Official Review: Get in Shape Before It's Too Late (ps&am...

[bookowlie]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Get in Shape Before It's Too Late (ps—it's never too late!)" by Stu Segal.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Get in Shape Before It’s Too Late (P.S., It’s Never Too Late!) by Stu Segal is a non-fiction book about the benefits of exercise and good nutrition. It focuses on the stories of people who started an exercise regimen, lost (or gained) weight, and changed their eating habits. After dealing with the long-term effects of a heart attack in his late 30’s and serious back problems, the author greatly improved the condition of his heart and overall health by exercising diligently for a year. Amazingly, he accomplished this in his 60’s. The author has continued to exercise and eat healthy as a way of life. This inspired him to find out about other success stories.

Thirteen people, including the author, are profiled with their particular health issues and how they made positive, lasting improvements through exercise and dietary changes. A variety of reasons for making changes are mentioned, including back pain, migraines, fatigue, digestive problems, and training for a bodybuilding contest. Each person’s methods of getting in shape were different, but all were determined and consistent in sticking to a routine. There are also sections about finding the best gym for your needs and recipes submitted by the individuals showcased in the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written, inspiring book. The people featured didn’t accomplish their goals through a “magic” pill, fad diet, or nutritional shake. They exercised diligently and monitored their nutrition; they also continued to do so after seeing results. A few of them also used apps, such as Myfitnesspal and Fitocracy, to monitor exercise and food intake. Too often these types of books include quick fixes or routines that are unrealistic to follow. In this book, it is clear that these successes took time and commitment.

Some of the people were not overweight to begin with. Max wanted to be on the high school football team, so he trained and changed his eating habits for increased size and strength. For example, he upped his protein intake, as protein aids in adding muscle. Although his physical limitations prevented him from realizing his football dreams, Max’s regimen led him to achieve other important goals.

The author’s smooth, conversational writing style made me feel like I knew the people he was discussing. The format of describing each person’s health issues, exercise methods, and dietary changes kept my interest throughout the book. This way the reader can see that fitness and eating habits are not a one-size-fits-all regimen. Different methods work for different people and lifestyles. The author emphasizes that getting in shape takes time and consistency. I think this is an important point since too many people look for a fast solution, which either doesn’t work or leads to a fall off the wagon eventually.

This book has earned 4 out of 4 stars. It’s not often that I am impressed by an exercise and nutrition book. The information is very inspiring and useful as a jump-start to making positive changes in your own life. I recommend this book to readers who are interested in keeping fit and improving their health over the long haul. There are some appetizing recipes to try, too!

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Get in Shape Before It's Too Late (ps—it's never too late!)
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[gali]

Great review! I am glad you found the book helpful and inspiring.

[bluemel4]

Great review! It is always hard to find a nutrition/ exercise book that doesn't make you either completely makeover your diet or introduce nearly impossible exercise routines. This book sounds inspirational and genuinely helpful. I love that it includes recipes!

[bookowlie]

Thanks Gali and Bluemel! I really liked that there was a mix of ages and different circumstances (health conditions, overweight/underweight). There is even one guy, the author's older cousin, that exercised and had good eating habits his entire life. At age 80, he is healthier and more energetic than most people his age.

[Levi]

I feel like this could have been a hard review, but you did a great job Owlie! This does sound like a great book considering its inspiring stories instead of just a do this, do that approach. Most people fail due to not enough support, and these kinds of stories can only help people see that they can do it too, and inspire them to keep on. What a great contribution from this author, and congratulations!

[bookowlie]

Thanks Escape-y. The only thing that made the review hard was the temptation to discuss the stories. I didn't want to give spoilers or go on too many tangents.

[Levi]

I know that feeling very well! Great job, regardless.

[bookowlie]

Thanks. The book was so inspiring I took a long walk after reading the first two chapters.

[Cee-Jay Aurinko]

@bookowlie

I like the fact that the author is realist when it comes to weight loss. Excellent review!

[bookowlie]

Thanks Leon! Not all of the individuals were overweight. Some were looking to relieve issues such as back, digestive, and heart problems. Others wanted to increase strength and energy. Of course, many wanted to lose weight, too. Two of them lost almost 100 lbs.

[Topcho]

Sounds like a good book! I don't usually read books on health tips and such, because I have my med text books; and also because I find many of them unrealistic, but this one sounds neat! I like the fact that it covers people with different problems - and no problems at all - and it seems it is not going in extremes.

[bookowlie]

Thanks Topcho. I liked that the changes were not immediate. It took time and perserverance.

[Tanaya]

This sounds like a great book. I totally agree with everything you said. There are a lot of unhealthy ways to lose weight quick, and it's easy to just gain the weight right back. But time, patience, and commitment are essential to realistically sustain weight goals. I really enjoyed this review.

[bookowlie]

Thanks Tanaya. There is actually one story in the book that is more of a cautionary tale. It's about someone went overboard in losing too much weight and over-exercising in a very short time and then gaining weight, also too quickly.

[powderblue]

I don't know if the book is really good or not. I tend to avoid all sort of "self-help" books like the plague.
But I just want to mention that your review made it sound like a very interesting book, and an honest and realistic one too, since it seems to make it clear how important it is to stick to a certain plan of exercise and nutrition and how the key is patience and commitment instead of a "quick fix" or one certain magic system.
Just wanted to congratulate you on the review! It's very nice when after reading a review you think you might feel like reading a book of a genre you don't like!