The Cardio-Free Diet

The Cardio-Free Diet
Are you constantly pounding away on the treadmill but never losing a pound? Does every step on the StairMaster become more and more painful? Are you tired of endless workouts that only make you want to eat more?

Cardiovascular workouts do burn a few calories, but far fewer than you think. And the more cardio you do, the hungrier you feel. Not only does cardio fail to help you lose weight, but it kills — it kills your time, your energy, your joints, and your motivation. You burn a few measly calories but then eat twice as many afterward. The result? Weight gain — and lots of it.

The Cardio-Free Diet is a revolutionary four-phase program that emphasizes strength training to boost your metabolism; build lean, sexy muscles; and achieve all the same heart-healthy benefits of cardio. With just twenty minutes a day, three days a week, you can look and feel noticeably leaner, stronger, and younger than ever before.

Weight loss expert Jim Karas has shaped the bodies of Diane Sawyer, Paula Zahn, Hugh Jackman, and even Oprah’s best pal, Gayle King. With easy-to-follow instructions, Jim shows you how to exercise the right way in order to see incredible results. You won’t just lose weight — you’ll sculpt a whole new physique.

Watch the pounds disappear as you prepare delicious dishes such as apple balsamic chicken, Dijon turkey, feta vegetable omelets, and grilled tomato tuna. You can even enjoy a daily glass of wine! With detailed shopping lists, a variety of daily menus, and helpful tips on how to maintain your diet when eating out or ordering in, you’ll never have to worry about what to eat.

The Cardio-Free Diet offers maximum results in minimal time — so break free from the mindless, ineffective cycle of cardio and get the body you’ve always wanted!

Customer Review: THE SCOOP!

THEORY: Former runner and aerobics instructor, Jim Karas, was “adamant that cardio was the key to weight loss,” but later discovered he was wrong. His latest Cardio-Free Diet book appeals to those tired of treadmills, StairMasters, and the jogging trail without the desired results. He says in order to get the body you’ve always wanted you need strength training. He says cardiovascular workouts only burn a few calories and make you hungrier - not to mention the wear and tear on your joints. The Cardio-Free Diets emphasizes strength training, which boosts metabolism, builds muscles, and provides heart-healthy benefits. The workout is 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, and promises a leaner, stronger, sculpted body. The basis for his weight loss is the age-old but often forgotten:

Weight = Calories eaten - Calories expended by resting Metabolism and Activity.

According to the book, in order to lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than your body requires for metabolism and daily activity. Karas says to lose weight you need to create a caloric deficit by eating less, increase your activity, and elevate your basal metabolic rate. Furthermore, he says that building and maintaining muscle can speed up metabolism because muscle burns ten to twelve times the calories per pound each day that fat does. Therefore, by building muscle you burn more calories even at rest. This is not new news to many of us; nevertheless, it is true.

THE DIET is a calorie-counting, portion-control, 1,200 calorie per day plan (for women) that eventually goes to 1,500 calories per day. The diet is not vegetarian, includes fish, chicken, salad, fruits, veggies, lean meats, etc., and is basically low-glycemic. The meal plan has 28-day menus which provide dishes such as apple balsamic chicken, Dijon turkey, feta vegetable omelets, and grilled tomato tuna. A glass of wine a day is also allowed. Karas provides detailed shopping lists and tips on eating out. You will need to get your own calorie counter, as the book stresses the importance of portion control. He also advocates a daily weigh-in and keeping a food journal. The diet is somewhat time-consuming with needed preparation.

EXERCISE: Karas recommends completely giving up cardio and doing 20 minutes of exercise, 3 times a week, using resistance bands and/or free weights. Nevertheless, the strength training is done at a high intensity thereby providing some cardio. The workout is pretty basic (squat’s, flye’s) and targeted toward someone who understands the jargon but is not very advanced. An advanced weight lifter undoubtedly knows what to do already, but may pick up some additional ideas. You do not need a gym. While the bands may be a great tool for packing in a suitcase when you travel, I personally prefer weights as they seem much less awkward. So don’t give up on weight training if you find bands a little clumsy.

I agree that if you want to see muscles and change the shape of your body, weight training will do it. In addition, people who believe they can control their weight through exercise alone, whether it’s running 20 miles a day or spending 15 hours lifting weights, will still need to control what they eat. You cannot burn enough calories exercising in a whole day as you can inadvertently eat in 10 or 20 minutes. If you are able to stick to the diet and exercise program as it is laid out, you will lose weight. If you want to keep it off forever, you need to do this program or some other lifestyle-changing program that works for you for life. Debra Lawrence, author of THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams

Customer Review: Not a book for beginners
If you are an exercise novice as I am, this book is not for you. Karas’ concept sounds good and he certainly has passion for the subject, having trained his entire life. Maybe his instructions are clear to those with a similar background, but I needed much more info:

1) I know the general location of my trapezoids and deltoids but I’d need to check an anatomy chart for their exact location to focus on them in the exercises.

2) I have no idea what a fly, quarter squat, or torso curl are - let alone how to do them with proper form, which Karas emphasizes but doesn’t describe.

3) The exercise equipment is not explained but is mandatory for the program — Karas recommends buying specific colors of Xertubes and Lex Loops. I never heard of these, and he gave no info on where to buy them. I found a site that sells them but the mysterious colors aren’t explained there either. The site’s “Jim Karas packages” didn’t include the colors recommended on page 44.

4) As I was reading, I kept thinking “Where is this guy’s editor?” Someone needs to explain the terms and clarify the instructions. The step-by-step exercise instructions shown with photographs are sometimes different from the text descriptions. Only 2 photographs illustrate each exercise - not enough to show the complex movements, especially as the text stresses doing them with correct form! On the diet side, calories must be counted but no calorie chart was included and there weren’t any vegetarian alternatives.

So much basic info was omitted that I wonder what else Karas assumes I know. I hesitate to perform these exercises without professional supervision checking my form to prevent injury. Maybe a DVD/book combo would be better for beginners.

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NuGo Organic Nutrition Bar, Dark Double Chocolate, 1.76-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)
List Price: $27.60
Amazon Price: $20.29
Customer Review: Recipe has changed for the worse
These bars used to be great–the protein-to-sugar ratio used to be more protein (10g) than sugar (8g) (the nutrition information posted by Amazon is no longer accurate). But now, the bars have *15* grams of sugar to 10 grams of protein. Yuck–much too sweet! If I want sugar I’ll get a Hershey bar. What I wanted was a quick protein snack that didn’t rot my teeth.
Customer Review: Great in stores - not so from Amazon
These bars, and their Raspberry flavored counterpart, are awesome - the chocolate is great and they are not too chewy, not too crunchy. Knowing that they are organic and have some nutritional value makes you feel ok about eating a snack. The bars themselves are certainly 5 stars. The only problem - the past two times I’ve ordered (both varieties) from Amazon, the bars where less than fresh. (Actually I reported the first delivery and they replaced it for free, but the second was no better). The date on the packages were well within the expired date, but the bars were dry and the dark chcoloate had a white fade to it and did not taste as “dark”. Going to give one more try to ordering online as it is considerably cheaper, but then may have to turn back to paying the higher cost from the retail stores — but they’re worth it!

Learning Resources - Pretend & Play? Healthy Lunch Set
Kids can role-play their way to a healthy lifestyle with this basket full of nutritious meal options. Made to look just like the real deal, this realistic set includes a basket full of healthy lunch food, a sturdy shopping basket and an Activity Card. All play food pieces are actual size and wipe clean. Basket measures 10.75″L x 5.25″W.
List Price: $19.95
Amazon Price: $19.95
Customer Review: Huge Hit!
Our two year old son received this set (as well as the breakfast and dinner sets) for Christmas. Talk about a HUGE hit! He plays with it daily! The food accurately mimics real food in looks and size and is well worth the extra money that other plastic food sets cost. We highly recommend this play food and look forward to adding other sets of this food to his collection!
Customer Review: Church Nursery Tested- A Hit!
We gave this to our church nursery with the Healthy Breakfast set. The 18 mos-3 yo kids just love it. It gets played with every week. It has held up fabulously. I bought the huge 90 pc set for my 3yo DD. She just loves playing with all the food. I was back and forth trying to decide between this food and Haba wooden food. I am glad I chose this. It’s wonderful, durable and realistic. My daughter prefers it over the Melissa and Doug wooden food she has.

CAPS BLACK EMBROIDERY ” FOOD AND NUTRITION CONSULTANT FUN ”
This cap is great. All our items are of high quality. This cap is a perfect gift.

Dr. Andrew Weil’s Guide to Eating Well
“One of holistic medicine’s most authoritative voices” — Publishers Weekly

Good carbs, bad carbs? Low fat, no fat? Is protein the solution or the problem? After so much conflicting diet advice, one of America’s best-known and most respected doctors offers a sensible approach that emphasizes enjoyment over deprivation and long-term health benefits over short-term weight loss. Dr. Weil assures us there is no confusion among nutritional experts about the optimal diet for health and longevity. And it’s the very same diet that will naturally keep you at a healthy weight. Understanding inflammation to be the root cause of many chronic illnesses, he provides science-based recommendations to help combat specific health concerns, all as part of what he calls the Anti-Inflammatory Diet. He also addresses the subject of dietary supplements, what’s downright dangerous and what can help.

Inside the DVD, you’ll find a printed pocket guide that encapsulates much of Dr. Weil’s advice, including energy-boosting eating tips and a shopping cart guide to the healthiest foods.

DVD FEATURES INCLUDE bonus footage not seen on the PBS broadcast, the Eating Well Pocket Guide, and a bio of Dr. Weil.

Andrew Weil M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine. Dr. Weil combines a Harvard education with a lifetime of practicing natural and preventive medicine to provide a unique approach to health care that encompasses body, mind, and spirit. Dr. Weil is the founder and director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. His national bestselling books include Spontaneous Healing, The Healthy Kitchen, and Healthy Aging.
List Price: $14.99
Amazon Price: $12.99
Used Price: $9.22
Customer Review: Good but extremely basic
Dr. Weil has a very sensible and holistic approach to eating which is well explained in this program. I like his emphasis on debunking fad diets and on making eating pleasurable and socially integrative. He covers all the basic concepts related to healthy eating competently and clearly. I personally was hoping for something more advanced, since the information in this video is really oriented to those who know very little about nutrition. If you have been keeping up with the literature, there will be little new information here. Actually, Dr. Weil’s DVD on healthy aging contains some interesting information on healthful properties of foods and spices in the Okinawan diet which are not contained here and which were new to me. But, even if you know all this, it never hurts to reinforce it and this video is a succinct and motivational way to do so.