LOSING THE LAST 5 KILOS

Michelle Bridges

Penguin - $37

The similarities between this title and the one I reviewed last week, Clean & Lean Flat Tummy Fast, are striking.
Both attractively packaged and designed books in the same format that feature exercise and healthy eating as their key components, both written by well-known people working in the fitness industry.

Michelle Bridges has worked in this industry for 18 years as a professional trainer and group fitness instructor. Her role as a trainer in Channel 10's hit reality weight-loss show, The Biggest Loser has made her Australia's most recognised personal trainer.

Losing 5 kilos in 30 days sounds straightforward and I guess it can be if you are focussed and follow a guide such as this. As Australia's most successful weight-loss expert the author knows how to get people into shape quickly. Whether your weight has been slowly creeping up over the last few years, you've already lost a lot of weight but can't get any further, or it is summer and you want to look your best, Losing the Last 5 Kilos gives you plenty of information to get back to the size you wish to be.

These include:

• Day-by-day menu plans, with weekly shopping lists

• Michelle's favourite low-cal but filling recipes including of course a load of delicious salads but also pepper-crusted tuna with curly endive and cherry tomatoes,stir-fried choy sum with chicken and soba noodles, pan fried chicken with steamed Asian greens, stir fried snapper with asparagus and shitake mushrooms, chemoula prawns kebabs with cous cous, beef fillet with corainder salsa and many others.

• Easy-to-follow, high-intensity exercises, with step-by-step photos

• Michelle's best tips for success with four tear-out charts giving weekly eating and exercise details