cover image Fat to Muscle Diet

Fat to Muscle Diet

Victoria Zak. Putnam Publishing Group, $14.95 (176pp) ISBN 978-0-399-13231-5

This 14-day diet is based on the sensible premise that ""by boosting your metabolism to produce more heat, you can burn calories . . . longer, remove stored fat, lose your excess weight, and avoid gaining it back.'' Not surprisingly, the authors recommend a diet low in fats and balanced in carbohydrates and proteins, and an exercise regimen. The book is a little heavy on jargon (``better thermic burn''; ``how to handle a diet breakdown''), but otherwise it's an easy-to-read-and-understand diet and exercise book complete with portion sizes, daily menus and tasty recipes. A chart that displays the number of calories burned during specific sports and exercises will help readers choose suitable activities. An upbeat reward list of 30 nonfood treats includes ``test drive Porsches'' and ``request a song for yourself on the radio.'' Zak is a fitness writer, Carlin a dietitian and Vash an endocrinologist specializing in eating disorders. (June 15)