Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever [Paperback]

Lyssie Lakatos (Author), Tammy Lakatos Shames (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2004

"I can't loose weight because I have a terrible metabolism"

You may not realize it, but you can take control of your metabolism.

Identical twins and registered dietitians, Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos Shames embarked on a twin study to determine precisely what does -- and doesn't -- increase the rate at which our bodies burn calories and fat.

Their findings? Small changes have big results.

The nine weight-loss principles -- and the 200 tips that help you incorporate them into your lifestyle -- in Fire Up Your Metabolism are surprisingly simple: Eat breakfast before you get to work. Learn which sugary snacks trump others (peanut M&Ms boost metabolism, but Twizzlers don't). Drink water, which is essential to burning calories. Always eat dinner, even if it's late. Focus on muscle building, not cardiovascular workouts.

With Fire Up Your Metabolism, you won't have to avoid restaurants or follow a diet (though one is included if you like regimentation). The fatigue and distracting hunger that derail most dieters won't affect you because revving your metabolism is all about eating. You will enjoy breads and other carbohydrates. You will boost your metabolism with power proteins, including hamburgers, and avoid other proteins that bog you down. You will indulge in snacks you thought a dieter could never touch.

Lyssie and Tammy's clients have experienced not only dramatic weight loss but also the thrill of having more energy than ever before. Now you, too, can rewire your metabolism to lose weight fast and forever.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lisa Lelas author of Simple Steps: 10 Weeks to Getting Control of Your Life Fire Up Your Metabolism is packed with wonderfully useful tips. Lyssie and Tammy Lakatos also offer something unique and fascinating with their "twin trial" testing of everything from low carbohydrate dieting to sleep deprivation.

Laura Allen actress The Lakatoses have convinced me that with very small, simple changes, I can transform my body....This book alone was enough to jump-start my metabolism!

About the Author

Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos Shames, registered dietitians, nutritionists, and personal trainers, are the founders of Healthy Happenings, Inc., a company that provides consultations to more than 300 corporations. Their advice has appeared in Self, Family Circle, Woman's Day, and Good Housekeeping. They live in New York City.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743245482
• ISBN-13: 978-0743245487
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #380,286 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tammy Lakatos Shames and Elysse ("Lyssie") Lakatos, also known as The Nutrition Twins®, are registered dietitians and personal trainers who share more than identical features; they share a mission to help people improve their health through lifestyle-focused behavior modification. What began as a passion for bettering the way people feel inside and out morphed into the founding of an innovative nutrition company, The Nutrition Twins®.

Tammy and Lyssie have become known for their unique approach to nutritional counseling, corporate lecturing, writing, making media appearances and consulting multi-national food companies. The Lakatos sisters have worked with hundreds of corporations and serve as the exclusive nutritionists for NBC's celebrities and employees at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

The sisters have developed a simple roadmap to get their clients healthy and their plan is included in their two books. In addition, they have an exciting venture with Day-Timer®; they have developed a Wellness Planner and a Weight Management Planner for 2009, 2010 and 2011 which they featured several times on QVC.

The Twins have been featured regularly as the nutrition experts on Good Morning America, The Discovery Health channel, Fox News Channel, NBC, Bravo, WABC-TV, WPIX-TV, CBS, The Learning Channel, FitTV, Oxygen Network, and Fox & Friends. Tammy and Lyssie have become sought-after contributors by many print and online publications. They have been featured on the cover of Woman's World magazine and have appeared in magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Self, Good Housekeeping, Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, People and O Magazine. In addition the sisters serve as the exclusive nutritionists for FitTV on-line.

Tammy and Lyssie reside in New York City where they assist celebrities, professional athletes, and every day people in attaining their personal health-related goals. Former soccer and speedskating competitors, the twins now enjoy running and pumping iron and Tammy chases after her twin toddler girls to keep fit.

For nutrition and health tips, tricks, facts, recipes and more information about the Twins visit www.NutritionTwins.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book, very different approach but similar recommendations compared to other books, July 6, 2006

By 

Amalfi Coast Girl (Mid-Atlantic, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever (Paperback)

If you are struggling to lose weight this book takes a very interesting approach. The authors are twins and they use themselves as human guinea pigs to show the reader what difference their recommendations will make on the human body. From a scientific perspective I found this approach to be fascinating.

The book is subdivided as follows:
1. Get Ready, Get Set, Get Fired Up
2. Mixing Nutrients to Maximize Metabolism
3. Choosing Carbohydrates Carefully
4. Power Proteins versus Problem Proteins
5. Favoring Fabulous Fats
6. Banishing Breakfast, Beware
7. Missing Meals: Misdemeanor or Manslaughter
8. Where there is a Will there is Water
9. Sleep Satiated versus Sleep Starved
10. Fidgeting, Frolicking and Keeping Fit
11. Muscles Make Magic
12. Sample Daily Menus

The authors provide sound nutritional and exercise advice for those that are motivated to get themselves into better shape. I do not find the authors advice to be overly difficult to follow, but I might be in the minority. I recently switched to a mostly vegan lifestyle for health reasons. It is amazing what all of us can do or accomplish when we are properly motivated.

I have summarized my observations regarding the books content below.

Pros:
1. Sound recommendations that all of us have read before backed up by personal experience
2. Easy to read and understand
3. Detail adequate for the general audience
4. Provides exercises for both the home and the gym
5. Specific recommendations in terms of food consumption
6. Target Heart rate given for optimum exercise efficiency

Cons:
1. I would have liked to see pictures or drawing for the exercises so that people knew that they were performing the exercises correctly.
2. I would also have liked to see a summary of their recommendations
3. Cutesy chapter titles are annoying

Overall, I feel the authors did a credible job covering the topic of health from a nutrition and exercise standpoint. If you are ready to make some changes to your life, and are looking for a kick to get you started this might just be the book for you.

58 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the Bible for Weight Loss, February 26, 2004

By 

PS3LESS (Over There, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever (Paperback)

After ten years of struggling with weight loss I felt that my body and mind went through enough torment. I have used all of the approaches including - Atkins , Weight Watchers, The Zone Diet, LA Weight Loss, Jenny Craig, Trim Spa, and many of the so called "fad diets". Each and every time I was not only disapointed, but I was left extremely hungry. What does a starving person do? They eat and eat and eat. I was told to check out Fire Up Your Metabolism from a friend, and I decided to try to learn its disciplines.

Let me say that I am extremelly impressed by the Latakos twins thorough relation of increasing my metabolism to shed the weight that has been so hard to lose. This book is incredible and I feel that it has set me up to finally succeed. It explains the way the body works to fully capitalize on increasing the amount of calories I burn throughout the day.

I totally recommend this book to only people that are serious not only about losing weight, but to educate themselves so they can participate in a healthy lifestyle forever. This is the best twelve dollars I have spent in 2004. My appreciation and thanks go out to the authors.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book Out There, October 23, 2005

By 

S. Strache - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever (Paperback)

Listen, we all know the basics...eat less, exercise more...BUT this book tells you how to do this simply and compactly. The book is worth the money for the tips alone but it also offers great lists showing what a real portion is (something we all need to be reminded of), what foods you should have all the time, some occasionally and some rarely. They don't cut any food out of your diet, just explain to you how often you should eat it. Wonderful book for those of you who aren't looking for that miracle, wonder diet and just looking for something that makes sense. My husband and I now tell people we are on a new "food program" not a diet. We are losing without being hungry or frustrated and losing at a responsible rate.