Ready to Lose? Try Fit Lit on for Size Shape Up With a Book That’s Right for You
Americans’ jeans aren’t the only things expanding. Check out the exploding diet sections at bookstores and libraries. Since one-size- fits-all really only works for scarves, we cracked a few volumes, and we offer summaries here. See if any fit your lifestyle. “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think”
by Brian Wansink, 304 pp., Bantam Books, $12
The skinny: The brain is a terrible thing when it comes to filling your pie hole, says Brian Wansink, a food-marketing professor at Cornell University. It automatically responds to cues to gorge. Weather, room decor, dining companions can all prompt us to mindlessly eat more than we should. So can just the presence of food, a fact proven in Wansink’s dining lab by watching unsuspecting subjects slurp bottomless bowls of tomato soup. Knowing these cues, and consciously checking your response, can lead to significant weight loss, Wansink says.
A morsel from the book: Say you’re drinking beer at a Super Bowl party. Unconsciously, you’ll probably keep sipping until the final fumble. But by putting the bottle cap in your pocket each time you open a beer, you’ll have a handy reminder not to over consume.
Can this book make you phat? If you are a speed dieter who expects rapid weight loss, this is not the book for you. For the more patient, a chapter titled “Defusing Your Diet Danger Zones” identifies common eating profiles – the meal stuffer, the snack grazer, the party binger, the restaurant indulger and the desktop diner – with tips for overcoming each problem. And a Web site, www.mindlesseating.org/free offers free advice, tracking charts and other motivational tools.
“The Black Book of Hollywood Diet Secrets,”
by Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman, 208 pp., Plume, $15
The skinny: The authors admit right off that they are the kind of gals who relish the annual “Who has cellulite?” tabloids. They’ve gone to the stars, and those who make the stars look like stars – A- list trainers, nutritionists and docs who charge, like, $250 an hour – to uncover their secrets.
A morsel from the book: A lot of “tips” you’ve likely heard before – eat something before going to a party; chew your food thoughtfully; when the waiter presents the bread basket, immediately pour your glass of water into it. A couple of new ones include eating parsley to reduce bloat and mixing Benefiber and Emergen-C powder into a glass of water to stave off the 3 p.m. hunger pangs that are a death knell to many a diet.
Can this book make you phat? It’s not a traditional diet book. It’s more a scattershot approach. But it’s entertaining, and just reading it instead of munching on a bowl of buttered popcorn in front of the TV will put you in positive territory – no-cal food for thought.
“Women’s Health Perfect Body Diet”
by Cassandra Forsythe, 352 pp., Rodale Trade Books, $24.95
The skinny: This book, written by a nutritionist and weight-loss coach, never strays from the science behind the bulge. For every assertion – yo-yo dieters have more fat in their upper bodies and less in their legs, for example – there is a clinical study to back it up. But it’s all in an easy-to-digest, conversational style. The diet/exercise program is for those who want to lose 5 to 25 pounds, and the secret weapon is a fiber called glucomannan.
A morsel from the book: The foundation of the diet and exercise program is this: No two female bodies are the same. Forsythe provides detailed directions on how to determine what kind of body you have, how many calories you need, what your ideal weight should be and how well you process carbs. For example, instead of just guessing if you are a small-, medium- or large-framed gal, Forsythe has you measure the circumference of your wrist.
Can this book make you phat? Can you commit to three weeks of regular exercise and 1,600 calories a day split into a total of six feedings? If so, this could work for you. The book includes detailed menus for two carb tolerance body types, 75 recipes and a customized fitness program of 50 exercises. A companion DVD, “Perfect Body Workout,” is a 63-minute full-body cardio and toning workout and is listed for $14.95 at www.collagevideo.com.
“Prevention’s Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss”
by Chris Freytag, 372 pp., Rodale, $21.95
The skinny: Think carving out big blocks of time to spend in the gym is the key to fitness? That might be what’s keeping you fat. Freytag asserts – and backs it up with medical and nutritional studies – that shorter workouts can be equally or even more effective. She encourages you to find time for her “1 Minute Wonder Workouts” and “Lifestyle Shortcuts,” such as exercising while watching TV. Portion control, cardio and toning are part of the gig, but in eight weeks, she says women can drop two dress sizes.
A morsel from the book: Freytag is intolerant of excuses. One section of her book includes schedules of a typical busy mother’s day. In these, she shows where you can eke out time for a 10-minute cardio blast or a relaxing but beneficial stretch.
Can it make you phat? Some stressed-out ladies we know might be sent over the edge thinking that now every second of their day will truly be scripted, down to “1 Minute Wonder Workouts” while the toast browns in the toaster. Master multi-taskers, however, might find that it works. The book includes chapters on nutrition, and cardio and toning exercises for every part of the body. A companion DVD with the same title includes three 10-minute routines and is listed for $14.95 at www.collagevideo.com. She recommends three sets of light dumbbells and a pair of good running shoes, although most workouts don’t call for more than a fast jog.
“Get Wet, Get Fit – The Complete Guide to Getting a Swimmer’s Body”
by Megan Quann Jendrick and Nathan Jendrick, 248 pp., Simon & Schuster, $18
The skinny: No matter your age or size, swimming can help you get into the best shape of your life, the Jendricks say. She’s a two- time Olympic gold medalist, and he’s a trainer. Their swimming technique and nutrition program includes directions and drills for beginner, intermediate and experienced swimmers. Detailed, easy-to- understand directions cover the four basic swimming strokes – breast, back, butterfly and freestyle. There’s also a section on weight training to improve in-pool performance.
A morsel from the book: To perfect the “streamline,” the most drag-efficient position for moving through the water, the Jendricks suggest you try this on land: “Make your body as long as possible in a straight line, extending your arms straight upward, biceps over your ears, hands overlapping. Keep your legs together, straight and toes pointed.
Can this book make you phat? With water all around us, why not swim for fitness? The Jendricks admit it can be a “frustrating sport” to pick up, one that requires coordination and skill, but you can reap the health benefits while perfecting technique. Cap, goggles, swimsuit and water are required.
“Raw Food Life Force Energy”
by Natalia Rose, 266 pp., Collins, $15.95
The skinny: You’ll rarely see E=MC2 in a diet book, but that is precisely what Rose, the author of “The Raw Food Detox Diet,” has based this 21-day weight-loss and re-centering program on. If the body is made up of waves of light energy, or what she calls “Life Force Energy,” then we need a diet that honors that “vibration.” Such a diet includes raw foods, fish and whole grains – food that passes through the body quickly and, Rose says, doesn’t drain body energy. She promises “abundant” weight loss, more energy, glowing skin, a sense of peace, bliss, inner ecstasy and … a reduction in cellulite.
A morsel from the book: Instead of grids of foods with calorie, fat and carb content, Rose rates foods in megahertz, their frequency vibration as measured by the Tainio Technology Frequency Monitoring Device, invented in the early 1990s by a scientist named Bruce Tainio. The most desirable foods are those with the highest vibrations – fresh, organic, ripe fruits, for example, are great at 80MHz; french fries, at less than 1 MHz, are among the worst foods for maintaining your optimum “Life Force Energy.”
Can this book make you phat? It’s a New Age approach to weight loss. If you agree with the “Life Force Energy” premise, it could be your diet. And even if you don’t, the bottom line is that it advocates balanced, clean eating with an emphasis on fresh, organic foods, plus tai chi and yoga.
“You On a Diet – The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management”
by Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, 370 pp., Simon & Schuster, $25
The skinny: Take a tour of your digestive system as Dr. Oz (Oprah’s favorite doc) explains this complex process so that a child could understand it, complete with cartoon illustrations. It’s no diet. “It’s about understanding and automating your biology to reboot your body back to its original factory settings that make you lean and healthy, not the settings that have caused an alarming increase in yearly Santa applications.”
A morsel from the book: The culprit is foods that cause inflammation, chaos and signal your body to store fat. Oz advocates eating three main meals a day, plus snacks, so that you are never hungry. Don’t eat within three hours of bedtime. Make dessert an every-other-day treat.
Can it make you phat? You’ve got to be willing to give up all trans fat, saturated fat (like butter), white flour and most simple sugar. And you’ve got to get moving – 30 minutes of walking every day and a 20-minute strength and stretching workout on alternating days. But with the patience of a priest, Oz lays out exactly what you have to eat and do for two weeks to banish inflammation and up to 2 inches from your waist. Online support is available at www.mychoicescount.com and www.realage.com.
Lorraine Eaton, (757) 446-2697, lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think,”
by Brian Wansink, 304 pp., Bantam Books, $12
The skinny: The brain is a terrible thing when it comes to filling your pie hole, says Brian Wansink, a food marketing professor at Cornell University. It automatically responds to cues to gorge. Weather, room decor, dining companions can all prompt us to mindlessly eat more than we should. So can just the presence of food, a fact proven in Wansink’s dining lab by watching unsuspecting subjects slurp bottomless bowls of tomato soup. Knowing these cues, and consciously checking your response, can lead to significant weight loss, Wansink says.
A feed from the book: Say you’re drinking beer at a Super Bowl party. Unconsciously, you’ll probably keep sipping until the final fumble. But by putting the bottle cap in your pocket each time you open a beer, you’ll have a handy reminder not to over-consume.
Can this book make you phat?: If you are a speed dieter who expects rapid weight loss, this is not the book for you. For the more patient, a chapter titled “Defusing Your Diet Danger Zones” identifies common eating profiles – the meal stuffer, the snack grazer, the party binger, the restaurant indulger and the desktop diner – with tips for overcoming each problem. And a website, www.mindlesseating.org/free offers free advice, tracking charts and other motivational tools.
“The Black Book of Hollywood Diet Secrets,”
by Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman, 208 pp., Plume, $15
The skinny: The authors admit right off that they are the kind of gals who relish the annual “Who has Cellulite?” tabloids. They’ve gone to the stars, and those who make the stars look like stars – A- list trainers, nutritionists and docs who charge, like, $250 an hour – to uncover their secrets.
A feed from the book: A lot of “tips” you’ve likely heard before – eat something before going to a party, chew your food thoughtfully, when the waiter presents the bread basket, immediately pour your glass of water into it. A couple of new ones include eating parsley to reduce bloat and mixing Benefiber and Emergen-C powder into a glass of water to stave off the 3 p.m. hunger pangs that are a death knell to many a diet.
Can this book make you phat? Like they said, it’s not a traditional diet book. It’s more a scattershot approach. But it’s entertaining, and just reading it instead of munching on a bowl of popcorn in front of the TV will put you in positive territory – no- cal food for thought.
“Women’s Health Perfect Body Diet,” by Cassandra Forsythe, 352 pp., Rodale Trade Books, $24.95
The skinny: This book, written by a nutritionist and weight loss coach, never strays from the science behind the bulge. For every assertion – yo-yo dieters have more fat in their upper bodies and less in their legs, for example – there is a clinical study to back it up. But it’s all in an easy-to-digest conversational style. The diet/exercise program is for those who want to lose five to 25 pounds and the secret weapon is a fiber called glucomannan.
A feed from the book: The foundation of the diet and exercise program is this: no two female bodies are the same. Forsythe provides detailed directions on how to determine what kind of body you have, how many calories you need, what your ideal weight should be and how well you process carbs. For example, instead of just guessing if you are a small-, medium- or large-framed gal, Forsythe has you measure the circumference of your wrist.
Can this book make you phat? Can you commit to three weeks of regular exercise and 1,600 calories a day split into a total of six feedings? If so, this could work for you. The book includes detailed menus for two carb tolerance body types, 75 recipes and a customized fitness program of 50 exercises. A companion DVD, “Perfect Body Workout,” is a 63-minute full-body cardio and toning workout and is listed for $14.95 at collagevideo.com
“Prevention’s Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss,” by Chris Freytag, 372 pp., Rodale, $21.95
The skinny: Think that carving out big blocks of time to spend in the gym is the key to fitness? That might be what’s keeping you fat. Freytag asserts – and backs it up with medical and nutritional studies – that shorter workouts can be equally or even more effective. She encourages you to find time for her “1 Minute Wonder Workouts” and “Lifestyle Shortcuts,” such as exercising while watching TV. Portion control, cardio and toning are part of the gig, but in eight weeks, she says women can drop two dress sizes.
A feed from the book: Freytag is intolerant of excuses. One section of her book includes schedules of a typical busy mother’s day. In these, she shows where you can eke out time for a 10-minute cardio blast, or a relaxing, but beneficial stretch.
Can it make you phat? Some stressed out ladies we know might be sent over the edge thinking that now every second of their day will truly be scripted, down to “1 Minute Wonder Workouts” while the toast browns in the toaster. Master multi-taskers, however, might find that it works. The book includes chapters on nutrition, and cardio and toning exercises for every part of the body. A companion DVD with the same title includes three, 10-minute routines and is listed for $14.95 at collagevideo.com. She recommends three sets of light dumbbells and a pair of good running shoes, although most workouts don’t call for more than a fast jog.
“Get Wet, Get Fit – The Complete Guide to Getting a Swimmer’s Body,” by Megan Quann Jendrick and Nathan Jendrick, 248 pp., Simon & Schuster, $18
The skinny: No matter your age or size, swimming can help you get into the best shape of your life, say the Jendricks, she a two-time Olympic gold medalist, he a trainer. Their swimming technique and nutrition program includes directions and drills for beginner, intermediate and experienced swimmers. Detailed, easy-to-understand directions cover the four basic swimming strokes – breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and freestyle. There’s also a section on weight training to improve in-pool performance.
A feed from the book: To perfect the “streamline,” the most drag- efficient position for moving through the water, the Jendricks suggest you try this on land: “Make your body as long as possible in a straight line, extending your arms straight upward, biceps over your ears, hands overlapping. Keep your legs together, straight and toes pointed.
Can this book make you phat? With water all around us, why not swim for fitness? The Jendricks admit it can be a “frustrating sport” to pick up, one that requires coordination and skill, but why not reap the health benefits while perfecting technique? Cap, goggles, swimsuit and water are required.
“Raw Food Life Force Energy,” by Natalia Rose, 266 pp., Collins, $15.95
The skinny: You’ll rarely see E=MC2 in a diet book, but that is precisely what Rose, the author of “The Raw Food Detox Diet,” has based this 21-day weight loss and re-centering program on. If the body is made up of waves of light energy, or what she calls “Life Force Energy,” then we need a diet that honors that “vibration.” Such a diet includes raw foods, fish and whole grains – food that passes through the body quickly, and, Rose says, doesn’t drain body energy. She promises “abundant” weight loss, more energy, glowing skin, a sense of peace, bliss, inner ecstasy and . . . a reduction in cellulite.
A feed from the book: Instead of grids of foods with calorie, fat and carb content, Rose rates foods in megahertz, their frequency vibration of foods as measured by the Tainio Technology Frequency Monitoring Device. The most desirable foods are those with the highest vibrations – fresh, organic, ripe fruits, for example, are great at 80MHz; french fries, at less than 1 MHz, are among the worst foods for maintaining your optimum “Life Force Energy.”
Can this book make you phat? It’s a New Age approach to weight loss. If you agree with the “Life Force Energy” premise, it could be your diet. And even if you don’t, the bottom line is that it advocates balanced, clean eating with an emphasis on fresh, organic foods, plus tai chi and yoga.
“You On a Diet – The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management,” by Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, 370 pp., Simon & Schuster, $25
The skinny: Take a tour of your digestive system as Dr. Oz (Oprah’s favorite doc) explains this complex process so that a child could understand it, complete with cartoon illustrations. It’s no diet. “It’s about understanding and automating your biology to reboot your body back to its original factory settings that make you lean and healthy, not the settings that have caused an alarming increase in yearly Santa applications.”
A feed from the book: The culprit is foods that cause inflammation, chaos and signal your body to store fat. Oz advocates eating three main meals a day, plus snacks, so that you are never hungry. Don’t eat within three hours of bedtime. Make dessert an every-other-day treat.
Can it make you phat?: You’ve got to be willing to give up all trans fat, saturated fat (like butter), white flour and most simple sugar. And you’ve got get moving – 30 minutes of walking every day and a 20-minute strength and stretching workout on alternating days. But with the patience of a priest, Oz lays out exactly what you have do eat and do for two weeks to banish inflammation and up to two inches from your waist. Online support is available at www.mychoicescount.com and www.realage.com
Lorraine Eaton, (757) 446-2697,
lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com
(c) 2008 Virginian – Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.