Fitness trainer Bob Harper, the perennial fan favorite on NBC's The Biggest Loser, follows 2012's The Skinny Rules (co-written with science and medical journalist Greg Critser) with Jumpstart to Skinny, a "get-started-right-now with no-more-excuses, 3 week plan" meant to help readers lose a few pounds before a big event, as well as inspire them to adopt his earlier book's guidelines for more permanent lifestyle changes.
Jumpstart includes 13 rules for quick weight loss, plus day-by-day food and exercise plans based on "Jumpstart Moves" fitness routines; the easy-to-follow steps require a minimum of equipment. Harper's menus of "Power Breakfasts, Lean Lunches and Thinner Dinners" meet nutritional needs with limited calories and strict recommendations for proportions of protein, carbohydrates and fat. (He also explains why his is the optimal combination for health and weight loss.) A list of ingredients needed for each week's meals is included, as well as directions for any sauces or dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and stored--such as cooked quinoa, pico de gallo or Bob's marinara. Most recipes have fewer than five steps and include tempting choices like Mexican fiesta fish, tomato fennel salad and arugula pesto.
"You need a kick in the pants," Harper tells his fans. "And I'm good at that." Jumpstart to Skinny is an effective short-term turbo boost before tackling the life-long Skinny Rules. --Kristen Galles, blogger at Book Club Classics