Neris and India's Idiot Proof Diet Review

Diet Review

By Myatt Murphy

India Knight and Neris Thomas, co-authors of “Neris and India's Idiot-Proof Diet,” aren’t experts, nor do they claim to be. Instead, they admit they are simply two women that lost a combined 140 pounds in one year and kept it off using a variety of nutritional and motivational tips.

If you’re looking for cutting-edge science and a new ‘secret’ way to lose weight, you won’t find it here. Nearly all of the weight-loss tactics introduced in the book—from drinking more water to measuring yourself regularly—are tried-and-true principles most people have heard before. Half of the book is also peppered with feel-good advice that has nothing to do with nutrition, including tips on how to adjust your wardrobe, ways to pamper yourself, as well as quirky journal entries from both authors. However, the book is written in an extremely conversational way that many women may find entertaining and easier to relate to than typical diet books.

Is the diet healthy?

It depends how you follow it. Even though the diet asks you to eat plenty of healthy foods, it doesn’t ask that you count calories, so some may find themselves eating more food than they actually should be. Also, because it follows the Atkins Diet principal of high-protein, low-carb intake, the diet doesn’t encourage eating many fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, yet allows dieters to eat generous amounts of high-fat or high-cholesterol foods, including crispy bacon, eggs, red meat and cheese.

What do the experts say?

“If you’re following a very strict diet, every day can feel like a struggle, says Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and Team Dietitian for the Orlando Magic. “The voice of the book is very conversational and personal, offering a plenty of testimonials and diary entries that can be encouraging for some dieters,” Beyond that, however, all those one-on-one comments from the authors can make the diet a bit hard to follow.

More importantly, the diet is lacking in too many other areas to make the grade. “In terms of the integrity of its nutrition, it’s not very well balanced and isn’t what’s generally recommended by the ADA,” says Gidus. “Its beginning phase is far too restrictive of carbohydrates, and although many dieters enjoy having an extremely strict two to three week plan that kick starts their weight loss, it’s not necessary and can actually be quite unhealthy for anyone with kidney, heart or liver issues or diseases.” There also aren’t enough details given to dieters for the final stage, which is meant to help dieters maintain their weight-loss results for life.

Among other problems with the program: Its’ meek recommendation of just ten minutes of exercise, and the fact that there doesn’t seem to be enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains added back into the diet once you get past the initial first phase of the plan.

Who should consider the diet?

Anyone who loves meat will relish it, since it allows you to eat pretty much the same foods as the Atkins Diet. It also gives dieters a lot of wiggle room with what they eat, so it may suit those that hate rigid diet plans. However, if you’re the type that needs to follow a strict gameplan in order to stay motivated, this diet may not be for you.

Bottom line

Neris and India’s Idiot-Proof Diet blends most of the principles of the Atkins Diet and some commonsense nutritional advice, with a lot of motivational tips, diary entries and comments from its two authors. Although its principles are basic and sound, some dieters may find it difficult to remember what steps they need to follow amidst all the extra information.

Foods

For the first two weeks, you can eat all meats, fish, eggs, green vegetables, tofu, cheese and nuts you want. After that, you can add berries, fruits, dark chocolate, plain yogurt, oatmeal and whole-wheat stone-ground bread to your diet. What you can't: high-carb foods, such as potatoes, bananas, pasta, white rice and cookies.

See Neris and India's Idiot Proof Diet at a Glance