Outsmarting the Midlife Fat Cell

As some reviews have stated much of the info in here is old news. I found enough in the book to make me glad I purchased it. She gave recommendations for exercise and eating in a way that even my doctor and nutritionist didn't or wouldn't give me. I have gained weight after years of being thin. The reasons being obvious now that I've done research were way too much stress and actually not eating, or barely eating. Everything you read online, in magazines, etc gives you ways to cut calories ad nauseum. Well I cut my calories down to 500-700 per day without actually realizing it. And I was actually trying to exercise while also raising a family and going to graduate school. I've figured out the eating part and how to make sure my calories are up. I'm one of the few (??) whose appetite goes way down when I'm stressed and busy. I wasn't eating much and I felt full most of the time. Or at least that's what I thought. Debra explains how our appetite shuts off and what happens with our fat cells when it does. I'm doing her recommended exercise, which is different than what I thought I should be doing, and frankly it feels great already. I can't wait to exercise each day, just had to find the right thing for me and since it is a different amount than what I was doing I'm hoping I'll see results. I was doing almost the same amount of exercise she recommends just breaking it up into too many days, if that makes sense. She explains that it may take awhile to see changes, something that is nice to hear when you're wondering what's going on. Since I was pretty much starving myself as far as my body knew it's going to take awhile before it's convinced it doesn't need to hold on to all the fat anymore. My hunger signals are already coming back, but it has been a few months for that to really show up fully. Now I make sure I have food around if I'm not home. I get up and fix myself breakfast, I pack a healthy lunch rather than hoping there's something good at the cafeteria, and I pack plenty of snacks. I eat the snacks as I feel I need to, or it's been more than 3 1/2 hours. Very helpful book!

If you are well beyond menopause age, as I am at 61, you have to be careful trying out this book. I think it is very good and makes a lot of sense. However, an older body is going to put up a lot more of a fight converting to these methods than a younger one will. Also, changing habits at this age is difficult but not impossible. I am discovering that a better way of using this book is gradually adopting on a one by one basis the ideas she has in this book. By trying them all at once, your body can overload as mine did. The food is mainly a matter of habit and is long term doable. I think her maxim of you should be eating no more than you can comfortably hold in your fist is a good one. However, the exercise area is where you need to be cautious. I got into trouble with the hour long swims and the using of weights. Specifically, I strained my shoulder and my neck. I think I was overenthusiastic and that did not help. I frankly do not know if I ever will be able to resume using the weights. I hope to recover by Fall and hopefully substitute her cross training idea of walking, cycling and swimming being used 3 hours a week over 3 different sessions. In sum, I think this is a very good book with very good ideas for the post menopausal woman, but baby steps not giant steps are needed in adapting it to a more senior body.Visit my blog with link given on my profile page here or use this phonetically given URL (livingasseniors dot blogspot dot com). Friday's entry will always be weekend entertainment recs from my 5 star Amazon reviews in film, tv, books and music. These are very heavy on buried treasures and hidden gems. My blogspot is published on Monday, Wednesday & Friday.

I bought Waterhouse's earlier book, Outsmarting the Female Fat Cell when I was 24. I'd never been really overweight as a teen and young woman but I was regularly going on and off diet and exercise plans trying to get down to an ideal weight. Nothing had really worked for me; either I was hungry and thinner or hungry and not thinner but I was sick of being hungry and sick of feeling as if I had to constantly police what I was able to eat. OFF got me off diets and on a reasonable eating/exercise plan; and I went from 5'4" and 126lbs. to 120lbs. without suffering for it. (Yes, I know that is not a dramatic difference but when you're a single girl in your 20s, it seems dramatic. And the big deal was that I was eating what I liked and feeling good about it.) It took several months of being on the OFF plan but it worked.Years went by and I got married and got busy and got less concerned with how much I weighed. But recently, I decided that 140+ lbs. was not a weight I was comfortable with and I went to my bookshelf and started rereading OFF. I'd been on the OFF plan again for about 2 months, and working out at least 4x a week, and after I dropped a few easy pounds the scale stopped budging. I'm 42 now and remembered that I'd seen Waterhouse's new book on Amazon; I ordered Outsmarting the Midlife Fat Cell about a week ago. In the past week, I began drinking soy milk and increasing my protein intake as Waterhouse advises, and I've already dropped a pound of fat, down to a total body weight of 135 lbs. (I have a scale that shows the percentage of muscle, water, and fat weight.) I don't know or care if I'll ever get back to 120lbs. but I'm confident that if I keep following the midlife OFF, especially the weight training component coupled with conscious eating of high protein/high nutrient foods, that I can get back to a body size/composition that feels more like me.

A good book.

This book came recommended from a good friend. Great advice indeed just wish I'd discovered it before EVER dieting. All those wasted years of worrying about calories and ridiculously restrictive diets. None of it, according to this book, has done me any good. In fact it's probably done more harm as I now struggle with "the change". Thank heavens then for Ms Waterhouse's jovial approach to a period (no pun intended) in women's lives that can make or break a marriage.This book is for ALL women (since we all go through menopause just like puberty) especially those in their late 30s. I'm in my late 40's, well into menopause and wish I had known then what I know (and accept!) now. Enjoy those pre-menopausal years, eat and drink in moderation and enjoy but don't "diet". It doesn't do you any good in the long term. Keep fit and healthy. Find time for yourself and relax. Common sense really but we always try to look for a quick fix.

I have read lots of diet books so perhaps my outlook is a bit more critical. The reviews here seemed unduly positive to me (and also why I bought the book) so I thought perhaps some balance might help others make up their own mind.First of all, I bought this book because of the title - I thought it would have something specific to say about "the midlife fat cell". There was very little, if anything, that I found scientifically enlightening.The general thrust of the book - eat sensibly, exercise - I think people are aware of. Also, I found the tone rather pushy, lots of "shoulds" and directives, which I actually found offputting. It doesn't really deal with many of the real reasons people overeat, some of which are even nothing to do with them.To end on a positive note, I think there are some fantastic diet books out there which I would like to recommend:1. Eating Less Say Goodbye to Overeating -by Gillian Riley2. The Beck Diet Solution - Train your brain to think like a thin person (Judith Beck)3. 100 Days of Weight Loss - L SpangleI thought all three of these books were excellent in their own way - especially the first two. I found them all helpful and enlightening.

Great Book, had great reviews, so thought I'd have a look. Just started to read it, but so far it all makes so much sense. Good no nonsense advise to help women over the age of 35 to cope with the challenge of fighting the mid-life fat cell.DIETS DON'T WORK! and Debra Waterhouse tells you why, and how to change your eating habits, so that you have the mastery over the fat cell.Would recommend to a friend (and will).

I found this book hard going to read.