Pump up weight-loss motivation with plan

Already the crowds at the gym are starting to thin as new year’s resolutions to lose weight and get fit start to fade.

Need to jump start your motivation? Pick up the 2009 edition of “The Cooper Clinic Solution to the Diet Revolution” (Good Health Press, $34.95) by Georgia Kostas, registered dietitian and former director of nutrition of the Cooper Clinic in Dallas.

Have a question of general interest? E-mail Chris Rosenbloom Fit to Eat columns Get out of rut: Try new fruits and vegetables  Three questions: Organic produce, iron and iodine, and tryptophan  Setting the record straight on some food myths         More Fit to Eat • Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., is a member of the nutrition faculty in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia State University Related: • Carolyn O'Neil: Think of add-ons as accessories  Good links: • Evening Edge • AJC Food & Drink • AJC Health Channel • Diet and Nutrition headlines, resources • Atlanta Restaurant reviews and search • Low fat/ heart healthy recipes • Search recipes

First published in 2001, the yearly updates provide the most current information on dieting and lifestyle changes to help you get in the best shape of your life.

Readability: This book is formatted like a workbook, loaded with interactive quizzes and surveys to help you assess the best-weight loss strategies for your lifestyle. It also serves as a success journal to track changes as you get healthier. Instead of chapters, the book is broken into steps — 15 in all — from assessing your readiness to change and step-by-step calculations to determining how many calories you need each day. Appendices are loaded with tools to help you maintain good health. This book is like a map to reach your final destination, whether that destination is weight loss or an active lifestyle. Open any page and you’re bound to find useful information. For example, cheese is one of Americans’ favorite, foods but it also is high in fat. How do you know which cheeses are healthiest? Kostas breaks it down by showing (by brand names) fat-free, low-fat, reduced-fat and high-fat cheeses.

Scientific evidence: This is no fad diet book, but rather an evidenced-based approach to weight loss. Readers who need structure (and who doesn’t when trying to lose weight?) will like the two-week weight- loss meal plans for varying calories levels (1,300-, 1,600- and 2,000-calorie plans for women or men) and the weight-maintenance plans to keep the pounds from creeping back.

Extras: This book is loaded with extras. I really like the recipe makeover sections. Many readers ask me how to lighten their favorite recipe, and Kostas shows you how to do this step by step. I also like the holistic approach. Most of you know what do to for weight loss, but this book provides all the tools to overcome the barriers.

Top tip: Plan ahead to prevent impulse eating, portion your food to control weight and pace yourself by slowing down and eating less. Focusing on the cues that cause you to overeat can help maintain your weight loss.