Allen Carr's Easyway: A Simple and Effective Plan for Losing Weight

Prodigalsun: I began this book with high hopes. The other promises that you will be able to eat what you want when you want, and not diet your way to a slim and healthy body. This is not true. Later in the book the author then reveals that you must eliminate all process foods, ideally eliminate all meat and dairy, and eliminate sugar except for that found in fruit.

He then starts in on the concept of food combining, and references Harvey Diamond. Food combining in Harvey diamond equal The Natural Hygiene diet. This diet had its roots in the natural medicine movement The beginning in the early 1800s, and was refined by Dr Graham of the graham cracker, as a way to heal the body without medicine. The Easy Way method is simply a repackaging of that approach, including the recommendation to only eat fruit for breakfast, and to not combine meats and starches because of the types of digestive enzymes needed to digest them. This has no basis in fact, but most diets are all about belief and are short on research.

So, nothing easy about it, and the way is simply cribbing off of work done more extensively by others such as Harvey Diamond back in the '80s.

United States on Jun 11, 2023

Nataliya: I love how easy it is to read, and well, it works if you pay attention to what you are reading. Right after reading it, you stop overeating and start eating slowly and being conscious of what you are eating. I read a smoking book from Allen 16 years ago, and I am a proud non-smoker. I love his books.

United States on May 30, 2023

C. F. Eastman: Few will follow, though. Big Food is very good at convincing you what to buy. If you’re ready to go all in, this method could change your life.

United States on Mar 20, 2023

Mr G.: I stopped smoking used Allen Carr's Easy way over 30 years ago and also stopped drinking after attending an online Allen Carr clinic. I know therefore, from personal experience, that his methods work. I found that my weigh crept up during covid lockdowns and despite several attempts, was unable to shift the extra 20lbs that I had gained. I therefore purchased Allen's lose weight book. I am someone who became vegetarian 25 years ago, and went vegan around 8 years ago, so cutting out meat and dairy was not an issue for me as I was already aware of the cruelty/health/environmental impacts of these foods and industries. However, it is now just as easy for a vegetarian/vegan to drift into a junk food diet as meat/dairy eaters. There has been an explosion in the range of highly processed plant based foods in the last 10 years, and I think this contributed to my weight gain. Allen has helped me re-focus on the need to eat mostly unprocessed fruit, vegetables, grains and nuts, and by following this I have lost my extra weight. Having a 'junk margin' is good, however i have found over the last month that my margin has expanded too far (with a few pounds added back onto my waist) so this is...

United Kingdom on Nov 06, 2022

Rody: Another great method by Allen Carr. I used his method to stop smoking and now I'm going to use it to lose weight. Easy quick Read.

Canada on Nov 29, 2020

Crys: By using Allen Carr’s method, I quit smoking 7.5 years ago. Because of that I ordered this book. 9 months ago I decided to take control of my health and read this. In 9 months I have lost 65lbs. Without relying on willpower, or working out, just maintaining an average active lifestyle and eating well. The best part is that my new lifestyle feels very sustainable and I don’t think “I can’t wait until I’m done this diet", because I intend to eat this way for the rest of my life.

Canada on Sep 24, 2019

Sue: I read this book after it was recommended to me. Allen Carr suggests to read the book with an open mind, so I did, I actually read the whole book in one day. I have never looked back! I now only desire to eat fresh food from Mother Nature, I don’t even see manufactured food as food! I don’t have any cravings for these foods any more, I am free of my sugar addiction too. All I enjoy eating is fruit, veg, pulses, nuts, seeds etc etc. I never use to crave an apple! I do now 😄, fruit was at the bottom of my food pile, now it’s at the top. This book has changed my life, I am
Loosing weight naturally, I am never hungry and I really enjoy eating like I did before but now it’s natural foods. I have so much more energy as well. Life changing - read the book with an open mind and I hope it changes others lives like it has mine!

United Kingdom on Jan 19, 2019

Brendan Kuntz: Carr does emphasize eating foods that are healthier for you and not eating (or eating less of) foods which are not good for you such as meat, dairy and refined sugars / carbohydrates. Those who are dismissing or simplifying the book down to "become a vegan" are missing the greater point that there are certain foods our bodies are designed to digest, and we should eat more of those foods, and less of foods that we are not designed to handle. I read the book in a few hours over this past weekend, and listened to the audio CD at the end. For the past week, I have been eating much better, and every time I see (or smell) some food which in the past would have been trouble (for me it was primarily sugar / candy) I come to the decision that I don't want it. Reading the book has helped me want to eat better, and after a week I have, and I also feel tremendous.

Of course, with any type of weight loss system, or program long term results are most important, and time will tell if this continues to work for me. Still, I'd recommend the book and say it's worth a shot if you can go into it with an open mind.

Coming back one month later to post an update. It's still working, and...

United States on Feb 14, 2017

Bridget Tremayne Hughes: I am like millions of people, been on every "diet" there is and still put the weight back on afterwards. Saw this book on Amazon and it looked very interesting and a different approach to eating. WOW, all I can say guys is give it a go! I have lost 13lbs and 4 inches off my waist in 4 weeks - and that's without really trying! The main changes for me is that I only eat when I'm hungry, don't have any more processed foods and now I'm a vegetarian - it all makes real sense when you read the book. After listening to the CD, it was an amazing transformation in my life. I absolutely love eating "fresh & natural" foods and if you make a bit of a plan as to your eating, it doesn't cost a lot. I can't thank Allen Carr enough, he and this book has changed my life forever - and that I am 100% confident of - GIVE IT A GO!

United Kingdom on Feb 24, 2015

anonymous: I agree with other reviewers that this is not as good as EasyWay to stop drinking. But it does reinforce what we already know about eating the right foods and stop eating when you are satisfied. I think by now we all know what junk food is and that there is hidden sugar, and that raw veggies--especially green leafy--are really good for you, and that meat is more difficult to digest. However, we are omnivores and we do NOT get all we need by simply not eating meat--especially red meat. If you stop eating meat, you should take B12 vitamins. You can become pale and weak and get sick more often if you do not have that particular vitamin, which we get mostly from red meat. Bison is the best source and is lower in fat than most chicken. Also, it's a specialized livestock and is usually grass fed and typically treated more humanely. This book as good as a reminder and reinforcement to keep doing what I'm dong, but I think the EasyWay to stop drinking will contribute more to my weight loss than this book will.

United States on Sep 30, 2014