Thinner This Year: A Younger Next Year Book

I believe this has demonstrably the best, science based approach to living a healthy and fit life that I have read. The authors are: Chris, a retired lawyer, motivational author and speaker and "real" person, Jen, a nutrition science and fitness expert with Tufts University, and review input from other formally trained and heavily experienced fitness experts. Everything in the book is vetted and current in terms of the best advice and science available today.So....WHO IS THIS BOOK NOT FOR? If you believe in fad diets (take your pick, paleo, low carb, grapefruit, gluten free etc - any diet without balanced nutrition or that focuses on one or a few "miracle" changes that will let the weight fall off). If you believe a simple little pill, a dash of powder on your food, a hormone replacement pill, fat burning pill or dietary supplement will be the key to losing weight. If you believe you really don't have to exercise to lose weight or stay fit. In short, if you think there is some effort free way to lose weight and/or get fit,and most importantly, if you don't want to pay attention to actual supported science with respect to nutrition and weight loss, this book is NOT for you.Sadly, that also means you are choosing not to lose weight or get fit and you will likely be investing in fads fruitlessly for the rest of your life if you continue to hope you will get fit and trim without effort or by a miracle.I note the low review ratings for this book seem to be almost exclusively from people that appear to be hoping to find a way to get healthy and lean without effort and/or in defiance of common sense (and current science).WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?It's for you if you are ready to finally, responsibly get back to or down to a healthy weight in a safe and effective manner. It's for you if you are ready to make diet changes in quantity and quality that will really improve your health and allow you to reach your goals. If you are ready to finally let facts and not fantasies or cherished beliefs help guide you to a better lifestyle. If you are ready to carve out some time from TV watching and other time spent to exercise effectively (and yes, pretty hard at times) and gain the rewards, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.The book was a fascinating read for me, and yes, I acknowledge it is not perfect in organization and frankly, could be longer with more detail, but it does everything required. It teaches about the science of nutrition in an easy to read and understand way and treats exercise the same.This book WILL motivate you to improve and reach your goals. No, it is not for super people. It's for us regular folk. Nobody is perfect, and the authors know it. They want you to WANT to be better and feel better and the book gets there by helping average folks understand WHY and HOW the lifestyle changes they encourage are the way to go.I'm one of those people who is hard to motivate if I don't know WHY something must be done. This book is terrific at not only telling the WHY, but also the HOW.If I can do it, you can do it. As to who I am, I'm in my early 50's and a foodie - love to cook and eat. I've been working on lifestyle changes and diet changes with some success over the last 7 years, and this is the book I consider the best. Even the recipes I've tried so far have all been great, and the nutrition and general diet recommendations have let me to a host of other, incredibly delicious recipes.Finally, it's important to understand, you will need to consume fewer calories than you burn AND work out pretty regularly and pretty hard to both lose weight and get fit. Science has known for quite awhile there just isn't any other answer that works (at least, present science). Sorry if this bursts a bubble for everyone (including me) who just wishes there was a simple, no time and effortless way to do the same thing.Get this book, read it and then live it. I promise you will feel better and BE better! Good Luck.

I read this one after Younger Next Year. I'd wondered whether there would be anything new; and I was pleased to find the answer to be yes. I especially found the various stretches and strength exercises in this one to be of value. As well, some of the guidance on nutrition was of use too.However, I must say that I consider much of the nutrition advice to be difficult to put into practice. Of course, as in YNY, the authors state that dietary supplements are of little or no value and that one can achieve proper nutrition with the stringent dietary advice that they offer. I find their dietary advice virtually impossible to achieve in practice. Even Crowley admits to falling off his own wagon at various times in the book.My own belief is that a sensible diet accompanied by an appropriate combination of supplements is a far more practical way to obtain beneficial effects. The standard medical attitude is that spending money on supplements is a waste of money in contrast to the benefits of a good diet. In a world where most food products on the shelves in your grocery store have been "weaponized" by the food industry with additional salt, fat, and sugar, it is increasingly difficult to purchase a healthy diet economically.Advising someone in their 60s, who has been accustomed to a poor diet for decades, not just to get up off their arm chair and exercise hard 6 days a week; but also to toss their existing pantry full of white bread and potato chips and their fridge full of sour cream and strawberry jam and replace them with faro and fresh blueberries doesn't cut the mustard (pun intended) in my view. I've looked all over the stores in my area, including the specialty health food stores, and I can't even find faro. It is here on Amazon for about $4-$5 per pound.So that's my gripe with this particular book in the series. The dietary advice is impractical. All these doctors need to get off their high horses and get down into the world with real people. Tell them to take the right combination of vitamins, minerals, etc. I'd suggest that anyone interested in the use of supplements see Dr. Ray Strand's "What your doctor doesn't know about nutritional medicine".The point is that anyone who has survived on a crap diet for decades is not likely to obtain the necessary level of nutrients and anti-oxidants to reverse the damage due to oxidative stress on their bodies by simply adopting a healthy diet. Put in the additional oxidative stress associated with the increased levels of exercise that Crowley's books suggest and you have a recipe for an over-stressed body. Don't get me wrong. I am all for exercise. At age 63, I am working on a marathon myself and have a 20 mile training run this weekend; but I am also on an appropriate level of complementary vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and joint repair compounds (glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM). However, for someone who has been losing the war with oxidative stress for decades and who picks up this book, it is essential IMHO that they provide their under-armed & battle-fatigued immune system with all of the ammunition possible before being sent into the front lines for another heavy tour of duty. Sure you can win the battle; but this is a bit like Rumsfeld's going to war with the army you have and not the one you want. Why not give your immune system and body the armor that's necessary? Read this together with Ray Strand's book and decide for yourself.

I thought younger next year was superb and I have it by my bed for dipping into again. I have been exercising for 3 months since I read it and I'm astounded by my performance. However I have not lost any weight so I bought this. It is very interesting and confirms what we all know. There are no magic bullets in this and the grind of reducing calories and not eating 'crap' is ever present. I am trying to reduce calories but if you are exercising hard the temptation is to increase them. I hope over time that my weight will reduce - my belt has come in a couple of notches and I do look a bit thinner around the face - however this book did not inspire me the way the 'younger' book did.

Ok but not as good as their previous book.

I bought younger next year and adopted many of the suggestions, but fell abit by the wayside. This book will get you back on track. OK it's american, but the information is top class

Not as good as the first book,' younger' though I did learn one or two interesting things.

Inspirational way to tackle advancing years and make sure you sail into them, not limp. Very helpful dietary advice and how to keep moving. You have to work but what a result!