A Weigh-in with the Pros as seen in the Denver Post

A weigh-in with the pros
Got resolutions? We asked local experts to separate the fab from the flab in 2009's gym class of diet and fitness books
By Suzanne S. BrownThe Denver Post

Diet and exercise books are piling up almost as fast as holiday bills. It's tempting to try "The Lemon Juice Diet," with its promises to help you "lose weight and look great fast," or Dr. Ian K. Smith's "4 Day Diet" in order to "Be Thinner by Friday!"
Guys who are tired of flabby muscles can "Get Huge in a Hurry" with a new book from Men's Health, or get ripped with the "Power Moves" that trainer Marco Borges uses with rapper Jay-Z and his other celebrity clients.
If these tomes make you want to crawl under the kitchen table with a big bag of Cheetos, we understand.
The reality is that diet and exercise books can be helpful tools when you're trying to get in shape, but unless you select a guide that fits your lifestyle and has a plan you'll stick with, you're setting yourself up to fail.
To help us separate the fad diets and weak workouts from solid programs, we asked registered dietitian Mary Lee Chin and personal trainers Noelle Brownson and Michael Hurtado of The Fitness Station to weigh in on how to pick an effective regimen. Many books focus on all aspects of wellness, but we had the experts concentrate on the eating and exercise components.
Chin, who has been a registered dietitian for 26 years, says she has seen plenty of trendy diets come and go. Some last, such as Atkins, and some fade, like the grapefruit diet. There will continue to be a market for such diets, she said, as long as people are "overwhelmed, overweight and undernourished."
"The reason why there are so many new diets is that we're getting fatter by the minute and want someone to prescribe quick fixes," she said.
First things first. If you're obese and considering going on a restricted or low-calorie diet, check with your health- care provider to make sure it's safe, Chin said. "As a general recommendation, you don't want to go on diets where you're getting less than 1,200 calories a day because you will change your basal metabolic rate, and your body can go into a semi-starvation state," she said.
As you browse through a diet plan, make sure it has these three things, according to Chin:
• Healthful foods that allow for choice and flexibility. A diet that's too reliant on a single food (lemons or salmon, for example) should be a red flag.
• Exercise is essential. Don't rely on diet alone to keep you at a desired weight; your body needs to move.
• Compatibility with your lifestyle. If a diet plan requires a lot of time to prepare the food and that doesn't fit into your schedule, you won't follow it. Similarly, if it specifies food you normally don't like or enjoy, it's not for you.
Chin said dietitians have been focused on teaching people to eat nutrient-rich foods and diets that include a lot of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy, as well as whole grains, filling in with meat and beans. "I always go back to the food pyramid, but people resist that and say, 'Where's the magic?' "
Looking at the photos in Bob Greene's "The Best Life Diet Cookbook," Chin nodded approvingly. "We eat with our eyes first, so be something of a food stylist," she said, pointing out that berries on top of a waffle not only add to the nutrition value of the plate but look appealing as well.
Meals don't have to consist of little piles of fruits, vegetables grains and protein, she said. Make a plate interesting by layering kabobs over couscous; prepare a cheese fondue with whole grain bread or veggies as dippers; toss a salad, and top it with grilled meat; or stir-fry meat and vegetables to serve with brown rice.
The other behavioral component to consider with a diet is to understand your motivation to lose weight, Chin said. Merely wanting to look good in a bathing suit won't be enough to help you stick with a program long-term.
Work it out
Personal trainers would rather work with people one-on- one than recommend a book, but Brownson and Hurtado were game to offer advice on how to select a written workout. Spend time browsing through books before buying, and make sure you evaluate the guide for these things, they said:
Is a gym membership or equipment a requirement? Or can routines be done with minimal at-home equipment? If the book is filled with pictures of models working out using cable machines, big weight sets and other equipment, you'll have a hard time duplicating that without similar gear.
Hurtado said he can make sure clients get a good workout using just a fit ball, medicine ball and some dumbbells, and a book should offer the same flexibility.
Is the book geared to your fitness level? If the workouts employ basic movements and you're beyond that stage, keep looking.
The problem with some programs is that the exercises work muscles in isolation, rather than combining them in more functional sequences, Brownson said. Biceps curls aren't bad, they're just not as effective as combining that curl with a squat, lunge or twist. "I like to see a program address the whole body, because that's what you need in real life," she said.
She also said to look beyond how exercises are illustrated and described and see whether the author explains which muscles are worked and whether tips are given for using proper form. The routines should also incorporate warm-up and cool-down suggestions so you don't end up with sore muscles the next day.
And maybe it's a woman thing, but one of the first things she noticed was the physiques of the models used in the photos. Do they have body types that the average woman can relate to, or are they too model-like, too muscled? "A lot of people will be turned off if the figure type isn't realistic," she said.
Speaking of illustrations, analyze how easy the photos or drawings are to follow. Some books, like DK Publishing's "15 Minute" series, offer not only full-color photos, but four- page foldouts so you can view an entire workout of 20 or more exercises at a glance. DVDs accompany the books as well, another useful tool.
Are the exercises and workouts something you'll enjoy doing? If you hate to run or don't see yourself as a cyclist, avoid books that are based on that type of exercise.
Hurtado says guys should steer clear of books that focus on muscle growth unless your main goal is bodybuilding. The average guy should be more interested in overall strength and fitness, he said. Another feature to watch out for is when diets require supplements or high protein intake, he said.
Also keep in mind the old saw that you can't judge a book by its cover — or its title. Hurtado was surprised that Men's Health's "Huge in a Hurry" wasn't a typical bodybuilding book. The guide instead advocates doing quick repetitions of exercises to build strength, a science- based approach he liked reading about.
Like Brownson, Hurtado advocates using multiple muscle groups. "Exercises like leg extensions are pretty pointless for anyone except those starting with no fitness base," Hurtado said. "I like my clients to get off the machine and do more complex movements."
For that reason, he gave the thumb's-up to Marco Borges' "Power Moves," a program that involves multiple joints. Each exercise is labeled as to what combination of shoulders, elbows, hips and knees it employs. "These are things you can do at home and on the road with minimal equipment," he said.
More ways to lose between the lines
Mary Lee Chin says to use tools to stick with your diet plan.
Keep a food diary, as well as a behavioral diary, to help you track why you might go off your diet on high-stress days. A diary can also help you identify mindless eating habits.
Be honest and don't rationalize ("If I eat standing up, the calories don't count" or "she made it specially for me so I have to eat the entire pie.")
Find support via a group like Weight Watchers or online groups that will give your positive reinforcement.
Reward yourself when you meet goals but not with a chocolate cake. Find some other pleasant pursuit, like getting a massage or manicure or going to the movies.
Use smaller plates, eat slower, practice portion control, and don't cook too much of one thing or you'll be staring at leftovers and feeling guilty.
More:The American Dietetic Assocation has analyzed 70 diet books. Check it out at eatright.org, and search "Consumer Diet and Lifestyle Book Reviews."
Suzanne S. Brown: 303-954-1697 or sbrown@denverpost.com