Shape Your Life Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)With the popularity of makeover shows, it is no surprise to find books promoting the idea of "getting in shape fast." It only took my husband asking me if I wanted to go on one of those makeover shows to get me thinking I could probably do this myselfwithout surgery and a "lot" of patience. What I worry about is how discouraged some people might become when four weeks pass and they look at themselves in the mirror and see minimal results.

For me, it has taken over 24 weeks of serious working out for about 45 minutes a day, not to mention all the salads I've had to eat to get to a point where I feel that I should have started. I've found that diets don't work, but diet counts. If that makes any sense.

But with that aside, I think this book is for people who are between 10-20 lbs overweight. Then, you will probably see dramatic results. For anyone who is trying to lose 50 or more pounds, it is going to take much longer than 4 weeks.

So, I would say that this book is more helpful for anyone looking for lifestyle changes on a permanent basis. Toss out the "4-week" idea and think "life plan for getting fit and staying that way." Then, you will enjoy this book and it becomes a starting point for major changes down the road. I would just hate to see anyone toss out the wonderful ideas when they don't see dramatic changes in four weeks.

The concepts are amazingly well organized. The Seven Elements each have their own chapters. You explore: your workout, diet, spirituality, rest, emotions, body image, work and finally the last chapter analyzes your results. Throughout the pages you will find "quick tips" and "what you'll learn" pointers. The fitness test is helpful to determine your present strength level. The "walk-run" idea is probably not new to you if you have a treadmill, but might interest you if you have only been walking. The walking program is highly detailed and gives you a schedule for all four weeks, day by day.

If you don't have a lot of time to workout, you can try the 20-minute workout. There is a helpful chart for major muscle groups. If you enjoy learning exercises from a book, there are quite a few exercises. I still recommend getting exercise videos to learn how to do Pilates, yoga or any other exercise you want to try. You can refer back to the book to see the pictures, but nothing compares to a one-on-one session with a professional instructor on video/DVD. A video will help you keep the intensity going and an instructor will show you what you might be doing wrong.

Chapter two delves into the area of diet. I'm going to say that I agree with Shape's approach to eating right. The shape food pyramid puts vegetables and fruits on the bottom of the pyramid and whole grains on the third level. Water is on the second level. This makes sense and I've lost weight following these ideas. I'm less hungry when I drink enough water and my moods are more constant when I drink enough fluids and exercise almost daily. If you are a vegetarian, there is information for your diet which includes suggestions for meat substitutes, etc.

I must say that the weekly menus are rather impressive. They have easy-to-prepare recipes for every single meal, every single day for four weeks. You start to eat 5 times a day which you really need to do once you start working out more. Some of the delicious recipes include:

Quinoa Salad with Red Peppers and Pine Nuts
Frozen Cinnamon Cappuccino
Tarragon Mashed Potatoes
Grilled Tuna Salad
Thai Pudding
Banana-Soy Shake
Chicken Pot Stickers

The amazing thing about the recipes is the lack of complicated preparation steps and the speed at which the meals can be prepared. There is an intriguing section that shows you how to navigate your grocery store. The Mango and Ginger Cream recipe reminded me of how we mix low-fat sour cream with honey or stevia and a dash of vanilla. Suddenly pieces of fruit becomes an exotic treat when dipped in creamy vanilla bliss. I can eat an orange, banana and apple in one sitting while watching a TV show. That is one of the ways I get in my fruit for the day.

The chapter on spirituality encourages you to explore new areas of your life. The "are you starving your soul? questionnaire could be enlightening in itself. The list of "7 people we all need" shows you that you can't just rely on one friend to satisfy all your friendship needs. Whether you try journaling or meditation, there are plenty of ways to feel more nourished. Try yoga! The next chapter should be called: Your sleep number. ;) Although, it also deals with vacations and visualization. Then, you explore body image and finally analyze your results.

Helpful Tools that make this book a keeper:

How to calculate your daily calories
How to calculate your Body Mass Index
Fitness Test
Menu Plans

When you start buying smaller clothes, reading this book is going to be so worth it! Just remember, when you are first working out, you might gain weight. Once you get over that hurdle, the pounds start to drop. It took me years of working out, panicking because I'd gain a few pounds and starting over again to realize that you just have to live through the first 24 weeks and deal with it. Once you get to week 25 things are looking pretty darn good and by then you have been able to apply many of the principles in this book. It is more about lifestyle changes than "I have to be fit in 4 weeks." This book could change your life around, just be patient with yourself and forgive yourself on those days when you break all the rules. The principles are working for me and I'm pretty sure they will work for you. Exercise is key!

~The Rebecca Review

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Product Description:
With nearly five million people reading each issue, Shape is the #1 magazine for today's health-conscious women. Its mission and ever-present philosophy is: Being fit means more than having thin thighs and well-defined abs it means living a balanced life. In Shape Your Life, Barbara Harris, pinpoints the seven goals Shape considers the benchmarks of total fitness Workouts, Diet, Spirituality, Rest, Emotions, Body Image, and Work and provides a custom-designed, four-week, personal transformation program that all women can use to make over their lives forever. Brimming with photographs and results-producing programs for each element of fitness, Shape Your Life overflows with expert advice and inspirational wisdom on:
1. Your Workout: details programs ranging from The Ultra-Efficient Cardio Workout to the Fit-in-20-Minutes Workout; from The Body-Confident Workout to The Mind-Body Makeover.
2. Your Diet: unveils The Shape Food Pyramid and Shape Pyramid Meal plan, healthy kitchen makeovers, shopping guides, and more.
3. Your Spirituality: offers soul-nourishing yoga and meditation exercises and steps to becoming more connected with others and with the natural world.
4. Your Rest: explains the health benefits of taking a rest now and then breaks, vacations, naps, and sleep with tips, techniques, and mini-retreats for getting more healthful rest.
5. Your Emotions: reveals how to survive modern life with your sanity intact, reduce stress, identify triggers that cause anxiety, and balance your emotions.
6. Your Body Image: provides the keys to building a positive view of your body at any size or shape, as well as special confidence-boosting workouts.
Your Work: explores how to make your work, however you define it (corporate manager, self-employed businesswoman, stay-at-home mom), more productive and personally satisfying.
Destined to become an indispensable journal of self-discovery and achievement, Shape Your Life highlights Shape® magazine's positive, uplifting, encouraging message: In just four weeks, you can master the seven elements of fitness to get into your best shape-and create your best life-ever.

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