Fit and Female: The Perfect Fitness and Nutrition Game Plan for Your Unique Body Type

by Geralyn Coopersmith

Ever wonder why some women look great with very little effort while others exercise and diet obsessively with disappointing results? The fact is, when it comes to getting in shape, all women are not created equal. We've all heard about apples and pears, but there's lots more to women's bodies than just that. If you've been frustrated by fad diets and the workout of the month that never seems to work, you need a program designed specifically for your unique body type.

In Fit + Female, Geralyn Coopersmith, a top fitness expert and certified personal trainer, ditches the one-size-fits-all approach to getting in shape and helps you determine which type you are. Then you get a nutrition and exercise plan that's tailored for your needs, not just generic, off-the-rack advice. If you want to get back into that clingy little number that now hugs all the wrong places, this is the realistic, scientific how-to for you!

Genres: Nonfiction, Fitness, Health, Self Help

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2006

Reviews

[Becca]

If you sat down with a really competent personal trainer and nutritionist, this is what she would tell you. There are no shortcuts, doodads or gimmicks. If you want to be healthy:

Build muscle to improve your metabolism
Sweat to burn calories
Eat less-- keep track of your calories
Eat better (you know what you're supposed to do, kids: veggies, fruit, whole grains, less fat, less sugar)
Eat mindfully-- savor each bite
And love and accept your body for what it is. If you are curvaceous, love it and get strong-- don't aspire to be twiggy, it ain't gonna happen. If you are scrawny, don't lust after Beyonce's butt-- that ain't gonna happen either. Love yourself, love each other, tra-la-la.

I like the different sets of diet and work-out guidelines by body type-- this book balances specific usefulness (suggested menus, actual exercises) with general information. A great reference and very motivational.

[MB Shakespeare]

Interesting book on female body type and why I'll never be Twiggy - THANK GOD!

[Desiree]

I've always known that I was a pear and an endomorph. No big surprise there. And I've read other books that tackle the subject of not comparing yourself to celebrities, and being a real woman (Real Gorgeous by Kaz Cooke for one). Still, this was an enjoyable read and makes some good points that I hadn't really come to on my own, such as that dieting actually causes weight gain by slowing your metabolism several hundred calories a day o_O... that's exacerbated by muscle loss in crash dieting which makes you burn fewer calories TOO! Augh. I've really screwed myself up- no wonder I say I could eat a banana and gain weight!
Some good principles and solid math here with decent exercise suggestions and a meager though sensible meal plan (only a few days given with no other suggestions). I would borrow this one from the library, as I did, and photocopy the exercise and meal plan pages.

[Tejka]

I enjoyed reading this book and felt that applying the information to my life will help me improve my eating habits and exercise routines. I really liked the part about loving your body first, it gave me motivation to set my goals for my body type and make this a long term success.

[Skylar]

Pretty basic knowledge. Like the idea of exercises varied by body type but really that weren't very different. Good read for someone looking to gain some basic fitness and health knowledge geared for women.

[Jaclyn]

didn't discuss much that I didn't already know. The exercises illustrated as arranged by body type might be useful.

[emma]

I appreciate this for the recommended types of training, tho I was hoping for more intensity in the actual suggested workouts.