The Badass Body Diet: The Breakthrough Diet and Workout for a Tight Booty, Sexy Abs, and Lean Legs

by Christmas Abbott

CrossFit celebrity Christmas Abbott shows how to attain the body of your dreams with a targeted eating strategy and total-body workout plan that will whip glutes and hips—and every problem area—into top shape. As a formerly “skinny fat” woman, Christmas Abbott knows what real women need to get the butt and body of their dreams. In The Badass Body Diet , she dispels the myth of the health benefits of a “pear shape” body, teaches readers how to spot-reduce excess fat with targeted meal plans and recipes that zap cellulite, and galvanizes them with a quick and simple workout plan for a toned butt—the key to total body fitness. Your “glutes” (the technical term for booty) are the body’s largest and most powerful muscle group—and one of the most beautiful—but they can go dormant, flat, and flabby. Packed with essential information, and inspirational before-and-after photos of her clients, The Badass Body Diet shows how to whip that butt into shape and provides essential information on how Unlike most “one approach fits all” diet and exercise books, The Badass Body Diet identifies the three types of dieters that Christmas has discovered working with hundreds of clients at her CrossFit gyms—Modifiers, Gainers, and Maintainers—and tailors her approach to each, providing specific goals for maximum results. Stop obsessing about a flat belly, Christmas advises. A Badass Body is a birthright, and it starts at the bottom—with a trim and tight tush.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Fitness, Nutrition, Food, Self Help, Adult

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2015

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This girl is a rabid fitness professional. To follow her diet recommendations 100% would make me absolutely crazy. Perhaps it works for pro athletes; not realistic for me or most people i know.
The workout routines provided in this book (12-20 min/day) would most likely not give anyone a physique resembling the author's. Clearly, she works out several hours daily.
So, while I admire her commitment and enthusiasm for women's health, strength and fitness, I think this book offers a nearly impossible plan and overpromises results. Also, it's a bit ridiculous to say that a tight butt is the singular measure of fitness and sexiness. Sorry, but way too much emphasis on butts.

[Meg]

Grumble, I'm not sure why I read this in the first place.

HIIT style bodyweight workouts you can do anywhere, zone/paleo diet. It restricts carbs pretty severely so you'd lose weight pretty easy I'd guess and high fat/protein so you don't feel deprived.

Lots of pic of Christmas looking fantastic if, uh, you're into that.

[Lindsey Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute bs. There is no way she usually follows the maintainer diet. You cannot possible build muscle on less that 1200 a day (force body type amount)I would not be surprised if she herself doesn’t follow anything in this book. And who the heck eats 1/8 a cup of rice and calls it a serving? I’d have to sacrifice 3 bricks to get a functional serving of rice and then I’m left unable to eat anything with it unless I’m sacrificing snack bricks. Unfunctional for anyone who actually works out harder than yoga

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

There really isn't anything new in this book from other diet books. She changes the wording such as "brick" instead of "portion". She has encompassed some of the Navy Seal workouts, along with some pilates moves. The portions she gives you seem like a good amount of food, but I couldn't go 21 days without a slice of bread or some grown rice. It's not one I would stick with the exercises for very long, they aren't fun.

[Sharayah Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!!

I just watched her online seminar and it was great.. This combined with her nutrition class will be amazing. Can't wait to start

[Priscillia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a lot of good information from this book. I'm going to start doing the workout and eating plan in a week since I just finished it.

[Cindy Heaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all, not a bad plan, but it is a bit clunky. The whole 'brick' system seems like a very complicated way to say "count your macros". Christmas wants you to portion out your protein, fats, and carbs into 'bricks', then throughout the day you can just grab a brick and be done with it. For me, with a family that is not eating like I do, it would take quite a bit of prep and planning. She eats Paleo and I already do that and MyFitnessPal will figure out macros if I just plug in the foods I eat. Much easier than the brick concept for me. Plus, if something isn't working, I can then play with my macros to see what works better.

As for the workout, it's a good HIIT workout. I expected some weight training to be in there given what her body looks like, but it's all bodyweight stuff. And it's not that it won't work, but she makes a point of promoting strong bodies and states that she dead lifted 270lbs and there isn't one lift in the plan. I was interested in the book because of her body, but she didn't get that body only doing 20 min of HIIT a day.

I did like her info on supplements and her recovery shakes and meal replacement shakes look good too.

Will you lose weight and get a better body following her plan? Yes, you certainly will. I just expected a bit more out of the workouts. If you don't have a gym membership or much workout gear at home, this would be a good plan for you.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a light and fun book with suggestions on what to eat and how to workout. No, this book is hardcore and wants you to count macros for your body fat %, and your goals, and etc.....ain't nobody got time for that. I'll continue to eat 100% paleo/80% of the time and do occasional crossfit workouts and be ok with the fact that I will never look like Christmas. But then again, I also want to live my life and enjoy food.

[KC Chapa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking to this book and hoping for some new info. I didn't find it here. I found the book to be a little corny for my taste. The eating plan is pretty much The Zone but in her terminology. I definitely think this book is a great starting point for those who are new to the health/fitness lifestyle.

[Susie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I actually enjoy Crossfit. But there's no way you can get me to give up dairy and eat tuna on top of tomatoes for lunch. I need books that focus more on body positivity and eating whatever the f*ck you want. Changes suggested wouldn't be sustainable for me

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great platform to get ya started!

[Chris Torretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I purchased this baby on Sept 29, 2016! Nearly two years ago.

And I know I read it because I had highlights throughout the entire book. THE ENTIRE BOOK.

Sadly, I didn’t remember anything, so I just started over. There is a lot to dig into with this one. And I’m not going to lie, it’s intense. Which is probably why I set it down and didn’t review it. AND didn’t do the diet or exercise routine.

To be honest though, I don’t think I was ready for it. It’s a lot to take in. A lot to understand, and a lot to commit to.

I think this time may be different because the last few times I’ve gotten into an exercise kick, the hubby has been ho-hum. This time we’re both cheering each other on and working together to figure out goals and how to reach them.

What I love about this book is that there are multiple ways to take this on. My body is different from my husband’s and Christmas takes that into account. Unlike many diet books that just throw the diet at you and hope you know if you’re taller, you should probably eat more. She spells it out. While it’s not completely east to understand, there is also a diet that just says to work on proportions and not figure out the grams of everything you put in your mouth. I was tempted to go with that first option, but to be honest, I really want to give this my all, which means learning how to either weigh my food, or at least figuring out the right portions for me and the hubster.

The diets don’t stop there either. There are multiple diets on the different phases for life. Like if you want to put on weight, for instance or if you’re in the maintain part of your lifestyle.

The first 21 days are supposed to be the most difficult part of this. And while I don’t see myself ever exercising the way she does, so far the hubby and I have done and appreciated the exercises she added in. They’re doable and for two people that are just starting to try to get back into shape, exercises that are doable is the first thing we need.

I think I put this down the first time because I truly wasn’t ready. With the hubster’s help, I know the two of us can attack this plan, pretty much how she laid it out. Actually, I am going to have to work on how much eat, because this is more than what I’m used to. So, that’s going to be different, but I think it’s going to be a good change.

The one thing that is going to be hard for me, well everything is going to be tough, but the one major obstacle is my addiction to sugar. She doesn’t use sugar in anything. I use sugar in everything. I think I’m going to start slow with the sugar. I’ve already cut soda out of my daily lunch, so now it’s just cutting down the amount of coffee I drink, and then the amount of sugar I put into that coffee. I know what I put into this is going to equal what I get out of it, but I also don’t want to kill my customers.

So, while reading this, I realized I have a few changes to make, but Christmas has a great plan set out. I know it’ll be a tough plan to follow, but so far (other than that pesky sugar thing), it seems doable!

If you’re looking for a diet book, I think this has quite a bit of interesting information. They way she looks at foods and what should be eaten, especially compared to what the average American does it, is amazing. It’s also extremely helpful for creating a grocery list. The plan for exercise is laid out and easy to follow. I definitely recommend this, and if you’re a bit older, like me, and not prepared to jump in head first, get started on small things, and then plunge in! I’m sure this is going to be worth it.

[Katie Burnham · Rating 3 out of 5]

To those who think it's starvation, you're right and wrong. Christmas based her nutrition off of the Zone diet. I personally think the Zone diet is outdated but there is valid research to back it up. If you find Christmas's book light on facts, type "Zone diet" into google and read away. Are ther those of you who like her eating plan but find it hard to fit into your dayly life? Know that you can calculate the macros to fit into a tracker and figure it out that way. I personally think her macro ratios are fine, however her caloric allowances are very low. When I followed the plan strictly I experienced extreme fatuige and slight mood swings.
As to the woes I've read about her workout plan, I will explain why all of her exercises are body weight. I have done CrossFit and I now do Olympic weightlifting. I will admit I was hoping that her book would have more knowledge that I could apply at my level of training. However, as I read the book I realized I was being silly. Christmas did not write this book for people like me who had been training CrossFit, eating Paleo and living a healthy lifestyle for years before she picked up the book. Christmas wrote the book for girls like her: Girls who have realized they are living a self districting lifestyle and want to change it. If that is what someone needs, this book is amazing. I just wish she had written a book that catered more towards her fan base instead of the girls like who she used to be.

[Candace W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not for beginners, as a lot of these exercises would likely be quite difficult for someone carrying a lot of extra weight and/or just starting out. There is a lot of focus on the butt in this one, so if that's important to you, maybe this is the book to follow. To me, it seems a little too extreme for a beginner. Some of the diet plans too would be quite difficult to follow if you are coming into this as a beginner and someone who isn't used to portioning. To go from eating what you want to having three almonds and a bit of tuna as a meal, there will definitely be some growing pains and mood swings etc as your body deals with way fewer calories. Also, how are you to maintain the strength to seriously complete any exercise if you are eating way fewer calories?

[Tiffani · Rating 3 out of 5]

While at Powell's Books in Portland I saw this book about living a badass life. It was a hardback and new so I didn't get it (I buy paperbacks almost exclusively) but I looked for at my local library when I got home. No copies were available at my library but my library did have Christmas Abbott's other book, The Badass Body Diet so I picked it up. There is nothing too revolutionary here - eat cleanly, mostly proteins, carbs primarily in the form of vegetables and fruits, and some healthy fats. The diet is accompanied by a short and simple exercise plan. The plan is relatively simple (or appears to be) and I like that. I'm going to give it a try as much as I can.

[Natasha Orslene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting perspective on nutrition and health. The nutrition portion was good and offered an interesting plan on maintaining weight or losing weight. The exercise section was also good and featured Crossfit-inspired movements and workout sequences. However, it was Christmas Abbott's perspective on mindset and being a "badass" that was more interesting and valuable. She provided measurable steps for getting your mind in order to build your best body, and ultimately, your best life. This was absolutely a worthwhile read and, because the mindset portion was so good, I purchased her other book The Badass Life: 30 Amazing Days to A Lifetime of Great Habits.

[DeAnn Kohlbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is by far the best book I have read so far on eating right and exercising. Since I know that loosing weight is 80/20 - eating right and loosing weight respectfully, I really appreciate that the author talks about diet in a lot of detail. You can't go wrong with this one. My only complaint is that there are a lot of typos in book, but the science behind what we eat is so clearly explained. Thank you.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read her book because I've always admired her body. The book is ok. Pretty basic & rudimentary, but that's probably good for people who don't have a clue about nutrition. It's always hard to take advice from someone that was always underweight though! This would be a good plan for people that are really overweight or good at knowing how to customize it for themselves.

[Tanja Rukavina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reading for a beginner. Since I am in CF and HIIT for many years now, I was expecting a bit more about secrets to a good training, however have discovered some tips under Supplements section. A big discovery from the book was a peanut butter and I use it now at least once per day! Yummy!!!

[❄️✨ Kat ✨❄️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Christmas was on Big Brother this year, which truthfully is the main reason I read this. I'm probably not going to use the diet or meal plans mentioned, and the recipes/workouts were just not for me. However, beginners to health and exercise may benefit from reading this.

[Kendall Morgan Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not great for vegetarians. The recipes are extremely meat-heavy and she is against tofu but the principles behind the nutritional part make sense and the exercise section is good.

[Marissa Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good starting point for someone who is learning fitness and nutrition

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's why this book is 'just ok': all of this information is obtainable for free (I checked this book out at the library anyway) at bodybuilding.com and all over the internet in general. The meal plan is just a reiteration of every other mean plan that a competitive athlete or fitness model/competitor would tout. Focusing on macro combinations (high quality protein, limited slow burning carbs, and healthy fats), the diet eliminates all sugar and refined, simple carbs and has you eating 6 meals a day that are composed in 'bricks.' A brick adds up to a certain percentage of protein, carbs and fat per meal. The math element was a turn off for me, but since I already weigh out all of my food and eat a diet very similar to this one (albeit with more 'cheating') I could probably get on board if I put my mind to it. There is no calorie counting involved because if you are hitting your macros the calories just fall in line. While there was mention in an early part of the book about 'controlled cheating,' I don't recall ever reading about how the author recommends properly cheating. By the way, I read this book in about a one hour sitting. The exercises were underwhelming for anyone who has done HIIT (high intensity interval training) before. I would have appreciated a broader spectrum of suggested exercises, sports and activities.

Here's the thing—this diet will definitely work for people who stick with the plan and do not deviate! And, knowing myself, I will permit myself to deviate and cheat and moderate and generally indulge because eating is a sensory experience for me that I happen to enjoy. I thrive off variety, and sadly, a meal plan like this lacks variety in certain ways.

I would recommend that instead of buying or reading this book, you head over to bodybuilding.com and check out Jamie Eason's LiveFit 12 Week Training Program. It provides a lot more information and guidance and is easily accessible.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed reading this book and learning about Christmas and her approach to food, I definitely wouldn't follow this "diet" plan. The brick thing just isn't for me, and I would rather track macros in MFP.

[Melozi Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited for this book from Christmas Abbott and let down so quickly. I purchased this book thinking it would be a good intro to brick style diets, and for the most part it was. Unfortunately, it was also very basic in science and background.
The writing style was candid but sometimes so lax I had to put my head down. There are plenty of typos and editing mistakes that I wonder if the deadline came up too quickly. Biggest examples of errors: see pages 63 and 64. The bibliography situation was also painful. She'd mention a paper or "research shows" but neither the title or the author, making it difficult to figure out which one she's referencing in the bibliography.
I'm a big Christmas Abbott fan and I did get the basic principles of a brick style diet out of this book so hence the three star rating. I can't bring myself to score it higher than that thought due to the errors and lack of references (no, I am not going to look through the end of the book bibliography and hope the research paper I look at is the one I wanted from chapter 3).

[Minna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me.

I could not follow the diet, at all, beyond realizing that it would take waaaaay more of my time to figure it out and adhere to it than I have to give. My other takeaway from the diet is that um, if anyone restricts their calories that much they will lose weight regardless of their activity level.

I understand that "losing weight" is not the goal, and so I turned with hope to the fitness section. I am assuming that the book is aimed at Crossfit disciples, in which case the exercises are at once familiar and unnecessary. It is doubtful for me that Ms. Abbott achieved the body she's advertising on the workout plan she includes. While the exercises are all good ones, they are none of them rocket science, and the workouts start at only 12 minutes apiece. I think the success of the "diet" rests more on the calorie deprivation and elimination of any junk food than on the workouts.

This book might succeed for some people but it's not for me. I'd rather have slower results with more moderation.

[Relstuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Christmas Abbott is pretty cool and she works hard to be one of America's fitness stars. Her story is interesting and it's clear she has a passion for helping other people be fit too. This book is a cross between memoir/how I got here and how to become fit. The diet/fitness advice is pretty straightforward and others point out it's nothing revolutionary and some are concerned because while she mentions some studies that back up some of the things she says she does not cite them well.

He writing style is chatty and a bit peppy. I'm a bigger fan of the person than the book.
P.S. I bought this to give as a Christmas gift and skim read it lingering mainly on the parts where Christmas talked about her life vs the workout/diet tips.

[. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the meals were restrictive (3 almonds as part of a "meal"?) but it was nice to see a breakdown of what each person, at each part of their journey, should be doing in order to reach their goals.

I imagine I would take more of this book to heart if I was competing

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

The information presented isn't anything new. If you follow the Crossfit and paleo world then you will already know most of this info. However, if you are new to this lifestyle then it is broken down very clearly and kept simple. It includes explanation as to why she suggests this plan and gives simple instructions for how to follow it and implement it. Smile meal plans, recipes and exercise routines are all provided. I'm a fan of Christmas Abbott and loved that her passion for empowering women could be seen all the ought her book. Looking forward to implementing this simple, clean eating program into my life.