tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41970140692989198462024-03-19T03:38:02.007-04:00Health & Fitness Book Reviews<i>Reviews by Independent Book Reviewer, MizJ.</i>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-23287846586700874232013-03-25T18:17:00.003-04:002013-03-25T18:18:53.603-04:00"FITlosophy 1" by SharnyandJulius<img alt="SharnyJulius_FITlosophy1" height="200" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/sharnyjulius_fitlosophy1.jpg?w=152&h=150" width="135" /><br />
<b>TITLE</b>: "<i>FITlosophy 1</i>"<br />
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<b>AUTHOR</b>: SharnyandJulius<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">™</span></div>
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<b>DIETY?</b>: no</div>
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<b>IE?</b>: somewhat</div>
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<b>MY RATING</b>: 4<b>****</b><b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;">SharnyandJulius™ are an Australian husband and wife team who teach fitness & nutrition. They describe this book as a “collection of parables for athletes”. But really, they also say that an “athlete” is anyone “<em style="line-height: inherit;">who is doing something physical with a goal in mind</em>” (p.107).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This book talks about guilt, food addiction, intensity, play, mobility, excuses, failure, athleticism and laziness. The chapters are short — only a few pages each — but they pack a punch. I think my favorite chapter was “<em style="line-height: inherit;">You, Athlete</em>“. It talked about “default plays”, and about how you can change those.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The only thing I did not like about this book was the chapter where Julius wrote about his food addiction, as he started off with a story about a friend of Sharny’s that had come to visit, and he went into far too much detail about his bodily functions. He also swore a lot in that chapter, and I thought that was unnecessary. This is the only chapter in the whole book that was like that.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Overall, though, I really liked this book, as it takes aim at so many of our excuses. And, it’s readily readable. Recommended.</span></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-48354030060148551322013-03-04T10:40:00.000-05:002013-03-04T10:40:03.373-05:00Intuitive Eating, 3rd Edition by Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch<img height="200" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/intuitiveeating_evelyntribole_elyseresch6.jpg?w=149&h=150" width="132" /><div>
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<b>TITLE:</b> "<i>Intuitive Eating</i>" (<i>3rd Edition</i>)<br /><b>AUTHORS:</b> Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: no<br /><b>IE?</b>: YES!<br /><b>MY RATING</b>: 5*****<b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.intuitiveeating.org/" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Intuitive Eating</a> encompasses ten principles, but the main three (3) keys are these:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong>• Unconditional permission to eat when hungry and what food is desired</strong><br /><strong>• Eating for physical rather than emotional reasons</strong><br /><strong>• Reliance on internal hunger and satiety cues to determine when and how much to eat</strong></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I have been a big fan & promoter of this method since I <a href="http://thinwithin4life.blogspot.ca/2005_08_01_archive.html" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">first heard about it</a> in 2005. Using its principles, I lost twenty-five pounds in six months while eating my favorite things (<em>chocolate, ice cream, cheeseburgers, pizza, etc</em>).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In this latest edition of the book, the authors have removed many of the numbers that were in the previous edition (<em>stats, weights, heights</em>) because they believe that it leads to self-sabotage when these are the focus. They have also added two new chapters — one that gives scientific backing to prove that IE works, and the other that focuses on how to help children and teens become Intuitive Eaters.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The chapter on kids was actually very interesting to me, as I have two of my own (ages 11 & 14), one of which is very rebellious in regards to food — he loves chips & ice cream, and it worries me that he’s learning all of my own bad habits. The authors insist, though, that letting kids make their own decisions regarding food (<em>how much, what kinds, etc</em>) is the best method because they will intuitively get in the balanced nutrition they need, if they’re left alone. It’s when an issue is made of their eating habits or their weight that they start to rebel, and/or lose faith in their ability to trust their internal cues.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">One thing that surprised me about this new edition was the constant reminder of how it’s important to put weight loss on the back burner in the beginning of this process. The reason for this is that, if you’re focused on losing weight — as opposed to just learning how to become an Intuitive Eater — you will sabotage yourself by either getting depressed over the slowness of your weight loss progress, or by seeking out other diets in hopes of quicker results.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Here are some quotes from the book that I found helpful (<em>some of which I forgot to write the page number references for</em>):</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;">• bring peace to your eating life and body image (p.32)</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• focus on weight loss MUST be put on the back burner while you learn to return to Intuitive Eating</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• If you allow even <span style="text-decoration: underline;">one small hope</span> to linger that a new and better diet might be lurking around the corner, it will prevent you from being free to rediscover Intuitive Eating (chp.1)</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• undereating leads to overeating</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• you can’t fail at IE — it’s a learning process at every point along the way (p.53)</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• the more you practice, the more confidence you’ll have (p.86)</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• focus on continual change and learning, and start thinking in terms of what you can learn along the way (p.119)</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• pause in the middle of eating to gauge your hunger level, and to ask yourself how the food tastes</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• give yourself permission to eat again when you get hungry</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• if you start eating when you’re not hungry, it’s hard to know when to stop from satiety (p.128)</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• slow down while eating</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• It’s what you eat consistently, over time, that matters — progress, not perfection…</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">• Intuitive Eating means having <span style="text-decoration: underline;">no guilt</span> in your eating (p.301)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Lastly, there is a chapter on eating disorders, too, and how those caught in the throes of one can seek help, and also learn to eat intuitively.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Overall, I most highly recommend this book, and this method. It is very much based on common sense, and we all know that dieting doesn’t work in the long run, anyway. This method is great because you can still eat what you love, you can eat out at restaurants without worrying about blowing your ‘diet’, and you can lose the craziness of obsessing over what food is “good/bad”.</span></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-78460594493342264832013-03-04T10:35:00.001-05:002013-03-04T10:36:53.745-05:00Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst (book & DVD set)<img height="200" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/made2crave_lysaterkeurst.jpg?w=150&h=150" width="133" /><br />
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<b>TITLE: </b>"<i>Made to Crave</i>" <br />
<b>AUTHOR:</b> Lysa Terkeurst<br />
<b>DIETY?</b>: somewhat<br />
<b>IE?</b>: somewhat<br />
<b>MY RATING</b>: 4****<b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong>About the book:</strong> Just because a woman finally fits into her skinny jeans doesn’t mean she’s won her battle with food. Too often, women overlook the spiritual component to their physical struggle with healthy eating.<em><span style="color: #003366;">Made to Crave</span></em> taps into the desires God gave you to consume food without letting food consume you!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><em><span style="color: #003366;">Made to Crave</span></em> is the missing link between a woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen. The reality is we were made to crave. Craving isn’t a bad thing. But we must realize God created us to crave more of him. Many of us have misplaced that craving by overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction. If you are struggling with unhealthy eating habits, you can break the “<em>I’ll start again Monday</em>” cycle, and start feeling good about yourself today. Learn to stop beating yourself up over the numbers on the scale. Discover that your weight loss struggle isn’t a curse but rather a blessing in the making, and replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory. You can reach your healthy weight goal – and grow closer to God in the process. This is not a how-to book. This is not the latest and greatest dieting plan. This book is the necessary companion for you to use alongside whatever healthy lifestyle plan you choose.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This is a book and Bible study to help you find the “want to” in making healthy lifestyle choices. 224 pages. Companion Bible study DVD set also available.<a href="http://madetocrave.org/purchase-resources/" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">http://madetocrave.org/purchase-resources/</a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #003366;"><strong><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: underline;">MY REVIEW:</span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: maroon; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.385;">This is a fantastic book that can be used in conjunction with whatever diet/healthy eating plan you choose. But, be forewarned: if you don’t like the Christian viewpoint, you probably won’t like this book.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: maroon;">Lysa starts off by reminding the reader that we were made to crave… but those cravings should be directed at God, and nothing else. She goes on to tell us her story, and to encourage us by giving us tools to use to combat our cravings, all the while reminding us that we were made for more ~ more than being stuck in this rut, more than frustration… We were made for victory!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: maroon;">A lot of the book focuses on discipline and self-control. And, on how those things will lead us down a path in pursuit of holiness. We’re reminded that we cannot do this on our own, and that in order to succeed, we need to rely on God’s strength and not our own.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: maroon;">My favorite chapter had to be the one on exercise (if you can believe it!). Mind you, I think it’s because it’s the one chapter that focused the most on discipline & self-control, and I’ve known for a while now that these are areas where I’m lacking. I loved the quote on page 89 (still in the same chapter) where it said, “Each pound lost was not a quest to get skinny, but evidence of obedience to God.” And, the chapter also talked about divided loyalties, and how we can’t be loyal to God when we’re being loyal to our cravings.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: maroon;">I found myself relating to so much of what Lysa wrote about her struggles with losing weight. While she didn’t have a lot to lose, she still struggled with whether or not to make the same rationalizations and compromises that I, myself, struggle with on a regular basis. But, through God’s strength, Lysa learned to overcome her struggles, and to have victory over this battle — so I feel encouraged that I, too, will have victory in this area of life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: maroon;">Overall, this is a great book. It’s not preachy, and Lysa’s writing style is very down-to-earth and “girlfriend-to-girlfriend”… she’s hilarious, but also very wise. I highly recommend this one!</span></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white;">About the DVD series:</strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">If you want to maximize your experience and bring these teachings to life in a way you’ll never forget, you’ll want to order the full set of resources. Adding the DVD teaching series and the workbook will motivate you to get healthy without feeling deprived, lose the weight in a permanent way, and find the peace your body, mind and soul desires. This DVD study can be done in a group or by yourself.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Bundle is only available through Proverbs 31 Ministries, so click here to order!<a href="http://madetocrave.org/purchase-resources/" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">http://madetocrave.org/purchase-resources/</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #003366;"><strong>MY REVIEW (DVD)</strong>:</span></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">The DVD for this book is a great one. Each week you study something related to the topic from the main book, MADE TO CRAVE. The DVD sessions help you to go deeper, and help to further cement the information being taught into your mind. I really am enjoying this whole set/study!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong> </strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong></span><span class="embed-youtube" style="display: block; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><iframe class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="250" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/stsFd7Pv5jw?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent" style="max-width: 100%;" type="text/html" width="400"></iframe></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><strong></strong></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: green;">TO VIEW THE REST OF THE BLOG TOUR,</span> <a href="http://litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/made-to-crave-dvd-series-by-lysa-terkeurst.html" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">PLEASE CLICK HERE</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong><a href="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/lysa2.jpg" style="color: #4265a7; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-7996" height="232" originalw="497" scale="1.5" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/lysa2.jpg?w=497" style="border: none; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 15px;" title="Lysa2" width="232" /></a>About Lysa:</strong> Lysa TerKeurst is an author and speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith through following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has led thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Lysa wrote the book Made to Crave from the perspective of a woman who has never craved a carrot stick in her whole life. Having struggled with her weight her whole adult life, Lysa knows what it feels like to be in the vicious cycle of gaining and losing, but never feeling at peace in her struggle. Everything changed when Lysa decided to have her deepest desire met by God not food. Now, armed with the spiritual motivation she gained in her own journey, she is inspiring others to find lasting victory.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">As a nationally known speaker, Lysa has been passionately teaching women God’s truths for years. Lysa’s personal adventures of following God led to appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The 700 Club, USA Today newspaper, Woman’s Day magazine, and Focus on the Family radio.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Today, Lysa and her ministry team at Proverbs 31 Ministries encourage more than 375,000 women through their daily online devotional. In addition, she co-hosts a 1-minute inspirational radio program aired on more than 1,200 stations around the world. Plus, she touches hearts through their monthly magazine, P31 Woman. Lysa’s blog averages over 70,000 avid readers per month. She is the award-winning author of 14 books, including her newest releases, Made to Crave and Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl. Other noteworthy books include What Happens When Woman Say Yes to God, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith, Capture His Heart, and Capture Her Heart. Visit Lysa’s website for more info and to visit her blog! <a href="http://lysaterkeurst.com/" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">http://lysaterkeurst.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #888888;">This book & DVD set were sent to me for review, courtesy of <em><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">LitFuse Publicity Group</a></em>! Thank you! <img alt=":D" class="wp-smiley" scale="0" src="http://s0.wp.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif?m=1129645325g" /></span></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-44057309094368598352013-03-04T10:29:00.002-05:002013-03-04T10:29:30.293-05:00Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean<img alt="MakingHabitsBreakingHabits_JeremyDean" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/makinghabitsbreakinghabits_jeremydean.jpg?w=100&h=150" /><div>
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<b>TITLE:</b> "<i>Making Habits, Breaking Habits</i>" <br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Jeremy Dean<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: no<br /><b>IE?</b>: no<br /><b>MY RATING:</b> 4****<b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This is a fascinating book about habits — how they work, how to make and break them, and how to make changes stick.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I loved that this book was so full of practical examples of how to make & break habits. And, this wasn’t just the same old-same old that you’d find in any other book. This one had new techniques that I’d never heard of! For example, in making habits, he talks about setting intentions … calls them “implementation intentions” … where you use an “if-then” sort of equation. If you want to start a habit of exercise, say, you can write, “If I have time on my lunch hour, then I will walk for 30 minutes outside.” This isn’t necessarily “new” to me. But, in addition to these if-then statements, you also add in “mental contrasting”. This is where you picture the positive outcome of forming the new habit… then think about all of the obstacles that are realistically in your way of creating that new habit. “<em>The idea is to make the association stronger in the mind between the bad…habit and how this is stopping you from reaching a cherished goal.</em>” (p.178). I’d never heard of this before, so it was exciting to learn about!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I also was really –pleasantly– surprised to find a whole chapter on creativity and “creative habits”. It talks about how creativity works, and how to increase it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Overall, I really enjoyed this book. And, while -yes- there are some spots that are kind of technical, the majority of the book is very easy to understand, and doesn’t take a lot of “brain power” to read through. I liked that the author is from the UK, so there are some words & phrases that are different from the Western way of speaking/writing. And, the many, many studies mentioned throughout help to back up the principles being taught in the book.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Definitely recommended.</span></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-44238003847865620992013-03-04T10:27:00.000-05:002013-03-04T10:27:21.524-05:00The Eden Diet by Rita Hancock, M.D.<img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD5wM1qBZ3Z29l_Cw-h42mU1Nz5IGv3IXiSS_oslMQM114rYdP__Jbo85r5x9sVRbFPW-3SZzkLOxBd-0wUH3EvyBtznnJt-c93Gzrz8dThtjb_SQcvV_4PpWxuop7GgkAm1zWiywx4-D/s200/EdenDiet_RitaHancockMD.jpg" width="200" /><div>
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<b>TITLE:</b> "<i>The Eden Diet</i>" <br /><b>AUTHOR</b>: Rita Hancock, M.D.<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: no<br /><b>IE?</b>: yes<br /><b>MY RATING</b>: 5*****<b><br /></b>
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<span style="color: #ff6666;">“Listen for hunger pangs, and when you feel them,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ff6666;">eat small quantities of the foods you enjoy.”</span></div>
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(<em>from page 182</em>)</div>
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<br />That, right there, basically sums up this book’s premise.</div>
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<strong>THE EDEN DIET</strong> is a good guide for learning how to eat according to your “internal weight control system”. Dr. Rita’s approach is very freedom-focused, and she gives people ‘permission’ to eat what they truly enjoy, no matter their starting weight. There’s no guilt or condemnation here! She, herself, knows what it’s like to struggle with being overweight, as she lost 75 lbs with this way of eating, and has kept it off (<em>if imperfectly</em>) for over 25 years.</div>
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Even though the program is a Christian one, and God is a primary focus, this book is not at all “preachy”. I think, even if you don’t have a Christian worldview, you could still read this book for its weight loss advice/plan without feeling like you’ve been beat over the head with the Christian message.</div>
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The challenges presented inside — from the 7-Day Challenge, to the 30-Day Blocks, to the Apple Test — are all very helpful, but they’re not so complicated or intimidating as to scare you off. They have just enough to them to motivate you.</div>
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Many topics are covered inside, including (<em>but not limited to</em>): whether or not to eat breakfast, how to handle buffet meals and other special occasions, food- and people-triggers, and how to still eat when your family does.</div>
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I really liked how, at the end of each chapter (<em>and even at the end of some sub-sections</em>), Dr. Rita would give you a summary of what you’ve just read in order to help cement the ideas presented.</div>
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Overall, this is a fantastic book, and a terribly sensible plan. I definitely give this book my highest recommendation (<em>and will be back in a few months to let you know how it’s working for me!</em>).</div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-77562519921737499092013-03-04T10:24:00.000-05:002013-03-04T10:24:17.808-05:00Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas<img src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/everybodymatters_garythomas3.jpg?w=146&h=150" /><div>
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<b>TITLE:</b> "<i>Every Body Matters</i>" <br /><b>AUTHOR</b>: Gary Thomas<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: somewhat<br /><b>IE?</b>: yes<br /><b>MY RATING:</b> 4****<b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Back in November, I was really excited to have found the book, “<em><a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/review-lifestyle-choices-up-to-you-by-ginger-woods-oshea/" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lifestyle Choices…Up to You!</a></em>” by Ginger Woods O’Shea, as I’d thought it was going to talk about the link between our spiritual lives and how we treat our physical bodies. And, while that book started off well, it ended up being a rant against the FDA and it was a huge disappointment to me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This book, on the other hand, is <em>exactly</em> what I’d been looking for! Its byline reads, “<em>Strengthening your body to strengthen your soul</em>“. And inside, Gary talks about the need for discipline in our eating and exercise habits, and a focus on obedience to God instead of on our appearance.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I really liked that Gary kept mentioning the importance of waiting for true, physiological hunger before eating. I’m a big fan of <a href="http://intuitive-eating.blogspot.com/2006/03/intuitive-eating-what-is-it-how-does.html" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">that method</a> myself! I also liked that he’s a runner, and so he talks about that a bit, too, and the endurance it takes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Throughout the book, we’re reminded that, in order to be “<em><span style="color: #3366ff;">holy, useful to [God], and prepared to do any good work</span></em>” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%202:20-21&version=NIV" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2 Timothy 2:21</a>), we need to be physically ready in addition to being spiritually ready. In other words, we can’t be lazy and indulgent. Instead, we are to be disciplined and strong. Gary uses the examples of the prophet Jeremiah, and of the apostle Paul, stating how these men must’ve been in great physical condition in order to have withstood the stuff that life threw at them!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The same goes for us. If we’re weak and lazy, we’ll be unprepared to meet the challenges of life, and we certainly won’t be able to fulfill our callings (<em>not well, anyway</em>). We won’t be living the <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2010:10&version=NKJV" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">abundant life</a> that God has promised us.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Overall, this is a great book, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone seeking to have a greater purpose in their efforts to get healthier.</span></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-59087203578576579882013-03-04T10:21:00.001-05:002013-03-04T10:21:16.289-05:00Hungry by Allen Zadoff<img height="200" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/hungry_memoir_allenzadoff1.jpg?w=152&h=150" width="135" /><div>
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<b>TITLE:</b> "<i>Hungry</i>" <br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Allen Zadoff<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: yes<br /><b>IE?</b>: no<br /><b>MY RATING</b>: 4****<b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Allen Zadoff used to be 360 pounds. He would hide in his apartment, and he would sneak food. He would eat enough, at one time, to feed three people! But then he had an epiphany… and he got help.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This book is a compilation of short (<em>1-2 page</em>) chapters, with humorous tidbits about gaining & losing weight. Mr. Zadoff doesn’t suggest a diet plan, but just shares what worked for him, in the hopes that you will have inspiration to get thin, too.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">He says on page 123, “<em>The principles of this book will be extremely useful to all people struggling with any compulsion around eating.</em>” And, yes, there’s a short bit about anorexia & bulimia in here, too. But, most of the book is about being a food addict… compulsively overeating.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Definitely one that you should check out, if you struggle with food/weight. It’s light-hearted, and quick, but full of wisdom.</span></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-66300054688255843592013-03-04T10:18:00.001-05:002013-03-04T10:18:26.184-05:00I Got This! by Jennifer Hudson<img height="200" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/igotthis_jenniferhudson2.jpg?w=153&h=225" width="136" /><div>
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<b>TITLE:</b> "<i>I Got This!</i>" <br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Jennifer Hudson<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: yes<br /><b>IE?</b>: no<br /><b>MY RATING</b>: 3***<b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This is Jennifer’s memoir of her journey from normal Chicago girl, slightly overweight, to American Idol reject, to award-winning singer/actress who is learning to be healthy, and make healthier choices.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I didn’t like that a lot of the book felt like Jennifer was bragging about her accomplishments. And, there wasn’t much in the way of “this is what you should do if you want to get healthy” as there was “join <em>Weight Watchers</em> — it’s great!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I was impressed, mind you, by her determination, and perseverance. I like her feistyness. And, I like that she got 75 of her relatives to join <em>Weight Watchers</em> with her — that’s incredible! Obviously, Jennifer is a very persuasive person! LOL</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Overall, this book was just okay.</span></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-54994836191531636442013-03-04T10:15:00.001-05:002013-03-04T10:15:44.062-05:00Lifestyle Choices: Up to YOU! by Ginger O'Shea<img src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/lifestylechoices_uptoyou_gingerwoodsoshea4.jpg?w=101&h=150" /><div>
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<b>TITLE</b>: "<i>Lifestyle Choices: Up to YOU!</i>" <br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Ginger O'Shea<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: yes<br /><b>IE?</b>: somewhat<br /><b>MY RATING</b>: 2**<b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Whoo-boy, this book was a long one! Almost 400 pages in length, and I honestly think it could have been about half its size, and still gotten its point across.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">While I found a lot of helpful and insightful information inside, I also was very bogged down by the style of writing, and very frustrated by the author’s attempt to push her agendas across. She had a lot to say about governmental control of our food, and about vaccinations, and about political-type evils. This stuff was putting me to sleep, so I ended up skipping several chapters in order to get through the book quicker. I hate doing that, but it was absolutely necessary to keep me reading through to the end.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The book requires a lot of brain power, so I am going to be picky in who I’d recommend this to. Again, it’s a good book, with some helpful information. But, it’s not necessarily for just anyone.</span></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-70603751328529760582013-03-04T10:12:00.000-05:002013-03-04T10:12:49.994-05:00Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron Bure<img height="200" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/reshapingitall_candacecameronbure1.jpg?w=150&h=150" width="133" /><div>
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<b>TITLE:</b> "<i>Reshaping It All</i>" <br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Candace Cameron Bure<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: somewhat<br /><b>IE?</b>: somewhat<br /><b>MY RATING:</b> 4****<b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Candace Cameron Bure used to play “DJ Tanner” on the television show “<em>Full House</em>“. I watched her on that show for years, growing up, as part of TGIF Fridays. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">So, I was really excited to see that (1) she’d written a book, and (2) she’s a Christian! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This book is part memoir, and part weight loss advice. Candace tells the story of how she went from suffering from bulimia, to finding freedom through the hunger/fullness method of eating less. She also incorporates exercise (<em>she loves Pilates</em>), and chooses healthier foods when she does eat.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I loved that, throughout the book, Candace has included some of her family’s favorite recipes. They all look like they’ll be really easy to throw together, AND they’ll taste good (turkey tacos, anyone?). She also includes fan mail, along with her answers at the end of each chapter. And, there’s a whole slew of photographs of Candace in the middle of the book. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I definitely recommend this book! Candace’s words are really motivating and inspirational. And, I’m a huge fan of the hunger/fullness method — it’s what I use myself — so I can’t help but love that she uses it, too!</span></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-4465948660509886982013-03-04T10:09:00.001-05:002013-03-04T10:09:37.397-05:00Savor by Thich Nhat Hahn<img height="200" src="http://shouldbereading.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/savor_mindfuleatingmindfullife_thichnhathahn2.jpg?w=141&h=225" width="125" /><br /><div>
<b>TITLE:</b> "<i>Savor</i>" <br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Thich Nhat Hahn<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: no<br /><b>IE?:</b> yes<br /><b>MY RATING:</b> 3***<b><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I skimmed a lot of this book because the Buddhist teachings just didn’t interest me (<em>other than mindfulness, which is why I picked the book up</em>), and I was getting bored. But there was a lot of useful information inside, nevertheless ~ mostly reminders of things I already know (<em>slow down, pay attention, eat less & move more, eat Meditteranean-style meals, etc</em>).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Overall, it’s a good book, reminding us to be mindful in all areas of life, but especially in those that regard our health and well-being.</span></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white;">Rated: C</strong></div>
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Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-18550990376223052082013-03-04T10:02:00.000-05:002013-03-04T10:02:32.108-05:00The Vice-Busting Diet by Julia Havey<br />
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<b>TITLE:</b> "<i>The Vice-Busting Diet</i>"<br />
<b>AUTHOR: </b>Julia Havey<br />
<b>DIETY?: </b>yes<br />
<b>IE?: </b>no<br />
<b>MY RATING: </b>4****</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This is a book about making small, continuous changes over a period of 12 weeks. Each week, you focus on busting just ONE diet “vice” ~ the common ones being soda, fast-food, and watching too much television ~ and then you build on that, in the following week, by adding another vice to bust.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">So, in week 2, not only are you practicing avoiding sodas, but you are also working on busting your fast-food (<em>or other unhealthy eating</em>) vice. That means, you’re replacing your bad, unhealthy habit with a healthier action.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Of course, at the end of 12 weeks you aren’t “done” — this is about lifestyle changes, after all. But, the main “plan” is for those twelve weeks. That gets you started, and gives you a basis for continuing on.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I enjoyed this book, and think it’s very sensible. Where the author talked about busting your TV habit, I substituted a “sedentary” habit — I sit around WAY too much, and could stand to be more active, for sure!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Definitely recommended, especially if you’re frustrated about never being able to stick with something for very long. <img alt=";)" class="wp-smiley" scale="0" src="http://s1.wp.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif?m=1129645325g" /></span></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white;">Rated: B+</strong></div>
Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-85850037341301981602013-03-04T09:58:00.002-05:002013-03-04T10:05:40.972-05:00Your Best Body Now by Tosca Reno<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><b>TITLE:</b> "<i>Your Best Body Now</i>"<br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Tosca Reno<br /><b>DIETY?</b>: somewhat<br /><b>IE?</b>: no<br /><b>MY RATING:</b> 4****<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 1.385; text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">DESCRIPTION:<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 1.385;"> </span><span style="color: #993366; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 1.385;"><em>New York Times </em>bestselling author Tosca Reno knows exactly how you feel. She went from being a flabby, 200+ pound woman to a slim and sexy fitness expert—all past the age of 40! Now, for the first time ever, she reveals her secrets to looking better every year. Using the simple, Eat-Clean principles that have helped millions lose weight and featuring all-new advice from Tosca and her team of top experts, discover how you, too, can:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #993366;">· Boost your metabolism to burn fat fast</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #993366;">· Turn back the clock and age-proof your body</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #993366;">· Look and feel younger than you have in years</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #993366;">· Create your <em>best</em> body—now!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><strong></strong><br />Despite it’s somewhat diety nature, this was actually a good book. <img alt=":D" scale="0" src="http://s0.wp.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif?m=1277299945g" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This book really focuses on weight training. Tosca is 50 years old, and she looks like she’s 25! She probably has the energy & vitality of a 20-something, as well! She’s certainly fitter than me. And, I liked that, in this book, she gives her story… of how she used to weigh over 200 lbs, but then got a wake-up call (<em>in the form of a life situation</em>) and decided to make a change for the better.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Tosca’s plan also includes “eating clean” ~ mostly fresh fruits & vegetables, as well as lean proteins, and avoiding “whites” (flour, rice pasta) and processed foods. I don’t think I could ever fully “eat clean”, as I love my sugar and my ‘whites’ a little too much. But, I <em>have</em> been wanting to eat healthier for quite some time, and I’ve been slowly switching some of the stuff I eat — we eat a <a href="http://www.smartpasta.ca/" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">white pasta</a> that has all the benefits of whole grain, and we like the<a href="http://www.riceselect.com/texmati.aspx" style="color: #4265a7; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em>Texmati</em> rice</a> (<em>which has long grains, as well as the white rice</em>).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">If you’re looking for an inspirational read about health, I’d definitely recommend this one. Tosca, herself, is an inspiration — if she can do it, we can, too! <img alt=";)" class="wp-smiley" scale="0" src="http://s1.wp.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif?m=1129645325g" /></span></div>
Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-87093014451002231502010-11-17T11:59:00.002-05:002010-11-17T12:05:37.318-05:00"The Carb Lovers Diet" by Frances Largeman-Roth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGb1i0Fmu0EUdEmxm79SHhv4oPA7H8mJdYoj5pqvZiZWgioC_y1s7YPSD3G0QJVdfBnXCwY9Oq9jh_E6VxicsqtuGz2hkDNtrBwW_mtH_hxfPYqoIxQAW2LiAhE8PyrFDz4eZQze5e7KsI/s1600/CarbLoversDiet_FrancesLargemanRoth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGb1i0Fmu0EUdEmxm79SHhv4oPA7H8mJdYoj5pqvZiZWgioC_y1s7YPSD3G0QJVdfBnXCwY9Oq9jh_E6VxicsqtuGz2hkDNtrBwW_mtH_hxfPYqoIxQAW2LiAhE8PyrFDz4eZQze5e7KsI/s1600/CarbLoversDiet_FrancesLargemanRoth.jpg" /></a></div><b>TITLE:</b> "<em>The Carb Lovers Diet</em>" <br />
<strong>AUTHOR:</strong> Frances Largeman-Roth & Ellen Kunes<br />
<b>DIETY?:</b> somewhat<br />
<b>IE?:</b> somewhat<br />
<strong>MY RATING:</strong> 4<strong>****</strong><br />
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First of all, let me say that I didn't read this whole book from cover-to-cover. I mostly skimmed it, reading bits here and there until I got the general gist of things. Reason being, I'm not looking for another "diet", and don't want to fill my head with stuff that might sway me off of my intended path (<em>I'm learning that I tend to chase after too many false leads if I'm not careful</em>).<br />
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But, this book is really sound. Sure, you'll still find some diety things inside. But, overall, the authors encourage you to watch your portion sizes, stop eating when you've hit satisfied (<em>not stuffed</em>), and mix-and-match the recipes to suit your tastes and preferences. Not bad, at all.<br />
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I liked this one, especially, for two reasons: (1) The recipes that are included all look so very good! For me, I normally find maybe a handful of recipes in "diet" books that I think I might like to try. Everything else either requires me to go out of my way to find the ingredients, or it just seems too far off from what my family and I normally like to eat. This book was different... this one has about 75 recipes, and I think I copied about 30 of them to put in my binder and try at some later date (<em>and, FYI, I've already tried 2 of the recipes since finishing the book yesterday, and they were both yummy!</em>)... And (2) the "success stories" included in this book --complete with pictures-- show women who've lost weight at a <u>realistic</u> pace of only 5-10 pounds in 3 weeks. They aren't super-skinny, and they didn't have drastic results... They are normal women, and their weight loss was slow and steady. That's encouraging, and makes me think that following the advice in this book could truly be a benefit. When the weight comes off more slowly, it is more likely to stay off for good! ;)<br />
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The book's main focus is to include more <a href="http://www.resistantstarch.com/ResistantStarch/About+RS/">Resistant Starches</a> into your daily eating. There are eleven of them, some of which include: Potatoes (<em>baked or sweet</em>), Peas, Whole Wheat Pasta, Beans & Lentils, Baked Potato Chips!, etc. Yep... you even get to have chips, wine, and chocolate with this one! (<em>I couldn't believe it when I was reading through the sample meal plans and found that one of the snacks was a</em> Reese Peanut Butter Cup! <em>YUM!!!</em>)<br />
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The only thing I'm not big on with this book is the fact that you have "phases": Phase 1 is your <em>Kickstart</em> phase where you aim to eat only 1200 calories per day. You would probably have to follow their included 7-day meal plan to get the intended results. And, Phase 2 is your <em>Immersion</em> phase which lasts for 21 days and lets you up your daily calorie intake to 1600 calories. Again, there are 21-days' worth of meal plans included. <br />
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You aren't encouraged to give up anything, necessarily -- no food groups are said to be excluded. Mind you, you are technically avoiding "whites" (<em>flour, bread, rice</em>) by CHOOSING to have the whole-wheat versions instead. Very clever of the authors, if you ask me. Not to mention, focusing on the term "Resistant Starch" instead of saying the usual "complex carbs". Tricky-tricky... but effective!<br />
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So, yeah. Overall, this is not a bad choice for a plan. Especially if you're a carb-lover, like me! It can easily work with the <strong>intuitive-eating</strong> method (<em>that I prefer</em>), and just teaches you to make healthier choices, and to cook more of your meals for yourself (note: <em>all of the meals included don't seem to take more than 30-40 minutes to prepare, so there's also the ease-of-use factor to this plan!</em>)Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-65321610645394935392010-03-24T11:39:00.001-04:002010-03-24T11:40:01.371-04:00REVIEW: "Dr. Colbert's 'I Can Do This!' Diet" by Dr. Don Colbert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjBdAe-JYJB_PcGVIJuC2xAiIyxvpp3diqRctMdjH709lc_nzDQUiFxz4OFzWU85UH97jB6XhYgNURaQGeoszT1Vl2In7lrWcxnNTmC-lpQSD8aAwdzpTINi77Qed81ZRsSd1bO2xqnlw/s1600/DrColbertsICanDoThisDiet_DonColbert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjBdAe-JYJB_PcGVIJuC2xAiIyxvpp3diqRctMdjH709lc_nzDQUiFxz4OFzWU85UH97jB6XhYgNURaQGeoszT1Vl2In7lrWcxnNTmC-lpQSD8aAwdzpTINi77Qed81ZRsSd1bO2xqnlw/s200/DrColbertsICanDoThisDiet_DonColbert.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>TITLE:</b> "<em>Dr. Colbert's 'I Can Do This!' Diet</em>"<br />
<b>AUTHOR:</b> Dr. Don Colbert<br />
<b>DIETY?:</b> yes<br />
<b>IE?:</b> yes<br />
<strong>MY RATING:</strong> 3***<br />
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While this book often encouraged “<a href="http://www.intuitiveeating.org/">mindful eating</a>” — of which I’m a huge fan! — it also highly promoted herbal weight-loss supplements, and recommended giving up all “whites” (<em>flour, sugar, etc</em>). I don’t agree with having to give up anything, unless you have an allergy/sensitivity, or were told by your own physician to do so.<br />
I hated that the author kept promoting his own books and website over and over again. And, I really disliked the push for eating foods “in the right combinations”.<br />
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But, the parts about mindful eating — waiting for true, physiological hunger, and watching for your satiety signals, and that sort of thing — were great!<br />
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There is a little bit of everything in this book, so it’s not terrible, and I’m sure that it can be really useful to some! I know people who need to stay away from the “whites” as recommended by their doctor, so this might be a book that they can use!<br />
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In general, though, this book wasn’t for me.<br />
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<strong>Rated: C</strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-58452219375952391462010-02-25T17:20:00.000-05:002010-02-25T17:20:13.011-05:00REVIEW: "The One Day Way" by Chantel Hobbs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyDyslkk2N0fNmnHoHnB-Sw1TH2WUxJ7aGKvaF-kJCbwxzxxSJJ8_TjZvKPXb1KWq6obr-fuvlFn_zk27lGQNrY1JS3IFuf63HqmnsbJd5HFDKhkIjfQvgLfzatG92a49-cDJtqMorjog/s1600-h/TheOneDayWay_ChantelHobbs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyDyslkk2N0fNmnHoHnB-Sw1TH2WUxJ7aGKvaF-kJCbwxzxxSJJ8_TjZvKPXb1KWq6obr-fuvlFn_zk27lGQNrY1JS3IFuf63HqmnsbJd5HFDKhkIjfQvgLfzatG92a49-cDJtqMorjog/s200/TheOneDayWay_ChantelHobbs.JPG" width="132" /></a></div><b>TITLE:</b> "The One Day Way<i></i>"<br />
<b>AUTHOR:</b> Chantel Hobbs<br />
<b>DIETY?:</b> yes<br />
<b>IE?:</b> somewhat<br />
<strong>MY RATING:</strong> 4****<br />
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Based around the principles of Kaizen, or “continuous improvement“ (<em>though the book never specifically says so</em>), Chantel’s plan encourages you to forget about yesterday, not worry about tomorrow, and just focus on TODAY.<br />
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Chantel walks you through the process, first encouraging you to change your mindset and demolish the bad habits. Then she helps you to renew your thinking which will help create new, healthier habits.<br />
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There are two weeks’ worth of sample menu plans included, as well as some strengthening exercises featuring a medicine ball and resistance band.<br />
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A lot of the book includes a repetition of what was already said, but I think that’s just Chantel’s way of making sure that you fully understand the concepts being presented. I love how absolutely uplifting and positive she is!<br />
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I liked how simple this program seems to be. While I’m not a fan of specific meal plans and exercise routines (<em>I really prefer to follow my own “plan”</em>), I do think that the idea of just focusing on today is a good one. So, as always, I plan to “take what I loved, and leave the rest“.<br />
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Overall, this is a great book, with an awesome premise, and you would not find yourself sorry to have read it. <br />
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<strong>Rated: B+</strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-14917044144046311662010-02-25T17:16:00.000-05:002010-02-25T17:16:52.095-05:00REVIEW: "Live a Little!" by Susan Love and Alice Domar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3hwhtDLHAj0x6vCEusf8-LWqDzmqkz3U9ybqLQwIESAmhyphenhyphenNbYaSFu9R6Bec68frn5zFFfIt_f58B-mvR21l5FB6qC3SIIYAIIKoPNwTyEGd3g0_EvxqjJyRFDSvxBNT8g0WgaNZZpZx0/s1600-h/livealittle_susanlove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3hwhtDLHAj0x6vCEusf8-LWqDzmqkz3U9ybqLQwIESAmhyphenhyphenNbYaSFu9R6Bec68frn5zFFfIt_f58B-mvR21l5FB6qC3SIIYAIIKoPNwTyEGd3g0_EvxqjJyRFDSvxBNT8g0WgaNZZpZx0/s200/livealittle_susanlove.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>TITLE:</b> "<em>Live a Little!</em>"<br />
<b>AUTHORS:</b> Susan Love & Alice Domar<br />
<b>DIETY?:</b> yes<br />
<b>IE?:</b> somewhat<br />
<strong>MY RATING:</strong> 4****<br />
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This book is based around the fact that most of what we’re told by the media and health industry is just speculation — a better rule of thumb is to follow your own gut instincts in regards to your health.<br />
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The one quote I got from the book sums this up nicely: “<span style="color: #990000;">…understand that no one has total control over their health — then exercise, eat wisely, and manage stress anyway</span>.“<br />
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The book looks at 6 key areas of our lives (<em>sleep, stress, exercise, eating, relationships, & health screenings</em>), and debunks the myths surrounding the health “rules” we all know and try — mostly unsuccessfully — to live by. For example: We’re told that we need to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night in order to function properly, avoid weight gain, and live a long life. Well, the authors have looked at all of the studies done, and have concluded that in reality, only YOU know how much your own body REALLY needs… you can trust it to tell you whether or not you’re getting enough sleep. Mind you, the authors also tell you that, based on their findings (<em>from studying the studies done on sleep & health</em>), 7 hours of sleep is a good number to aim for — but it doesn’t have to be “uninterrupted”, as we know that’s not likely to happen for most of us. <br />
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The last chapter of the book, “<em>A Pretty Healthy Life, Decade by Decade</em>“, looks at each of the decades of a woman’s life –from their 20s on through to the 70s and beyond– and gives general guidelines on what to do to live a “pretty healthy” life without falling prey to the worries that the media can create (“<em>If you don’t exercise for 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week, you’ll die of decay & rot!</em>“).<br />
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Overall, this is a smart book. It really is encouraging to know that, even if you’re only giving it 80% effort most of the time, you’re still going to be “pretty healthy”, and that’s enough. As long as your health habits enable you to enjoy life more — and don’t make you miserable in the process — then you’re doing okay.<br />
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Definitely recommended.<br />
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<strong>Rated: B+ </strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-34395053589604970592010-02-25T17:12:00.001-05:002010-02-25T17:13:31.946-05:00REVIEW: "Denise's Daily Dozen" by Denise Austin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tKxTzNJncdjm1v03j5LVKurpWwPe_X4bxXI42Tt7VjGUI2ZKPvMgaIl6szekpM8dm0Wc5ypS-hdaHwCg9veGkQK0tg7nI-0H00eAjmLLQNSp64Si_ViAOpEH444zDg06VMPY7U6EaTUx/s1600-h/DenisesDailyDozen_DeniseAusten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tKxTzNJncdjm1v03j5LVKurpWwPe_X4bxXI42Tt7VjGUI2ZKPvMgaIl6szekpM8dm0Wc5ypS-hdaHwCg9veGkQK0tg7nI-0H00eAjmLLQNSp64Si_ViAOpEH444zDg06VMPY7U6EaTUx/s200/DenisesDailyDozen_DeniseAusten.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><b>TITLE:</b> "<em>Denise's Daily Dozen</em>"<br />
<b>AUTHOR:</b> Denise Austin<br />
<b>DIETY?:</b> yes<br />
<b>IE?:</b> no<br />
<strong>MY RATING:</strong> 4****<br />
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Denise is so very encouraging, and this book is hugely motivational. I loved how she constantly encourages you to believe in yourself.<br />
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You’re given 12 daily exercises you can do for each day of the week, as well as daily meal plans. The exercises don’t seem too crazy, so anyone could probably do them.<br />
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My favorite parts of this book were the 12 “Fidget-cizers” (<em>moves you can do to stretch & strengthen while in the kitchen, etc</em>), and the success stories.<br />
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While I’ve never before done any of Denise’s workout videos, I’m certainly inspired to seek one out and give it a try! And, for the record, I was stunned to find out that Denise is over 50 yrs old! She sooooo doesn’t look like it! Guess that just goes to show what living such a healthy lifestyle can do for you — and that’s all the more motivating!<br />
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Recommended.<br />
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<strong>Rated: B+</strong><br />
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<strong>Just a side note:</strong> <em>Much as there were pictures of the “Daily Dozen” exercise moves in the book (along with instructions on how to do each move), it would’ve been nice to see a copy of Denise’s “Get Fit Daily Dozen” DVD included in the back of the book.</em>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-32852697728804372862010-02-25T17:10:00.003-05:002010-02-25T17:23:39.933-05:00REVIEW: "The SuperFoods Rx Diet" by Wendy Bazilian & Steven Pratt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJTHrAetvRe9r3BmwqDRqwlzFU_9kNfoDecNeeb0VSgiBk2Y9rZftUpSgbeOhCBb4sIINZjCpNFRp8lLT1TfoZCWk1VXUx7Es4tQkEikKq841XSrDckfNwp-Lu3B2NaWumm4ZTRr1yUcU/s1600-h/superfoodsrxdiet_wendybazilian_stevenpratt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJTHrAetvRe9r3BmwqDRqwlzFU_9kNfoDecNeeb0VSgiBk2Y9rZftUpSgbeOhCBb4sIINZjCpNFRp8lLT1TfoZCWk1VXUx7Es4tQkEikKq841XSrDckfNwp-Lu3B2NaWumm4ZTRr1yUcU/s200/superfoodsrxdiet_wendybazilian_stevenpratt.jpg" width="140" /></a></div><b>TITLE:</b> "<em>The SuperFoods Rx Diet</em>"<br />
<b>AUTHOR:</b> Wendy Bazilian and Steven Pratt<br />
<b>DIETY?:</b> yes<br />
<b>IE?:</b> somewhat<br />
<strong>MY RATING: </strong>4****<br />
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I found this book online, the other day, while searching for books about healthy eating & the Mediterranean-style of eating. It just so happened that my local library had a copy (<em>at my branch, nonetheless</em>), so I went and picked it up, and started reading it right away. I didn’t intend to read the whole thing, but it was quick and really interesting!<br />
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This book has an absolutely fascinating concept as far as a weight loss plan goes… it has the SlimDown, which is two weeks of more strict adherence to get you off to a good start, and then the FlexPlan to loosen things up a bit while still maintaining control. But, the most interesting part was the “Prep & Practice” week you do before the SlimDown. It’s where you start planning what you’ll do in your SlimDown, and you practice some of the meals & exercises. Very cool!<br />
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Now, when I talk about “strict adherence” for the SlimDown part, please don’t misunderstand me… this seems different than other diet books I’ve read where you have to give up all sorts of different foods and/or categories of foods. For this, it’s more about adding in the “superfoods”, and making sure you follow the plan. It’s not difficult, nor does it seem like too much.<br />
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Some of the “superfoods” listed are: Oats, Blueberries, Soy, Turkey, Oranges, Tomatoes, Broccoli, and Spinach… and a whole slew of “sidekicks” (<em>other foods that are good for you, that you should add into your new plan</em>).<br />
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I also liked that you basically make up your own meal plans, based off the SuperFoods categories (<em>there are 3 main ones</em>), and you can pick and choose what works best for you for exercise.<br />
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This plan is very flexible, and has some great ideas! The book even promotes listening to your hunger cues, so that was a big plus for me! (<em>I’m a big fan of that!</em>).<br />
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While there are still some points of this book that I don’t really agree with, overall I really like the concept, and think it’s a good thing to try out, especially coming into a new year! (<em>the “Prep & Practice” week could be the last week of the year, and then you start the SlimDown come January 1st!</em>)<br />
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Recommended. <strong>Rated B+</strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-49180339558145161152010-02-25T17:06:00.001-05:002010-02-25T17:21:13.632-05:00REVIEW: "Fit For My King" by Sheri Rose Shepherd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiZnQNvIJqLLE-jdJ-4kAG43cYQWvmpvzhN4MphdUrzA93gl14NLKHtM-t-agYIVsFwQfAyeVDlXNOzyHkFMK_7c0alk1WoIYXJzLRoeT4omh2Ts9NraOLblT7gMLxIO8JIyvppPSL9y-/s1600-h/FitForMyKing_SheriShepherd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiZnQNvIJqLLE-jdJ-4kAG43cYQWvmpvzhN4MphdUrzA93gl14NLKHtM-t-agYIVsFwQfAyeVDlXNOzyHkFMK_7c0alk1WoIYXJzLRoeT4omh2Ts9NraOLblT7gMLxIO8JIyvppPSL9y-/s200/FitForMyKing_SheriShepherd.jpg" width="142" /></a></div><b>TITLE:</b> "<em>Fit For My King</em>"<br />
<b>AUTHOR:</b> Sheri Rose Shepherd<br />
<b>DIETY?:</b> yes<br />
<b>IE?:</b> no<br />
<strong>MY RATING:</strong> 3***<br />
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This book sets out a 30-day diet plan where you fast off of the “whites” (<em>flour, sugar, corn, potatoes, etc</em>) and all artificial foods & sweeteners. You also make sure to exercise 5 times a week, and get enough water & rest.<br />
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There are 30 days of devotions on topics like anger, self-image, forgiveness, divine appointments, etc. And, the back of the book has a bunch of recipes.<br />
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I’m no longer a fan of diets (<em>see <a href="http://intuitive-eating.blogspot.com/">here</a> for what I am a fan of</em>), especially ones that ask you to cut stuff out. But, this book would certainly be helpful for some. I definitely recommend this one to those dealing with the eating disorder of bulimia, as Sheri has struggled with this, and she shares about overcoming that in this book.<br />
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<strong>Rated: B-</strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-29245023823067016652010-02-25T17:02:00.002-05:002010-02-25T17:06:46.926-05:00REVIEW: "How to Survive Your Diet" by Linda Moran<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincMFHLJ76QdF_KHDfnBHNE36yTL1Tr3zVu2UJ9xu_bPMU1i4Zx8tbyxtEjnr-d1CXPqLU8bviy1MZRvYjd1txYMf4L4Bkz6jmAzHNr-BZ7tU0GUEeS3rj32Unxk86fbvIbQVU5KeoPjhN/s1600-h/How_to_Survive_Your_Diet_book_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincMFHLJ76QdF_KHDfnBHNE36yTL1Tr3zVu2UJ9xu_bPMU1i4Zx8tbyxtEjnr-d1CXPqLU8bviy1MZRvYjd1txYMf4L4Bkz6jmAzHNr-BZ7tU0GUEeS3rj32Unxk86fbvIbQVU5KeoPjhN/s200/How_to_Survive_Your_Diet_book_cover.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><b>TITLE:</b> "<em>How to Survive Your Diet</em>"<br />
<b>AUTHOR:</b> Linda Moran<br />
<b>DIETY?:</b> no<br />
<b>IE?:</b> yes<br />
<strong>MY RATING:</strong> <strong>5*****</strong><br />
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I belonged to a <em>Yahoo!</em> group led by this author, called “DietSurvivors“. Members of this group are often talking about Linda’s book, so I got really curious about it, and had to read it for myself.<br />
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And, I’m glad I did! It’s a great book that focuses mainly on resisting greed, watching portion sizes, and accepting stress as a normal part of life. While Linda focuses on the hunger-fullness method for weight loss, she also outlines a few of the other diet plans out there, and shows you how you could use them sensibly, and make them work for you. She doesn’t condemn or belittle any of them — just shows you how to use your own inner wisdom if you’re going to choose to diet instead of follow your own inner hunger cues.<br />
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The one really great thing I got from it was the reminder to look for black-and-white thinking. I still have a lot of irrational beliefs about my food and eating, and this book helped me remember that I need to root those out and replace them with truth.<br />
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I also appreciated the bits about greed. I come from a Christian upbringing, so I don’t shy away from the word “greed”… it’s been a normal part of my growing up. And, I don’t want it in my life. But this book reminded me that there are many, many, MANY forms of it — some that we don’t see as “greed” when they really are just that! For example, the book mentioned greed for approval, and greed for freedom… I suffer from both.<br />
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Lastly, I loved the tiny size of this book (<em>only 140 pages</em>), as it was concise and to the point. And, Linda’s examples from her own life give you a really good picture of what it’s like to live as a “normal eater”.<br />
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Definitely recommended!<br />
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<strong>Rated: A</strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-60825690703468599452010-02-25T16:32:00.006-05:002010-02-25T16:44:49.556-05:00REVIEW: "I Can Make You Thin" by Paul McKenna<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxHMQ6nuekbaCOhXk3Nv7v5srbCPCd0bRs-MoTf-fNzSggqZYSWpRWbhFNU00bfA8H8-yVMHmFCMUVIhVby2xCtBHQiIB6-i0CMRqpnulkyiE1JsZT-Ck4dj1QMHPUn32vmOnGqKi_-2J/s1600-h/Icanmakeyouthin_mckenna.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxHMQ6nuekbaCOhXk3Nv7v5srbCPCd0bRs-MoTf-fNzSggqZYSWpRWbhFNU00bfA8H8-yVMHmFCMUVIhVby2xCtBHQiIB6-i0CMRqpnulkyiE1JsZT-Ck4dj1QMHPUn32vmOnGqKi_-2J/s200/Icanmakeyouthin_mckenna.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442300303840596546" /></a><br /><b>TITLE:</b> "<i>I Can Make You Thin</i>"<br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Paul McKenna<br /><b>DIETY?:</b> yes<br /><b>IE?:</b> somewhat<br /><b>MY RATING:</b> 4****<br /><br />An interesting, yet short, book that will teach you the basics of ‘intuitive eating’. There were several exercises for you to try, and 4 or 5 success stories of people who’ve used McKenna’s program with success. I thought some of the ideas presented were a little too weird for me, but otherwise, I thought the book was good.<br /><br /><strong>Rated: B-</strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-73518379386487643952010-02-25T16:30:00.002-05:002010-02-25T16:32:42.217-05:00REVIEW: "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvE07xP7hELZU79Idja5Kv8wy3BH5S_Fnj2-P7n76OqADUiwTJ-YRO9XAPAHeNIvd7791r-SwJzK1subMl3r5_pJOmDISyBg4dmyptxzhd4hISGXMMCpx8mYVARLlepIgfoo6wJd9QJph/s1600-h/endofovereating_kessler.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvE07xP7hELZU79Idja5Kv8wy3BH5S_Fnj2-P7n76OqADUiwTJ-YRO9XAPAHeNIvd7791r-SwJzK1subMl3r5_pJOmDISyBg4dmyptxzhd4hISGXMMCpx8mYVARLlepIgfoo6wJd9QJph/s200/endofovereating_kessler.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442296935263390770" /></a><br /><b>TITLE:</b> "<i>The End of Overeating</i>"<br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> David A. Kessler<br /><b>DIETY?:</b> somewhat<br /><b>IE?:</b> somewhat<br /><b>MY RATING:</b> 5*****<br /><br />An absolutely engrossing read about how the food industry has contributed to the rising epidemic of obesity in America, and about how we can take back control over our eating.<br /><br />Dr. Kessler explains the enormous appeal of the combination of fat, salt, and sugar in foods, and why this combination drives us to overeat, despite our better intentions.<br /><br />He also gives the reader tools to use to combat the old habits and to instill new ones, renewing our thinking and, with that, our behavior.<br /><br />I found this book to be really accessible, despite its scientific nature, and the tools given seem like they will be extremely helpful. The whole concept of what Dr. Kessler presents here is fascinating, and it really makes you think twice about what you’re eating, and how you’re supposedly being manipulated.<br /><br />I really liked that the majority of this book also focused on the principles of Intuitive Eating: wait until hungry to eat, pay attention to your meals, watch your portions, stop when satisfied and not overstuffed, etc. Mind you, he had a bit of a different twist on some of it, and I found that refreshing.<br /><br />Highly recommended.<br /><br /><strong>Rated: A-</strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-79538277709518215852010-02-25T16:26:00.004-05:002010-02-25T16:30:08.796-05:00REVIEW: "Never Give Up!" by Joyce Meyer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5pHfp7QnhK1HSKURppU_AeR-cVN6rrYHmZeVgQIu2J1wHoQqrsL5KVRAqiZKjmeTZR0E8kG8DxQq9EFQc0wV1HhqySvAZoMu9iPkaQUrcWKIGl1pC6-NjZxdsvq4wavT4dAOBU7wDPF3/s1600-h/nevergiveup_meyer.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5pHfp7QnhK1HSKURppU_AeR-cVN6rrYHmZeVgQIu2J1wHoQqrsL5KVRAqiZKjmeTZR0E8kG8DxQq9EFQc0wV1HhqySvAZoMu9iPkaQUrcWKIGl1pC6-NjZxdsvq4wavT4dAOBU7wDPF3/s200/nevergiveup_meyer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442295993933610178" /></a><br /><b>TITLE:</b> "<i>Never Give Up!</i>"<br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Joyce Meyer<br /><b>DIETY?:</b> somewhat<br /><b>IE?:</b> somewhat<br /><b>MY RATING:</b> 5*****<br /><br />Fabulous book! I love books like this, mind you, that encourage you to persevere, no matter what.<br /><br />This one is laced with stories of people like Alexander Graham Bell, Marie Curie, Winston Churchill, Ben Carson, and Rosa Parks who all overcame obstacles in order to persevere and see their dreams fulfilled (<em>and then some!</em>). So encouraging!<br /><br />My favorite quote from this book was this:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>“…make a fresh determination to pay the price of progress…” (p.65)</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br />Highly recommended, especially if you’re feeling low and need a fresh burst of motivation.<br /><br />Note: This book is also really inspirational for those who are working on weight loss, as Joyce mentions that a lot here, too -- and we can be encouraged to put what she says here into practice regarding our weight loss efforts. :)<br /><br /><br /><strong>Rated: A+</strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4197014069298919846.post-68988181399787690202010-02-25T16:22:00.003-05:002010-02-25T16:26:13.741-05:00REVIEW: "WW Tools for Living Companion"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRiqK8hyphenhyphen4Uq1eBaF3BHeOHkTnufPy5P-TwkJ3K8r_wxFiWfpZUBZOknq_ljvyZXHllvCsqDo3FfmaeiK_BYDTRCaThVEfbwZC24Sv-tou84TDbtL5pxgmahYCqAuc_Aq2HDmFmt3thCe3/s1600-h/WW_tools4living.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 79px; height: 103px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRiqK8hyphenhyphen4Uq1eBaF3BHeOHkTnufPy5P-TwkJ3K8r_wxFiWfpZUBZOknq_ljvyZXHllvCsqDo3FfmaeiK_BYDTRCaThVEfbwZC24Sv-tou84TDbtL5pxgmahYCqAuc_Aq2HDmFmt3thCe3/s320/WW_tools4living.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442294913062086130" /></a><br /><b>TITLE:</b> "<i>Weight Watchers' Tool for Living Companion</i>"<br /><b>AUTHOR:</b> Weight Watchers International<br /><b>DIETY?:</b> yes<br /><b>IE?:</b> somewhat<br /><b>MY RATING:</b> 4****<br /><br /><em>Weight Watchers’ Tools for Living Companion</em> is a handy, little reference book that outlines their 8 “Tools for Living“:<br /><br /><ul><li>Winning Outcomes</li><br /><li>Empowering Beliefs</li><br /><li>Anchoring</li><br /><li>Storyboarding</li><br /><li>Mental Rehearsing</li><br /><li>Motivating Strategy</li><br /><li>Reframing</li><br /><li>…and Positive Self-Talking</li></ul><br /><br /><br />I’d read about these before, and thought them to be really helpful. I’m glad to now own this book where I can reference back to these from time-to-time, and find inspiration!<br /><br /><strong>Rated: B+</strong>Mizjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435728929041931945noreply@blogger.com0