Review: The CarbLovers Diet by Ellen Kunes & Frances Largeman-Roth

The editors of Health Magazine (and top nutrition scientists) have big news: Eating carbs is the best way to get and stay slim. Breakthrough research revealed in this book shows how certain carb-rich foods-especially those with the amazing natural ingredient called Resistant Starch-act as powerful metabolism boosters and appetite suppressants. Rather than making you fat and bloated, as decades of low-carb diet gurus claimed, CARBS make you thin. They shrink fat cells, especially in your belly; boost fat burning; increase muscle mass; curb cravings; keep you feeling full longer than other foods; control blood sugar, and lower cholesterol and triglycerides!

Health Magazine, the expert when it comes to healthy living, takes this revolutionary new science and turns it into an easy-to-follow, real women-tested, dietitian-approved road map proven to melt off 10, 35, even 100 plus pounds forever. Our test kitchen chefs and registered dietitians also developed 85 delicious, simple recipes and foolproof meal plans that help you lose weight while you enjoy the foods you’ve craved for years.

I love carbs. LOVE. CARBS.

I love breads, cakes, flaky pies, potatoes, muffins, pasta… I could go on for days. Especially pasta…and bread…and cakes. Especially those carbs.

My conundrum is that I also love to work out, lift weights and look sexy.

And just about EVERYBODY tells you that there is no way to both love (and enjoy) carbs and look sexy at the same time. No matter what diet and no matter what exercise program – just about all of them tell you to avoid carbs.

This gives me the sads. 😦

So when I stumbled upon The CarbLovers Diet I had to check it out. The cover is a bright and happy pink with a picture of a fork full of pasta. Yum! The back cover mentions “revolutionary new science about carb-rich foods” and promises that the reader will have “pasta for dinner and chocolate torte for dessert.” Come on! Who doesn’t want that??

Review: Strong Curves: A Woman’s Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body by Bret Contreras & Kellie Davis

This is not your run-of-the-mill fitness book. Developed by world-renowned gluteal expert Bret Contreras, Strong Curves offers an extensive fitness and nutrition guide for women seeking to improve their physique, function, strength, and mobility.

Contreras spent the last eighteen years researching and field-testing the best methods for building better butts and shapelier bodies. In Strong Curves, he offers the programs that have proven effective time and time again with his clients, allowing you to develop lean muscle, rounded glutes, and greater confidence.

Each page is packed with information decoding the female anatomy, providing a better understanding as to why most fitness programs fail to help women reach their goals. With a comprehensive nutritional guide and over 200 strength exercises, this book gets women off the treadmill and furnishes their drive to achieve strength, power, and sexy curves from head to toe.

Although the glutes are the largest and most powerful muscle group in the human body, they often go dormant due to lifestyle choices, leading to a flat, saggy bum. Strong Curves is the cure.

Note: I really feel conflicted about this book/program so I’ve sat on this review for over a month.

I’ve been weight lifting (dumbbells, kettlebells and barbell) for a little under a year.

At the time I started using the program in this book, my workouts consisted of a “body split.*” On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I worked my lower body and back. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I worked my upper body.

Life: Injury and How Much it Sucks

So, as I mentioned a few posts ago I injured myself recently.

I pulled or strained either part or the whole upper left glute. Right near my tailbone. It started as a twinge and moved on to PAIN. I think it started a few days prior: I was working out doing hip thrusts as I was at the end of week ten (10) of a twelve (12) week program: Strong Curves: A Woman’s Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body. I will have a review up for this book/program up shortly. This program is focused on women’s aesthetics in general and on the glute muscles in specific while still maintaining strength. Which is what I was looking for.

So, back to my injury. I am not *certain* what exactly happened but while finishing up week 10 (doing hip thrusts, 135 pounds) I got a horrible cramp running from my lower left waistline down to my left knee. I had to put the bar down and stretch and foam roll out the pain for more than five minutes before I could continue. Ouch! At the beginning of week 11 I noticed a twinge in my upper left glute. By the next day when working out it started to become pain. I finished up that workout…barely.

Life: Shopping (again) ETSY

OMG.

Now I’m really tripping…

I saw this on ETSY and I love it.

Cause obviously I have nothing better to do with my money than to buy crap I don’t need. (/sarcasm) Bills?? Ha! I need workout jewelery!

Good Girls Tone, Bad Girls Deadlift

Good Girls Tone, Bad Girls Deadlift

But it would look hot with the “Bad Girls Deadlift” t-shirt I want to get….

Life: Shopping

I need this shirt!!

NEED

Good Girls Tone, Bad Girls Deadlift

But its like $25 plus S&H ($7)

So that’s like… $32 for a workout shirt.

But…it’s soooooo cute. And it would ROCK during my 5k Night Run…

Am I tripping?? Cause I think I’m gonna get it…(and then get my ass handed to me by hubby O_O)