Interactive Weight loss program!
Written: Jan 21 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A relaxed and more forgiving approach to the weight loss process.
Cons: Not a quick fix.
The Bottom Line: A realistic way to address weight loss and hope for those who need to "baby step" their way to positive change!
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| armywife's Full Review: Bob Greene - Get With the Program: Getting Real Ab... |
Bob Greene, author of "Get with the Program", is an exercise physiologist, fitness expert and author of 2 previous books "Make the Connection" and "Keep the Connection". He is probably more well known for being the former physical trainer of Oprah Winfrey and the person who influenced her the most in her journey of weight loss several years ago.
It is important to address the relationship between Oprah Winfrey and Bob Greene to better understand the literary angle he employs when writing his books. Anyone who watches the Oprah Winfrey show or has followed her public life knows that she has struggled with weight issues her entire life. She continually goes up and down the scale. Rather than having a one time weight problem Oprah has a lifetime issue that she works with and talks about openly on her television show. Through this she has reached out to millions of viewers who also struggle with the mental aspects of overeating. For many losing weight goes beyond mere nutrition lessons and exercise classes. It is a psychological event that is going on within their minds second by second.
Although Bob Greene admittedly has personally never struggled with being overweight he has involved himself on a very personal level with both men and women who have. He has gone beyond the basics of nutrition and exercise physiology to see what is making certain people overeat despite their good intentions.
Several years ago Bob Greene released his book "Make the Connection" which was a culmination of the time he spent with Oprah Winfrey working day in and day out with her to overcome years of compulsive overeating. So what is different this time? What makes "Get with the Program" different from "Making the Connection"?
Both books address the issue that there is a "connection", a "lightbulb" moment or a second of time where you must decide to either put the cheesecake in your mouth or put it back in the fridge. This book however takes a more relaxed approach and probes further into "emotional eating". It also urges its readers to embrace the journey of weight loss and not look at it as a chore but a welcome event of personal discovery. Rather than trying to lose a large amount of weight he encourages readers to not even look at numbers. Instead of trying to do everything at one time he asks you to consider doing only one thing and then slowly adding in other changes over time.
This book is really a 4 phase fitness and weight loss program that has been launched in conjunction with the Oprah Winfrey show. Bob Greene appears weekly on the show to discuss each phase of the book as you literally travel through it chapter by chapter working the program with others around the world. What makes this book so exciting is that it does have this interactive component to it. Not only are you reading a book in the privacy of your own home but you now have access to the author on a weekly basis. Think of this as free therapy delivered to your door. If that is not enough the Oprah Winfrey website has chosen several women who will begin the program live and on air. Follow them through the website or on a weekly basis on the show to see their progress. You can visit the message boards on the site, join internet clubs and complete your food log and online journal to be shared with others as you slowly work your way not only through the book but through the program.
The books chapters are divided into 4 Phases.
PHASE ONE: Truth, Commitment and Self Control
This program is about patience and learning what is beyond the food. Why do you overeat? Why do you choose food when you're not hungry? We've heard these questions before but Bob Greene asks the reader to look into these questions BEFORE even attempting to begin a weight loss program. He encourages you to NOT try to lose weight and to not even change what you're eating in phase one. So don't stop off at the grocery store just yet ready to load up on lettuce and Crystal Light. The author states that this is always the way most people begin a diet...lots of great intentions. Instead he encourages us to "get real" and not commit to a "diet" without understanding what is truly involved. It is a psychological process and he addresses this before he addresses any of the physical aspects of weight loss.
In Phase one you will sign a personal contract with yourself and complete workbook excercises to explore the emotional aspects of eating. Finally you will begin to work on 2 small areas of change-- drinking water and moving more. This is not the time for a radical exercise program. Moving more could mean simply putting the recliner down and sitting up instead of laying back . This is about doing anything that wakes up your brain and starts letting it adjust to a new mindset.
PHASE TWO: REVVING UP YOUR METABOLISM
In Phase two you will start the beginnings of an exercise program and reduce your intake of alcohol. Baby steps all the way! You will complete your journal either on your own or online with the option to share it with others. You will start to work on 50 minutes of exercise a week. Not a day...a WEEK. You are encouraged to stay in Phase 2 for a minimum of 3 months. Since the author is an exercise physiologist he will introduce to you the benefits of regular exercise and help you to distinguish what works best for you. He is a huge proponent of walking as the best exercise for weight loss. (I am too by the way....check out my reviews on Leslie Sansone) The most you will need to exercise is 10 minutes at a time. This author knows that any amount of progress is going to effect you psychologically and begin to help you change your mindset and build a positive outlook towards this process. You will find specific exercises and exactly how to do them in the book.
PHASE 3: GETTING REAL ABOUT EMOTIONAL EATING
As we continue working on drinking water and exercising regularly we go straight to the heart of what makes us overeat. This is the time to identify what triggers set you off and develop a plan to deal with them in the future in a more healthy way. You will be introduced to food plans and given many options for healthy eating. While you won't find anything new here you will learn that by planning your food and logging it in your journals you may discover that there are certain times of the day you eat more and this can be addressed when you are identifying your trigger foods or events.
PHASE 4: SECURING A LIFE OF HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL WELL BEING
By this time you will have upped your exercise slowly from 50 to 75 minutes a week and then up to 150 minutes a week. This will take place slowly over several months and finally you will incorporate strength training. The author includes several ideas for doing this and the correct way to do it as well.
A large part of this book is fill in the blank sheets and areas to use for journaling and recording progress. The book itself comes with a spiral binder to give it the look and feel of a "notebook" or a work in progress which is what it will become for you.
This book will read like a workout manual sometimes and other times will feel like you are having a cup of coffee with a good friend. He gives personal opinions on why he believes walking is better than swimming, why you should use tape measurements for weight loss instead of a scale and why monitoring your heart rate during a workout is for the birds! This is not textbook reading but you will get lots of information that is technical such as specifics on workout routines and nutrition guidelines.
I think the most surprising difference about this book comes straight from the author's pen..."This program may or may not get you down to your "dream" weight. But realize that dreams can be elusive and so can a size-eight dress or a thirty-two-inch waist." (From the Foreward of 'Get with the Program')
Bob Greene never promises that you will lose 1 pound on his program or that you will ever reach your goal weight. Instead he suggests that you merely put one foot in front of the other and attribute any positive change as success.
I think it appropriate to compare this Bob to another Bob in a popular comedy movie with Bill Murray called "What about Bob?" If you recall this was a humorous movie about a man who had numerous psychological issues and phobias. His therapist told him that rather than try to be cured in a day he should merely take "Baby Steps" and Bob would go throughout the day muttering to himself "I'm baby stepping to the store, I'm baby stepping on the bus".....
Bob Greene offers us the same advice. Baby Steps. Now lace up the booties and let's go!
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For more information on Bob Greene or to use his interactive weight loss journals and follow the progress of others on this sytem please go to www.oprah.com for a wealth of information.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
armywife
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Location: White Sands Missile Range, NM
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 9 members
About Me:
Army wife, Stay at home Mom and Graduate student in Professional Counseling.
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