cover image The No More Excuses Diet: 3 Days to Bust Any Excuse, 3 Weeks to Easy New Eating Habits, 3 Months to Total Transformation

The No More Excuses Diet: 3 Days to Bust Any Excuse, 3 Weeks to Easy New Eating Habits, 3 Months to Total Transformation

Maria Kang. Harmony, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-0-553-41967-2

First-time author Kang, the polarizing fitness blogger who unleashed a storm of controversy with her “What’s Your Excuse?” post to Facebook, exercises a surprisingly low-key tone in this straightforward diet book. Rejecting common can’t-lose-weight-or-work-out excuses with a practical set of solutions, Kang breaks down the program into three synergistic “cycles” readers are urged to revisit or retire as needed. The first, SPEED, establishes objectives and kicks off the effort; the second, STRIVE, cements healthier practices; and the third, SCORE, provides a map for maintenance. Short-term goals make long-term ones possible, says Kang, whose emphasis on flexibility in scheduling and forgiveness of failure gives her strategy staying power. Photos clearly illustrate sample home workouts, and the outlined meal plans are simply adaptable guides. The essence of Kang’s get-fit philosophy is far from groundbreaking, but her sensible and motivational presentation elevates this program above others. 60 b&w photos. Agent: Brandi Bowles, Foundry Literary + Media. (Mar.)