Your Fat Is Not Your Fault (Paperback)

by Carol N. Simontacchi (Author) "Remember the old saying "Animals sweat: men perspire: women glow"?..." (more)
Key Phrases: pounds mixed lettuce, cheddar goat cheese, snack options, Baby Greens Salad, United States, Weight-Loss Principle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"You aren't a weak-willed ninny" if you're fat, says clinical nutritionist Carol Simontacchi in Your Fat Is Not Your Fault. "It may be that an obese person's body works differently." Simontacchi sees obesity as a physical disability that can be resolved by following her plan, influenced by Barry Sears (author of The Zone).

About half the book outlines reasons for weight gain: you may lack brown adipose tissue, which stimulates heat production through calorie burning; you may have food allergies; your childhood eating habits or adult dieting may have set you up for weight challenges; you have extra fat cells and your body is predisposed to obesity; your hormones may be out of balance. Your strategy is not to diet--she explains why various diets don't work--but to fix the way your body processes calories. That means avoiding high-glycemic foods (grains, processed foods, starches, high-sugar fruit) and balancing protein (30 percent), carbohydrates (40 percent), and fat (30 percent).

Many of the 61 recipes by Margaret West are higher in fat (mostly olive oil, but also butter and half-and-half) than most dieticians would recommend for weight loss. (A recipe inexplicably titled Baked Potato Without Fat contains two tablespoons of butter.) --Joan Price --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Blame not weak will for excess weight but a sluggish thyroid, an imbalance of hormones, high insulin levels or perhaps an inefficiency of brown adipose tissue, suggests Simontacchi, a nutritionist who is also the CEO of a chain of health-food stores in the Northwest. Following the trail blazed by Zone-master Barry Sears, Simontacchi urges a diet in which proteins, fats and carbohydrates are consumed in a 30-30-40 ratio. Among her dietary no-nos are wheat and dairy products, all foods that are white and all canned foods (a caveat that recipe writer West occasionally overlooks: there's canned tuna in her tuna salad and canned pumpkin in her pumpkin pie). To jump-start the new dieter, 30 days of precisely balanced menus, with a warning not to deviate from them, and 60 or so recipes are provided. Nutritional analyses are not included. The volume slips into the realm of the infomercial when Simontacchi promotes a comprehensive program of multivitamin/mineral supplements, which, for top quality, should be purchased not by mail or at the supermarket, but at a health-food store.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; Trade edition edition (December 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874779448
• ISBN-13: 978-0874779448
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #943,775 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New York Times Best Seller For Sure. The Perfect 10......, January 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Your Fat Is Not Your Fault (Hardcover)

Simply put, the author is right on when it comes to addressing the entire problem of being overweight. It is an honest review of what is in the market and the do's and don'ts surrounding each diet plan. Simontacchi touches on areas such as thyroid, brown fat, imbalances and other issues associated with the complete weight loss plan. Utilizing a gourmet chef to create easy and tasty foods, was a great and intelligent idea. The only problem I find is that the 1 months supply of recipes leaves you yearning for more. I hope the recipe book comes into print soon! I would recomend this book to all who seek the answers to true weight management and permanent weight loss. I have started the program and have lost 17-18 lb. within the last 4 1/2 weeks. I am very impressed with the results and have really enjoyed the food. I will keep you posted on further results. Thank you for this opportunity to share. BG

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This one is worth it-a good tool in the battle of dieting!, February 20, 1999

By A Customer

While some say this is just a copy of the zone, I think it is more well written than the zone...the information can be presented a number of ways & this one is the first diet book I feel like I can really learn from & use. It is true she hawks her own stores products, but any savvy consumer can make their own choices. Besides, the breakfast bars she mentions can be bought just about anywhere these days. The points she makes about thyroid, & other possible reasons you may not be able to lose weight yet are good ones. The recipes are very easy & very tasty. All around, a very good tool to get you going on a real plan to change the way you eat so you can lose weight for good. At Amazons paperback price, what have you got to lose, really? Go for it!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An author who relates on a simple and understanding level., January 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Your Fat Is Not Your Fault (Hardcover)

I don't have a weight problem but my husband does. I have started making the recipes in the book and my husband has lost 11lbs in 3 weeks. He has asked me where I got the new recipes he is eating and I just told him that I picked up a cookbook at the store. The ironic way that I found out he has lost weight is that he mentioned that he needed a new belt and I said why. He said that he must have lost some weight. My husband is retired so I make all of his meals. The only meal I cannot give him is the breakfast drink because he is one of those men who cannot think about protein drinks in the morning. This has been the only diet book that I can say, where the meals are just like family cooking. They taste great and they are easy to make. I am surprised about the success of this program and that my husband feels great and does'nt know that he is on a diet. I look forward to the mentioned cookbook sequel. Thank you for this opportunity to share. Please thank the author.