Crack the Fat-Loss Code by Wendy Chant

It’s science, no it’s magic, no it’s Science, no it’s Magic. Well, actually it is science…but it feels like Magic.

I’d already lost 60 pounds, using exercise and some basic nutrition, before my personal trainer turned me on to this plan. It had taken me about a year and a half to lose that initial chunk of weight, I had kept it off for about three years, and I was incredibly proud of what I had accomplished. The problem was, I was still kinda lumpy, and I couldn’t get off the plateau I was on. I just couldn’t get get any thinner.

Enter the plan found in this easy, smart book.

In about three months, 20 more pounds came off, and I was — I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to write this word — THIN, and incredibly fit (I’m running marathons, and dancing WELL in hip-hop classes — and I’m a male in my late forties!)

So, why did this plan work for me, when others hadn’t?

First of all, this book is so cleanly and clearly written, that my fears of being overwhelmed by it (as I’d been by other diet books) were wiped out in the 20 seconds it took me to glance at a few pages. It’s simple, it’s fun, and it’s even inspiring!

Secondly, it motivates on three different levels.
1) You can skip the science, and just do the plan — every day is clearly mapped out — and Magic occurs.
2) You can use the cutting-edge science (I swear, it’s not daunting, it’s just fun) to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. Once I understood what affects my body, and why, I became even more enthusiastic about sticking to the plan. It actually became easier and more fun.
3) The stories — and pictures — of people who have accomplished so much on this plan, got me even more involved in it. I felt their stories, and I wanted to be one of them.

I’ve heard people say that the diet that works is the one you stick with. That’s true, but this book goes one step further, because it actually changes the way your body, your machine, works. And believe me, you will be so excited when you discover that your machine, when properly primed, is a Formula One Racing Car, instead of the lumpy old minivan you thought it was. Join me in hip-hop class, and find out.

Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat High-Protein Recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years After Surgery by Patt Levine, Michele Bontmpo-Saray, William B. Inabnet, and Meredith Urban

This is the best cookbook out there for post bariatric patients. There are wonderful recipes that are easy to prepare and you are given exactly how much protein you will be getting with each meal - which is more important than anything. I love the fact that it was put together by someone who has had the surgery and that she couldn’t find a cookbook out there for herself. Face it there isn’t much out there for us. This is a great example of a well put together cookbook.

Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir by Jennette Fulda

Being one of the millions of obese people out there, I saw this book at the library and picked it up… Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir By Jennette Fulda. I can’t say that I knew about her beforehand from her writing [..] But after reading Half-Assed, I’ll be adding her to my blogroll and re-examining my own weight issues.

Contents: A History of Fatness; Living Large; The Snooze Button; No Epiphanies; Diet and Exercise; Stumbling Blocks; The Incredible Shrinking Woman; The Girl in the Mirror; Too Small for My Britches; Two Weddings and a Funeral; Trail Mix; I Should Know Better By Now; My Online Waistline; Acquired Tastes; Decloaking; Half-Assed; The Secret; Killing the Fat Girl; Notes; Acknowledgments; About the Author “Before” and “After”

Fulda doesn’t set out to write a book about her weight-loss program or some secret formula she discovered. This is nothing but a raw look at the pain and realities of being fat, and the struggles she had in losing over half her body weight. And in my opinion, that’s why this book works so well. The celebrity weight-loss winners all seem to want to “sell” you on their methodology and program. Fulda doesn’t go into any great detail about what to eat, how much to eat, exercise programs, and the like. You learn her fears and self-loathing as she climbs to over 360 pounds. You’re listening to her live through the fits and starts of finally getting traction on her weight loss goals. And more importantly, you also experience her ups and downs over the many months that it took to get to her current half-Fulda state. I enjoyed watching her mindset change as she went from someone who she felt didn’t deserve any attention to someone who knows what it’s like to be “normal”. She’s brutally raw in her writing style, and she doesn’t pull any punches about the difficulties involved in making such a radical change to your body. It’s also refreshing to see her current attitude towards her body. She’s still at a point where the charts would say she’s “chubby”, but she also is comfortable with that knowing from where she started her journey. It’s nice to see a weight loss story that doesn’t end with the person becoming supermodel-thin and a fitness magazine covergirl. Fulda is no different than you and me… Flawed, imperfect, but working away on life.

If you’re looking for a “do this, this, and this” book, head elsewhere (or go over to her blog). But if you want to understand and experience life through the eyes of someone who’s been there and is still working at doing that, read away.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss by Lucy Beale

This is not the end-all be-all book on GI Weight Loss, but it contains everythig I need to know in language I understand completely. Following the GI eating principals, I’ve already lost 3 pounds in just 2 days. This will slow later, but I’m pleased to know…it works!

Well written, solid coverage..you will come away understanding the basic principals of GI eating, and what to eat when in order to create the weight loss you’re seeking. It offers some recipes, but also information enough to create your own so you’re not dependant on certain recipes.

Will definitely hand this off to anyone looking to understand the GI basics in “everyman’s” lingo.

As I get further along in this, I’m sure I’ll want something more comprehensive, and what’s even better…this book has some great recommendations for more in-depth study/understanding, complete with pros/cons, etc…so you know what you’re getting before you spend the money. Very impressed.

Apples & Pears: The Body Shape Solution for Weight Loss and Wellne by Carol Svec and Marie Savard

Until Apples & Pears, no one ever classified women by body shape which is critical and makes all the difference in the years to come!

I am the perfect pear, all my inches accumulate below the belt mainly the thighs, with a very narrow top. After reading the book, I found out that being pear-shaped, I’m protected from cardiovascular disease because of subcutaneous fat, or what the book terms pear-zoned fat. I learned pears have a greater risk of cellulite/varicose veins, heavy legs and osteoporosis as well as we make less potent estrogen after menopause meaning we are usually candiates, depending on our family history, for hormone replacement. The information gathered in this book is pulled from medical research along with Dr. Savard’s expertise/background in women’s health making this book #1 and a first of it’s kind.

I highly suggest everyone reading this review to visit www.applesandpears.org to find out more about body shapes, find out your waist hip ratio, a calculator provided on the site, as well as downloading the health logs which are also printed in the book.

To quote Dr. Savard, “Body shape is the closet thing we have to a medical crystal ball”. To understand what the meaning behind this statement is..you’ll have to read the book.

The Weight Loss Cure They Don’t Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau

Like everyone I purchased this looking for an answer. Turns out I had all of the answers before I got his plan. This is one of those plans that once you hear it you will say to yourself - “if I could have done that I would not have purchased this product.

Example - he begins with starting your day with pure / filtered water. Easy enough… Then eat a big breakfast - but you can not eat anything that is not organic or free range.. Ok, but that is going to cost some coin…. Then basically for every meal you can eat what ever as long as you follow the same rules - nothing man made, nothing organic, no refined sugars, no tap water, no fast food, no diet soda, a max of 1 cup of coffee per day.. Wow - sounds like I need to be pretty disciplined.. Wait - if I was that disciplined I would not be this fat to start with..

Now on to the one item that had my belly just rolling with laughter.. You need to walk un-interupted one hour per day… Hmmm - that kind of sounds like exercise to me and back to “I knew I should do that before I heard this”.

Finally a note on the hypocrisy of this man. Kevin goes into great detail about why the carbo diets fail and he has met people from China who eat nothing but rice (all carbs), the French who eat bread and cheese (all carbs), the Italians who eat pasta (all carbs) and yet all of the people are all thin - no fat people… Yet I can give Kevin a list of 100 people I know who do not eat all organic food; who do not walk an hour a day; who do not cleanse their bowels and livers and who do not give themselves enemas every day who do not have a weight problem and who have lost weight… I think we should measure your method the same way you measure others…

Stay away from this book - we all know what we need to do without buying it and without the extremes..

The Natural Fat-Loss Pharmacy by Harry Md Preuss and Bill Gottlieb

When I started reading “The Natural Fat-Loss Pharmacy,” I was hopeful that there might be some way to take off the extra weight I was carrying without having to exercise or deprave myself of the foods I love. I was already limiting my fat intake because my doctor was about to put me on a medication to reduce my cholesterol count. My cholesterol level was coming into normal range, but I wasn’t seeing the physical results I desired.

I had never heard of some of the nutritional supplements and herbs mentioned in this book, but by the time I finished reading it, I felt drawn to start taking EGCG (green tea extract) to speed up my fat burning process. It was the answer I was looking for. After taking the supplement for only a week, I had more energy. I started exercising for about 20 minutes a day while taking EGCG. That’s when I visibly started seeing inches come off my torso.

Who would have thought that a supplement could make such a difference? I would not have known about green tea extract had I not needed to read the book in order to interview Bill Gottlieb for my iTunes podcast Writers in the Sky. This book is a must read for anyone willing to try something drug-free to address a physical problem.

The Sierras Weight-Loss Solution for Teens and Kids by Daniel S., Ph.D. Kirschenbaum, Ryan Craig, and Lisa Tjelmel

I would like to inform folks though, that my daughter and three of her friends, including her room mate, had to have Gall Bladder surgery after their rapid weight lost with this program.

I’m not complaining because i am happy with my daughter’s success and my decision. However, i do think they should advise parents who are considering this program that there is that risk. I had insurance, others might not be so lucky unless they are prepared in advance.

Gall Bladder surgery is something rarely seen in kids until now but with the new epidemic of over-weight kids it does become a health risk for them.

Lying in Weight by Trisha, Gura

Lying in Weight exposes the myth that eating disorders are time-limited ones that resolve themselves when a woman leaves the battleground of adolescence. Although eating disorders tend to have their roots in adolescence, the author convincingly argues how “An eating disorder can fit into any part of development and slowly but powerfully disrupt proper development of the whole.”

A main theme of this book is that when the key psychosocial developmental milestones have not been achieved, women are more vulnerable to eating disorders during stressful life transitions. In particular, the adolescent who does not develop a solid identity is at increased risk for an eating disorder when life stresses arise during her young adulthood, pregnancy, parenting, and older adulthood phases of life. This book provides a wealth of information, understanding, and insight as to how the “latent beast” of eating disorders can surface throughout the lifespan. And, equally as important, Lying in Weight provides hope that with therapy, commitment, and resiliency, recovery is possible: for the 16 year-old struggling with anorexia, for the 65 year-old battling bulimia, and for everyone else in between.

Ugh, Mondays. When the fun-loving and fast-living weekend comes to a screeching halt with the sound of your alarm clock, its tempting to pull the covers over your eyes and say ‘Wake me when its Friday!’

Why not approach today as the day you start living a healthier life? Audio books on healthy eating are a great start - its like having a good angel whispering in your ear while you’re eyeing that box of office donuts beside the coffee maker.

You can’t get much simpler than The Beginners Guide To Health Eating. This quickie book is just over an hour long, and written by an American MD.

Eat, Drink and Be Healthy is another simply titled book, but with a slightly different message. This book focuses on debunking food myths using clear, straightforward nutritional science.

You: On a Diet is the latest in a series of the You books that gets great reviews by Simply Audiobooks subscribers. Its kind of like a behind-the-scenes look at how your body runs; and how you can improve that system by eating correctly.