THE 3-6-9-12 DIET

A brief, back-to-basics diet book aims to help women lose weight and keep it off.

“I have struggled with my weight since I was an adolescent,” DeSimone confesses on the first page of her debut. Shedding pounds wasn’t the problem, but keeping them off was, especially after she had two children. She tried numerous diets until finally discovering a straightforward strategy that worked for her: She started counting calories. The author realized she needed to consume no more than 1,500 calories per day if she wanted to achieve her goal of losing 10 pounds. With that information in hand, she devised a plan where she would eat five 300-calorie meals or snacks each day. (DeSimone’s diet is specifically aimed at women, who typically have lower calorie needs than men.) Once dieters reach their desired weight, they can switch to a plan that involves five 400-calorie daily meals. “Dieting is all about the numbers,” the author tells readers, urging them—in the manner of a supportive and enthusiastic friend—to become vigilant about checking the calorie counts of all the foods they eat. The focus here is truly on the numbers. While she points readers toward whole foods like vegetables and nuts and touts low-carb items, she doesn’t hesitate to suggest people get “prepackaged meals” if that makes it easier to track what they eat. Occasional cheat days, where you “eat what you love and don’t count,” are recommended as a way to stay motivated. No foods are strictly off-limits provided dieters stay within their daily calorie goals. DeSimone’s plan is easy to understand and appears simple to follow. Those overwhelmed by more complicated diets will likely appreciate the author’s basic approach, but there are times when the advice is too bare-bones. At several points, she simply advises readers to turn to Google if they have further questions about calorie counts. Nutrition and exercise are mentioned in passing, but the spotlight remains on the sometimes “tedious” process of counting calories—“the only way to gain control of your weight.”

This easy-to-follow diet plan may leave some readers hungry for more information.