Rating: 
Summary: Getting Serious About Weight Loss
Review: The Business Plan for the Body is a wonderful book for anyone who is serious about losing weight. Karas cuts through all the weight loss myths and fads and gets down to the business of explaining the calorie and its role in weight loss/gain. He really sets the reader straight about what's involved in losing weight - from the ways we must change our diet to the necessity of strength training and resistance exercises in order to create muscle. Karas tells us that having more lean body mass (muscle)is the key to longterm weight loss - and the way to really rev up our metabolism - even when we sleep.I enjoyed the section where he blows the lid off a myriad of excuses for being overweight - having identified a few of my own. Watching Diane Sawyer inspired me to purchase this book (she recently went through a training program with Karas) but it is not for the faint-hearted. You have to be ready to commit and do what it takes - but if you're ready, Karas will show you the way.
Rating:
Summary: TERRIFIC MOTIVATOR
Review: I have about 80 lbs. to lose and was having a very hard time getting motivated. After seeing the book on Good Morning America, I decided... I might as well give it a try. I wasn't expecting a miracle, just something to help get me focused. Well, what I got was closer to a miracle. Jim Karas makes the point that weight loss is simply: calories in minus calories out = your weight. No excuses. Just look at the facts and take responsibility for what you are eating and doing. To make a long story short, in two weeks I've lost 6 lbs. and it has truly been painless. Though I need to (and will) incorporate exercise and working out into my program, at first I just wanted to get the eating down. So, I've lost this 6 lbs. without doing any exercise at all. For me, this book was a great motivator and eye-opener, and I continue to re-read sections I've highlighted to stay motivated. Good luck to you.
Rating:
Summary: Jim Karas' Knows His Stuff! The ONLY Solution to Weight Loss
Review: I've personally met Jim and he is refreshingly on of the most genuine, caring, and honest people I've ever met. He is truly an inspiration. Both of his books offer some tough advice about weight loss (no gimmicks here!) His solution is the only to succeeding at long-term weight loss. Jim is constantly informed of new research and incorporates it into his writings. He is a contributing editor for Good Housekeeping magazine. A tip I would give readers: Carry this book with you as if it were your Bible. I'll be honest, I tried once and failed. But I revisited the book and found it motivating once again. Now I re-read passages daily to keep me going! It works!!!! Don't fall for gimmicks and fad diets. The truth is right here! You will never need another source for weight loss. I highly recommend you buy both of Jim's books: Business Plan for the Body and Flip the Switch. Both offer invaluable information.
Rating: 
Summary: Business Plan for Body comments
Review: A very unique and interesting way to mentally plan and implement a weight loss program. The author demonstrates that in order to achieve long term weight control one should approach it like starting up and running a business. It makes a lot of sense and he has some very good and motivating ideas. He debunks a lot of diet myths and relies on the concept of calories in minus calories out to set up a food plan that you can live with forever. He also stresses the importance of exercise, particularly weight training as the way to lose weight and look your best. I have been weight training for several years and I found his exercise routines were a bit too basic for me. But for someone who has never picked up a barbell this is a good way to begin. He also maintains that cardiovascular exercise is much less important than weight training and should only comprise about 25% of your exercise program. I picked up a great deal of useful information with this book, especially the sections on exactly how to determine how many calories I need per day to lose weight and how many to maintain current weight. I found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable and even hilarious at times when the author relates his experiences in dealing with his overweight clients. (He is a personal fitness trainer.) He has a no-nonsense, common sense approach to the business of losing weight and maintaining that loss and expounds on it in a clear and delightful way. Anyone who has had difficulty in losing weight in the past and wants to know why should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A bit boring but he knows his stuff!
Review: I've lost 50 pounds this year after getting sick and tired about my weight. Make no mistake about it folks, this book or any other book/weight loss program won't help you long-term. The long-term success rates dealing with the obese and their success at keeping off weight are in the vicinity of 2-3%. This book gives you information, which is a tool for attaining success but until I got off my butt and exercised more and stopped eating the junk food all the time it wasn't going to go off. This book will help you if you truly are "sick and tired" or being "sick and tired." What I loved about this book is its simplicity. He knows how to lose weight and hits all the basic principles down cold. If you follow what he recommends doing you will probably lose weight. Here is the problem. From my extensive reading in the past 2 years I have learned that most weight issues tend to deal with inner issues about pain/pleasure and self-motivation, not about lack of information. The information is out there. I personally like Bill Phillips' Body For Life book more than Mr. Karras book because it is easier to read and deals with more of the inner issues and motivational tools that people can use to succeed. What I didn't like was Mr. Phillips pitching of his product throughout the book but his plan works phenomenally. Additionally, Mr. Phillips lifts weights and practices what he preaches. While Mr. Karras certainly looks like a healthy guy do I want to look like him or Mr. Phillips? There is no magic pill, no secret food, no magical combination of foods that causes you to burn fat immediately. It's just calories in vs. calories out. More importantly, it is a lifestyle, not a diet. If you want to live a long-time, see your kids grow up, meet that special someone in your life, have more energy, get promotions faster, etc I would encourage you to use something like that as a motivational tool to get you going and to KEEP YOURSELF GOING long-term. Whether you pick Mr. Karras' book or Mr. Phillips book the choice is yours; they are both good books.
Rating:
Summary: This is a Winner!
Review: I bought this book right after seeing Jim Karas on Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer. She looks amazing and has lost over twenty five pounds with Karas' plan. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. I have struggled with weight all my life and, for the first time in 52 years, have finally found a book that, at times, I felt spoke right to me. Yes, calories count. Yes, strength and resistance training is the answer. I always hated the treadmill, so when he said to "throw it out" I was inspired. I bought the SPRI tubing he recommends and found the exercise program easy to execute and it really produced results. I am down almost 30 pounds and my clothes are virtually falling off of me. Do yourself a favor. Buy this book and throw all your other weight loss books out. This is a winner!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother
Review: I enjoy a lot of exercise and eat well, but I thought I would brush up on my knowledge and remotivate to do more exercise than I already do - I selected this book as the BP concept seemed interesting. I put the book down after about 15 pages - for good. It seemed very apparent to me that the author has some serious mental issues with people who are overweight, and boy, he doesn't let you forget it! I did read that he was overweight himself at one point and he developed low self esteem as a result of this; well, it certainly shows. This book is extremely condescending - if you are an intelligent, positive individual, then this book isn't for you. If you want to be indoctrinated into the "thin is in" mantra, by all means, buy my copy (please!).
Rating:
Summary: Rate the PLAN, not the book
Review: The book is easy to read, and that's fine. As for content, THIS PLAN WORKS. I've been doing it for a little over 4 months now, and have lost 36 pounds and counting. When others ask "what kind of diet are you on?" I tell them it's the common sense diet. Calories in must be less than calories out. The lean muscle building exercise, and lots of water are the key, and it works!
Just remember, as Jim says, it took time to put all that weight on, it'll take time to take it all off. Be patient. This is a healthy way to take off the pounds.
Rating:
Summary: Well written and very understandable
Review: I was given this book to read by my doctor and after having it just for a few days, I went out and bought my own. It was easy to read and very well written. Jim explains things so anyone can understand it. I continue to go back to the book as I lose weight to keep on track. He has given me a better understanding as to what it all means. I've been on a diet for about 5 weeks and I have lost 20 lbs. I'm so excited that I finally found someone who writes with me in mind. I have recommended this book to many people and they all have liked it too.
Thanks Jim for helping me start to become the weight I want to be.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent! down to earth, fact-based!
Review: I think this book is really good. I've researched health, weight-loss plans for a long time and I think Jim Karas has a very in-your-face, direct, fact-based approach that is hard to argue with.
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