I was, unfortunately, caught up in the fervor of the holiday season and a new year, so there I was, eagerly awaiting the arrival on 12/29/09 of what I hoped would be my salvation: The Belly Fat Cure. Yes, I knew that sugar was bad, and the only reason I gave this book two stars is that it identified some hidden sugars. I will probably continue to refer to the sugar/carb ratings in the back. However, a diet or lifestyle that gives license to unlimited proteins while curtailing vegetables is not healthy by any standard. I found it difficult to count the sugars & carbs, and by mid-afternoon I had nearly "spent" my limit. I felt heavy, my digestion suffered, and I lacked energy. The "carb swap" section---very seductive with full color photos & one "carb swap" per page, by the way---was not particularly helpful to me since the majority of the restaurants featured do not exist in my locale. Why not compare a Subway sub and its salad equivalent? Or since many of the products had high sugar contents due to sauces, how about letting us know how many sugar points we can save by eliminating them? This section was just filler. Stick with South Beach for better balance and more responsible advice. The fact that Jorge Cuisine keeps coming out with new plans should have alerted me that it is all about marketing, not about health. Does he have something going with McDonald's, Taco Bell, and KFC?

This is much nicer than I expected! And it also holds more than I thought it would. Wonderful amount of pockets, professional-looking, strips to cover the velcro in case you want the opening/closing to be quiet (e.g., at a conference). Great on a plane... easily fit my 13" laptop, tons of books, and even all my toiletries. Didn't feel bulky, either. I was on the fence about ordering this, but I'm a total fan of this bag.