Robert K. Cooper - Flip the Switch, Lose the Weight: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism and Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day

Robert K. Cooper, PhD

Recipes by Leslie L. Cooper

To all who realize that
the next frontier is not only in front of us,
it is also inside of us.

It is useless to close the gates against new ideas;
they overleap them.

Prince Clemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar Metternich,
Austrian diplomat (17731839)

With enduring gratitude to:

Our children, Chris, Chelsea, and Shanna

Our editor, Susan Berg, and the leadership team at Rodale Books

Our independent editor, Ed Claflin

Our many friends who served as recipe testers and early reviewers for Flip the Switch

W hat if I said I have a system that will steadily awaken your natural, hidden powers to slim down and tone up, 24 hours a day? A system that becomes automatic, so you cant fail? A system that sets you up for success from day one?

You just might say that it sounds too good to be true. And I wouldnt blame you. After all, literally hundreds of books offer weight-loss programs of one sort or another. You probably have read some of them. And more than likely, they probably didnt produce the results you expected.

How many people do you know who have gone on a diet and lost some weight, only to regain what they lostand possibly a few extra pounds for good measure? They fret over every last calorie or every last minute of exercise, only to end up heavier than when they started! The problem, in my opinion, is that far too many of these weight-loss programs rob people of their sense of control. Put them in control, and theyll succeed.

That is what this book is all about. Its a revolutionary, one-of-a-kind approach to turning up your bodys metabolic thermostat, or Meta-Stat. Im convinced that the Meta-Stat is the most overlooked yet most powerful secret to lifelong fat loss and energy.

The Meta-Stat approach is a breakthrough that draws on the very latest scientific research. You can apply its principles right away, anywhere, anytimeeven in the midst of your hectic life. Youll be amazed at how the results grow and last. By the time you finish this book, youll be able to:

Easily activate your MSOn Switches so that theyre second nature

Forget about dieting

Forget about willpower, guilt, and frustration

Determine your goals and chart your own course for success

There are many reasons that the Meta-Stat approach works so well. To get a sense of how you might benefit from it, think for a moment of a perfect day. You wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go. Your mind is sharp. Your energy is high. Youre focused yet calm, at ease yet confident. You feel ready for anything that might happen. Laughter comes easily. Youre connected with the people and the world around you.

On a day like this, you probably sail through stressful situations more easily. You look forward to exercise rather than dreading it. Come days end, youre ready to wind down and recharge. You sleep deeply and well. A great day ends with a great night.

Guess what? This kind of day doesnt happen by chance! Rather, its the result of a series of simple, specific actions that we engage in, perhaps without even realizing it. This is the foundation of the Meta-Stat approach.

The Meta-Stat approach is so simple that once you start practicing it, it will become second nature. Your bodys own signals will guide you, hour by hour and day by day. You activate your Meta-Stat with science-based skills so easy and straightforward that I call them switcheslike light switches. Each time you turn on one of these switches, youll more easily turn on the next one, and the next... increasing fat-burning and energy-producing power every step of the way.

While the Meta-Stat approach is simple, its based on a wide range of research not just in nutrition and exercise science but also in physiology, psychology, chronobiology (the study of daily biological rhythms in the body and brain), neuroscience, stress dynamics, and much more. Throughout this book, Ill share scientific insights from a host of specialistsas well as hundreds of scientific and medical studiesthat support each specific switch as a means of burning off excess body fat and generating energy.

In recent years, scientists have done so much groundbreaking work to understand the biochemical intricacies of the human body that we have an unprecedented wealth of information about what causes fat gain and fatigue and how to reverse them. For instance, we now understand:

How a few easy moves can jump-start metabolism and build muscle

Why momentary pauses ramp up energy levels

How sipping ice water can elevate metabolism by 30 percent for 1 hours

How deep breathing can short-circuit stress

How light instantly revs up fat-burning power

The Meta-Stat approach is the first to formulate all of this cutting edge information into a comprehensive, integrated program that fits your lifestyle.

On a personal note, the Meta-Stat approach is the same one that my family and I have followed for more than a decade. It transformed our weight-control efforts so that rather than struggling to make healthy choices, we followed through on them without a second thought. They became almost automatic.

My wife, Leslie, has experienced a number of lasting benefits. Between 1984 and 1986, her dress size dropped from a 12 to a 5. Even after a traumatic miscarriage and two successful pregnancies, she has maintained her natural weight and figureand, more important, her energy level and stamina.

Leslie created every one of the Meta-Stat recipes right here in our kitchen. Every one is rich in protein, modest in carbs and good fats, low in bad fats, and high in fiber and nutrients. Most require only a minimum amount of prep time. And theyre delicious, as our kidsages 24, 13, and 10will attest.

This book is written to be highly interactive. You cant learn the Meta-Stat approach just by reading. You need to take action and then make observations about your preferences and outcomes. Thats how the Meta-Stat approach becomes automatic, prompted by your own instincts and awareness of what enhances your fat-burning and energy-producing power and what doesnt. If youre wondering whether something will work for you, the only way to find out is to try it!

For example, each Meta-Stat switch comes with its own collection of Meta-Stat Starters. They flip the switch to on mode, so your body keeps burning fat and generating energy. As you come across these Meta-Stat Starters, feel free to experiment with them. Most take only a few minutes. For switch #5, Seek Ideal Fluid Intake, I suggest getting a glass of ice water and sipping it while you continue reading. Obviously, this requires very little effort. But I have a compelling reason for recommending it: A new German study has shown that slowly sipping 17 ounces of ice water increases metabolism by 30 percent for 90 straight minutes!