Suzanne Somers Diet Review

My Suzanne Somers diet review will go over the pros and cons of somersizing. Let’s dive deep into what Suzanne Somers diet is all about and if it’s really worth trying?

If you want my honest opinion scroll down to the bottom of this article. 

What Is Somersizing?

So what is the Suzanne sommer diet?

According to Suzanne, somersizing is not a diet but a “weight loss solution” 

Diets are short term and don’t always last. 

The Suzanne Somers Diet is a practical lifestyle choice and not a short term fix. 

Somersizing is about making you love food again without the starvation and food restrictions of traditional dieting. 

Most diets have a yo-yo effect. Once you stop dieting you put the weight back on.

Firstly, this can be down to restricting your food choices too much. 

Your natural cravings cause you to binge more on foods you were denying yourself. 

Secondly, your metabolism slows down dramatically when dieting. 

This is a natural response. Your body believes it’s under threat of starvation and so lowers its metabolism in order to conserve energy. 

Old myths of dieting

Somers begins to debunk the old myths of losing weight. To lose weight you must exercise more and reduce fat. 

However, according to Somers, this advice is misleading. 

You can still eat fat and lose weight. However, it’s the type of fat you can eat that is important. 

The old myth is that anything with fat is bad for you is wrong!

SUGAR is the world’s greatest enemy. That’s why you can have someone that has fat free yogurt but still gains weight. The other ingredients are causing her to not lose weight. 

As she rightly says, junk food is junk food whether it’s fat-free or not.

Consequently, when somersizing you have to be aware of what you are putting in your body. 

Opinion on Her theory

I would agree sugar is the worst when it comes to weight loss.

Sugar is what you call an “empty” carb. It contains lots of calories but has no other nutrients. It also causes a spike in insulin and hormone levels. 

This can lead to insulin resistance which can eventually cause you to gain weight.  

However, this is obvious mainstream advice. 

Who out there ever thought sugar was good?

Knowing not to fall for misleading nutritional labels is the harder part. 

However, Somers makes good insights into non-fat foods, which will definitely help your future food choices.

Just because some food is low in fat, doesn’t mean its low in sugar. 

As general advice always check the label before you buy something. 

I Love the fact somersizing is geared more towards lifestyle changes

Some diets don’t take into consideration the average person’s lifestyle. 

Average people with hectic lives can’t survive off only salad. Somers takes this into consideration with her food combining and maintenance phase (we will come onto this later).

The Somersizing method.

Somers breaks down fat loss into TWO levels. 

LEVEL 1.
LEVEL 2. 

The beginning stage is Level one, and level two is if you have been somersizing for a while. 

Level 1 is the weight loss stage where you will see the biggest drop. 
Level 2 is about maintaining that weight loss.  

All about weight loss: LEVEL 1

Suzzane breaks down level 1 into 3 steps. 

• Eliminating
• Separating 
• Combining 

Eliminating:

Level one is all about removing funky foods. Funky foods are the foods you don’t want to eat. The type of funky foods include:

White starchy food like potatoes, pasta, caffeine, corn, whiteflower, whole milk, alcohol, sugar, bananas amongst others, sweet potatoes, avocado amongst others.

Separating

Foods are split into four main groups below: 

• Proteins and fats
• Carbos
• Veggies
• Fruits

Through separating foods into different food groups you will know what food groups can be combined.

Combining

The combining phase is all about knowing what foods can be eaten together and what can’t. 

Here are the rules you must follow:

• Fruits should be eaten alone and on an empty stomach
• Proteins/fats must never be eaten with any carbs. They should only be combined with vegetables
• Carbos can only be eaten with veggies and not fat/protein
• You must wait three hours before you get your next meal, if switching from proteins/fats to carbs meals and vice versa. 
• Skipping meals is not allowed. 3 meals a day you must eat. 

Additional rules regarding FRUIT:

1. Carbs must come after 20 min of eating fruit

2. Wait 1 hour for proteins/fats after eating fruit

3. Fruits must be eaten on an empty stomach

What do I think of Level 1?

What I like…

Good practical advice. I love how Somers recommends eating until you’re full.

Nothing more annoying than a program that severely limits your food intake and leaves you hungry. 

With somersizing you can eat till you are happy. This is not only good for your mental health but also for your overall enjoyment of food. 

Essentially, it’s easier and less restrictive than another program out there. 

Some pain points…

Consistently following the rules of level1 might be a bit difficult.

For example, keeping track of what foods you’re allowed to combine and are not can get tedious. 

Also, it’s difficult to follow the rules regarding fruit. I don’t like fruit on an empty stomach and love to have it after a meal as a dessert. So that’s quite annoying…

It might be easier to plan your week out, with meals to eat for certain days if easier. 

However, I believe once you start implementing the rules it will become much easier.  Afterall, the main principle is to simply separate proteins/fats from carbs. 

Likewise, there are lots of recipes to help you

Level 2 is maintenance

Level 2 of Suzanne Somers diet is basically level 1 but with fewer rules and restrictions. 

At level 2 you are allowed to cheat and live a little. 

For example, for level 2 you can occasionally treat yourself to some chocolate. Maybe a glass of wine. 

An occasional touch of sugar/white flour to sauces or dressings is also fine. 

The level of cheating can be broken out into minor, moderate and major imbalances.

Basically, this just refers to the severity of cheating involved. 

For example, minor imbalance might be mixing a small amount of fat with carbos. Major imbalances could be cheating on a rack of ribs with french fries. 

It goes against the level 1 rules. You’re eating white bread, mixing proteins and carbs and having sugar (in the bbq sauce). 

The trick is to listen to your body and realize when your imbalances are too much. You can normally find out if you’re bloating or gaining weight. 

Pros 

Simple recipes and lots of them!

Somers tries to make life easy by providing a list of recipes to follow. 

The recipes, for the most part, are simple and do help you keep on track.

 Take for example the following meal plan for the day recipe below:

Breakfast Oatmeal with nonfat milk, or fruit smoothie

Lunch Blue cheese vinaigrette, grilled chicken and watercress

Dinner – combine any proteins fat, fish, meat, poultry. It can be fried, grilled , baked or roasted. 

Will never feel like your starving

For example, Lamb chops and fresh herbs yummy. Or baked salmon with grilled vegetables. yum.

Dirt cheap book. 

Some books are on the market for a pretty penny. Some weight loss programs are over 100 bucks. This simple book is very affordable.

I enjoy Somer’s conversational tone too. It’s’ like you’re sitting in the living room with her.

She lays her book out as simply as possible and it’s not full of scientific jargon. 

Great for a wholesome outlook on health.

Suzanne does go into why her program is good. It’s not simply giving you instructions and recipes to follow. She tried to help you understand the long term benefit of food. And how you should be thinking about food in everyday life. 

If you’re someone who has no clue about diet it’s a great starting point to making more educated food choices. 

Allows cheating

This is not even so much cheating. We should all be allowed to enjoy different food choices every once in a while. Somers gives us permission to do so in level 2.

Nothing wrong with sometimes having some dark chocolate. Or sometimes combining proteins and carbs together. We are human after all.

A diet that allows CARBS!

Plenty of diets like keto that prevent you from eating lots of carbs. Somersizing allows you to have carb meals which is amazing! However, one thing I dislike, is that somersizing doesn’t allow you to have sweet potato, which is one of my favourite carbs 🙁

Easy to follow??

This is a pro and a con. Some people find it easier and others find it harder.

I myself found it slightly complicated at first. However, it is easy once you get into a rhythm. 

Feel amazing

Not only will you lose weight but you will feel better for it. If you remove carbs you will feel less sluggish. Same goes for sugar. 

Your body is more balanced without the sudden insulin spikes. You may end up feeling more energized and have a brighter healthier mentality. 

Cons

 Despite the Pros, there are some criticisms of the suzzane somer diet. Let’s go over my own research and what other people are saying. 

Too many Food combining rules

There are too many rules to follow. You may find it tedious.

For example, having fruits on their own and on an empty stomach is quite restrictive. 

I like having fruit as a dessert right after a meal, to refresh my taste buds.

However, on Suzanne Somers diet you have to eat fruit on an empty stomach. 

Likewise, you have to wait exactly 1 hour after eating fruit to have a protein, and 30 min to have a carb.  This can be a bit of a bummer for sure. 

It can also get a bit annoying to have to combine foods all the time. The food you prepare always has to meet the principles. 

Sometimes you may just want some sweet potato with your chicken but you won’t be allowed that. (carbos and proteins should not be eaten together)

If you work in an office, you may need to bring in your own lunch or buy a salad.

However, there are people who argue that the rules are much easier once you know what you’re doing. 

In simple terms, you just have to ditch the carbs. And if you do eat carbs, never combine them with fat or protein. 

Not Allowed to Eat Some Good Foods. 

Somers bans you from eating sweet potato, avocado, bananas, and nuts.

This sucks…

Sweet potatoes, and avocado all contain antioxidants which are important for gut health. Sweet potato also is healthy and contains vitamins, nutrients, and fiber. 

Some studies even show sweet potatoes can help prevent cancer. 

Avocados are also extremely healthy fat. They contain plenty of vitamins. The highest percentages of vitamins being from vitamin k and vitamin C. 

Likewise, they contain no sodium and a full of healthy fat. 

Post-2020 avocados are a huge health craze globally, so its annoying Suzanne does not include this food. I might still sneak it in. 

Bananas are high in potassium which is good for your heart health, and also provides a good amount of energy. 

Nuts are a great source of protein, healthy fat, and fiber. They also contain some nutrients. 

In addition, some nuts can even help with weight loss. For example, some studies show almonds combined with a low-calorie diet can help you lose weight. 

Overall, I love bananas, nuts, avocado, and sweet potato. 

They are highly nutritious so it’s surprising Somers does not allow you to eat these.

A bit of an ego boost for suzanne somers. 

Lots of pics of her fabulous life. I get this everywhere. She is a celebrity we get that. But sometimes it’s a bit too much. We get the idea she may be abit withdrawn from oridinary plebs like myself. 

As one reviewer rightly put. It can feel like a special photo album. 

However, this is me being abit nit picky. 

Meal prep. 

A small issue is there are not really too many tips on meal prep. The recipes are all given. But preparing them throughout the week can be a bit of an issue. 

The best thing to do is get a bunch of foods like proteins, carbs, veggies and fats. And to cook meals as they come up. That way you can at least be prepared and don’t cheat on the rules. 

Not much science backing Somersizing.

There is not much research backing somersizing. Considering a study found that there was no difference between a regular diet and food combining one. 

Both diets achieved similar results for weight loss. 

This kinda brings me to my point that somersizing is simply about making smarter food choices. 

Food combining is her little way of adding a twist on it. Proteins and veggies are better to eat together. 

Likewise, removing heavy carb meals like white rice and white bread is definitely a factor in losing weight. 

Lack of education in some areas

For example, for some desserts, she recommends ice cream, chocolate mousse and pudding. I mean this has got to be a typo!?

However, kinda reiterates the fact Somers is a regular person sharing her experiences. 

But desserts like ice cream, and mouse all contain loads of sugar. And guess what sugar is absolutely a no-no when it comes to weight loss and health. 

Loads of other books

What you will find is that Suzanne Somers really has a ton of books.

The majority of them actually talk about the same food combining principles. 

So you’re better off just sticking to one and going from there. 

 

Who is the Suzanne Somers? ..Is She Credible?

Suzzane Somers is an actor, businesswoman, ex-playboy model, and health educator. 

Her method for losing weight is more backed by her own experiences than over scientific research. 

Years working in showbiz and in the limelight have probably taught her a few tricks to looking her best. 

I believe that sometimes we put too much emphasis on doctors and scientists just because of their titles. 

Likewise, there is some science supporting the basic principles of food combining. 

For example, a study showed that substituting protein for carbs was associated with an increase in weight loss. 

Somersizing does touch on this by forbidding eating carbs and protein at the same time. 

Consequently, when eating protein only your effectively substituting carbs for protein. 

So some weight loss principles are indirectly touched upon in her books.

However, officially, there is no or very little scientific evidence for actual food combining.  

A possible side of caution…

It’s important to remember that Suzanne Sommers is also a Businesswoman. 

Hence in one of my cons, I mentioned a complaint that some of her books can feel like a photo album of her perfect life.

Similarly, all of her books primarily talk about the same thing but from a slightly different angle to make it appear different. 

So buying one of her diet books should be more than enough to get the gist of somersizing. 

Overall, I genuinely believe the intentions of Suzanne Somers are positive and her books try and give you as much info you need in order to succeed. 

 

Suzanne Somers diet success stories?

There are people who have had success with somersizing. A common set of themes found is that 

• People feel more energized. 
• They overcame fat loss plateau. 
• Learned more and became more educated about different food groups. 

You can read all about some reviews on Amazon to get a feel for what others have to say. 

Likewise, a fellow YouTuber gave her opinion that although fluctuating a bit, she did lose some weight while somersizing. 

Important to note she did regain some weight back when not following the somersizing diet. 

 

What’s the difference between somersizing and a Regular Diet?

The main concept of Somersizing is food combining. 

A regular diet involves more mixing of different food groups. Most people have chicken with potatoes, white rice. Fruits come up as dessert. 

With somersizing you follow the rules of food combining. So you have to be slightly more disciplined and know what food groups you can eat together.  

However, there are also similarities between somersizing and a regular diet. 

The fact in level 2 of somersizing you can be more relaxed with diet, makes it more similar to a regular diet. For example, you can mix some food groups together now and again and cheat too. 

It’s just important you don’t overdo it. 

Somersizing vs Keto?

Differences – Not allowed nuts and avocado on Somersizing. 

These foods are plentiful in keto. Keto is all about consuming healthy fats, so your body burns fat reserves for energy. 

So eating fats like avocado and nuts is normal. 

You are also allowed to eat more carbs on the Suzanne Somers Diet. Keto severely restricts carbs. 

However, there are similarities. For example, combining fat and protein together is very similar to keto. Keto recommends eating fat and proteins together.

Who Is This Program For?

This program is great for people looking for a practical way to lose weight. Somersizing is simple to understand and not overly complicated. 

As mentioned it’s not meant to be a diet in the traditional sense but an everlasting way of life. 

This program is less for gym bunnies or bodybuilders, but more everyday people looking for a diet change. 

FAQ

Can you use almond flour somersize? Unfortunately almond is a funky food so it’s a no. It’s a pity because I love almonds. Almond powder is essentially ground almonds that have been broken down so finely until they become flour. Are olives okay on somersize? Olives are predominantly fat. And they don’t appear on funky foods. So that’s a yes. Is peanut butter ok on suzanne somers diet?  Peanut butter is classified as a funky food. So no Peanut butter.  Can I eat popcorn on Somers diet? I’m not sure what the official stance is on popcorn. However, as a level 2 option i would say its fine to have a little popcorn as a cheat. Would do no harm. However, be sure to pick popcorn that has no sugar.

My Opinion – Does it really work?

Yes, I believe somersizing gives some very sound advice. 

There are plenty of people who have lost weight following somersizing. 

However, your weight loss does depend on how disciplined before and other different factors. 

If you exercise your progress will be quicker. Likewise, if you have time to put down a system you will win. 

If you take anything away from somersizing it really is simple. Have proteins and fats and not too many carbs. 

No sugar, have proteins/fats with veggies, and if you have carbs have them alone.

However, I believe the right mindset has to be implemented in the beginning. Be prepared to be more disciplined with your food choices. 

Recommend Alternative.

I managed to find 50% off of Metabolic cooking.

It’s a dirt-cheap cookbook that is an amazing resource when it comes to shedding weight.

I personally use these simple yet tasty recipes nearly daily. Definitely worth it. 

Top recipes to Increase your metabolism here

 

Other  products

There are many other diet books out there that can really help you lose weight!

Here are a few of my favorites:

“How not to diet” is backed by science! It also details many weight loss accelerators you probably never heard of.

Where To Buy?

Amazon normally has affordable prices and other customer reviews.

To help you make the right choice, see what other customers say about Somersizing below.  

Check Other Reviews On Amazon.