The 4 Hour Body

My friend's enthusiasm over this book, The 4 Hour Body, interested me enough to download it the same day.  He was geeked, and rightfully so.  He attributed techniques in the book to losing double digit pounds in 14 days.  For a tall and naturally thin person this is quite a feat.  As a health conscious person, always looking for ways to improve, I was intrigued.

I downloaded the book on Audible and listened to it in it's entirety in less than a day.  I was not hooked by all of the great tips that I couldn't wait to put into practice.  I was hooked by the bizarreness of it.  Much like you can't take your eyes off of a creepy movie, I listened to nearly 4 hours of weirdness.

Practices I will put into place from 4HB:

1) Start each day drinking a glass of cold water.  This one makes sense and is practical and I heard Cameron Diaz tout it is one of her beauty secrets.

Practices I will continue that were reinforced in 4HB:

1)  Don't drink your calories.  I am much happier enjoying cheesecake at the end of a meal than hating my pillow for hurting my head after too much wine.
2)  Cheating regularly.  Not only does Berta (the 300 pound Italian girl within me) win sometimes she should. 

Practices I will ignore from this book (and recommend that you do too).

1)  Avoiding all things white.  This is too stressful (and expensive) and you should be able to enjoy the food you eat in moderation.
2)  Avoiding all fruit.  No comment necessary.
3)  Avoiding dairy.  I don't think any of us would be too fond of osteoporosis.
4)  Eating canned beans and vegetables.  Have you checked out the sodium in these?
5)  Drink 2 glasses of red wine every night.  What happenend to not drinking your calories?

Downright ridiculous comments in the book

1)  Europeans didn't have fruit year round and yet we exist today.  Yes, but they only lived into their 40's and how about that scurvy?
2)  The 15 minute orgasm.  He is pretty liberal in what he considers an orgasm.  Me, I am much more specific and I bet that you are too.
3)  CEO's don't act like sex machines.  He obviously doesn't watch much news.  Business leaders, politicians, clergy, there is no industry free from sex addicts.
4)  On cheat day eat until you're sick.  Boy, that sounds like fun.  Just like the diarrhea he says you may get from this lifestyle.  I think I will pass . . . and I don't mean pass gas. 



As for the 4 Hour Anything, hard work is and always has been the only way to get ahead. 

What is the craziest diet or exercise that you have tried?