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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dr.Dan's Super Weight Loss Plan by Dan Curtis. MD, June 19, 2006
This review is from: Dr. Dan's Super Weight Loss Plan (Hardcover)
The book is well written. It is a good purchase for the extensive
research into diet and exercise set forth in 20 chapters.
A summary of key details follows:
The first five chapters cover general health and well-being.
Here the authors try to arrive at a generic definition of physical fitness . The converse is the classic couch potato personality.
Chapter 6 contains a BMI chart where height is mapped to weight.
The ideal BMI is defined. The statistics outside the norm represent varying levels of overweight. This chart can be modified for people who have more muscle mass through considerable exercise. In those limited instances, people may weigh more due to the added muscle mass. The Exercise Physiology Lab has a more sophisticated measurement statistic for body fat. This involves total immersion and measurement in water.
Chapters 7-12 cover varying levels of workout training. Most of
the exercises depict weight training with a chapter on the
more intensive aerobics. Chapters 13-16 describe diet strategies
employing caloric measurement/management.
Chapter 17 describes nutritional supplementation. Vitamin A
is water and fat soluble. B vitamins benefit the nerves,
digestive system and the brain. Vitamin E helps the cardiovascular system. Vitamin C may be employed for infection
control. Calcium and Vitamin D assist with bone well-being
and metabolism. Chapters 18 - 20 deal with monitoring/
logging progress. Overall, the book is well written. It can
be helpful for crafting a general strategy for health maintenance. The contents will help people whether or not they
seek to lose weight. A strength of the book is that the
critical strategies for health maintenance are centralized in this work. The volume is generally well-researched and worth the price charged.
Areas for Improvement or Building Upon This Book Are:
1. The authors suggest consulting with a physician before attempting this program. People with weight management problems
need to consult specific specialists. i.e. Endocrinologists
for sugar and metabolic issues and Nutritionists for a specific
diet plan because most physicians have scimpy training in
the overall area of nutrition. Medical Schools simply do not
emphasize nutrition in the curriculum. Some European protocols
are nutritionally based not pharmaceutically based.
2. Concurrent with (1) implementers of the system need to discuss
the classic blood markers for inflammation; such as, sugar,
gluten and C-reactive protein for pointers to foods to avoid.
3. Overweight people and many elderly people tend to have
rheumatology issues whether or not they are overweight.
These bone issues suggest better sugar management, gluten
management, elimination of alcohol, smoking cessation and specific physical therapy regimentation in daily living.
4. Calcium carbonate is the preferred calcium supplement with
Vitamin D.
5.The J of the Lancet is the "gold standard" as far as nutritional research. The London Diet is another potential
source for dietary emulation. This work cites many journal references with only 1 reference from The Lancet.
6. Eating out is a problem for everyone whether or not they are
overweight. Those who eat out should:
- make substitutions for pasta
- read soda labels and drink products with < 5 gms. sugar
i.e. diet iced tea
- be careful of oil additives in Oriental cooking
- read labels for trans fats
- remember that alcohol can have significant quantities of sugar
Otherwise, this work would be helpful in crafting a lifetime
diet and exercise regimen. Generally, this work is closer to
the optimal regimen then comparable volumes of its kind.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Detailed reference with a complete plan and ...no tricks, May 31, 2006
This review is from: Dr. Dan's Super Weight Loss Plan (Hardcover)
Dr. Dan simply lays it out for the person who wants to lose weight. Exercise more, eat less, and know what you are doing.
To that end, this book is a complete text. There are excellent black-and-white drawings showing how to do certain weight-lifting exercises. There are tables to calculate how much fat, carbohydrate, protein to eat. There are hints on how to handle fast food and processed foods, which many now believe are part of the problem with our epidemic of obesity. And Dr. Dan is not a maniac; he gives the reader stern advice (yes, it's going to take four years to lose 100 lbs at a pound a week and yes, you should allow for a treat once a week, because you can't live like an ascetic monk --unless you ARE an ascetic monk for a living.)
The most interesting chapter is on setpoints. If you are heavier than you need to be, your setpoint is too high. As you lose the weight, you will be hungrier than you need to be to maintain or lose more weight--temporarily. I can confirm this with our cat (we have a bulemic cat who has to be on diet food. Don't ask...) When the cat lost the first bit of weight on his diet food, he was very frantic and hungry in the morning and evening when it was his mealtime. Then as he settled into the new weight, he was less apt to whine. Clearly he goes through a crisis when he's feeling hunger. Just like our cat, as you get to a new weight, your setpoint has to reset. Dr. Dan suggests activity levels, how to manage the appetite, and insists on slow weight loss; no more than a pound a week. Otherwise the yo-yo tendency to lose, be hungry, eat, go back up in weight sets in.
This is a very wise book.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Diet and Fitness 101, August 25, 2006
This review is from: Dr. Dan's Super Weight Loss Plan (Hardcover)
Dr. Dan's book is perfect for a person who has to start from the ground up regarding getting healthy again. It takes the reader from start to finish and gives him the building blocks needed to start to become fit, get in shape and lose weight. For others, it is a gentle reminder that you can diet all you want to lose weight, but in order to lose weight perfectly, you must include exercise in order to be fit. You can be very slim and be completely unhealthy.
The author reminds us that we have fallen victim to sedentary lifestyles, full of stress, full of processed, refined foods. America has succumbed to eating out of a box full of preservatives and chemicals. There is nothing more unhealthy than this. So, he explores with the reader fitness essentials, body fat percentages, aerobic and resistance training, and tips for successful training. Regardless, he tells you flat out that exercise is a must for any weight loss program.
There are illustrations on different exercises that one can do, some with free weights some on machines. I wondered what the average person, who can't afford a membership at a gym, might do.
He also hits on caloric intake, nutritional overview, appetite control, supplements etc. All in all, the book is geared toward rounding out a person's health in the best possible way.
There are no recipes or sample menus in the book.
The author stresses discipline and careful decision making. If you're completely obese and out of shape, you have to start small. Everyone should consult a doctor prior to establishing a weight loss or fitness program. It will take time and effort but it can be done, no matter what level of fitness you are at.
Great book.
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