In just 90 short days, I was able to lose 30 lbs (13.6 kg) and a big portion of those pounds came off in the first 6 weeks like you mention in Eat to Live, although I must say I lost 21 lbs (9.5 kg) in 6 wks so I beat your prediction by 1 lb! It's almost a year later and I have maintained the weight loss and I continue to make smart decisions about what goes into my body.

I was never extremely overweight, but at 215 lbs (97.7 kg) (5ft 9in [175 cm]) I was very uncomfortable in my own skin. Many people get too complacent with their life and their unhealthy eating routines,until they eventually reach the tipping point...no pun intended. Everyone in this situation needs a wake up call, hopefully it's not a bad wake up call such as a health related one (i.e. diabetes, heart attack..etc). For some people it could simply be just looking at an old high school picture and getting motivated to get back to the shape you were in before. The thing that changed my thinking around and ultimately lead me in search of a solution, was when I looked at a family picture we had just taken with my newborn son. It was the best picture of the three of us of the hundreds we had taken that day. At a much closer look, I realized that all I could focus on was my triple chin and I felt guilty that I had ruined the family picture. For those of you who don't know what that triple chin is, it's the three chins of fat you get right under your real chin when you are overweight. My wife and son looked amazing, while I on the other hand looked liked I had just given birth. From that moment my attitude of complacency vanished forever.

I am not a complete vegetarian or even close; being Hispanic, it's hard to escape the good old meat but I must say I have reduced it quite drastically. I am a perfect example that if you're smart about your meat/dairy intake and you balance out the rest of your meals with lots of fruits and veggies; you can certainly achieve your health and weight loss goals.

I recently completed the ING Miami Half-Marathon in 2 hrs and 18 mins.  Eat For Health empowered me with the knowledge to tackle my weight issue once and for all. Once you read this book, I would say you are an idiot if you go back to living an unhealthy lifestyle. I believe the problem with most Americans is the lack of knowledge they have concerning food and how to live healthy. Most of us put our health in the back seat and probably attend to it only when it's crying or when it becomes a nagging issue.

I challenge all those who read this to make health a priority and make it a priority to learn more about what you put into your body. You don't have to be a health nut or a gym rat to achieve your goals, you just have to be health conscious. Stop thinking of healthy eating as a DIET or something you HAVE to do for 6 weeks, make it a way of life and incorporate healthy habits in all aspects of your life for the rest of your life.