Strong Women Stay Slim – by Dr. Miriam Nelson & Dr. Sarah Wernick

We previously reviewed “Strong Women Stay Young” by the same authors, and this time it’s about weight loss (or, when one is at one’s desired weight: weight maintenance).

Unlike most guidebooks with the word “slim” in the title, the focus here is not on diet, but (as the subtitle promises) exercises. Specifically, strength training.

This idea was quite cutting-edge for its time (publication date: 1999) when we were barely out of “cardio for weight loss”, and the authors present plenty of good science that holds up the scrutiny of the present day. Regular 10almonds readers will know this, but it’s mostly about how whereas an abundance of fat in the body (in one’s fat cells that is, not necessarily in one’s diet) triggers a slowing of the metabolism in attempt to help you survive the famine it thinks you’re surely preparing for, muscle mass has a metabolic “cost” to maintain, and so the metabolism increases accordingly (burning stored fat as fuel, or—dose dependent—at least not adding to it, because calories consumed were used immediately).

On the topic of diet, that’s a weak point of the book. While it’s not the focus, there is some advice (and some recipes), and it’s what you might expect for a book from the previous century. Which is not to say that it’s all bad; they do recommend fibrous vegetables and whole grains—they just also aren’t that keen on fruit, add milk (skimmed milk, no less) to so many things, include a recipe for beef sandwiches, etc. It’s not good, and unlike other parts of the book, did not stand the test of time (indeed, much of their dietary advice would be thoroughly refuted by 2005).

Bottom line: if you’d like to lose weight, the exercise side of this will be very beneficial. For dietary advice, we recommend things more in line with modern scientific consensus.

Click here to check out Strong Women Stay Slim, and stay strong and slim!