Having helped shaped some of today's hottest bodies, one of America's most sought-after diet and fitness experts, Harley Pasternak, here shares his revolutionary five-week program that will help you lose weight and get fit without feeling hungry or deprived. One of the easiest programs to follow, the 5-Factor Diet incorporates

• 5 meals a day with 5 core ingredients in each recipe
• 5-minute meal prep for more than 100 recipes
• 5 short workouts a week

Complete with delicious and quick meal ideas, easy-to-follow shopping lists, and detailed workout photos and instructions, The 5-Factor Diet is the key to your health and happiness!

Chapter 1

We've met before.

I don't know your name or where you live, but it's safe to say that I do know you - and I know why you're reading this book. You're not happy with your body.

It doesn't matter whether you're looking to drop a few pounds, firm up, or improve your health so you can live a longer life; all of these goals start with eating right.

Most likely you've already tried some - if probably seems like all - of the different diets that are popular today. It's likely that you even lost some weight. But if you're like most people, you gained some or all of it back. Or worse, you regained it all plus a few extra pounds. You're sick and tired of fighting the "fat war," running caloric calculations in your head and denying yourself entire food groups. You're fed up with weighing your food at every meal, scrimping on portions, and eating tasteless diet foods while salivating over the cooking shows on TV - all in an effort to look as lean, fit, and glamorous as the movie stars you admire on the big screen.

Well, I have some news for you. Television actors and movie stars don't make the same mistakes that you have. And with the 5-Factor Diet, you won't make those mistakes ever again. Absolutely anyone can get into better shape quickly - the harder part, of course, is staying that way. 5-Factor can help.

My Hollywood Secrets Are Now Yours

When my first book, 5-Factor Fitness, became an overnight success in 2005, I was proud that the system I've been using for years with my Hollywood clients was finally available to everyone. In the book I outlined a 5-week program to jump-start readers to a better body and healthier lifestyle, focusing primarily on fitness and exercise.

Since the book was published, I've been overwhelmed with requests from readers like you asking for more information on diet and nutrition. The sheer volume of letters I've received has made it clear to me that people want to know more about the nutritional plan I use with my clients - particularly the 5-minute meals that are part of my program - and how to incorporate it into their day-to-day lives.

The 5-Factor Diet book you're holding is my new nutritional bible, a complete guide to the simple yet extraordinarily effective diet program I've used for years with my celebrity clients to get them - and keep them - in great shape.

My 5-Factor Diet stands alone as a nutritional program that is simple yet comprehensive. More important, it actually works. Having this book on your shell will be like having your very own round-the-clock personal nutritionist and chef on hand. It's the result of my many years of education and experience in the weight loss industry, with proven results you can see anytime one of my celebrity clients makes a movie, strolls down the red carpet, or poses for a magazine. The 5-Factor Diet is not just another diet book. I promise, this will be the last diet book you'll ever need.

The 5-Factor Diet

So why do I call my program the 5-Factor Diet? That's easy! Or, I should say, it's to make things easier for you. Every nutritional and exercise principle I in about to teach you breaks down into five easy-to-remember points:

• The 5-Factor Diet is a 5-week diet plan.

• There are 5 types of food you should eat in every meal.

• The Diet incorporates a 5-phase 5-Factor Hollywood Workout.

• My exercise routine, like my diet, is simple: 5 workouts a week, each consisting of five 5-minute phases.

• To follow my diet, you'll want to try some of my 100-plus 5-Factor recipes, which require only 5 (or fewer) main ingredients. Each delicious recipe can be prepared in 5 minutes or less- (That doesn't count cooking time, of course; I said delicious, not miraculous!)

I promise: If you can count to 5, the 5-Factor Diet will be the easiest diet you'll ever use to lose.

You're Ready To Start!

Before I get into detail about the simplicity and effectiveness of the 5-Factor Diet - and teach you the scientific basis for it - I want to talk to you about all the fad diets you may have tried in the past. Because you can't move forward without figuring out why you've been falling backward, it's important to understand why every other diet has ultimately failed you. Turn the page to finally break yourself of the yo-yo diet cycle forever.

Copyright © 2009 by Harley Pasternak, M.Sc., with Myatt Murphy.

Tags: Diets and Weight Loss, Nutrition

About the Author

Harley Pasternak M. Sc. is a New York Times bestselling author and holds a master's of science in exercise physiology and nutritional sciences from the University of Toronto, as well as an honors degree in kinesiology from The University of Western Ontario. He is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Today, CNN, America's Next Top Model, Rachel Ray, and Tyra. Pasternak lives and works in Los Angeles.

About the Author

Myatt Murphy is a writer and ghostwriter for both books and magazines. He lives in Easton, Pennsylvania.