The Quick Fat Loss Handbook Lyle McDonald’s has become quite popular on the internet, so I decided to do a little review and put in my two cents. As the title says “Rapid Fat Loss Handbook,” you guessed it if you thought the book was about losing weight fast.
The book is more or less about a fast diet to lose weight and lose fat. This can be very unhealthy, both physiologically and psychologically, and I’m glad Lyle warns his readers of that early in the book. If it weren’t for the fact that he continually warns against fast diets as a long-term fat loss plan throughout the book, I would have thought the book dangerously misleading.
His goal with this book is to teach his readers how to reduce the diet in a way that does not adversely affect the health of the dieter. I like the fact that he discusses the difference between weight loss and fat loss, as it seems like everyone is obsessed with losing weight without realizing that weight loss doesn’t always translate to fat loss. Depending on how that weight is lost, it may consist of loss of fat, water, or muscle tissue. And none of the latter leads to a more attractive look.
The theory behind the book is based on a “modified protein-sparing fast” recommended by surgeons for patients who needed to lose weight quickly before surgery. Surprisingly, the manual has good advice on how to follow such a strict diet. No danger. He advises not to exercise heavy until you are back to eating normally, and if you haven’t been exercising in the beginning, he advises you not to start an exercise routine until after completing the diet. These crash diets can be very stressful on the body and because of that, any kind of strenuous work is contraindicated.
On multiple occasions, it reminds the reader that a crash diet should be done exactly as described in the book and that one should not under any circumstances stay on a crash diet for long periods of time due to the negative health implications of do it. One thing I found respectable was that he discussed the “rebound” or “yo-yo” effect these crash diets can have. Most “fast diet” authors do not normally do this.
So it seems that many people regain weight shortly after stopping these types of diets. In the book, Lyle discusses ways to return to a more normal eating style while maintaining the lost fat and weight.
All things considered, I think it’s a good read, but when it comes down to it. The best fat loss program is one that is sustainable in the long term and that really allows you to feel not only good about your body, but also inside. The Rapid Fat Loss Manual is not that program.
Having said that it is a good read and for those select few who need this type of resource (athletes who need to gain weight, women who want to lose weight before a wedding) and are willing to get it right, this is a good book.
I must say that although I proceed with caution. Most people are interested in the quick fix at the expense of their health. People who don’t exercise moderation and don’t follow Lyle’s guidelines in the Rapid Fat Loss Handbook could end up in murky waters when it comes to their health.
