Flip the Switch, Lose the Weight: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism and Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day [Paperback]

Robert K. Cooper (Author), Leslie L. Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2007

Discover how easy it can be to drop those unwanted pounds by flipping the switch that revs up metabolism to maximize fat burning all day long

Could losing weight really be as simple as flipping a switch? Absolutely, says Dr. Robert Cooper, one of America's leading weight-loss researchers. The trouble with most popular diet-and-exercise programs is that they boot up the metabolic thermostat, or Meta-Stat (an area in the brain that regulates metabolism), for only short spurts. The rest of the time the body is in fat-storing mode. But if our Meta-Stat stays on 24 hours a day, we burn fat constantly--and build energy as well.

In Flip the Switch, Lose the Weight, Dr. Cooper reveals scientifically proven strategies that enable us to turn on our Meta-Stat and maintain optimum metabolism all day long.

This groundbreaking book:

• provides an easy 20-minute exercise plan that gently works the body differently on successive days for maximum fat-burning, energy-generating effect

• allows readers to customize their weight-loss programs based on individual goals and lifestyle preferences

• provides an exclusive "Success Map" for readers to chart their progress

• includes complete meal plans and more than 100 recipes, all designed to fuel the Meta-Stat for maximum fat burning

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

ROBERT K. COOPER, PhD, is the author of the 2.7 million-copy bestseller Low-Fat Living. His wife, LESLIE L. COOPER, has written the Low-Fat Living Cookbook, among other books. They reside in southeast Michigan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (March 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579549802
• ISBN-13: 978-1579549800
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #205,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

139 of 147 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very good book, but program was impractical for me, March 16, 2007

By 

Paul Mosier - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flip the Switch, Lose the Weight: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism and Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day (Paperback)

Flip the switch makes great claims about losing weight. You can lose weight not by eating less but eating more. You can burn more fat than a person who spend tons of time in the gym by making small changes in your life. The book starts out with the definition of meta-stat which is a combination of the words metabolism and thermostat. Essentially the whole idea is to get your body to work for you in burning the fat instead of you having to cut back on calories among other things. The history of our ancestors is discussed. People were less overweight in the past because they were constantly doing activities throughout the day that kept the meta-stat on so to speak. The third chapter outlines the whole rest of the book. It lays out the twelve MSOn switches which are the main things that get your body into the fat burning mode. They have a synergistic effect according to Dr. Cooper. He states that not all are able to be applied and you shouldn't. There are certain ones for certain people. Some examples of MSOn switches are: waking up on the right side of the bed, getting more light when you wake up, get good quality rest, creating activity momentum and dealing with stress correctly.

It is a very well written book and provides pretty much all the information you could possibly need to make this change. The MSOn switches are each explained in their own chapter. There are plans on what to eat, recipes and workouts to go by. There are some serious problems not with the book but with some of the ideas portrayed. First of all I find the "Flip the Switch" lifestyle to be extremely complicated for anyone who hasn't been on a serious workout or diet program-in other words a normal person. First you learn about how our forefathers metabolisms worked. Then Cooper goes into a great detail about hormones and other chemicals that help or harm with fat burning. This is especially disconcerting because I fail to see why "we" need to know about these. Should we be eating foods with these in them or taking supplements? When you get to the third chapter, you really get into the meat of this lifestyle. As I said before twelve MSOn switches are summarized so as to give you a taste of what is to come. The next twelve chapters gets into the nitty gritty of each. This is where my real qualms come in. If you weren't already overwhelmed you would be now. Within each chapter there are many more procedures and techniques to further your meta-stat.

Having found the first three chapters to be extremely informative I was hopeful for the next twelve. However I just found my head spinning. Can I not eat any junk food? What happens if I do? I'm supposed to not sit for more than a half an hour at any one time without getting up and doing some small exercise? I am also supposed to eat every couple of hours. I was also told sweaty exercise isn't recommended, but a twenty minute workout three to four time a week would definitely help. When you put everything together you have quite a busy day and you are supposed to do this every day.

I don't know if Dr. Cooper considered this, but some people just flat-out cannot do all these things in a day. I can see waking up on the right side of the bed. That is completely do-able. Creating activity momentum is much more difficult for some than others and maybe nearly impossible for those stuck in an office. Turning down the heat in your house to lose weight is considered an MSOn switch. That is a matter of comfort and not just a small change. Eating six or seven times a day seems to be one of the staples of the dietary change is absolutely ludicrous for many to follow. I know all I end up doing by eating six or seven times a day is eating way too much bad food, because I don't have the time to prepare snacks and meals every time I get out of my seat. I don't know anyone who isn't a stay-at-home mother that has the time or resources to have that many meals in a day.

In essence my main problem with the idea of meta-stat and MSOn switches is that many of them may be small changes but add up to a great deal of serious lifestyle modifications. I truly believe this will work and you will lose weight. I applaud the research and time it took to write this book, but the real issue is skirted. Is it possible for the average person to "flip on" enough switches to make a real change in how our bodies burn fat. In my opinion it will take a serious commitment to do this and many people will just not be able to incorporate enough of these things into their lifestyle to make a serious impact. If I had to rate the book I'd probably give it five stars, the program-two. So I split the difference.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I feel the same as most of the others that have posted reviews, September 10, 2007

By 

Suz (Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flip the Switch, Lose the Weight: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism and Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day (Paperback)

There is so much great information here that I use all the time, I had so many light bulb moments while reading. I understand how the the body works now and I mostly apply that to how I eat and all. But when you get further in to the book it changes to a very structured program like so many I could not stick with.

But as far as information on understanding the hows and whys this book is worth every penny. I like someone else said pick and choose what works for me.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth a try!, June 5, 2007

By 

Camille Mastascusa (upstate NEw York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flip the Switch, Lose the Weight: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism and Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day (Paperback)

This books makes a lot of sense and is based on scientific prinicples. It can help anyone who struggles with their weight. Although I do not follow the book's ideas religously, I have had many people comment on my weight loss, asking me what I am doing. Some of the ideas are very easy to follow. Pick and choose the ones that you think you can do and you may be surprised by the results.