NaNoWriMo-Chapter Ten

Once again, a reminder that this is a very rough draft of the book I'm writing for National Novel Writing Month. To up my word count I don't generally use contractions, after all I'm trying to write 50,000 words in thirty days. Not easy, but lots of fun.

Chapter Ten

Speaking of Books

In the preceding chapters I have referenced a few of the books I have read and use for reference. I would like to formally introduce you to all of my favorite books for this subject.

Change One – The diet & fitness plan, Lose Weight Simply, Safely, and Forever

The Official Diet of Reader’s Digest

Set for Life; Eat More…Weigh Less…Feel Terrific

Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland

Low-Fat Lies, High Fat Frauds and the healthiest diet in the world

Kevin Vigilante, MD MPH and Mary Flynn, PhD

Flip the Switch, Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism & Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day

Robert K. Cooper, PhD, Recipes by Leslie L. Cooper

How to Help Your Man Lose Weight, A Guide for the Concerned Woman

Jerry C. Sutkamp, M.D. & Ted Mason

Healing through Exercise, Scientifically-proven ways to prevent and overcome illness and lengthen your life

Jörg Blech

The Sneaky Chef, Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals

Missy Chase Lapine

The Volumetrics Eating Plan, Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories

Barbara Rolls, Ph.D

8 Minutes in the Morning for Extra-Easy Weight Loss

Jorge Cruise

You would think that with having read all of these books I would be slim and fit already. Well, surely you understand the problem: knowledge is not the same as action. I will defend myself in that I have adopted some of the knowledge that I have gained, I have resisted some temptation, otherwise, I would probably weigh three hundred pounds, like many other women who are stress eaters with no self discipline. I am just grateful that I have had only a 2.6 pound average weight gain over the years. I could have done much, much worse.

What I have learned from each book.

Change One, The Official Diet of Reader’s Digest

The Diet and Fitness Plan – Lose Weight Simply, Safely and Forever

The best thing about this book is all the success stories of real people who have used the diet. It is encouraging to see the before and after pictures of real people, male and female, and read their stories. I want to be one of those successes. I like the plan because it takes things slow and steady, changing one thing at a time, and addresses all the things that can derail a change of eating and exercising habits. There are meal plans and recipes and lots of great pictures. The exercises are basic and simple to begin with, increasing in complexity as the weeks go by.

Set for Life, Eat More, Weight Less, Feel Terrific

Jane P. Merrill, Karen M. Sunderland

The authors of Set for Life lay out three points for balancing life to bring success; those points are 1) Positive Living, 2) Regular Exercise, and 3) Good Nutrition. Much of the book is given to recipes for healthful foods. When I first got the book I tried many of the recipes and some have become family favorites and traditions. Others, well, let’s just say that our tastes differ from the author’s tastes and leave it at that. Some of the recipes my husband didn’t like while I did, but since I am not interested in fixing two meals I opted to fix things my husband will eat. I found early on that if he didn’t like something he would politely eat a little bit and later find an excuse to go somewhere, and while out he would stop of a fast food joint and fill up. Fast food is bad for the wallet as well as the body, so I try to fix things he likes.

I have struggled with positive living, having a happy attitude, since I went to Junior High. I do not remember being unhappy during childhood. I liked going to school, I had friends, and I felt good about myself. When it was time to go to seventh grade my parents made the decision to transfer me from the local school where we lived to the school where my father taught. I went to orientation on the Friday before school was to begin and was immediately plunged into despair. I do not even remember looking at the boys, but the girls were all well dressed in the latest mini-skirts (This was 1969), already knew each other from elementary school and wore nylons! I was dressed in a homemade dress (not that that was bad, my mother was an excellent seamstress) with bobby socks and lace up suede oxfords. I was a first class dork and totally embarrassed. Plus, I had curly red hair, freckles and fair skin (and still do, well except the freckles are much less now), and did not fit in, in any way shape or form. I became despondent and during ninth grade had stress headaches so often and bad that my parents decided to take me to the doctor. I believe those years were the cause of my continuous struggle with feeling inferior and unhappy. Even now, it is difficult to be optimistic and hopeful. But I keep trying. The authors are both slim and energetic so that says something, especially since they are both mothers of more children than me.

Low-Fat Lies, High-Fat Fraud and the healthiest diet in the world

Kevin Vigilante, MD, MPH and Mary Flynn, PhD

This book exposes the propaganda of the collusion of science and government, as well as teaching about a truly healthful way of eating. Dr. Vigilante (how’s that for a name?) has an engaging writing style and lots of well researched information. The recipes are good, a little on the high-brow side of things, but they are instructive as to what constitutes this healthy diet.

Flip the Switch – Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism & Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day

Robert K. Cooper, PhD, Recipes by Leslie L. Cooper

I’m still wading through this one. It is heavy on the science and research, but still manages to be readable. It explains how our bodies work, which is helpful to know. It has straightforward suggestions about what to do to rev up your metabolism. I know they work, because it is basically what trim, healthy people do. Like I said before, knowledge is not the same as action. But this book is motivating.

How to Help Your Man Lose Weight – A Guide for the Concerned Woman

Jerry C. Sutkamp, M.D. & Ted Mason

If you want ideas on how to change your man’s eating habits, this book is the one. He has some great stories and anecdotes from his patient’s lives. I don’t agree with all the non-fat, reduced fat ingredients used in the eating plan, but it can be a starting point.  One of the most valuable parts is his explanation into the male psyche; understanding the way men think about food and body size is really helpful to understanding strategies that will help them lose weight.

Healing through Exercise – Scientifically-Proven ways to Prevent and Overcome Illness and Lengthen Your Life

Jörg Blech

This is one of my favorites because it explains how beneficial exercise is for our bodies; not just exercise in a gym, but an active life versus a sedentary life. When I need motivation, this is the book I turn to. I want to live a long, healthy life and exercise is an important ingredient in achieving that goal.

The Sneaky Chef – Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals

Missy Chase Lapine

This book is downright fun to read. Missy has the best ideas for hiding foods. I have tried them and they work! Even if you don’t use her exact ideas and recipes, the concept is easily transferrable to your own recipes and it is fun to get creative. Lots of nice pictures too.

The Volumetrics Eating Plan – Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories

Barbara Roll, Ph.D.

This is a sequel to her original book The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan. Dr. Roll is associated with Penn State and has done extensive research there on nutrition, diet, and eating habits. These books are wonderful! Solid scientific information in a readable format; good recipes, and in this book there are lots of pictures so you can actually see the difference her methods make in size of portions. It is astounding. Give it a look-see.

8 Minutes in the Morning for Extra-Easy Weight Loss.

Jorge Cruise

I had seen Jorge’s books for years before I bought one. I got this one because the premise is that you don’t need any equipment for the exercises. You can do them in your pjs in your bedroom first thing in the morning. He also includes an eating plan that is very generous and a buddy system plan that helps with accountability and encouragement. The book is a good one and I like to read his explanations for everything. He too has studied nutrition and exercise science and uses the latest findings to guide is advice. Another great feature is personal success stories from many participants. See real people succeed encourages me.

And there you have it. The books I refer to most for information, recipes, exercises, and encouragement.

Want to know something odd about me? When I have cravings for sweets, or food in general I can satisfy those cravings by reading a cookbook. Reading a cookbook does not induce cravings, it satisfies them, mostly. Sometimes the cravings are such that I end of making something, but generally I can find relief by simply reading yummy recipes. Weird, I know. Hand me that book with the pie recipes, will ya’?