The Business Plan for the Body
By Jim Karas
Three Rivers Press, 2001 - 237 pages

Make no mistake about it folks, this book or any other book/weight loss program won't help you long-term. The long-term success rates dealing with the obese and their success at keeping off weight are in the vicinity of 2-3%. This book gives you information, which is a tool for attaining success, but until I got off my butt and exercised more and stopped eating the junk food all the time it wasn't going to go off.

This book will help you if you truly are "sick and tired" or being "sick and tired." What I loved about this book is its simplicity. He knows how to lose weight and hits all the basic principles down cold. If you follow what he recommends doing you will probably lose weight.

Here is the problem. From my extensive reading in the past 2 years I have learned that most weight issues tend to deal with inner issues about pain/pleasure and self-motivation, not about lack of information. The information is out there. I personally like Bill Phillips' Body For Life book more than Mr. Karras book because it is easier to read and deals with more of the inner issues and motivational tools that people can use to succeed. What I didn't like was Mr. Phillips pitching of his product throughout the book but his plan works phenomenally. Additionally, Mr. Phillips lifts weights and practices what he preaches. While Mr. Karras certainly looks like a healthy guy do I want to look like him or Mr. Phillips?

There is no magic pill, no secret food, no magical combination of foods that causes you to burn fat immediately. It's just calories in vs. calories out. More importantly, it is a lifestyle, not a diet. If you want to live a long-time, see your kids grow up, meet that special someone in your life, have more energy, get promotions faster, etc I would encourage you to use something like that as a motivational tool to get you going and to KEEP YOURSELF GOING long-term. Whether you pick Mr. Karras' book or Mr. Phillips book the choice is yours; they are both good books.

 

About the Author: JIM KARAS is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, attended the London School of Economics, worked as a highly successful private portfolio manager, and created Solo Sessions, the most successful weight-loss management firm in Chicago. In addition to lecturing and presenting workshops, he has been featured on ABC's Good Morning America. Jim resides in Chicago with his wife, Ellen, and their two children, Olivia and Evan.