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Should every woman be a size 2? Before you skip this review in disgust, let me explain…in a minute. First, what actually is a size 2? It may have been a size 8 decades ago. Today, it can even vary between clothing chains. Is it an ideal that all women should aspire to? And, if so, how does one achieve it?
In Size 2 for Life, fitness professional Ashley Marriott and Marc L. Paulsen, MD, a member of the American Academy of Sports Medicine, have something else in mind. When they refer to a “size 2” they mean a “frame-adjusted” size 2. It may be a size 4 or 6 for some, and, in the book, they explain how to determine what your “size 2” should be. In any event, they intend for it to represent a healthy size and weight. Feel better now?
Though the book includes a rigid, 21-day food and exercise plan for those who are motivated, the authors admit that different diets and eating plans work for different people. The significance, though, is that it takes 21 days to break a food addiction or habit, like snacking while watching television. The book also reinforces new habits, like participating in an exercise regimen.
Yes, the authors insist that you must engage in regular cardiovascular activity, but they encourage you to choose a program that you enjoy. Marriott, who designs fitness programs, emphasizes how dance can fit into this category. They also show diagrams of strength training exercises using gym equipment (if you belong to one) or resistance bands if want to do it at home. However, I personally believe that a novice should be supervised by a trainer while first working out with weights. I do have to say, though, that they include a nice section on mat workouts and using the stability ball.
Size 2 for Life is an extensive guide for women who want to achieve a toned, sleek body through acquiring healthy habits. This book covers almost everything: exercise and food journals, recipes, lifestyle changes, healthy options for fast food, motivational tips, affirmations, and even helpful forms to copy, including a healthy shopping list and a fitness check list.
Will Size 2 for Life work for most women who want to shed pounds and inches and keep them off? It doesn’t offer much of anything new, so, as with most diet books, it depends on whether you’re receptive to its specific approach. Then again, obesity is at an epidemic level, and most of those who lose weight gain it back. Therefore, I have my doubts. What the book omits—again, like most diet and exercise books—are what I believe to be the major causes of obesity: psychological factors, such as over-eating due to stress, boredom, and other personal issues.
But if you’re determined and up for the challenge, this concise book will provide you with yet another tool to reach your goal to look and feel better. It’s at least worth a try.
