Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0345443055, Hardcover)

So you've tried high-protein/low-carb diets, high-carb/low-protein diets, the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, and nothing seems to be working. The reason? According to clinical nutritionists Gene and Joyce Daoust, most diets are not balanced, not personalized, and not easy to follow.

To help put you on the track to successful weight loss (and maintenance), the Dousts, who worked with Dr. Barry Sears to develop and test the 40-30-30 Zone nutrition program, have written The Formula: A Personalized 40-30-30 Weight Loss Program. The Formula is based on the premise that if each meal or snack contains 40 percent of its total calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein, and 30 percent from fat, your body will maintain the proper balance of insulin to glucagon and thus burn excess fat all the time--even while you sleep.

Sound complex? Don't worry. For those who care to know how to determine the caloric ratio of a meal, the science behind the diet is explained thoroughly. For the rest of us, however, the authors have done all the work ahead of time. The book includes a 21-day "Fat-Flush" diet plan with over 100 easy-to-prepare meal choices and recipes--including eggs and bacon, Chicken Caesar Salad, and vegetable lasagna--as well as the "Formula for Life" maintenance plan. And, since the program boasts personal nutrition, the "Meal Plan Selection" chart makes it easy to determine how much to eat based on your gender, weight, and activity level. Although slightly labor intensive (but try to find a diet that isn't), The Formula offers helpful tips and suggestions for sticking to the plan when you are traveling, out for dinner, or simply not able to prepare your meals ahead of time. --Bree Altman