The 3-Hour Diet by Jorge Cruise (2005, Hardcover)

I've never seen Jorge Cruise speak, and have no desire to. There is something about this guy that really irks me. So, keep that in mind as you read my negative review, because I definitely could be unfairly biased.

That said, Jorge Cruise calls the exercises he recommends "Cruise Moves". Isn't that enough to turn one off? No longer are they ab crunches, for instance, or swiss ball balance moves, they are "Cruise Moves". He now markets flax oil and it's "Jorge Cruise's Flax oil".

The other criticism I have regarding this book is his recommended snacks. Cruise has a diet plan in place that includes two snacks daily. And, he makes no distinction in the quality of the snack as long as they are equal to approximately 100 calories each. This means that, according to him, two oreos twice per day--every day--is just fine. This might not interfere with weight loss, but these oreos or other foods like oreos are still devoid of any nutritional value and are still NOT good for you. No matter what you want to believe, 200 calories per day made up of 1 tbsp of peanut butter and an apple, or a whole wheat English muffin with cinnamon are both better choices than oreos. And, learning to choose what's better for your health in the long term--which includes learning to say "no" to oreos, is an important lesson to learn, I think. Save those oreos for your cheat meal which you're allowed one time per week.

He also recommends a tsp of oil with every meal. Flax oil and other fats are very very good for you. Although, I'm not sure it's really necessary if you are eating properly and your diet includes lots of fatty fish, like salmon, and some red meat or chicken and if you use olive oil to cook your foods in. As healthy as certain fats are, they are still heavy in calories. And, no matter what, we still have to burn more calories than we take in to lose weight.

I'm optimistic that this diet will work, though. He keeps calories to about 1425 per day for women, which is definitely reasonable for a moderately active woman. And, the basic information is compatible with the current health information. Eating every three hours is proven to keep your metabolism moving and to avoid going into starvation mode--which starts burning muscle for fuel-- a state we all wish to avoid.

You might find Jorge Cruise is right for you. The information in here isn't groundbreaking, although the media would seem to say otherwise. Body for Life is still the best program, I think. I also think The Thin Commandments Diet is good, as are The Abs Diet (watch portion sizes, though, if you're a woman--the Abs Diet is written for men first, although it's great for women. Just decrease the portion size, remember) and-- only if you're truly really dedicated and fairly fit to begin with, The Ultimate New York Body Plan.