Dave Winer believes I can lose 70 lbs in a year, as he's done it himself! That's good news! :-)

Dave also said: "BTW, I swear by Fit For Life. Everyone I know who really wanted to get in shape and followed the book, did it. It works."

I checked out the book (a Google Search did the trick) and I found four book reviews on the "Healthcare Reality Check" web site.

Here's a quote: "Contrary to the authors' claim, this is a fad diet requiring unrealistic changes in eating habits. Fortunately, the eating patterns and unrealistic caloric reductions proposed by this diet will prove too restrictive for most people to maintain. This is fortunate since the diet is nutritionally unbalanced and its use could increase the incidence of osteoporosis. The buyer should beware."

That reviewer felt the diet was "deficient in protein; calcium; and some B-vitamins, notably riboflavin and thiamin; and could lead to iron deficiency anemia".

Here's another negative review.

It sounds to me like some of the most basic fundamentals in the book are good, like eating a lot of fruits and vegetables (which I had already started to do actually, since they make me feel full), but there are some tragic flaws.

Does anyone else know anything about this book? The reviewers give some suggestions of how the Fit for Life diet can be augmented to be safer. I think I'm going to talk to my family doctor, and perhaps get a referral to a nutritionist, before I decide what to do.