The 7- Minute Miracle: The Breakthrough Program to Banish Spot Fat Forever [Hardcover]

Sheldon Levine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2002

This is the first book that takes a genetic approach to losing weight and reshaping your body. "The 7-Minute Spot Reducing Solution" is the latest way for the millions of Americans to lose extra pounds in their "trouble-spot" areas.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 201 pages
• Publisher: Lifeline Press (May 13, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895261820
• ISBN-13: 978-0895261823
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #348,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Quick Workouts

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I can't believe it's actually working..., June 23, 2002

By 

An aspiring author and illustrator (Chico, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 7- Minute Miracle: The Breakthrough Program to Banish Spot Fat Forever (Hardcover)

Okay, my first thought when I saw the title was "This guy's nuts. Everyone knows you can't spot reduce!" But being a sucker for anything that promises me a smaller rear-end, I had to give it a try.

Here's why it supposedly works: when you exercise, adrenaline and other chemicals are released into your bloodstream causing fat (energy) to be released into your bloodstream for your working muscles to use as fuel. That part is generally accepted as scientific fact. The doctor's theory goes on to conclude that since your working muscles receive a greater flow of blood than the rest of your body (hence the "pump" one gets when a muscle is worked with intensity), more fat will be released in the area where the muscles are working.

Before I bought the book, I had been working out consistently for about 8 months and was getting decent results overall (reduced my bodyfat from about 25% to 20%), but my saddlebags (ick!) just didn't want to go away. I added this to my program 3 weeks ago (I do the butt exercises daily) and I truly do see a difference.

I only gave the book 4 stars out of five, because the one thing it lacks is scientific support for the spot-reduction theory -- the doctor does include several anecdotes with photos, but no clinical studies to prove that it really works.

He also recommends consuming about 1,500 calories a day. Personally, I think that's a bit low -- I weight about 140, get about 30 minutes of exercise a day and eat approximately 1,800 to 2,000 calories daily.

So the bottom line -- pun intended :-) -- is this: it's working for me and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with a stubborn body part they want to change.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It helped me break my family's pot-bellied tradition!, August 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The 7- Minute Miracle: The Breakthrough Program to Banish Spot Fat Forever (Hardcover)

When I first read the beginning of the book, I did not think that it was possible for me to lose weight in only 7 minutes per day. Therefore, I researched genetic weight loss on the internet, and it was really all that Dr. Levine said it was. So, I decided that such an easy-to-manage program was worth a shot. The program turned out to be so easy and it fit in to my lifestyle so well that I decided to make this excercise long-term. The spot weight loss took effect rather quickly, and the part about this program that I liked more than other programs is that there was no crazy diet system, and the spot meals tasted good. I liked the idea of working with, and not against my heredity. Big bellies were a trait that ran in my family, and I feel very happy that I broke the mold that I was confined to before.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars There has to be more...., January 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The 7- Minute Miracle: The Breakthrough Program to Banish Spot Fat Forever (Hardcover)

Shrinking "problem areas" certainly is an APPEALING idea...
Especially for someone like me: one of the ones who would sweat thier life away in the gym, only to see results in the areas you don't need help (I happen to LIKE my bra size, thank you very much). And since my bottom didn't change in size, it would make my body look even MORE out of porportion....

I first read about this book in an article of a womans magazine and I was interested, but wasn't yet sure on whether I should buy the book or not. But after I read the reviews here, I was completely sold on the idea that this book was "IT". I tried it out and after just a few days I started feeling things start to change...but by the second week, progress started to fade because the exercises just weren't CHALLENGING anymore. Dr. Levine tells you that you need to keep the exercise "intense" to get the results...In following the book, I do get a "pump" (albeit a MINI one) but it's nowhere NEAR the "sweatfest" he makes it out to sound. He writes that if you don't sweat enough to need to take a shower that you're in trouble...Well, I guess that's where I am....

No offense, but if after a few weeks you STILL find yourself grinding your teeth and soaking in your own sweat( as the doctor would describe it), you my friend are seriously out of shape...Which isn't such bad news since 1) if you are that out of shape my guess is you ARE the PERFECT candidate for a program like this since you'll get a better burn and 2) if you're here reading this you must have SOME interest on DOING something about it.

As for me, there really isn't much in the book about how to turn up or to KEEP the intensity on the exercises (which is why I gave the book it's rating) So I emailed the doctor himself and am awaiting his reply. Who better to provide help on how to get out of this plateau than him?

So yes if you live a very sedentary life and/or are very out of shape, you would be the perfect candidate for this program....Otherwise if you have some history with the gym, you may have to find your own way to make this work (like I am doing) or if it comes to it, look elsewhere.