Book Review: Rocco DiSpirito’s The Pound a Day Diet

Today over on Fit Bottomed Girls we have a pretty hot Q&A with one of the cutest and most charming chefs around: Rocco DiSpirito. You can read the full interview here, but in it he talks a lot about his new book The Pound a Day Diet … which we’re reviewing today!

And, let’s get real, all cuteness aside for Rocco, that’s a pretty bold statement. A pound a day? When most of us are used to hearing that safe and healthy weight-loss is more like a pound a week, the title itself got our attention. A few pages in, though, and it was more than just the title that had our attention. Because this book is full of some awesome things and some questionable things.
First, let’s get to the nitty-gritty. The diet in this book (and it is, in fact a D-I-E-T) consists of a weekly meal plan that’s five weekdays of eating around 850 calories and the weekend of eating closer to 1,200 calories.
Like whoa. Eight-hundred-and-fifty calories? I’m hungry just reading that. Heck, I’m hungry reading 1,200 calories!
But, here’s where it gets a little better. Rocco does source a lot of research showing that fast weight-loss in the beginning for a short time can result in a boost to motivation and long-term results. And all of the foods in his meal plan (with recipes!) make sense and are based off of a low-caloric density (the same principle of Volumetrics) way of eating that’s rich in fruits, veggies and whole grains. It’s also rich in lean protein and healthy fats — and is very much in line with the Mediterranean way of eating that’s been proved time and time again is uber good for you. You eat six times a day with meals that are balanced and filling. He recommends exercise, but it’s nothing crazy — about 10 to 30 minutes a day of brisk walking if you’re a newbie.
The other good thing is that this whole 850-calories-a-day craziness is supposed to be short term. Depending on how much weight you have to lose, you should only do it for a few weeks, and then hop on his Maintenance Mode. Here, it’s not about calories at all and is more about focusing on that Mediterranean way of eating that’s heavy on the fruits and veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats and whole-grain carbs. Exercise is taken up a bit in intensity, as is your freedom to have treats and the occasional glass of wine. His advice in this section is pretty right on, and it’s nice to see a book that directly focuses on maintenance as a main tenet. ‘Cause what’s the point of losing a bunch of weight only to have no idea how to sustain it sanely for good?
A few other things I dig? The recipes. There are 60 yummy and fast recipes, along with shopping lists, nutritional information and even a ready-made option to buy in case you don’t have time to cook (for example: a Weight Watchers Smart Ones for his Protein-Packed Breakfast Sandwich). And, overall, his message is a really good one. While there’s not much on emotional eating per se (which is a con for me), he does talk about attitude a lot. There are sections on focusing on the delicious foods you choose to eat, rather than the ones you can’t eat. And he’s not about obsessive calorie counting or weighing. There are multiple success stories featured within the book, and there’s even a back section that is meant to encourage even the biggest I-hate-to-cook types into loving the kitchen. The afterword, which gets a little political, is interesting, too — as are the resources.
Again, the 850-calories-a-day plan is really, really tough for me to swallow. But I’m really glad there’s still more — much more — to this book than that. Even if you just got it for the recipes and overall health information, I think you’d be pleased with it. And, hey, if you have five to 10 pounds to lose and don’t have a yo-yo dieting past, maybe it could be just the jump-start you need to reach your goal weight. Maybe. I won’t be trying it, but, hey, we’re all different. And if this gets people into a healthier maintenance phase that results in a long-term healthy life, I dig it.
When it comes to weight-loss, do you take a slow-and-steady approach? Or like to go more aggressive like what Rocco recommends in The Pound a Day Diet? —Jenn