Rating: 
Summary: Finally! There is a way to INCREASE our metabolisms !
Review: Thank you CURVES and Gary Heavin for showing us a " fool proof" way to get off the cycle of perpetual dieting! Who wants to be on a DIET the rest of their life? Not me ! With traditional diet programs we have been taught to just tough it out through those plateaus or lower our caloric intake. The question is what happens each time we do that? The answer is lower our metabolism and therefore require fewer calories to maintain our weightloss or to be able to continue to lose, really sabotaging our success in the future! WOW ! Everytime I did that I lowered my metabolism because I cosumed less and my body just adjusted! So when I tried to go back to eating somewhat normally I just gained all the weight back and even MORE! I can definitely get used to just dieting 2 to 3 days a month innstead of for the rest of my life. Thanks also for helping us to understand the importance of strength training so that I don't lose any more muscle by dieting alone. I don't want to lose 40% of my weightloss im muscle again sabotaging myself for success down the road. What a terrific breakthrough in sensible weightloss and health! Cheers to the CURVES people for bringing this to all of us gals who really need this kind of information.
Rating: 
Summary: A modified low carb program with exercise
Review: The nutritional information in this book is nothing new. You can get all the same theory in a book by Dr. Atkins, or the Carb Addicts people. What's different about this book is that it acknowledges the current stance that staying in ketosis for long periods of time can be risky. My one big beef (pardon the protein pun) with this book is how the cover and reviews lead you to believe you'll be dieting two days a month from the beginning of the process. In fact, you eat very low carb for a week or two, then move to moderate carbs, and finally the "two day a month" diet for maintenance. The maintenance process seems complicated, but if I can finally get the weight off and keep it off while still eating food I like within reason, I'm willing to give it a try. The only thing I find missing from the book is a way to adapt it for men. My husband would like to lose weight along with me, but there is no information about how many carbs a man should eat for each stage of the program.
Rating: 
Summary: The equipment & method is dangerous; the diet info, old-hat.
Review: There are primarily two aspects to the Curves book. One is the exercise regimen and the other is the nutritional program. I will address the exercise portion first.Two different programs are covered. One is for home use, the other performed at Curves facilities. Believe it or not, the at-home one is actually more efficient than the facility one. The reason is the tubing to be used at home provides resistance when lifting and lowering, not just when lifting. In comparison, the Curves facility equipment only provides resistance when lifting (the positive phase). There is no lowering of a weight (negative phase). Ideally, the subject should focus on a muscle(s) until it is properly stimulated, not keep unloading it (lifting but not lowering). This is in conjunction with alternating muscles, as in pushing with triceps, then pulling with biceps, etc. This is called a double positive, which is touted as a major advantage, when it is actually a disadvantage. Curves facility equipment is isokinetic in nature, a design that was deemed invalid, dangerous and inefficient over 20 years ago. The handles or pads will only move at a certain speed, regardless of the effort (if the effort is sufficiently great). The theory is that the muscle is worked maximally hard in all positions. However, it doesn't work in reality. The resistance is dependent on movement - no movement, no resistance. The harder you pull/push, the more resistance provided. This results in maximum force generation, which can cause injury, if it is excessive. Also, the ever-increasing speed of movement over time (performing as many repetitions as possible in 30 seconds) dictates greatly increased force generation again, which increases injury potential. Finally, the switching of directions subjects the trainee to violent acceleration forces as they move back and forth, increasing injury potential yet further. In addition, the loading of the involved musculatures is so brief (~ 15 seconds each), and the fatigue (inroading) so slight, that no significant improvement is promoted. Proper exercise requires that the movements be performed slow enough to ensure safety and loading efficiency, and to aid concentration. Also, the duration of each exercise should be such that sufficient fatigue (inroading) is rendered within 1 - 4 minutes. Less than one minute indicates that the resistance is excessively heavy, and possibly encroaches on safety. Beyond four minutes, the movement degrades into a form of manual labour, thwarting any real exercise benefit(s). Although most of the exercises suffer from the aforementioned problems, the squat provides dangerous loading through the shoulders, and, thus, the spinal column. This, in combination with the instructions to rise quickly and descend slowly, greatly increases chances of intervertebral disk and/or spinal column facet joint damage. The same applies, to a lesser degree, to the shoulder press/lat pull-down machine. Since it is stated that heart rate and respiration increase due to the first machine exercise, it is obvious that the machine training was responsible. This makes the aerobic recovery stations redundant. There is no reason to rest the muscles between machines. Since a trainee would be working different muscle groups in sequence, the previously worked muscles would be getting their rest anyway. Also, heart rate can rise due to emotional, physical, or chemical stressors, so it is not a reliable indicator of exercise intensity, effectiveness or quality. In a slightly different vein, the abduction/adduction machine places the resistance against the lower legs (as per the illustrations). This can cause tremendous strain on the collateral ligaments of the knee joints. Combined with the sudden changes of direction, along with the fast speed of movement, this machine is an accident waiting to happen. The resistance should, instead, be placed on the thighs, just above the knees. There are no constraints on any pieces of equipment, so the subject is free to thrash around as they try to perform the exercises. Swaying of the shoulder girdle and pivoting of the pelvis are invitations to injury. At least one exercise is to be performed using the hands as anchors. This results in excessive blood pressure elevation, neck involvement (thereby increasing potential for injury to the neck), and nervous system prioritization to the hands, instead of the target musculature. This means that the subject might end up stopping because they are gripping, not because they've fatigued sufficiently. There seems to be a rampant notion throughout the fitness industry that any activity that involves the muscles at all qualifies as strength training. This is false. Proper strength training requires that the muscles be fatigued sufficiently to stimulate a growth mechanism. It is unnecessary to perform multiple sets or circuits, if the first set/circuit is performed properly. Regarding the nutritional program, there is nothing new here. The carb-sensitive and calorie-sensitive programs both have one thing in common: reduced calories. It is quite difficult to excessively eat proteins and fats, because they are so satisfying. Body-fat loss (which is the real issue, not weight-loss) is simple arithmetic. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. To lose a pound of it in a week requires a caloric deficit of 500 calories/day. Trying to lose 10 lbs. in two weeks would require a 2,500 calorie deficit/day. While it might be possible to lose that much weight in that time span, most of it would be water, along with bone, organ, and muscle tissue, as well as fat. Using a scale to measure body-fat loss is invalid. Most people want to look better, therefore, they should use the mirror. If they gain five lbs. of muscle, and lose five lbs. of fat, they weigh the same but look different. The same thing with measurements: add an inch of muscle, lose an inch of fat, and you measure the same but look different. The mirror is the best bet. There is across-the-board recommendation that everyone needs supplements. This is inappropriate. A proper diagnosis should be made to determine whether a deficiency exists, then proper treatment should be administered.
Rating:
Summary: A Det plan for everyone!
Review: This book gives you a variety of diet plans for every body type which is important. The first 2 chapters can be a bit overwhelming but are packed with valuable information. If you want to maintain your weight loss YOU MUST change your lifetyle and this book helps you do that....another great book that will help you change your lifestyle for permanent weight loss is the new book "The Power of Positive Habits" ...Fantastic!!
Rating:
Summary: Quick Read
Review: This book is a quick read and a fairly sound weight loss plan. It is an alternative to Atkins with the benefits of low carb but watching fat intake. I've had success with the diet. I don't agree with the maintenance plan but as a kick start to weight loss and healthy lifestyles it's a nice option. There is a lot of curves advertising but you have to take it with a grain of salt. Doesn't every diet plan sell it's own products. From Atkins to Weight Watcher's everyone is selling something. You can read the facts around the advertising and still get good information from this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Curve Ball
Review: This is an unworkable diet that has caused me a great deal of grief. The book shoul be banned from the shelf. It is all about marketing and sales and not good advice.
Rating:
Summary: exercise!
Review: This is one of the better books on losing weight I've read--and I've read a lot!! The practical approach is what I liked best and so I would recommened this to just about anyone who wishes to lose some weight.
This is a really interesting book about how eating affects our health. There is a lot of useful information in here to provide much thought about what to eat. There are also interesting references for wellness products. The author does suggest you go off coffee slowly before you start the plan. This would minimize headaches during detox. I couldn't wait to get started so, of course, did it all at once and had the most horrible awful headache for 4 straight days. I finally broke down and had a 1/2 cup coffee one day instead of taking aspirin and that did the trick...for the moment. Now I'm completely caffeine-free and don't miss it at all. My doctor prescribed a wonderful replacement for coffee made from soya beans called "soyffee". I bought it online at www. S o y c o f f e e.com and cannot believe how good is the taste.
Rating:
Summary: 22 lbs / 16 weeks
Review: This review is a work in progress, as I am currently still on the diet phase of the plan and have not yet started the maintenance phase. However, I wanted to share that this diet does actually work. I did join a Curves as well, but I consider the extra cost well worth it. One year at a Curves gym costs me about as much as a month's worth of food did on the Atkins induction diet (and I didn't lose any weight either). Obviously, I am doing the calorie sensitive plan. So I will continue to update as I get closer to my target weight (18.2 lbs. left to go). Good luck to everyone out there starting a new diet, whatever diet you choose!
Rating:
Summary: 22 lbs / 16 weeks
Review: This review is a work in progress, as I am currently still on the diet phase of the plan and have not yet started the maintenance phase. However, I wanted to share that this diet does actually work. I did join a Curves as well, but I consider the extra cost well worth it. One year at a Curves gym costs me about as much as a month's worth of food did on the Atkins induction diet (and I didn't lose any weight either). Obviously, I am doing the calorie sensitive plan. So I will continue to update as I get closer to my target weight (18.2 lbs. left to go). Good luck to everyone out there starting a new diet, whatever diet you choose!
Rating:
Summary: Curves
Review: What a great book! I highly recommend it to everyone!
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