3 New Books Offer Biggest Loser Expert Inspiration
A trio of new books from experts on The Biggest Loser has arrived just in time for your spring shape-up plans. They offer everything from workout and meal plans to recipes and dietary advice to “skinny secrets” from the show’s “OG” trainer.
1. The Biggest Loser Bootcamp: The 8-Week Get-Real, Get-Results Weight Loss Program
The Biggest Loser Bootcamp: The 8-Week Get-Real, Get-Results Weight Loss Program by the experts and trainers of “The Biggest Loser” (Oxmoor House, $21.95; out now) outlines a two-month program of workout, nutrition and motivational strategies based on what goes down on the ranch. New trainers Jen Widerstrom and Jessie Pavelka are featured in parts, but it’s trainer Dolvett Quince, who designed the workouts for the book and is featured in photos, who demonstrates the moves. The book is patterned after the online bootcamp offered throughout the year at biggestloser.com, and success stories from that program are featured throughout the book, as are successes of former show contestants. Each week is its own chapter, which has an overview of the workouts and meals on the first couple pages, plus goal-setting and motivational advice. Then as the days progress, you flip through the book following the meal plan and exercises. Recipes for the week are at the end of each chapter. All in all, it’s a really well-organized guide.
2. A Small Guide to Losing Big
A Small Guide to Losing Big by Cheryl Forberg (Flavor First, $12.99; out now) is a handbook written by Forberg, who has been the nutritionist for 15 of the show’s 16 seasons. The softcover guide may be small, but it’s jam packed with information including calculating your calories, stocking your kitchen, biomarkers to shoot for, cooking techniques and food journaling. The book also includes two weeks of menus that you can customize by your calorie level and 25 recipes from Forberg, who in addition to being a registered dietitian is also a James Beard award-winning chef. You’ll find recipes for dishes such as Confetti Quinoa Salad With Pistachios and Currants, Cherry Vanilla Granola, Fire-Roasted Chili, and Chocolate Coconut Silk.
3. Skinny Habits: The 6 Habits of Thin People
Skinny Habits: The 6 Habits of Thin People by Bob Harper with Greg Critser (Ballantine Books, $22; out now) is a continuation of Harper’s “Skinny” series of books, joining The Skinny Rules, Skinny Meals and Jumpstart to Skinny. The previous books focused on the diet and exercise, but this book focuses on habit formation, neuroplasticity and cognitive behavioral psychology to show that exercising that muscle between your ears is just as important as diet and exercising the rest of your bod. Harper draws on the characteristics that make thin people tick, among them getting adequate sleep, ditching the elastic-waist pants, having contingency plans, reinforcing healthy habits, and finding ways to relax that don’t involve a pint of ice cream. There are five pages of footnotes at the end of the book, just so you know Bob did his homework.
Will you check out any of these reads this spring? —Gail