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Here's the basic deal with meal plans as I see it...you either like using them or you don't. If you don't like using them, you're not going to follow them and this product, as well-put-together as it is, will be of little use to you. Heck, I don't even know why you're still reading the review at this point! Kinda like reading a fishing magazine when you live in the desert, I guess...interesting reading but not really practical for you... Anyway, if you DO like using meal plans and find you get better results when you've got a nutritional plan all laid out for you, then THIS is going to be a useful product for you. The meal plan product is broken up into two main parts...the background nutritional information books and the actual meal plans themsevles (of which there are MANY). The nutritional information is very solid...lots of good advice and information in here. What I really like about it is how the info is broken down into simple, easy-to-understand concepts. You don't have to have a degree to understand what's going on in this section. You'll get some good nutritional advice to set you up for the meal plans themselves. One thing that really stood out to me in this section is the advice on how to actually PREPARE the food itself...it goes beyond just laying out the nuts and bolts of the meal plans...this is about how to use spices, different cooking methods, what kitchen tools you need and how to use them, etc. Really valuable stuff if you're not particularly kitchen-savvy. The only real complaints I have about the book is that first, the background graphics on the pages make it hard it read in some spots. Second, once you open the book, you'll know why the download sizes are so large (lots of pretty pictures). The second one isn't really a problem unless you have a slower Internet connection. The information itself is good, but if you ARE looking for something more in-depth and technical, you're not going to find it in this program - the aim of it is more towards people who want a basic understanding of quality nutrition without having to get too technical. Also included is a bodyfat calculator...a useful little tool where you plug in various stats and measurements and it gives you an approximate bodyfat level AND actually recommends a caloric level for you to use in your meal plan. This was a nice idea and is a great way to take confusion out of selecting which meal plan is right for you. You'll also get tracker workbook (for keeping track of your meals and progress) and a food-substition guide (in case there are foods in the meal plans that you don't like). The substitution guide is a great idea that I hadn't seen before.
Right off the bat, you'll notice that the selection of meal plan to choose from is HUGE. There's no doubt this is the "meat" of this product. The authors have obviously spent a lot of time putting these plans together and putting together a LOT of different plans for various bodyfat goals.
Obviously, these meal plans are designed with athletic performance in mind... ;) Seriously though, regardless of what the meal plans are called, the actual CONTENT of the meal plans is what's important. And from what I can see, the food selection is solid and definitely doable in terms actually putting these meal plans into practice. The food substitution guide will come in handy as, more than likely, you will come across foods that you don't like in these meal plans. What I also quite liked about these meal plans was the grocery lists all set out for you in each plan. And when I say list, I mean LIST, right down to the amounts of everything you'll need to get through a week of each section of the meal plan at a time. And let me tell you, lack of variety is NOT going to be an issue on these plans as it can be with a lot of fat-loss plans. You'll get plenty of selection in terms of food here - honestly, there is so much potential selection, this could actually be a DOWNSIDE of these meal plans...you're going to need plenty of fridge space to store all these foods. You might not have room for all your beer... Bottm line, I can tell from reading through some of these meal plans, it's good stuff. And they'll definitely help you manage your caloric intake if fat loss is your primary goal.
As I said right at the beginning of this review, the usefulness of this product is going to depend completely on your willingness to follow meal plans. If you like 'em, definitely look into this product. It's packed with quality information and a big selection of rock-solid meal plans. You can't go wrong with it. But if meal plans aren't your thing...then I have to say, I'm very impressed with your determination to read through this entire review!
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