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Bodystat

An interesting book is Bodystat: How to Reset Your Fat Thermostat Permanently. Eric Witt and Carol Wirth write,"Diets don't work. Focusing only on the psychological aspects of eating doesn't work." They say we should eat a low-fat diet that is between 10% and 20% fat and exercise regularly. They write in a way that is clear for anyone to understand, and they have some of the best insights on how to change to this new lifestyle. They begin by telling the story of a friend, Lori, who did as they did and became thin and happy. Lori told them at the beginning,"I've been on the pineapple diet and the Beverly Hills diet, I've used metabolic-breakthrough plans and endocrine-control plans. They all worked, for a while. Then it was as if I just couldn't help myself. No matter how hard I tried, the weight came back, every time." They go into explaining how our bodies have a set-point and that we have to change it so it burns up excess fat. Americans have their set point wrong because they constantly eat high-fat food and don't exercise. When anyone eats low-fat and does moderate exercise, even walking or climbing a few stairs everyday instead of taking the elevator or parking the car far enough away from the mall so you walk a little bit, their body will reset itself and become thin. They explain that you don't have to count calories or grams of fat, just know the right kinds of food to eat. They explain that there is a growth period. It may take 6 to 12 months to become healthy. The biggest problem people have is being patient. Their book helps you to understand what is going on and tips on how to be patient. One tip is to throw out the bathroom scale. It is psychologically damaging and unnecessary.

They recommend some books at the end such as Eat More, Weigh Less by Dean Ornish. One of the comments the authors of Bodystat make for The Fit or Fat Target Diet by Covert Bailey is that Bailey:"has probably done more than anyone else in America to promote exercise." But they say,"Oddly enough, he misses the boat on the effect of low-fat diet in reducing body fat -- he flatly states, '...you still have to decrease calorie intake for effective fat loss.' Say it ain't so, Covert! Oh well, this book was written before much solid information was available on the effects of low-fat diet on body fat, so we suppose he can be forgiven. Except for that one glitch, this is one of the best books around on the how-to and why-to of low-fat eating."

On the book The New Fit or Fat, by Covert Bailey they write, "This revised edition of his classic, Fit or Fat?, is probably the best book on exercise, fat, and muscle. It is certainly the funniest and easiest to read .... He has a (somewhat muddled) chapter on set-point theory, and almost no mention of the effect of fat in the diet on body fat. But, for the exercise part of resetting your set point, this book is great! Highly, highly recommended."

On Food for Life, by Neal Barnard the authors of Bodystat write:"All around, this is probably the best book currently available on the benefits of low-fat diet and how to change over.  On The 10% Solution for a Healthy Life they give a warning:"There is a chapter on weight control in which caloric intake levels are recommended. Ignore it. Again, don't count calories."


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