Give Your Heart to Weight Loss: Petite Eats (Part 1)

Give Your Heart to Weight Loss: A Woman’s Guide to New Diet Books for Spring 2012

Part 1 of a 4-Part Series

     A slim waist, tasty meals, and a healthier heart are all results promised to women by well-known weight loss gurus in spring’s new diet books. Women of all ages are looking to find eating and exercise plans that fit their schedule and mindset. In honor of this month’s American Heart Month, 3 new books promise to change your beliefs on eating, wellness, and prevention of heart disease, which is the leading killer of women. Here is the first book in in this 4-entry blog series:

Book 1: The Less is Less Approach:     

  
  
Personal trainer and lifestyle expert Jim Karas offers a specialized take on women’s dieting with The Petite Advantage Diet: Achieve That Long, Lean Look. The Specialized Plan for Women 5'4" and Under (Hardcover, HarperOne, 2011, $25.99), available in stores now. Karas uses a 21 day plan of calorie cycling that applies lean eating to two days of 1,100 calories and a third day of 1,600 calories. The USDA reports women ages 19 to 30 and 31 to 50 should consume 1,800 to 2,200 calories and 1,600 to 2,200 calories per day, respectively.  As a woman measuring at 5 feet, I found tips in this book truly eye opening.

     Karas’s plan recognizes that a woman who is 5’4” or smaller cannot consume the same amount of calories as the “average” sized women. As a woman measuring in at 5 feet, I found tips in this book truly eye opening. A new study in February’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition supports his idea that reducing calories as a prime factor in stimulating weight loss. While the plan is created with petite women in mind, any woman can benefit from Karas’s recommendations for changing one’s mindset to weight loss.

     Karas devotes chapters to explaining metabolism, the best meal options when eating out, the importance of recognizing liquids as a diet saboteur, and the benefits of dieting as a team or group. In recognizing the importance of social activity and relaxation, Karas approves wine on his list of appropriate liquids (in moderation), and allows for a few glasses a week in his plan. His unorthodox approach to exercise focuses on strength training as a key to maintaining a lean shape, with minimal cardio activity to accompany an improved metabolism. Karas offers simple mantras to express his points such as, “Muscle down = metabolism down.” Karas’s previous books include The Cardio-Free Diet (Gallery, 2007, $28.99) and The 7-Day Energy Surge (Rodale Books, 2010, $15.99). 

     Whether you’re struggling with planning low-calorie meals, getting your body jump started, those stubborn pounds, or a reliable fitness routine, there’s a book for you. Both the medical and fitness communities apply different methods to approach eating, working out, and weight management, but they are united in their desire to get women healthy, happy, and heart-conscious. 

Image from amazon.com. 
Read the next post here. 
Read the third post in the series here. 
Read tips and recipes here.