The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss Hardcover – 27 Mar. 2012

I have been a vegetarian for the last 6 years and half way becoming a vegan. A few days in reading this book as made me realise I can do this and begin the vegan journey.I thought I knew mostly everything to do with animal fats and what I eat. I was wrong! I would say most of use don't know what we're eating day in and day out. This book is amazing and opened my eyes fully. I have changed the way I eat and now a vegan after reading this wonderful book and feel so much better in myself by doing so!Thank you, Kathy, for sharing all the information and the beautiful recipes in the back of the book!

There is no magic secret to weight loss. Eat less, eat better and exercise. Although life in reality is not that simple as there are too many pressures on the average person and we are being pulled every which way and all those goals about keeping in trim and eating good and in moderation tend to slide.In this book author Kathy Freston sets out to give her own take on the problem and its solution. Like so many similar books out there, things are invariably a variation on a theme, but the winning formula can be so personal to the reader and depend on their own determination, methodology and the inspiration received to lose weight and work towards keeping it off permanently.Freston's programme seeks to change the learning process, believing that should it be mastered then even within one month you could begin to see a transformed lifestyle and health changes along with a head-start to a longer weight-loss regime.Essentially you set an achievable intention or goal and then put yourself on that path, working to gently push yourself towards it through sensible choices and lifestyle changes that do not feel overly onerous or complex. The author is at pains to point out that you need not give up your favourite dish entirely and that setting achievable goals without significant sacrifice or risk of failure and demotivation are key. You make a new kind of friendship with food, rather than making it a sworn enemy.Broken into a daily journal entry, the reader is given a new thing to do and something to amend in their routine. This is accompanied by inspirational text and details about how other people's experiences with weight loss and lifestyle changes have fared. No religiously counting points or calories, no living on a diet of powdered supplements and the occasional booster bar. What is more you build upon what you have learned so by the end of the month there are 30 new habits and 30 lifestyle amendments that have hopefully been achieved without fuss. Perhaps you haven't noticed the changes or have not been bothered by them. If so, that is the r q eal sign of change!Reasoning is also given for the proposed daily changes so you can get a bit of understanding to what you are doing. Of course, you can skip that if you'd rather not know that level of detail but it might be enlightening nonetheless. It is interesting to note that for a program that requires inner discipline there are so few rules. Two in fact. To have the willingness to take one step at a time and to eat the new foods that have been introduced before the older ones. It does sound simple, doesn't it.YUM's reviewer has not been able to follow the diet through its 30 days and beyond (it is not possible to try every diet!) but the steps suggested do seem more achievable than many "sacrifices" suggested in other weight loss books.

Having been a vegetarian for 38 years I wanted to make the transition to Vegan. Kathy Freston is great in explaining all the ins and outs of dairy and more and what is it to be a vegan. Great read and lots of great recipes at the back.I highly recommend this book.

Kathy explains that the best way to embrace any change is to Lean into it.I love this. Makes the whole book so much more manageable and easy to follow.

Did not like this book

Learnt some interesting and somethimes scary facts about the way we eat and the impact on our health long term!Very easy to follow diet.

Nt really a diet meal plan. She asks you to take on different activities. It would take me all day just focussing on food and drink. As a full time worker and mother of two, I don't have the time. I am frustrasted that there are no vegan diet books like the normal ones, with plans for breakfast, lunch and dinner that are easy to cook and to find. Like a slimming world for vegans.

positives -a step by step guide to changing your diet and lifestyle and losing weight. Suggests one thing a day to add and explains why, By end of a month you're supposed to be healthier and happiernegatives- I think from reading a part (before I began to lose the will to live) that most of this book it is aimed at fat american coach potatoes and tone is quite condescending and preaches in places. Begins with really stupid thing most health are people do like drink more water, what annoys me the most is she makes sweeping statements which she doesn't always give balanced evidence for if you know nothing about veganism and want to find a way in it may help but if you do its not the book for you.