The Wall Street Diet: The Surprisingly Simple Weight-Loss Plan for Hardworking People Who Don't Have Time to Diet

Bauer, a dietician, directs her flexible plan at people who would never go for prepackaged meals or calorie counting. Her clientele are workaholics who grab meals on the go, do business over expense-account lunches and are frequently confronted by unhealthy treats in the conference room or at office parties. Bauer claims her approach “makes losing weight a seamless part of the corporate lifestyle rather than an add-on project to an already full schedule.” First, readers are asked to decide if they are a “Clean Plate Clubber” or a “Controlled Eater,” as this will help determine the course of their diet in regards to snacking, purchasing food and meal portions. Next, they are allowed to choose a few “non-negotiables,” i.e., the things they feel they cannot live without. Once these guidelines are intact, Bauer offers strategies for dealing with the food choices most working people confront daily (for ordering in with co-workers, take note of the healthy menu options beforehand, and don't succumb to dishes like “General Tso's Chicken). Though Bauer's “diet” consists of nothing earth-shattering (avoid flour and refined sugar, control portion sizes, etc.), the specificity of the situations and solutions presented should appeal to its target audience. (Apr.)