Hey Everyone! I'm thinking of posting some book reviews on this blog every once in a while (mostly novels), and I wanted to start by reviewing the book that helped me lose 30 lbs.!! First, let me say that even though the title of this book has the word "diet", it is not a crash diet or anything crazy that will make you drop 20 lbs. and then you'll just gain it back. This is a book for people (of any age) that want to live a healthy lifestyle and want to lose some weight along the way!
I got this book because my mom picked it up for me at Target near the college/dorm stuff. Believe me, when I first saw the book, I was definitely turned off by the term "diet". But, that night I decided to crack it open and read atleast the first chapter to give it a chance, and i was HOOKED. The very first couple of pages talks about these 2 fictional colleges: Fat U and Fit U. The way Daphne describes the schools is exaggerated, but gets a point across. Who wouldn't want to go to Fit U? As the first chapter goes along, Daphne goes into her weight loss story and why this time will be different for the reader. Here's how each chapter after that breaks down:
Step 1: Get Inspired
This chapter is all about losing weight for the right reasons and doing it in a healthy way. Daphne also goes into why she decided to write this book. At the end of the chapter, there are some questions that the reader should answer to fully understand their reason(s) for losing weight.
Step 2: Get Informed
This chapter informs the reader about America's eating habits, which include fast food restaurants and how more and more people are turning into couch potatoes. It also goes into eating disorders and shares a couple of young women's stories about their eating disorders.This chapter also talks about emotional eating and calculating your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). What's really helpful is that at the end of the chapter, there is a chart showing what you should weigh depending on your height and your body frame.
Step 3: Get Started
This was probably the most helpful chapter for me, because this is where you'll learn a TON about nutrition.
You will learn about simple vs. complex carbs, protein, fats,the right fruits and veggies, artificial sweeteners (and why you shouldn't use them), fiber, portion control, and many other helpful tips.
Step 4: Get A Grip
This chapter is all about where and how to eat when in college. There's also helpful info about budgeting and saving time while still eating healthy. There's also some tips on storage of food and what to eat when going to restaurants with friends.
Step 5: Get Prepared
This is a really helpful chapter all about the danger zones in college: study sessions, parties, late night talks with friends, etc. There's so many helpful tips on how to eat healthy if you get the munchies in any of these situations.
Step 6: Get Moving
This is a pretty basic chapter about exercising. What's really cool is there are illustrations of so any moves you can do in your dorm room if you can't get to a gym.
Step 7: Get Your Vitamins
Just a helpful chapter on what vitamins you should be getting everyday as well as how to treat minor illnesses like a cold. I will say that I don't completely agree with this chapter because research has shown that you should be getting your daily vitamins from food. Also, you should really only be taking vitamins if you're pregnant or have a deficiency diagnosed by a doctor.
Step 8: Get Happy
This chapter is really informative about how to relieve stress in school without turning to food.
Step 9: Get Conscious
This is a great condensed chapter all about organic foods, foods coming from free range and grass-fed animals, and local foods.
Step 10: Get Cooking
A great chapter full of wonderful recipes if you have regular access to a kitchen and have to cook your own meals!
Overall, I love this book. Daphne writes in a way that very easy to understand and easy to relate to. She wasn't in college too long ago, so she completely understands what people are age are going through. This book definitely helped me get informed about basic healthy eating and helped me lose weight!
XOXO
Rachel
