The Step Diet: Count Steps, Not Calories to Lose Weight and Keep It off Forever

I've always worked out for maybe 30-45 min. a day, but I would sit on my butt the rest of the day. This book had wonderful ideas on how to increase your movement throughout the day, not just in the 30 minutes I worked out.

My other problem is that I like food. I could not get used to the idea of giving up the food I like in order to lose weight. I think the best part of the book is the idea that you need to cut back on your food intake by 25% in order to acheive weight-loss. I eat what I like to eat, I just eat a little bit less at each meal. I have tried this over the past two weeks and I have lost 2 pounds and I am confident that they will stay off as long as I continue to follow the plan.

The pedometer is a great way to pace yourself throughout the day. I set goals for myself such as getting between 6000 and 7000 steps during work. It's a great way to keep moving.

It is not a quick, weight-loss gimmick or diet. I call it a "non-diet" because the authors offer ways to change your lifestyle in order to lose healthy amounts of weight in a reasonable timespan in order to acheive weight-loss for life.


Learn how to walk off your weight !   October 13, 2004
Lee Mellott (Frederick, Maryland)
58 out of 60 found this review helpful

"The Step Diet" is a compact 7 and 1/2 by 5 and 1/2" book that explains exactly how you can lose weight by walking and making small dietary changes. According to the authors the average American will gain a little bit of weight each year. You can prevent this gain by adding 2000 steps to your daily walking. To lose weight you add more steps and cut back on what you eat.
These simple changes can be made one at a time and add up to permanent change thats easy to incorporate into your everyday life.

The book teaches you how to determine your current average step amount and increase it week to week. There is also a chart to show how to convert other activities into steps so you can track all of your activities. Information is included on how to make minor dietary adjustments so you can reap the reward of a fitter, slimmer body.

Overall the book is excellent at helping the reader learn how to regulate weight through step activity. The authors do however confuse the issue with "megasteps". The authors help you determine your megasteps and then at the back of the book they list common foods and tell you how many megasteps each food is equal to. For example an egg will cost you approximately one megastep. praline ice cream about 6. This is just another way of calorie counting and really not needed in the book in my opinion.

Instead it would have been nice if the authors had included the number of steps you would have to walk to burn off certain foods. For example to burn up an order of small fries (210 calories) you would have to walk about 4,200 steps. This type of information in the book would have been great. But it's not included.

A pedometer comes with the book. As others have noted here I personally have and would recommend that others purchase a better quality, more accurate pedometer.

The book is linked to the americaonthemove.org website and its GREAT! A lot of information on walking for individuals or groups. You can set goals at the site. For example you can pick a trail like the Lewis and Clark trail which requires you step about 9,000 paces a day. Each day you record your steps and see visually how far you are on the map and your average steps, plus you can read about the area. What fun and its free!

Overall, the book is a "breath of fresh air" with it's focus on making small changes in eating and increasing walking activity (not killing yourself with intense exercise programs) to see big results.


THE BEST DIET BOOK BY FAR   June 16, 2004
37 out of 38 found this review helpful

I have never been able to get myself to exercise. And when I moved from Manhattan to California, I no longer walked from place to place, but instead drove everywhere. I noticed that I was gaining a few pounds a year and became concerned. I don't believe in gimmick diets because I've seen how they take the weight off in the near-term but not in the long-term and I also think they can be damanging to your health. So I was very excited when I saw the Step Diet. The pedometer that comes with this book provides instant feedback and the program is safe, healthy and even--dare I say it--fun. Amazing what a little gizmo can do. Most importantly, as a result of wearing the step counter I am now getting a very respectable amount of exercise each day. This is an amazing book that can be used for the whole family.


Best walking advice ever   June 24, 2004
Judith Tyler (Cherry Hill, New Jersey United States)
32 out of 33 found this review helpful

This book is very easy to understand and implement at a comfortable pace. I like the fact that the changes are implemented in a manageable way. The authors examined what it takes for successful weight loss and maintenance. The charts were very informative and the suggestions excellent. I began to implement them right away. It is the simple things like walking from the farthest parking spot instead of the closest one. I'm amazed how many more steps I can add by small changes. The included pedometer is the key.


Realistic dieting   June 16, 2004
30 out of 31 found this review helpful

Instead of looking for the books that all have some kind of gimmic, where you can lose weight with little to no effort, this book actually makes sense. Walk at least 10k steps a day and you will maintain or lose weight. Eat 25% less of what is on your plate, and you will LOSE WEIGHT. There is no catch. The kit includes a book and a pedometer, and that is all you need for this diet. No gym membership, no crazy menus, and no pills. This works, and its fun.