5 Diet Books That Are Actually Worth Reading



1. Weight Watchers: The Ultimate Starter's Guide to Losing Weight Rapidly the Smart Way

By Oliver Sweet, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2017)
Diet philosophy: Everything in moderation
Best suited for: Someone who loves tracking their every move (and bite)
Why it’s worth a read: The famous diet has a legion of fans—including Oprah and Jennifer Hudson—but that’s not why it earned the top spot for weight loss diets on the 2017 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Diet Rankings. Rather, it’s because the plan really works. A meta-analysis of 2,400 studies found that Weight Watchers was one of the only programs where the average participant lost more weight after one year than dieters who were doing it on their own or finding advice from other sources. This healthy food book comes with a brief history of the program, recipes, and advice from a Weight Watchers member of 10+ years.
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2. The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet: Smart, Simple, Science-Based Strategies for Losing Weight and Keeping It Off 

By Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., and Mindy Hermann, William Morrow Cookbooks (2013)
Diet philosophy: Yes, you really can eat food and lose weight
Best suited for: People who hate feeling hangry
Why it’s worth a read: The whole point of the Volumetrics diet—which was ranked the second-best diet for weight loss in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Diet Rankings—is to eat the same amount of food as you usually do, just with fewer calories. No, that doesn’t require ~magic~. It just means eating less energy-dense foods (AKA foods with fewer calories per gram), like fruits and veggies. The New York Times best-selling book features tons of tools and recipes to help you drop pounds without feeling like you’re depriving yourself.
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3. Wheat Belly: 10-Day Grain Detox: Reprogram Your Body for Rapid Weight Loss and Amazing Health

By William David, M.D., Rodale Books (2015)
Diet philosophy: Unhealthy carbs are a major cause of obesity
Best suited for: Those who think their carb addiction has gone too far
Why it’s worth a read: Anyone struggling to pass the bread basket will appreciate cardiologist William Davis’s 10-day wheat detox, which he created after his original Wheat Belly book became a New York Times best-seller. During those 10 days, the program follows recipes that wean you off of unhealthy wheat and grains ASAP, while simultaneously teaching you how to recognize withdrawal symptoms (because pretzel addiction is real!) and how to avoid common diet saboteurs.
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4. The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom

By Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2015)

Diet philosophy: Press the reset button on your entire diet to help you find out exactly which foods are causing health issues
Best suited for: Someone who’s able to stick to a strict, month-long diet program
Why it’s worth a read: Surely you’ve heard of Whole30 by now? This restrictive diet plan requires you to nix all sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, soy, and dairy for 30 days. If that sounds impossible to do solo, founders’ Melissa and Dallas Hartwig’s book provides a step-by-step plan that basically holds your hand through the process. Its regular appearance on the New York Times best-seller list solidifies its status as one of the best healthy eating books out there.
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5. Daily Dash for Weight Loss: A Day-By-Day Dash Diet Weight Loss Plan

By Rockridge Press (2014)

Diet philosophy: To lose weight, eat more nutritionally dense foods
Best suited for: People who can’t handle restrictive diets
Why it’s worth a read: DASH—or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension—has been named the best overall diet in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Diet Rankings for seven years in a row. This healthy eating plan was originally designed to help lower blood pressure, but followers found it significantly contributed to weight loss as well. (Here are 5 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally.) There are no wild restrictions here—just a call for more fruits and veggies, lean meats, mostly whole grains, and heart-healthy fats. The recipes, a 28-day meal plan, and lots of scientific backup in this book make it pretty easy to convert to the DASH diet if that’s your jam.
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