I think the book deserves credit for providing motivation but it is slightly misleading I think.

If you reduce your calories, get rid of the junk in your diet and reduce your sodium, you will lose weight. The first 6 days relies on a big loss of water weight as opposed to fat weight. I lost quite a bit of weight myself using a similar approach in the book, basically eat 5-6 smallish meals a day concentrating on veggies, lean proteins and certain types of carbs. I also included weight training, which a lot of women seem to avoid, but they shouldn't. I have been able to maintain my own weight loss but I haven't been able to lose more, which is why I picked up the book. I have decided not to follow the diet program but I did use it as a general guideline on how to restart my renewed weightloss efforts. Overall, I think the book does provide motivation and good ideas but it isn't anything new.

FIRST the CONS. You WILL lose weight on this diet but you will lose weight on almost any diet. I feel VERY strongly however, that the vast majority of people are dropping ONLY water weight in the first week on this plan.

ANY DIET THAT ELIMINATES 100% SALT will make you shed weight quickly. But is it FAT you are losing in that first week? NO!
The hideously unhealthy Atkins diet makes you lose some dramatic weight and "inches" in the first week too, because, even though you are eating the opposite kinds of foods, the result is SIMILAR in the short term: you are temporarily flushing out the water weight from your system!

To show you how extreme Thurmond's diet is: it even forbids CELERY. Celery is a no-no because of its natural sodium content. The truth is that celery is a helpful, low calorie food that adds roughage to the stomach and if you can eat it you are better off.

IF YOU THINK YOU CAN ELIMINATE ALL SALT AND ALL FATS from your diet, then MAYBE you can stick with this.

Example: My body type guidelines tell me I am allowed 2-3 egg whites cooked ONLY in a DRY teflon pan with nothing added. Puke. Isn't that appetizing in the morning? My mid-morn "snack" is 2 oz. of water packed tuna (that's about 1/5 of a tiny can) with NO SALT added. I would rather eat nothing at all than eat like this.

I think the diet is VERY misleading to suggest you will EAT MORE and loss weight. This is nonsense. If you get out an electronic scale and measure the portions he allows you will see they are miniscule... about right for 108 lb. anorexic model!

This guy Thurmond is a millionaire because so many hoped he had the next magic bullet. I have to say I pretty thoroughly agree with the past reviewer, "Send me the money, here's your answer." There are NO easy shortcuts. Diets do NOT work. If they did work, everyone would have only been on one. Instead, most of us have been dieting all our lives, and are STILL all too willing to part with our money thinking the next one will work the magic.

It doesn't. It won't.

The REAL answer is the one thing we hate most of all to hear: Exercise and correct eating of healthy foods in great moderation (meaning major lifestyle changes folks) does work. Eating for health and not for pleasure also works.

If you CAN follow this diet, God bless you. But you STILL have to exercise and make those lifestyle changes if you don't want to gain it back.

The PROS of this program consist of two real GEMS...

1. Thurmond's super advice on HOW to exercise at the proper level and intensity was extremely helpful. I was finally able to understand why aerobics are a joke for some of us. SLOWER and longer are far better.

2. Thurmond correctly helps you identify and focus on doing the right exercises to slim down (not bulk up) for your particular body type. Why do grueling lunges if you already have well-developed legs? Better to concentrate your energy where you need it. He explains this very nicely.

Overall, Thurmond is a wonderful on exercise advice. I was exercising too much and doing the wrong type of exercise. I am grateful to know this now.

I recommend getting this from your library. You can learn the gems he offers in a couple hours of reading and forget the diet itself.

It is a good book to help you to realize your body type and what it will take to get you in the shape of your life. The six day diet works great to quickly drop a few pounds. This is however the result of high restrictions to your eating habits that you must employ. The actual diet is similar to others that work in phases - very restrictive in the beginning. But will the diet keep you slim in the long run?

I think everyone should read the review "Send me the money, here's your answer" of November 1, 2005. The reviewer had many valid points there. It is all about your lifestyle, not about what kind of diet you are on.

I tried many diets and none of them worked in the long run. That is until I got the book "Can We Live 150" by M. Tombak. Dr. Tombak does not suggest any diet, but he is a great advocate of a healthy lifestyle, healthy nutrition, and proper combination of foods. I am not loosing my weight as fast as I was doing it with some other diets, but the progress is visible and I am sure I will not gain it back. How do I know that? It's because it comes without any effort on my part, I do not feel depraved of any foods that I like, and I feel great and healthy. And that is all that matters! If you truly want to look good for the long haul, try Tombak's approach.

Now, I am not trying to discourage you from buying "6-Day Body Makeover". Buy all means, buy it, there is a lot of good info there, but if you want good long term results, you must also read "Can we live 150"

I'm trying to get my weight back on track. I'm 100 lbs. overweight, I have knee problems and it's difficult to do much walking and exercising since I can't get up and down to exercise on the floor. Also, I was retaining fluid in my ankles, and my shoulders were really hurting with tingling in my hands. Actually my arthritis was pretty much making me hurt all over--all I wanted to do was sit in my recliner and sleep. TWO DAYS AFTER STARTING THE DIET (I'm an Endomorph), I FELT IMPROVEMENT -- LESS SHOULDER PAIN, LESS TINGLING IN MY HANDS. The greatest motivation to stay on the diet was the fact I was feeling better, I don't want to eat sugar, or flour products. Plus, I'm down 10 pounds in 10 days. I have more energy and am able to get up out of my chair and walk without difficulty. My shoulder pain and tingling in my hands is almost gone. I'm looking forward to continued improvement.

Regarding negative comments of this plan, it is not intended to follow the strict six-day diet past 10 days. In the chapter, "The Seventh Day and Beyond," you can add additional foods which make it easier.

I did this with a coworker. We have different body types etc.
We both lost about 8lbs and that was with a little cheating (cheating being maybe adding a tad of sauce to meat etc.)

Pros:
It works, you lose weight, feel energized, didn't feel hungry what-so-ever. Really perfect for a pre-event weight loss to feel good about yourself. If you eat "normal" after the diet, food will taste too salty. It is healthy (no starvation/eating odd foods etc.).

Cons:
If you even think about salt after going on this, you will notice instant water rentention. I used no-salt seasoning mixes to spice up the meat but I just couldn't stomach it. Since going on this I have lost my appetite for meat altogether (this could be considered a "Pro"). I do still like fish.

The book was worth it and has inspired me to read up more on nutrition in general.