped just a pound, so I've stopped "the program." The recipes are excellent; everything, pretty much, is a one-dish meal, which is great for those of use with an aversion to doing dishes, but they often take more than one pot or pan; the diet is very easy to follow; the book is full of helpful hints; the phone app (free) is super -- you schedule your meals and it makes up a shopping list for you. I used that a lot. I'm going to try it again in a month or so. Maybe by then I'll figure out what -- if anything -- I've been doing wrong.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this. I did WW for a long time, and while it worked, I was constantly hungry and average a half pound lost per week. I didn't think that was so bad, being 5 feet tall without a ton to lose, but as the lbs crept back, I decided to try this one. So far, I've followed it to the letter and am on day 9. Hunger: Yeah, I'm sometimes hungry, though that seems to be fading quite a bit here on day 9 (and giant glasses of iced herbal teas help). But I'm very satisfied after meals and can eat 6 times a day. Blood sugar: If you have this problem, you know diets can be so, so hard - and some actually impossible. The balance of protein and fat without too much carb and very little sugar in this diet has left me *perfectly* stable. Such a relief. Meals: Before the diet, I didn't eat any processed foods, so it's a little weird to see the Laughing Cow in my fridge. But honestly, nearly everything else I've been eating has been pretty natural. There are a lot of giant piles of veggies dressed up in various ways with protein and fats. I thought I was a big veggie eater, but nothing like this. I have to think that offsets whatever is in my Laughing Cow and premade, light mayo. And honestly, I'm not too worried about 28 days of using those ingredients. This is just an intervention. Structure: I love the short time frame. It really allows you to commit. I simply told people I need these four weeks to not eat out or go for drinks. Instead of the feeling I had on WW (that I was going to be doing this forever, so it had to be 'realistic' and include restaurants and a few drinks), I'm instead extremely motivated to see what I can get done in the remaining days. It's working a whole lot better. Results: I'm small, female, and only had 15 lbs. to lose. I lost 5 lbs in the first 8 days. That is crazy. Overall, I'm *less* hungry than I was on WW - yay for giant piles of veggies and for the magic protein + fat + fiber formula. I still have 20 days left and am super excited about it. So glad I got the hard copy of this. I have no doubt it will be my go-to 'reset' program for years.

I followed the 4 week plan and lost 9.2 pounds. I did not change my exercise routine at all, so this was just from the diet! I was struggling to lose weight before this and was on a LONG plateau. There were 3 incidences where I indulged in extras: 1. A big, calorie laden dinner at a restaurant, 2. Junky snacks at a festival, 3. Many beers on a weekend. So...even if you have a few days in there where you "fall off" or whatever, no big deal, just keep following the plan as much as possible. I found Weeks 2-4 had too much variety for me, I like to make multiple servings and have those a few days in a row. I did this instead, and it didn't seem to matter, I still lost the weight, so feel free to tweak this plan to fit your schedule. The recipes are easy, and many are quite tasty. There were some I didn't care for, but there are so many options, you can always find something that you like. Full disclosure: I was hungry sometimes on the plan, but it was never unbearable, and the meals really are quite satisfying and filling. Just stick with it and it will work!

I love how easy this diet is to follow! I have been a big Hungry Girl fan since she first started on FoodTV. I have her other books and have integrated her recipes into my Weight Watchers meal plans. I have done Weight Watchers over the past 3 years with some success but find the choices really overwhelming and struggle with meal planning. I love how simple the HG plan is - it gives you three options for each meal and a list of snacks (3 each day). The meals center around protein and good carbs (like those found in fruits and veggies) and the snacks are all about satisfying cravings. As you move through the weeks, you have more choices. I love the huge portions and the practical advice for food substitutions. I also like that there are specific product recommendations so I don't have to hunt through the bread isle and read every label. I have a list of acceptable brands and types and I go with one on the list. I'm done with week 1 and down 3 pounds already. I have not felt hungry at all and when I get hit with a craving, I flip to my snack list and look for something good on it. It doesn't feel like being on a diet...it's more like filling up on high volume, satisfying foods so there's no room for the junk.