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After I read Dave Draper's newest book, "Your
Body Revival, Weight Loss Straight Talk," I thought to myself
what a great and appropriate title by a guy who really cares about
the plight of the overweight. You see, this is not a "Lose
20 pounds in 2 weeks" fad-diet kind of book. You know the ones
where you starve yourself for 2 weeks - lose fat and muscle - then
gain back all the weight in a month (only the fat will come back
- you'll lose the muscle). This is a book where Dave tries to cajole us in
every way possible to make fitness and health an everyday lifestyle
for the long haul. He says, "My purpose is to stimulate, motivate,
encourage, harass, pressure, caution and compel you to take the
right steps in the right direction." The reason Dave wrote this book is because he is
truly concerned and distressed that society in general is engaged
in what appears to be unsuspecting self-destruction in the form
of junk food consumption and lack of exercise. He is troubled that
the American diet is largely comprised of sugar, grease, fat and
weird sounding chemicals. He is saddened over the ignorance and
seriousness of being unconditioned and carrying excessive body weight
in the form of fat. It is not just that you don't look good but
obesity carries with it many health problems such as diabetes, high
blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and a host of other
maladies. As the title suggests, Dave truly wants us to have
a revival not only in body, but also in mind and spirit. A newly
revived you, that looks forward to exercise and proper eating as
a way of life, not just something to dabble in for a few weeks then
drop like a hot potato. The second half of the title declares "Weight
Loss Straight Talk." It's true that Dave lays it on the line
and tells it like it is, however, he says these are not condemnations
but instructive urgings to set the inactive into motion. He goes
on to say they are not intended to ridicule the overweight, but
rather, to stir the dozing. I noted when reading this book that
there was a different feel or underlying tone as compared to Dave's
previous book, "Brother
Iron, Sister Steel" (see my review on this book), which
was aimed at the bodybuilding crowd. Although his writing style
is still poetic, entertaining, and humorous, I felt a sincere sense
of urgency and concern about the many problems facing the overweight.
Dave Draper is your friend and he is here to help with over 45 years
of training and diet experience (For background information on Dave,
read my "Brother Iron, Sister Steel" review). Until recently, Dave and his wife Laree were owners
of two World Gyms in Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, California. During
the past 15 years of gym ownership, Dave has been helping people
of all sizes and shapes achieve their fitness and bodyweight goals.
His hands-on knowledge and lifetime experience are imparted to you
in this straight forward, no nonsense book. The main theme of "Your Body Revival"
that is pointed out several times, is that there's only one way
to lose weight permanently and it's no secret: Exercise and eat
right consistently. This is the one-two punch that will set you
free. Dave also states there is no fast way to build muscle, get
strong and lose fat. Only hard work, good food and a lot of time
will do the trick. As far as aerobics go Dave feels they are important
and have their place, but they should not cut into your weight training
energy, focus, and time. One of the problems of the overweight is
that they exercise to burn calories only and they don't exercise
to build muscle. Dave feels that aerobics should be applied with
logic and intelligence while resistance training should make up
the core of your training program. A nice feature throughout the book is where Dave
highlights real people (usually gym members) and tells us of their
personal successes. This helps to inspire and motivate us to put
all of this knowledge and advice into action for ourselves. Dave
says that the race is never lost as long as you continue to take
another step forward. Determination, persistence and patience must
be learned while the often repeated mantra of regular exercise and
correct eating are the real keys to success. You'll find simple
but effective nutritional advice plus exercise routines tailored
to all levels. In summation, I would heartily advise you to put
down that bag of donuts and pick up "Your Body Revival, Weight
Loss Straight Talk." Read it from cover to cover, take action
and put the principles to work for you. The results are in the doing.
If you really want to have some fun, read Dave's previous book,
"Brother
Iron, Sister Steel" also. Plenty of good reading and good
advice. Order from his website www.DaveDraper.com
and Dave will autograph the books for you. |