Body for Life for Women: A Woman's Plan for Physical and Mental Transformation

by Pamela Peeke, Cindy Crawford (Foreword by)

The bestselling Body-for-LifeTM program is now tailored just for women-to help them achieve dramatic weight loss and body-changing fitness in just 12 weeks!

The #1 New York Times bestseller Body-for-Life helped millions of people the world over to build stronger bodies and enjoy a higher quality of life. Now Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., bestselling author of Fight Fat After Forty, adapts the unique insights of the Body-for-Life program to the specific hormonal, metabolic, and physiological requirements of women so they can achieve the same life-transforming results.

Dr. Peeke draws on cutting-edge research as she fashions a 12-week eating, exercise, and emotional health program, specially tailored to women. Among the book's highlights:
o Stunning new before-and-after photographs with testimonials
o Over 100 black-and-white photographs demonstrating the exercises
o A Q&A section that anticipates and answers questions the reader might have

Dr. Peeke's appearances on Oprah, Larry King Live, Dateline, Primetime, Today Show, CNN Headline News, and other shows illustrate how inspirational she can be-and never more than in this book, motivating and instructing readers to make the changes that will produce a lifetime of mind and body fitness.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Fitness, Self Help, Food, Diets

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Dr. Pamela Peeke is an internationally recognized expert, physician, scientist and author in the fields of nutrition, stress, fitness and public health. On stage or in front of a camera, she combines her trademark energy, wit and humor with the latest scientific data to motivate and educate audiences of all ages to transform themselves for healthy living.

Dr. Peeke is WebMD's lifestyle expert for their 90 million members, where she presents her multimedia lifestyle program Everyday Fitness with Dr. Pam Peeke. Serving as chief medical correspondent for nutrition and fitness at Discovery Health TV, Dr. Peeke is featured on the award winning National Body Challenge series and is the host of the Could You Survive? series, based upon her national bestselling book Fit to Live. Magazines including O, Prevention, Fitness and More feature her columns and editorials. Dr. Peeke is a regular in-studio science and health news commentator for the national and cable networks.

Dr. Peeke is a New York Times bestselling author. Her books include Fight Fat after Forty, the first consumer book describing the complex science behind the stress-fat connection and what can be done to reverse it. Based on the groundbreaking research Dr. Peeke conducted at the National Institutes of Health, this state of the art book details her holistic, well integrated approach combining science and practical tools to help consumers cope with daily stresses to finally break the stress-fat cycle for life. In Body for Life for Women and the companion Body for Life for Women Workout DVD, Dr. Peeke uses cutting edge science and a holistic and integrative program to show women how to transform their lives as well as achieve and maintain their optimal mind and body fitness throughout the decades of their life. Fit to Live, presents wellness with a survival twist and challenges her readers with the question "Are you Fit to Live – Mentally, Nutritionally, Physically, Financially and Environmentally" to survive 21st century living, from divorce to disaster?

Dr. Peeke's new book, The Hunger Fix: The 3 Stage Detox and Recovery Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction (Rodale, 2012) will be launched the week of September 18th, 2012. This book presents the new science of food and addiction, noting the latest NIH based research showing that food addiction is real. In The Hunger Fix, Dr. Peeke presents a plan for detox off the "false fixes" or addictive food products, and a blueprint for lifelong control and recovery by switching to "healthy fixes" and reclaiming the brain's hijacked reward center. The Hunger Fix is the first consumer book to present the science and plan and is a game changer in the field of weight management and healthy living.

Dr. Peeke serves as spokesperson for the AmericanCollege of Sports Medicine's Exercise is Medicine global initiative. Together with the US Surgeon General, Dr. Peeke created the Surgeon General Walks for a Healthy and Fit Nation. She has been recognized by the National Library of Medicine as one of America’s leading physicians in their touring exhibition, Changing The Face of Medicine. Dr. Peeke is senior editor of the Women's Health section of the new edition of the textbook Lifestyle Medicine.

Dr. Peeke holds the position of Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, is board certified in internal medicine, and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. As a Pew Foundation Scholar in Nutrition and Metabolism during her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California at Davis and then as the first physician to serve as Senior Research Fellow at the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine, Dr. Peeke conducted research in the newly evolving field of integrative medicine. Dr. Peeke was among the first physicians with formal training in nutrition science and while at the NIH, studied the relationship between chronic stress, nutrit

Reviews

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am now on day 3 of body for life, and have already lost 1% fat and 1 and a half kilo. So feel very motivated. I liked that the book was written specifically written for women, and that it I can do the whole program without joining a gym. I am also a big fan of the 80% of the time rule, no-one's perfect, and this will help me not giving up when having a bad day.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Middleton Ladies Twelve Week Challenge.
Starting the Challenge tomorrow, but with Sundays being my rest days.
I like the internal motivation that she has you work on, and the idea of keeping your jounral.
The Vitamin I, is what I know that I will need help on. Push the intensity.

[Tracy Isaacs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m always interested in new framings of fitness and how it fits into an overall life. This book breaks it down into mind-mouth-muscle. The most helpful new nugget for me was taking an 80-20 approach to fitness and eating. Adds some realism to make it slightly more manageable as a day to day program. But still: avoid white bread and pasta or limit it to half a cup always feels extreme to me. In the end, the eating part is a diet even if it says it’s not.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and potentially life-changing (not to mention life-extending). A challenging, but apparently do-able approach to better health (impressive before/after photos). Written by a medical doctor, which lends a certain amount of credence. Set up in 12-week segments, which gives me confidence that I can persevere. Giving it 5 stars because I am ready to do this!

[Laura-Jane Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet student insisted I read it and I'm glad I did. There are some useful tools in the appendices.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read this review and others on my blog at http://awriterswife-bcray.blogspot.co...

I checked this book out from the library because I'd heard that the Body For Life books are really good, and I know that women have some fundamentally different obstacles when trying to loose weight and get in shape. I'm definitely not in as good of shape as I was in high school and college. Not that I want to get all the way back to that (or that I think I can even physically do that anymore), but I know my body could look a lot better. I've already been working out in a gym for several months and I see progress in my upper body (neck, shoulders, arms and pecs), but I definitely have some trouble spots that I'd really like to get rid of. So that is why I checked this out.

To be fair, I skimmed a lot of it. It's very wordy. I'm sure it helps sink some of the principles in, but I was mostly in it for the types of food to eat and the types of exercises that will help the most. She also breaks it down in to 4 stages of life. I'm kind of in the middle of Milestone 1 and 2 right now, so I'd read those and completely skip Milestones 3 and 4 because they don't apply to me right now. There is also some mental stuff in the book, but it didn't seem to have any specific ways to keep motivated...most of what you've already heard.

However, there are some nice tables that outline what foods fall into what categories and how much to eat of them. And then based on your activity level and body type how many servings of those you should eat. I think I'll have to write down some of this information before I give the book back because it will be great to reference.

The book also gives a table of how many calories are burned doing what types of cardio exercises based on your weight. What I liked is that it seems to be more specific to a woman, because at the gym, the elliptical told me I burned 180 calories in 20 minutes last week, but according to the book at my weight, I would have burned 220 calories in 20 minutes. I can only assume that is because the machine at the gym didn't take into account my gender and perhaps it didn't ask for my weight that day.

Also, I liked the Weight Removal Segment Checklist. I will have to create my own version of this to use. Because though I've been working in the gym for several months and dieting for about 4 weeks, I haven't seen any weight loss. I assume that it's based on my muscle mass gain, and of course muscle weighs more than fat. So this checklist is nice because it will measure more than just my scale weight so I can see other progress I'm making, so I don't get so discouraged when I step on a scale.

And of course, at the back of the book is an entire appendix of exercises and stretches. They all only use dumbells, but as long as I can find a machine at the gym that replicates the motion, then I'm good.

I'm going to read the regular Body for Life book as well, because I heard that the food plan is easier to follow that the one for Women. But overall I got a lot out of this book and hopefully it helps me get to my goal.

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with all that Dr. Peeke suggests in this book and I am anxious to share this info with family. The one thing I had a hard time with was the flow and format of the text. She describes each hormonal milestone for each aspect of her formula "Mind, Mouth, Muscle" and so you go from one to the next and then back to the first again. I think I would have liked to have read one milestone in its entirety and then the next, instead of jumping back and forth (my brain has to work in simple orderly fashion). One of the things I took from this book is that I need to lift weights to build my muscle. I do a lot of cardio and I eat fairly well, but I need resistance training. The book offers meal plans with smart carbs and smart proteins in the back and it also outlines a daily exercise routine. With any challenge, I like to do them with other people. It keeps the motivation going and keeps me focused. So I suggest finding a group of women to set goals with and to do this 12 week Body for Life challenge if you are serious about weight loss and a healthy body! I really like that it is written for women with our hormonal milestones in mind. Great book, great resource.

[Delores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every so often, I read a "healthy" book as motivation to fuel my fitness journey. There were many things I liked about this book:
1. It was written for women, by a woman
2. The information was practical
3. It deals not only with your body (exercise) and nutrition (food) but also your mind (mental).
4.The fitness regime is doable, she encourages weights and cardio, which I like.
5.The nutrition plan also seemed reasonable although I didn't necessarily pour over the recipes.
6.There were some handy lists about food choices and such that would be good resources.
7. The one thing I really liked is that the entire plan recommends working out and making mindful food choices six days a week but one day a week is a free day! Love that idea.
I would recommend this book to women who are interested in learning more about the importance of how exercise, nutrition, and your mind work together to help you lead a healthy lifestyle. Having checked this book out from the library, I think I will actually purchase it and use it as a resource. Another reader suggested reading the original Body for Life by Bill Phillips, so I think I will do that too.

[Beth A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the concept of removing weight instead of losing it. It makes sense; when we lose something we usually try to find it again. I liked that this book talked about the way different life stages affect body weight. And I liked the way Peeke recognized that if you are not fit you need to start exercise gradually. I wish she saw the same thing with regards to poor eating habits. The diet seemed pretty strict, and too low calorie for an active overweight person like me.

I probably should stop reading diet books; they only motivate me while I'm actually reading them, and I never quite buy them once I put the book down.

The home exercises looked useful, except that many of them require an incline bench. I do believe that weight training is important for weight loss.

I do believe that this book would be useful for many people; it's just not for me.

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

okay so I was looking for a boost, some "insider secrets" if you will. This book was targeted at women 50+, it doesn't say that, but once you are into it, you can tell.

It did have some really helpful nutrition info. targeted at women interested in the "body for life" program-so that made it worth it. I caught quite a few areas that I had ALL wrong with my diet. Hopefully it was worth the $30 ????

But if you are looking for a stricter program, like I was, I would go with the original "body for life" by Bill Phillips. Unless you are 50 (ish) and have never worked out in a gym, ever. This book would be VERY beneficial for you then!

[Fostergrants · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was so inspired by this book. she understands the particular difficulties women approaching middle age and beyond have with maintaining their weight. no gimmicks or starvation diets or weird unnatainable goals. she stresses building strength and being healthy - not being thin or eating foods that are difficult to share with family. i liked her non judgemental voice. the stories and before and after photos of women in their 70's and 80's who turned their health around made me cry and join a gym.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars. The nutrition and exercise portions are nothing revolutionary. What I do like about this book:
1. It is written for women by a woman who has counseled numerous women through their journies.
2. It helps women find the true motivation behind the desire to get healthy. Not many other books really help you focus your mind to help you get through the challenges you will encounter.
3. There is a free website to help you complete your goal and give you motivation.
4. Photos and stories of successful completers are included.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is ok! If you are a woman who really struggles with diet and is brand new to working out then this is probably a good book to read. If you are active, I think the workouts will be way too tame and the eating plan is pretty much common sense. I also strongly disagree with the author encouraging the use of artificial sweeteners such as spenda and sucralose as healthy alternatives. Some good information on the changes women go through, but all in all not a great book or program for anyone other then beginners.

[Chris Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book with practical tools for eating properly and exercising to keep your health and wellness in check, through all the stages of female life. I'm on my first 12-week challenge, and I've lost a bit of weight and picked up my fitness level, although life challenges have made it very difficult to do so. One important aspect she stresses is the need for the mind to be in the right place, for the right reasons, which is the reason I've been relatively successful in spite of the month I've had.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Dr. doing the Fit For Life tv show Steve is on. He is reading Fit for Life, and I am reading this one. Let's see if it helps!

So I finished reading and now I am actually doing. Gotta say, Dr. Peeke knows what she's talking about! You have to be in the right mindset to get your life back in order, body and soul. I am learning so much and it's really helping me. Just hope I can stick with it!

[Melanie Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Peeke evokes caring in her book, and also some good motivation to get your rear in gear. Although the intensity level of this book doesn't seem as high as the original B-F-L book, it does address some of the medical differences between women and men. I would have liked to have seen more of a discussion on estrogen and fat retention. A little more science, I guess. But, I re-read it yesterday, and got up and lifted weights today and got sweaty, so it did inspire me =D

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this twice. I've read it through different stages in my life. It is a little off from the original Body for LIFE. I think I prefer the original and the Champions versions of BFL, however, there is a lot of helpful information in here about the changes women go through during their lives which is great for women who don't have other female family members to discuss these issues with.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came out a decade ago, but the advice it contains is still on target. There's no question in my mind that it will work for anybody who follows it. I got it from the library to give me motivation to ramp up the intensity of my strength training and to stay away from wine and desserts. So far it's been helpful. There are useful charts and instructions and illustrations for various exercises with Dumbbells.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a bit stringent and she and I differ in our opinions on what makes for delicious food (sorry, an exclamation point after the description doesn't make plain yogurt with a packet of splenda sound any yummier). But those Before and After pictures look so amazing... how can you not give the 12-week plan a whirl?

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Body for Life rocks. I still use most of what this book taught me without being 100 percent serious about it and I stay in pretty good shape and if I want to get in great shape fast, I know exactly how to do it and I don't even have to go on a diet! I even get to eat more than normal. Yes!

Everyone should read this tonight and make it their New Years resolution:)

[Misti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know about the mantra and the motivational questions section (a little goofy if you ask me), but after reading Body for Life I appreciate this books focus on women and how we need to adapt our eating/exercise habit through the different phases of our life. I also lost 15 pounds after adopting this way of life!

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a good motivator to get your body in shape and eating well. The biggest problem I found was that on a small budget (which is me) I can't afford a lot of the healthier food that she was suggesting. But I did enjoy the motivation and I have been trying to work out better to stay in shape more that way.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the concepts in this book regarding weight loss. Dr. Peeke stresses not to rely on the scale to tell you if you are succeeding at weight removal and she also stresses that to be successful at weight removal you have to reduce your calories & increase your movement.

There is some really good sound advice and information. Now if I can just follow through with the 12 week plan.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technically I'm done reading through the book. I'm now about to begin the 12 week program, which promises a fabulous body at any age, through a contract with yourself to commit mind, mouth, and muscle to achieving your personal target goals, and printable eating and exercise plans to help you do it. I'll adjust my review when I've finished my twelve weeks. :)

[Emi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good because it was geared towards women. It was ok because you had to be in the gym 6 days a week until you reach your goal weight. It's just another low fat diet, eat every 3 hrs. It works only if you follow it to a T. She recommends eating lots of protein but says she'd prefer everyone follow a vegetarian diet like herself but if you can't then it's ok to eat meat.

[Kathleen Messmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this book 5 stars but for the age. It needs a newer edition with a few updates in metabolic research. The personal stories are very inspiring and any woman who thinks she doesn't have time to take care of herself should have another think on it. You can't care of anyone if you don't take care of yourself.

[Hero · Rating 1 out of 5]

The thing that I loved so much about the original Body for Life by Bill Phillips, was his strong motivational voice. The program worked just fine on a female body (my body) except that it was too heavy on calories.This new women's version? It's lame. Apparently women need less science and diagrams.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this book! The inspirational stories were very motivating. I did not actually follow this plan, but I can see where it would be a great one to be under. It made complete sense. The before and after pics are quite motivational also.

[Saadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is in the corporate gym for everyone to use so I read a couple of pages at a time. It is very interesting even though I am really not reading every word, every line. Some of the information I already knew and some doesn't apply to me.

[Alaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read about nutrition for women, with easy to follow steps on how to loose weight and stregthen yourself! A book i've reccomended to anyone wanting to know the correct and easy way to get in shape the 90 days challenge is gReat!!!