Body By Simone: The 8-Week Total Body Makeover Plan

I found Simone through her Sweaty Betty Get Fit for Free video on YouTube. If you're thinking about buying this book, I would highly recommend doing this video first to see if you'll enjoy this type of workout. I loved it so I signed up for the video subscription through her website for $15/month (bodybysimone.com) and also purchased this book.I followed the overall plan that Simone outlines in this book, but instead of following along with the dance routines that are demonstrated with photos, I did the BBS TV videos. The dances from the book can all be found in various videos, but I find it more fun to dance along with her and the trainers. I also think repeating the same short choreography for 30+ minutes would be boring, and you may have a harder time sticking with it for the full eight weeks. The videos string several different dances together to make it more fun.I started Simone’s recommended cleanse a week or two after I had started the exercise plan. My goal with this program was not to lose weight, but I did quickly lose a few pounds during these two weeks. I think the cleanse is a great idea - it makes you more aware of how your body reacts to different foods, which may convince you to permanently reduce or restrict them from your diet. However, I definitely noticed that I had much less energy for exercising, which made it difficult to motivate myself some days.I'm giving this book five stars even though I felt it necessary to supplement with her video subscription. Simone's goal is to change your perspective and to help you permanently live a healthier lifestyle, which she definitely helped me achieve. This book is a great choice for someone who has had difficulty sticking to a fitness routine in the past. Every time I have tried to make exercise a habit, I’ve failed. With this plan, I actually did the full 8 weeks without skipping a single workout, and have now been exercising 5+ days a week for five months. If you stick with it, it will help you slim down and become stronger.Other tips:- BBS TV also has trampoline cardio videos. I bought a mini rebounder for $30 and have found it to be a great cardio alternative for when I didn’t feel like dancing.- Some of the BBS trainers added their playlists to Spotify so you can work out to their playlists at home.- I also follow some of the trainers on Instagram. They regularly post strength workouts you can try. Seeing them in my feed definitely helped to keep me motivated.

I don't know Simone De La Rue but she is pretty inspiring. She lays out her program in levels based on experience and how regularly a person exercises. She breaks it down according to level 1, 2, and 3. The program goes over a period of 8 weeks. For the absolute beginner or someone just starting up again, she has 10 minute cardio sessions with whatever recommended body part for toning. I think that is encouraging. Simone's program starts the home exerciser with small bites of exercise which is more appetizing instead of going full-on exercise warrior. The book has beautiful pictures. Her book has diet recommendations that aren't too extreme. The book also includes recipes. She has a ton of pictures demonstrating the exercises. Overall I really like this book.

Let's be honest, images and visuals play a huge role in what sells; It's like a whispered promise that says "[image] is achievable if you use this/follow the plan." Granted, I know all professional photography is touched up but I thought it was incredibly tacky that the same exact photograph shown on the back cover is also inside the book, except not photoshopped or significantly less so, because the creases under the glutes are visible. She does not have the smooth, almost creaseless buns you see on the back. Idk maybe it's just me but, although the book content is probably decent, I found that to be an incredibly tacky marketing ploy and I couldn't take the book seriously after that.

I think Simone is just beautiful and has a gorgeous figure, so I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of this book. It does not disappoint. It really deserves more like 4.5 stars, but I do have a few small negative comments.Overall the book is great in content as it covers the broad spectrum of healthy lifestyle factors such as attitude, diet, both cardio and strength, sleep, etc. Any book that leaves out any of these elements is really not complete, so I commend her for including solid information on all topics.The strength portion of the program is also very good and has some exercises that I have not seen before. The descriptions and associate pictures are generally good and easy to follow. I would purchase this book just for the exercise portion (ok and the recipes).The diet portion of the book is also very good and not extreme and it includes some delicious recipes. I especially like the smoothie recipes.So now for my small (and I do mean small) complaints. The cardio section of the book also looks amazing, but, to be perfectly honest, from the pictures and the descriptions, I found it a little difficult to follow (for the "dance" cardio). That being said, she has a great deal on her website called BBSTV. It is only 9.99 a month and includes access to her videos. I know that you don't want to have to buy something extra, but it could be a good way to familiarize yourself with the routines when you first start.The other small issue relates to diet. She says that she follows a much less restrictive paleo diet, but, in my mind, there are way too many grains, beans, dairy, and bread to be paleo. Not to say that it is bad, but if you think it is Paleo, you will have to do some modifications. Also, she still buys into the eating 3 meals and 2 snacks philosophy that has been debunked in current research. If that works for you, fine. But I think there are some people, like myself, that do better and get less hungry when I am not constantly putting food into my system.Overall, a very good book and recommended.