New books may offer inspiration for those looking to shed pounds
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The average American may be growing fatter, but not for lack of information on getting thin.
New diet and exercise books seem to appear daily: In 2006 alone, 2,215 new health and fitness titles were published, according to R.R. Bowker's Books in Print, which tracks publishing industry information.
It adds up to a marketplace filled with advice on shedding pounds and building muscles.
But what can they say that hasn't already been said?
"What's proven to work every single time is resistance training, cardio, hydration, sleep and solid basic nutrition," said Gunnar Peterson, the personal trainer who got 52-year-old Bruce Willis action-ready for the latest Die Hard flick. "I'm sorry it's not sexy. But that's what works."
Still, Peterson says he frequently buys diet and fitness books to look for new ideas. And he believes catchy titles and promises of quick weight loss may motivate readers to rethink their lifestyle.
"If that's what it takes to get someone who's doing nothing up and doing something, then in my mind it's worth it," he said.
Consumer Reports recently surveyed 2,058 adults about weight loss and found 41 percent are currently trying to lose weight. Of that group, 10 percent reported purchasing a diet book in the past six months. The survey was conducted as part of the magazine's special report on dieting that appears in its June issue.
Here's a roundup of some new titles that aim to inspire this summer:
• Extreme Fat Smash Diet by Dr. Ian K. Smith (St. Martin's Griffin, $13.95).
Promise: Lose 12 pounds in three weeks.
Why people might listen: Smith is the guru in charge of VH1's sometimes groan-inducing Celebrity Fit Club.
Method: This update to last year's best-selling The Fat Smash Diet (still a top seller on Amazon.com) offers three weeklong cycles of detailed meals. It preaches the benefits of cardio workouts, small portions and a food journal.
Dieters are divided into groups: those who lose weight easily, those with more trouble and those who can't seem to drop a pound. The writing is accessible, but cloying metaphors abound ("I like to think of metabolism as a car's engine transplanted into your body"). Still, there's enough sound — though not exactly new — advice here to make it a worthwhile read.
Motivational style: Upbeat, with a spiritual bent: "This exercise will teach you how to reach into your soul and find that inner strength that will allow you to continue your march forward even when things seem to be getting tough."
•The Cardio-Free Diet by Jim Karas (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $23).
Promise: Lose weight within two weeks by exercising for a total of two hours.
Why people might listen: This is the third fitness book by celebrity trainer Karas, who prepped Hugh Jackman for last year's X-Men: The Last Stand.
Method: "Cardio kills," writes Karas. "It kills your weight loss plan, your joints, your immune system, your body composition, your time, and, most of all, your motivation." Instead, he prescribes a strict regimen of strength training (biceps curls, lunges, squats, etc.) to increase muscle mass and kick-start metabolism, thus burning calories.
Like Smith, he offers detailed meals and shuns the idea of dieting without exercising. With an almost angry edge, Karas talks of "inhibiting protein synthesis" and "elevated troponin levels" and suggests you buy "SPRI exercise tubing." High-tech as it sounds, his message is one you've heard since junior high gym class: Eat less and exercise more.
Motivational style: Benevolent drill sergeant. "I realize you don't want to exercise. But I hope you also realize by now that you have to do it."
•The Abs Diet for Women: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Belly and Firm Up Your Body for Life, by David Zinczenko (Rodale, $24.95).
Promise: It's all in the subtitle — sexy abs in six weeks.
Why people might listen: Zinczenko is editor in chief of Men's Health. Like Karas, he helps beautiful people stay that way. (The book's advance publicity announces that he "helped Nelly Furtado lose her baby weight.")
Method: This fourth book in the Abs Diet series is aimed at women. By burning belly fat, Zinczenko says, you'll protect your heart, look fabulous and have better sex. No strict rules here — Zinczenko is friendly and flexible.
Portion sizes for the six high-fiber, high-protein daily meals are determined by the dieter, and the strength training workout includes optional cardio. Zinczenko offers "powerfood" recipes (which sound reasonably tasty), tips on shopping for produce and a "special bonus section" on psychological strategies.
Motivational style: Down-to-earth, well-informed friend, with occasional Richard Simmons-like outbursts. "Most diet plans portray snacking as a failure," he writes. "I want you to think of snacking as exactly the opposite — as a key to success!"
•Bikini Bootcamp: Two Weeks to Your Ultimate Beach Body" by Melissa Perlman and Erica Gragg (Broadway, $17.95).
Promise: 14 days of intense workout, fruit-and-veggie meals and good thoughts will get you beach-ready.
Why people might listen: Perlman and Gragg run Mexico's Amansala Spa, where vacationers at the real-life Bikini Bootcamp get shaped up under the sun.
Method: If you commit to this boot camp, there may not be room in your life for much else.
You're told to do more than two hours of exercise each day, plus prepare meals according to their recipes. With that much work, it's easy to believe you'll see some results.
The workout includes strength training, cardio (in the form of walking) and yoga. The recipes sound delicious, and there are grocery shopping lists included.
But the book's selling point is its attempt to channel the healing experience of a spa. There's much talk of meditation, journal writing and internal healing, and readers can whip up the recommended mud masks and hair treatments for spalike pampering.
Motivational style: Pep talks from your New Agey best girlfriend, which sometimes get a bit epic: "Many people on our program feel as though their entire body 'wakes up,' so great is their newfound vigor and clarity."
Related: New books may offer inspiration for those looking to shed pounds
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