Up until the recent past, Martina Navratilova was a household name. As a top tennis star, she has many titles under her belt. Martina knows all about fitness and looking great and she has used this book to share her practices with others.
Her pro status could make ordinary people feel a little awed by the prospect of taking advice from her. But, the book is a pleasant surprise and a wonderful read. It contains a structured weight loss plan that is all the more attractive because of the warmth, humor and wit embedded in it.
Shape Your Self Overview
The book starts in a refreshing way by introducing readers to the most vital component in keeping fit and losing weight. No, it’s not the meal plan or the exercise regime. Instead, it is the mental attitude!
Those who believe in their ability to lose weight, focus on their target weight and set measurable goals will be successful. This applies to ordinary folks as well as athletes.
The next important step is to build a support system which consists of people who will support you in your quest for fitness and weight loss.
In the book, Martina confesses to being a foodie. So, starving is not for her. But although she allows the intake of all foods, her thrust is on healthy, vegan food consisting primarily of fruit juices and raw vegetables.
The nutrition plan is well laid out and it calls for 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables, complex carbs, healthy proteins and a single serving of healthy fats.
To make the plan easy to follow, the accompanying chart contains serving sizes and meals (with recipes) for 28 days. These are quality foods that provide maximum nutrition with great taste and benefits.
What about exercise? Well, you can’t expect Navratilova to ignore exercise and training. But it’s not a grueling regime that she advocates. Instead, the exercise plan is focused and emphasizes strength, balance and stability. She has included a month long program for beginners, intermediate and advanced users. You may choose according to your requirements.
Shape Your Self Review
The best thing about the book is the energy, enthusiasm and warmth in it. The chatty tone is captivating. That the book is authored by someone like Navratilova is another huge plus. The author allows readers a peek into her personal meal plans. There are dollops of useful advice throughout the book. Beautiful and bright pictures add another captivating angle.
The exercises she recommends are interesting and challenging. Here, the focus is not to be the next Navratilova but to be your personal best and achieve to the best of your ability.
The book is structured into small steps that lead to fitness, health and wellness.
Pros:
- A practical approach to weight loss
- Emphasizes the need for a winner’s attitude
- Recommended meals are healthy
- Provides detailed meal plans along with food recommendations and calorie charts
- The exercise plan is fun and challenging
Cons:
- The vegan meal choices are restrictive and may not appeal to all
In Conclusion
A weight loss and fitness book written by someone like Navratilova raises expectations. Fortunately, the book over-delivers. The meal plans may be a hard choice for meat lovers. But then, every achievement requires some amount of effort. Fortunately, the author has ensured that the task is broken down into small, bite-sized pieces that are easy to follow and internalize.
