Customer Reviews

The Brown Fat Revolution: Trigger Your Body's Good Fat to Lose Weight and Be Healthier

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Finally, research that shows fat is good! Dr. James Lyons, a man after every woman's heart in his claim that models are too skinny, that Marilyn Monroe is not fat and Madonna needs to gain 15 pounds! The only catch is, it must be brown. What makes Dr. Lyons an expert? Not only because he himself has perfected his workouts over the decades, but because as a plastic surgeon he has been able to observe people's yellow and brown fat up close and personal!

Part I of this book contains the science. Yellow fat is greasy and mushy, and causes people to look soft, flabby and even old before their time. But things are not really black and white (oops, I mean brown and yellow): The scale of fat quality is on a continuum from brown to yellow. Yellow fat is brown fat turned bad by bad eating habits (especially eating high glycemic foods that cause insulin to be produced). Brown fat is healthy, "well contained in a framework of fascia, which keeps fat in a tight cluster supporting the overlying skin and firmly attached to the underlying muscles." Brown fat "gets its color from thick, fibrous tissue between its cells, as well as countless blood vessels." Its tan color is a result of blood constantly supplying and replenishing the fibrous tissue and fat.

The surprise is that this is not just about fat on the tummy, hips, thighs and buttocks. Your face deserves more brown fat too. An abundance of yellow and lack of brown fat is why your face changes shape as you age. So getting your brown fat in gear can not only shrink your jean size but also save you from needing botox or a face lift!

We also learn about the role of hormones in aging, and category 1 is established for those age 30 to 50, with category 2 being those 50 plus. Each of these groups will be assigned separate diet and exercise plans.

In Part II we learn to trick the body into giving up its yellow fat and creating only brown fat by alternating high carbohydrate and high protein days.

Fortunately, this is not carb-only nor protein-only, which makes it much easier on those protein days than, say, the Atkins diet. (We're not aiming for ketones here!) The trick is to replenish glycogen stores throughout the day to keep fuel burning evenly. When you do deplete the glycogen, your body gets its energy by burning the yellow fat. But by balancing the glycogen stores you prevent any deposits of yellow fat.

For those that like everything planned out for them, there is a four-week eating plan for each of the two age categories. Another good thing: on page 73 where the protein choices are laid out, there are vegetarian and even vegan options. (With a bit of creativity, this could even be accommodated to a raw vegan diet: think tempeh, sprouted lentils & peas, nuts, seeds...) I do have a hard time some of with his carb choices though--there needs to be some gluten free options since nearly everyone has some degree of wheat sensitivity--but again, one can improvise. On this diet a person is supposed to eat 6 times a day. Two of those meals should be closely before and after workouts.

Part III is all about exercise, and again there are two plans: one for those age 30-50, and another for the 50 and older. James explains how this exercise plan is different from others, as a strong core is the key. Before you moan about all the ab crunches you'll have to do, realize that his definition of "core" is "the entire pillar, or center, of your body, starting from your shoulders down to your hips, the gluteus muscles of your buttocks -or glutes--and your thighs."
The best part about the exercise regime is that you can buy the simple, inexpensive equipment (bungee cords for resistance, a bench and some light weights) and do it all at home. No need for a club. There are even photos with a model doing each exercise he prescribes. Just as with the diet section, there is a four-week exercise plan all laid out. Honestly, what could be easier? He leaves little room for excuses and reminds us that even presidents find time to work out! He adds that it is of course best if you supplement this routine with other exercise you love (dancing, walking, etc.)

At the end is an appendix on skin care. This includes an explanation of how brown fat improves your skin, skin care ingredients he recommends, skin care routines you need, and warnings about various myths of skin care.

Scattered throughout the book are miscellaneous information boxes with titles such as "Why Good Carbs Play a Role in How Your Face Ages," "Portion Size," and "Throw Away the Scale." All throughout the book the doctor gives us great advice, including an "eat this, not that" blurb, how to eat on the road, getting rid of sugar cravings, and tips on sticking with the program.

This is a revolutionary diet book. I can see how this could be the next big one! Maybe it will even end the longstanding debate of "high carbs vs. low carbs." Just do both!

The diet and exercise plans will work and are healthful whether the author's claims about "brown fat" are solid fact or no.

The diet emphasizes water, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, plus reasonable portions of meat/poultry/seafood, dairy, and nuts. Small meals often keep blood sugar levels stable. Meal prep is simple enough-- even non-cooks can manage with a weekly grocery shopping trip.

The exercise plan focuses on strength training, including some standard floor exercises and work with resistance-bands and hand-weights. The plan is time-efficient and balanced.

Although the book itself may not be "revolutionary", the plan will promote productive weight loss and overall health for those who follow it.

As someone who likes to cook, I think the meals lack pizazz. I don't think food has to be quite that simple, bland, or repetitive for weight loss to occur. Over time I'm sure I'll work out some creative alternatives that are more to my liking. On the other hand, the Pina Colada Smoothie was delicious.

I also think the practical parts of the book could have been organized in friendlier fashion so it would have been easier to see at a glance how it all works and to refer back to certain parts.

Despite my quibbles, I intend to buy a copy. (I borrowed it from my local library first.)

Having read quite a few weight loss books, I found this book to be one of the least useful. I have successfully lost weight and have maintained my loss. But was intrigued by the promise of the book to provide information on elusive brown fat.

Very little information is provided about "brown fat" and no real support is provided to show that the proposed diet leads to more brown fat. The author is a plastic surgeon and states that she has seen it it during operations, but if she has more knowledge about it then that, she does not provide it.

The diet outlined in the book is more structured and restrictive than most. It involves a reduced calorie diet that alternates days that are mostly carbs with days that are mostly protein. If you are able to follow the diet, you will lose weight. But I would have a very difficult time following the diet for very long. There are better diets out there. And again, no real support is provided showing that this diet (just by itself or in comparison to other diets) will cause you to gain brown fat.

Also, this book is written solely for a female audience, although there is nothing indicating this is the case in the cover or sales blurb. The exercise program provided (a significant portion of the book) is not very suitable for me. But I'm not deducting stars for this. If the book had delivered on its "brown fat" promises, I would have gladly given it 5 stars.

Finally, the book places a lot more emphasis on looks rather than health. This may be due to the author's background as a plastic surgeon.

Rather then buy this book, I recommend one of the following: Break Through Your Set Point, You on a Diet, or The Mayo Clinic Diet. Any one of those is, in my opinion, much better than this book.

Edit:

It is almost unbelievable how much bad information this book contains. Let me provide some examples:

-- p.53 "The word "carbohydrate" itself defines these important molecules: "carbo" = carbon and "hydrate" = water. Why are these so important? Because these are the molecules that hold water in tissues; without them, tissues shrivel like a raisin. Water in tissues = volume. And volume, as you already know, is what defines a youthful face and shape. This makes carbohydrates the key to any successful diet."

Anyone who has any knowledge of basic biology will see this as utter nonsense.

-- p.55 "Another problem is that protein does not contain any fiber"

Obviously, protein is (by definition) not dietary fiber. But this overlooks that some foods that contain protein also contain fiber.

-- p. 81 "Veggies can NEVER (in italics) make you fat"

That's not true. You can get just as fat eating high-calorie veggies (such as potatoes) as you can eating anything else.

-- p. 82 "Green apples. These are an ideal snack food, as they contain almost no sugar and are difficult to digest. They're considered to be a negative-calorie food, since it takes more calories to digest (100) than the apple contains (80) (Other negative-calorie foods are fresh apricots, cantaloupe, figs, grapefruit, mango, and oranges.)

This is complete nonsense. The most common type of green apple, the granny smith, contains the same number of calories and fiber as the most common red apple, the red delicious. Most of the other foods listed are not negative calorie either.

I really love this book. I really appreciate the fact that he encourages people to have some meat on their bones! I have also experienced much of what he talks about as fact. I entered a fitness contest a few years ago and the trainer had me doing cardio 45 minutes, twice a day, six days a week and also 4 days of circuit training. Everyone kept commenting that I was getting to thin and that I looked old. He explains in the book about the effects of too much exercise and how it can make you look old! It makes sense to me. I have actually been following a program that is very similar to what is recommended in this book and 1)I spend much less time in the gym 2)I stay in great shape 3)people think I am 10-15 years younger than I am. What more can you ask for? The only negative that I have found in this book is that he encourages you to eat a lot of grains and he does not offer alternatives for those of us who have allergies or other sensitivities to gluten. But I am going to try it making some minor adjustments. All in all, I think this is an excellent fitness resource and I really appreciate the fact that he is trying to steer people away from the too thin, unhealthy appearances!

I'm only giving this book two stars because Lyons doesn't seem to say anything that can seriously hurt you, which places it above a depressingly large portion of health books. He recommends a weird food combining program (which should be the first hint that he doesn't know what he's talking about) based on the ability of brown fat to burn white fat. He backs this up with no biochemical explanation or historical exposition on the evidence, and there is a good reason why. Nutritionists are on the verge of finding certain supplements that can indeed convert white fat into brown fat, but until these findings are finalized there is nothing we can do to alter our brown fat deposits relative to white fat, other than, of course, avoid the pernicious low-fat diet scams. The book is a lot of hand-waving amidst dubious science and misleading claims. Steer clear.

I had checked this book out of our local library. My husband really enjoyed it and wanted to do the exercises on a regular basis. I got this book for him for Christmas. He was thrilled.

Saw the doctor on a T:V:show and got interested. We have to make an effort to be healthy. I have been on this program for a few days and I feel great It is not to hard to follow.

I recently found this book while wandering through the library. I had been doing a lot of reading about nutrition & good fats lately so I was intrigued. This added to my already increasing knowledge in some very big ways & in the best way I could, I immediately started to implement as much of it as I could.
The big thing was alternating the carb days with protein days...it made so much sense. I lost a sticky seven pounds in one week which I attribute to the alternating of these days. Up until this I was eating natural foods, healthy fats & proteins & avoiding sugars & refined processed foods as much as possible & exercising a few times a week. I have also been working with my chiropractor on my hormones through natural foods & supplementation. I am not heavy by any means but I was dealing with some very obvious fat pockets on my stomach & thighs. These areas appear smoother & my blood sugar is level. I am extremely hypoglycemic so I struggle constantly with my sugars not staying level so I have a hard time meeting my health goals at times because I can sabotage myself so easily. I think the reason I lost those sticky pounds after I have tried for so long is that by following the alternating method he suggested in the book it had keep my blood sugar level & I am now understanding & using my body's natural method of burning & using calories from food to its fullest potential.
I want to buy this one. I can see myself using it my whole life & making notes all over it. I really want to get into the exercise & toning portion of the book now that I have read it all the way through. I know a strong core will be very beneficial for my health & I can't wait to get started.

The book is clear in it's explanations for the lay person, but we were looking for some basic brown fat biochemistry and it was not in there.