Stepping around the low-fat versus low-carb debate, Jorge Cruise (Eight Minutes in the Morning) suggests that losing weight isn't in what you eat, but rather, when you eat it. The core idea behind The Three-Hour Diet is that by timing your meals and snacks every day, the pounds will come off. No restrictions, no exercise.

While reality is rarely that simple, the advice offered here is nutritionally sound, emphasizing plenty of fruits and vegetables, and filling in with lean proteins, healthy fats, and just enough carbs to keep meals interesting. Following Cruise’s guidelines for portion control, you’ll eat an average of 1,400 calories per day, filling half your plate with fruits or vegetables, and dividing the other half between the rest of the food groups. Healthy meals from fast-food joints and freezer cases are included.

Cruise’s straightforward, no-excuses encouragement works well with the simple formula the plan is based upon, and the clever Three-Hour Plate™ makes it easy to keep portion sizes in check. Still, closely monitoring meal time might seem like a challenge to some of the "busy people" for whom the program claims to be specifically designed. If counting calories or net carbs sounds daunting—but keeping a close eye on the clock doesn’t—you might just find weight loss success in these pages.