"The Lean" Review

"The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss "
by Kathy Freston

Publisher: Weinstein Publishing
Release Date: Mar 27, 2012

Source: sent by publisher and publicist

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

If you’ve ever dieted, you’ve undoubtedly worked very hard to achieve results--only to experience the disappointment of having the pounds creep back on. But now wellness expert Kathy Freston lets readers in on her secret: losing weight doesn’t have to be difficult, and it can last. With this book she shares the powerful concept of The Lean--a radically effective approach to positive change--with a practical 30-day plan to transform your health and jump-start weight loss in the most gentle, easy, and automatic way possible.“Leaning in” is about setting an intention for what you want, weight- and health-wise, and then nudging yourself ever so gently in that direction, even if getting there seems impossible. It’s about choosing to eat foods that are delicious, filling, and supportive of your goals.
Each day of the scientifically based, vegan-friendly Lean plan, Kathy shows how to make and commit to small diet and lifestyle changes that, over time, yield unexpectedly significant results--something as simple as swapping in nondairy milk for cow’s milk, eating an apple a day, or having an afternoon power shake. These changes propel you almost effortlessly into a forward momentum of ever more healthy choices, and work together to bolster your progress. There are only two rules:
1. All you need is the willingness to take just one step.
2. As you add the healthier foods to your diet, eat the new foods first.
By gradually adding in these nutrient-dense and fiber-rich foods, you’ll crowd out the problem foods, feel fuller for longer, and simply stop feeling cravings. On Kathy’s Lean plan, readers can experience sustained, healthy, and permanent weight loss of 1-3 pounds per week--plus increased energy, improved digestion, clearer skin, and renewed purpose. Complete with exercises, recipes, and powerful testimonials, The Lean offers not only a truly leaner frame, but also the little push we all need to get on the path to lasting change.

My Review:

I am really impressed with this book. The author has a lot of facts to back up her statements about healthy eating. I feel like the book was more about a healthy lifestyle rather than counting calories to lose weight, which was what I was looking for. I'm not sure I agree with everything she mentions, but the great part about books like this is that you don't have to apply everything to your own lifestyle. There is a fair amount of shock value about animal products, since she is a vegan, but I like that she takes a powerful stance, it gets your attention. I might not agree with everything, but she has encouraged me to do my own research and find out more about certain parts of the modern American diet.

The basis of the book is to add a new element (or eliminate an unhealthy one) to your lifestyle/diet each day. So the first day, you add one new element, then the second day, you still do the first task, and add another, until at the end you are doing all 30 tasks. Some are simple, but they still aren't easy. It's easy to say I will eat an apple every day, but it's another thing to actually get it done. She also has other great and practical suggestions like a hearty, but still healthy breakfast, drinking enough water, and getting exercise even if it's just walking on your lunch break. Then some of the other tasks, I feel are a little extreme, so I probably won't add them into my own version of the plan. I prefer vegetarian foods but I'm not ready to give up meat completely and especially not dairy and eggs. She does make a great argument for cutting back on all of the above though, which I think is great and I am going to try.


The final 1/4 of the book, after you've completed the 30 days of tasks, consists of recipes. They all sound really great. I can't wait to try the Creamy Pumpkin Pasta. Lots of her recipes sound so different and unique.

I'm not going to plan on implementing all of her 30 days worth of elements, but I do think I have found more than a few great tips to get me headed in the right direction towards healthier eating. There are still a lot of facts that I will be investigating further, so maybe somewhere along the line I will add more elements too. I think it would be hard for someone to strictly follow everything in the book unless you had already planned on becoming a vegan.


Bottom Line: Kathy Freston offers great advice on a healthier lifestyle. I highly recommend the book even if you don't complete the entire Lean challenge.

Kathy Freston is offering a 7 day Lean Challenge! You can participate for free. Find out more here! 

 

I'm linking up to Weekend Cooking over at Beth Fish Reads!