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Small Changes, Big Results: A 12-Week Action Plan to a Better Lifex$8.88
  (51 reviews)
Best Price: $8.88
An easy-to-start, simple-to-maintain, scientifically sound, and eminently usable twelve-week program of small steps on the road to better health
Small Changes, Big Results is not about cutting all the carbohydrates out of your diet. Or replacing every single gram of sugar with omega-3 fatty acids. It’s not about doing one hundred sit-ups a day, or getting on the treadmill whenever you have a free second. In fact, it’s not about any of the total lifestyle-replacement gimmicks—whether diet, exercise, or pop psychology—that have swept our culture in recent years, putting untold millions of Americans on the risky roller coaster of success and failure that defines fad diets and programs.
Not here.
Small Changes, Big Results is about reality—the reality of what you can do, the reality of what you want to do, and the reality of what works. It’s about introducing a series of small changes each week for three months in the three core areas of diet and nutrition; exercise and fitness; and emotional wellness. For each of the twelve weeks, nutritionist Ellie Krieger introduces a very finite, completely practical action plan for the week—and not only are these tasks incredibly doable, they’re in fact so accessible that it’s tough not to be inspired.
For example, in Week 1 the nutrition task is merely to go shopping, buy some healthful pantry items, and start keeping track of what you eat; the exercise consists of taking three twenty-minute walks; and the wellness aspect is to do a five-minute breathing exercise. That’s it. And it doesn’t really get any harder.
But these small changes do in fact lead to big results. At the end of twelve weeks, a totally unhealthy diet has been overhauled: armed with easy, delicious recipes and tips, you’ve removed unhelpful munchies and replaced them with healthful snacking, you’ve cut down on lethal trans fats while adding beneficial fat choices, you’ve replaced refined grains with whole grains, you’re eating more fish and less red meat, and so forth. Yet you’ve never been forbidden to eat a single thing: instead of prohibiting entire food groups, Ellie categorizes foods as Usually, Sometimes, and Rarely—and now you should be eating more from the Usually choices, less from the Rarely category. Furthermore, you’ve integrated physical activity into your life, and you’ve developed a set of tools to help you deal with stress—you’re not only eating better, but you’re also exercising better and feeling better.
The beauty of this program is that none of these action steps is remotely intimidating, because they’re not a full immersion into a totally new lifestyle. Instead, it’s a series of incremental changes—removing bad habits one by one, while at the same time adding good ones. There’s nothing to scare you off—on the contrary, here’s a whole book full of small changes that produce big results.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
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Works for me!
By A1GYYUVPKKQEYA on 2005-06-06
This book is easy and fun to read. While flipping through it, the first thing I noticed was that the recipes were well-rounded and looked really delicious. One of my favorites, grilled fish with mango-avacado salsa topping, is now a weekly meal in our household.
Some of the tips in here are so easy to follow -- for instance, she says when you are hungry, you should eat. It's what you eat and the portions that are important. I now keep healthy snacks at my desk for when my 3pm hunger rolls around.
I left Small Changes, Big Results on the living room coffee table and everyone in the house has picked it up and commented on how easy to read it is and how the tips are so useful.
This is easy to follow and it works. I've lost weight but more importantly, I've learned how to eat healthier. The excersizing is also easy -- the first couple weeks call for 20 minutes of walking 3 times a week(though you have options) but I find myself going for 60.
I've enjoyed all of the food I've been eating based on her recommendations. I recommend this book to anyone looking for easy reading and a way to lose weight without giving up fats and carbs.
A Terrific Book
By ASX8DFTEWIR6T on 2005-08-12
This is a great book. It contains very common sense guidelines and ideas for nutrition, fittness and wellness and organizes them into an easy to follow, step-by-step process. The section on fat is very helpful. I finally understand what all the terms mean (mono-unsaturated, trans fat, etc). Another section on fruits and veggies by color and what they do for you is also well organized and informative.
I stumbled upon this book at the library and after taking pages of notes, decided to look it up on Amazon. Sure enough it was selling at a great price so I bought it and have been marking pages and highlighting passages ever since I received. It will make a great gift this Christmas for several people.
I believe that Ellie Krieger has written the best book out there on how to develop a healthy lifestyle.
Baby step your way to a beautiful, healthy body!
By A1P4F6HIXU6WYE on 2005-04-04
There are plenty of kick a** boot camp books on the market. How to lose 10 pounds in a weekend, get your body for life in a few weeks etc. Ellie Krieger's book "Small Changes Big Results" is a refreshing change. Ellie's approach is a gentle one. You will over the course of 12 weeks baby step your way to a better body and healthier life.
Krieger who holds an MS in nutrition from prestigious Columbia University walks you through a simple program of change. Each week you will add on tasks that focus on 3 areas: eating well, moving your body and living well. Ms. Krieger gives you simple, very doable tasks for each. As you progress through the program you will feel better, slim down, and become healthier and you won't be killing yourself in the process!
The first component is the eating plan. Instead of a diet, Ellie instructs you on what to eat to encourage a slim body. Different weeks will find you filling your pantry with healthy foods, learning about grains, understanding hunger, getting the skinny on fats and more. For fitness you will add on walking (starting with a simple 20 minute 3X a week walk) and progress to strength training, stretching etc. The third component is all about feeling well. So many "diet" books neglect this essential tool to achieving a healthy slim body. Here Ellie will give you ideas to make your life more enjoyable from managing your time, to sleeping better to the power of play. I was delighted to see that Ellie even includes a section on clearing clutter. It's amazing how conquering your clutter can lead to better feelings about oneself and yes ultimately a thinner you!
Ms. Kreiger includes very simple delicious recipes like minestrone soup, lemon pepper chicken and banana-peanut butter smoothie.
The appendix includes a wealth of valuable information also. She explains how much of each food group you should eat in order to consume your caloric needs. She gives a list of sometimes, rarely and usually foods. She has included suggested supplementation. sample weeks of healthy eating and much more.
A list of resources and index rounds out the back of the book.
What I really love about this book is its doability. It's babystepping your way to a healthy body. It makes becoming slimmer and healthier a pleasure and easy. You work with your body to achieve your goals. Small changes do equal big results!
Solid book, but definitely for the beginner
By AHN86VFJIJ2JP on 2007-03-12
I became curious about this book since I love Ellie Krieger's show "Healthy Appetite" on the food network. For those who are not familiar, the show teaches viewers how to prepare delicious meals that satisfy their appetites, while including healthful ingredients. In this book, she shares a lot of the same common sense wisdom that she dispenses on the show. One of the things I love about this book is that it is not about a fad diet, but rather about slowly making meaningful changes that you can live with long term. Essentially, the whole book is sound advice.
The format of the book is that for each of the 12 weeks things are gradually introduced. For example, each week the exercise gets slightly more challenging and you get new food principles to follow. I think this is great for a beginner or someone who might be overwhelmed at the prospect of losing weight and might not know where to start. (Not that this is a bad thing at all!!!) However, as someone who has been reading Cooking Light for two years and doing an intense workout routine 6 days a week for the past two months, much of this was information I had heard elsewhere. That said, the book is still peppered with some new good tips and sound advice that someone who has dieted before can find of value. For example, I like the way she organizes foods into "Usually," "Sometimes," and "Rarely" categories. It's much more pleasant and user-friendly than simply outlawing food. She also gives lots and lots of suggestions so you can accomidate with your own unique lifestyle. I also loved her recipes. There were some great alternatives for things like butter. My advice would be that if you're a beginner this is a must buy book, but if you're already a more experienced health nut or dieter you may find that you already know a lot of the content.
Easy and practical plan
By A3V639A13AZVRD on 2005-04-13
Yes, there are hundreds of diet/health books available as most reviewers tend to point out. But what I can say about this book is that it is a practical approach to seeing results. Each step of the program is easy to integrate into your life and there are great tips and recipes throughout. I bought this book for my wife and I ended up reading it and applying it for myself. Once I began reading, I couldn't resist giving it a try. I've tried Body for Life and many others and I must say that for me this book made success feel easy. My wife who is a full-time working mom has found this book to be exactly what she was looking for in regards to getting back on track health-wise. Worth the money for sure.
- A great diet-book staple
By A1EVDRGLVCYYVP on 2007-03-20
I've never been a fan of Ellie Krieger's show on the Food Network, so I wasn't prepared to like this book. One thing I've noticed on her show is that the food she makes isn't really all that healthy.
But, I have to say this book was, overall, very well done. Many of the negative reviews point out that her tips are obvious and not original. I can't say I totally disagree, but they are presented in an easy-to-read format, concisely, all in one book. Sure, you can go online and find a chart that compares the fat and calories in a buffalo burger to that in a turkey burger, and you can also find guides on how to do her meditations or exercises online, too. You can probably also bring up all the research she included on the benefits and drawbacks of dairy, and the nutrients found in fruits and veggies. But you could also just buy the book and get all that info in one place, as well as an easy-to-follow guide on how to slowly incorporate nutrition, exercise and wellness into your life.
If you're a diet book guru and have read through a stack of nutrition guides already, this book isn't for you. It also probably won't enhance the life of anyone already living a fairly healthy lifestyle, as you probably do most of what she recommends anyway, and the few recipes included don't really warrant the purchase price.
But, if you're a newcomer to nutrition, especially one looking to switch to a healthy lifestyle, I'd say this book would be a perfect choice for you!
- A Great Guide
By A2VHDPQXWTJ7LR on 2006-04-28
Small Changes, Big Results put my health, nutrition, and exercise goals within reach. Ellie Krieger's style is upbeat and so encouraging - it's like having your own personal life coach! I was inspired to make little adjustments to my daily regimen, and before I knew it I was feeling better than I had in a long time.
I'm usually overwhelmed by fitness programs, but Small Changes, Big Results made lifestyle changes seem possible and approachable - we can all make small changes, and those changes can really add up to major results. I sent copies to my mother and sister!
- Great author, "So So" book
By AB9YJWXPRIUTY on 2007-01-30
I really like Ellie's TV program . I like that she gives lots of nutritional information about each recipe plus much more. In purchasing the book, it was the lay-out that I did not like. It serves its purpose if you are going to strictly stick to a 12-week program. But I also needed to be able to at a quick glance look up recipes according to category and lumped together for those times after going methodically thru the book. I like some of the tips on exercise, but they were difficult to find as they are blended in with so much other. Many of the exercise tips are found in every book. Please don't misunderstand, the book will be helpful, and I think Ellie is extremely helpful with what I think is highly important - Nutrition and good recipes. But I feel like I need to go thru and pull out the things I am looking for and put them in my own file for easier reference. I would love to try one of her other books, but feel like I need to wait awhile to save up a little more $$. But don't quit writing, I am still very interested!!! V
- Big results for me!
By ADDMOJNLSWGI8 on 2006-04-14
A few months ago, I bought this book. Its easy-to-follow plan with great recipes inspired me to make some small tweaks to my eating habits and life style. I lost weight and found a bit more inner peace as a result. I love many of the recipes and tips.
I also caught the premier of Ellie's new show on the Food Network last weekend -- she is so cute and down to earth. If you love the book, you will love her show!
- life changer wanna be!
By AL7BS3G3S945X on 2006-03-01
I bought this book thinking it would be something interesting and something i had never read before! It is a huge rip off and replica of the lifechanger by julia havey! If you dont believe me, go to www.Lifechanger.us and check out this book and program. I have lost 185 pounds using Julia Havey's lifechanger program and love to read all material on weight loss. It is an obsession now rather than food. Im always looking for new and motivating material and if i thought it was legal, I would have to assume that cliff notes for lifechanger were used in writing this book. I made small changes and had big results! Same information, just a new title! If anyone is interested in the same appraoch, but more understandable, go check out julias website! She has lived the life of obesity and overcame it, just as I now have! A real person, with a real approach!
- Great book!
By A16H0L1OMY5QWP on 2006-03-01
I have read this book twice and love all the practical tips that encompass all aspects of well-being.
Ellie has a great way of presenting her information in clear and concise terms and it is an easy and even fun read!
It gets me motivated to do more and continue down the path I have started several years ago.
She covers all levels of fitness and lifestyles and current 'status' from those just rolling off the couch and knowing there is more to life out there, to those of who have been aiming for a better lifestyle over the years and maybe need some more motivation and sound advise to get all the way there.
She writes like a good friend, who has your best interests at heart and knows how to convey it all without a preachy stance.
I hope she writes more books and will definitely recommend
this one to everyone I know.
p.s. I bought it online for $6 on Amazon, the best deal yet!
- Huge Waste of $
By A2YDOIUKABPXN1 on 2006-07-03
Though I buy tons of books, I'm never one to write reviews. But this is so bad, I felt it was my duty to. I am insanely disappointed with this book. I read it cover to cover and there is not one new idea in here. Half of it seems stolen from a website I frequent of a woman who has lost 130 pounds. I wish I would have saved my $. Oh, and the food is totally bland. Ick!
- Great book, easy to follow
By AWUKH8YHI66ZR on 2006-10-09
Ellie's book is comprehensive and well organized, making following the plan extremely easy. I love the summaries at the end of each chapter, outlining what needs to be done in very simple terms. I also enjoyed the numerous comparisons of various foods making it easier for me to make better choices. This book is packed with hints for day to day living and very good recipes for healthier living. I really enjoyed this book and felt good about myself and motivated just after the first chapter.
- Small changed, Big results
By A3MIO9351CRHE0 on 2006-04-11
This is a great book - simple, easy to follow, breaks change down into small steps that are manageable.
- Big Bummer
By A2RYDSO03X4M7X on 2006-06-08
I cook healthy all the time and just got this book as a gift...I'm so unimpressed. I'd seen Ellie's show on the Food Network a couple of times then stopped watching because the stuff she makes is still fattening if you're trying to stay in shape. Sure it has healthy fats, blah, blah, but that doesn't keep you in shape. I'd be a bit forgiving if the stuff actually tasted great, but it's mediocre at best. The book is no different. And she's not even fun to watch like Rachel or Giada. I have a pile of healthy cookbooks and diet books this one is definitely my least favorite.
- I could do this!!
By AI21YNVZALSDC on 2006-10-09
Finally just what I needed, a simple easy to follow plan. This book is giving me the push I need. I enjoy all the tips and recipes. Thanks Ellie.
- She just doesn't get it.
By A2SL25ZR6VUQBD on 2006-07-17
I agree with so many of the other reviewers. Ellie Krieger just doesn't get it. There was not one useful tip in this book if you've ever before owned a diet book at all. I've seen her show a few times and feel that she doesn't get it there either. She's supposedly making healthy food, but doesn't give nutritionals for it. And she says everything is "gorgeous" or beautiful--it's nauseating. Yesterday she was making some peach french toast bake thing and had just mixed egg and milk and vanilla and was gushing with this fake face about how great it smelled. How does raw egg smell good?!? Come on. Let's be serious. There are so many better chefs (wait, she's not a chef) and even nutritionists out there who clearly live this life. Ellie is not one of them and it is reflected in her work across the board. Steer clear if you want to spend your money (and time) wisely.
- I had to buy it!
By A4NQED1VQBN8V on 2006-09-08
Got this book at the library and subsequently had to buy it for myself and my sister. Step by step it builds up a regimen for you - and it works for someone like me who has an unbelievably busy schedule. Not just diet, not just exercise it also covers ways to reduce and relieve stress. If you have to get one Improvement book this is the one to get. It will make you feel GREAT!
I am more than sold. Congrats to the author for being such an artist at helping people to change their lives for the better.
- A very Good Start
By A28DN80EGD0LXX on 2007-05-18
For anyone just starting out with a lifestyle change this is a very good start. It will help you change your lifestyle step by step with a possitive and realistic attitude.
Most people dont go from being a couch potato to living at the gym over night. Its a process that doesnt happen over night for the majority of people that are in need of life changes. This book will realistically help you get on your way to a better lifestyle.
For anyone who's already educated about nutrition and diet I wouldnt recommend it. Its a VERY VERY good starter but for die hard health nuts its probably nothing you havent heard before.
- Small changes can work!
By A1DC4Q3IIQVJVF on 2007-01-04
I think this book is very good for people who are normally sedentary and need an easy to understand, workable plan of action to improve their health and shed some pounds.
- Not even in the ballpark
By A1F1Z2NTD9NIQX on 2006-08-10
This book doesn't even come close to being creative. Pop around on a few free websites and save yourself some $.
- Not so good small changes
By A8FJHPCMKR28F on 2006-03-15
The idea of small changes over 12 weeks sounds great, but I believe I could have come up with much better changes to make than what the author suggests.
- Very easy to understand
By AQTZNBKGAWHQM on 2006-09-26
I found this book very helpful. It gives you the basics to eat healthier and to watch your portion sizes, which obvisously will help any diet. The reciepies are easy to follow. I quess if you have read a lot of diet books and still need to buy more this will proably not help you a lot. But for people who really wants some sound advice this book is a good one.
- GREAT INFORMATION
By A3F9RWZHCM0KCX on 2007-01-04
I love Ellie , she is bright and informative. Her book is simple but full of ideas you may have not already thought of. I enjoyed the recipes too. Give it a try!
- Simple steps
By A12KT5TVXER6LK on 2007-02-25
For me, the appeal of this book lies in its simple, step by step approach. I have read lots of diet books and almost all of them have something to offer, but right now, I am overwhelmed. I don't know where to start and I feel that the program offered in this book may help me to get started - One-week-at-a-time. Maybe I will even be able to make the small changes permanent.
- health conscience
By AFIDRF77SNO4Z on 2007-03-23
Ellie offers a lot of insight in healthy living. She has a lot of good, sound nutritional advice to offer regarding diet and exercise. She also gives you a standard of what foods to buy in terms of most healthy to least healthy. I would recommend this book!
- Healthy changes
By AATO1K6DBCV9D on 2007-03-25
A book for those beginning the weight loss process. This isn't a fad diet, it's about healthy changes to your lifestyle where nothing is actually banned but "wrong" foods are only discouraged.
- I Feel Wonderful
By A2H0TI1XZ15UOK on 2007-02-03
This book is a great guideline to a healthier life. I've always heard that to lose weight and keep it off you must make lifetime changes. The changes in this book are very easy and you don't feel like you are missing out on a thing. It shows you how to use easy substitutions to make your favorite dishes healthier, without losing flavor. I love Ellie Krieger's Food Network program as well. She has great, easy ideas that will benefit your entire family. Her ideas are realistic, she knows we don't all have all the time in the world when it comes to cooking and excercising. She also gives you guidelines to excercising, relaxing, and peace of mind that anyone can do. She advises you to go at your own pace which I like. This book will change your life. I am healthier, less stressed, more peaceful, and so much happier thanks to Ellie. BUY IT!!
- Good, Practical Advice
By A33GB4OOBCTM7 on 2007-02-10
Ellie Kreiger makes getting healthy and eating right simple by using a step by step approach. Definately worth a read.
- Slow and Sure
By AKHN4WKPOSMUO on 2008-03-03
The basic concept of this book was good. To make small changes in your lifestyle instead of trying to make an unattainable commitment. Too many people go "gung ho" when starting a diet and give up too many foods and try to exercise till they are sore and stiff then give up. This gives you ideas to start out slow and sure.
I just expected a few more recipe ideas to alter the high calorie ones, etc. For someone that doesn't know about how to start out slow, this is a good book.
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