The Two-Day Diet: A Metabolic and Motivational Approach to Rapid Weight Loss

The title refers not to the diet's duration (alas), but rather to a program of eatingone designed to overcome both the dieter's low willpower and the body's natural resistance to weight loss. The authors (she is a nutritionist, he a specialist in internal medicine) divide the week into ``on'' and ``off'' days: Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday are devoted to a low-carbohydrate-high-protein (LCHP) regimen, while Wednesday and the weekend can be spent indulging (albeit moderately) in a wider range of food, bigger portions and even a snack or two. LCHP dieting during the ``on'' days will presumably trigger the metabolism to change and burn fat rather than store it, while the ``off'' days maintain a margin of safety (LCHP diets have been known to wreak nutritional havoc on those who use them exclusively) and provide a much-needed motivational boost. Light exercise rounds out the program. The Coopers' cajoling tone, forceful use of nutritional theory and case histories and flexible menus (dieters are encouraged to eat all the food to which they are entitled) leave very little room for mutiny. Author tour. (Jan.)