Strong Women Stay Slim

This book is written for those who are sedentary to at most moderately active, and want to change their behavior so as toaccomplish long-term weight loss. It is a good motivator forgetting started with strength training and keeping track of what you eat. It is definitely not intended for athletes, but rather the 75% of American women (so it says) that don'tget regular exercise 3 days per week.The strength training part focuses on 6 exercises, most ofwhich usedumbbells. This is not a whole lot, but for the intended audience it is helpful in keeping the program frombeing overwhelming. For more intense exercise, you will haveto look elsewhere. There are a few illustrations; it would bebetter if they showed the exercises step-by-step, but thewritten directions are acceptable and it's easy enough to figure things out by just trying it. One nice touch is thata variety of people are shown doing the exercises -- they don't all look like young fitness instructors. This sectionalso explains the importance of strength training forstrengthening bones, raising basal metabolism, and makingother exercise easier.The book discusses a variety of different aerobic exercises,but points out that the most important thing is to findsomething convenient enough that you can do it several timesa week, and to make sure it's intense enough to get results-- it describes how to tell when this is happening.The food plan part is probably the most complex and largest section, but it is based just on the food pyramid. It'snothing new, but it provides a good way of keeping track ofhow balanced your diet really is. This food plan allows 25%fat, which is probably going to feel low to anyone who's beeneating a Western diet and not thought about fat much.If you want a short-term diet, this is not the book for you.If you're not active and want to change, this is a veryuseful book. If you already do strength training, it seemslikely that you're already doing much of what this book says,so try to borrow it and have a look before you decide to buy.

If you're a fitness freak or on a stable weight you are happy with, find another book. This one isn't for you. Ditto if you are looking for super fast weight gain or have a penchant for fad diets. Ditto if you are looking for a full-on gung-ho weights program.BUT!If you are struggling to lose weight, have ever lost weight and bounced back up again, are happy with your weight but not your shape, have tried all the diets, or even haven't tried them, or don't know where to start - then this is the book for you.... regardless of age (or even gender!).Dr Nelson's book focuses on strength training as a fundamental element of healthy weight loss, particularly for its role in maintaining bone density (and toning!) - as opposed to the diet/aerobic exercise route which can lead to loss of bone density and/or loss of muscle (rather than fat). That said, she also covers the role of good nutrition (focusing on the long term, not the faddish) and aerobic exercise. The result is not "dieting" as such, but healthier living. If you want to lose 30lbs in 3 months this isn't the book to read - but if you want to lose 30lbs steadily and KEEP IT OFF, then dive in. Generally I would say the focus is on inches, tone and well-being rather than pounds anyway.The discussion of studies, science etc could have been heavy, but wasn't - it was very readable and even extremely motivating. It meant everything in the book made sense, which for me, made it easier to take on the recommendations of this book as a lifestyle not a fad.The exercises are very easy, but if you are just starting out, that's not a bad thing - better than throwing you in with stuff you can't do, and they will give you plenty to build on. This book will give you a great, balanced foundation to a healthier lifestyle. There's plenty of checks along the way to keep you on track and getting results - have you chosen a good goal weight (and do you need one?), are you working out at the right intensity, are you eating well, are there warning signs that you are coming off the rails?You're also supported with checks to track your exercise and eating - backed by research showing that those who keep track, stay on track and get better results.

I read this book after my doctor recommended it for the second time. I was at a point of desperation as far as my health and weight loss were concerned. The book starts out giving documentation for a healthy lifestyle as well as specific test groups who used the program and succeeded. By the time I got to the chapters dealing with food and exercise, I was quite motivated to begin the program. The weight exercises are so simple that almost anyone can do them. I made my own versions of the food and exercise charts, and began my logs 3 1/2 months ago. I have dropped about 30 lbs and continue to be motivated to get strong. I am now using 8 and 10 lb weights and have added additional exercises to my routine as well as regular aerobic exercise. My focus has changed from losing weight to getting strong. I also am encouraged that the food chart is a positive tool. I am "filling up" the categories on the chart instead of feeling like "I can't have any more to eat." I use the chart loosely, because I want the changes I have made to be permanent. This book is full of practical advice, from how to "eye" portion amounts, to low-fat, low-calorie recipes, to what vitamins you should be using to supplement your food intake.

As a nearly life-long dieter and minimal exerciser, I can't tell you how impressed I am with the results I've got from using this book, compared with others I've tried. I'd followed Strong Women Stay Young (which I also highly recommend for us 50-plussers) for about 10 weeks, so maybe that gave me a head start, at least in terms of getting me into a consistent exercising regime, but the food plan in SWSS is what really got me losing weight & trimming down in size. I've lost 3 kg/6.6 pounds, gone from tight slacks/jeans in Australian size 14 (U.S. 16, I think), to where my Aussie size 12s are too big - in about 10-12 weeks. I'm rarely hungry and have stopped craving or being satisfied with junk food. The book is enjoyable to read, the authors' credentials seem impeccable, and the food plan is nutritionally sound and so wonderfully flexible that even to say I'm on a diet feels somehow dishonest. With its "no-fad," "no frills" approach, SWSS has made me really believe I'll never be fat/flabby/weak again. I reckon Dr Nelson & colleagues have given me the tools to stay slim/toned/strong for a long time to come.