Diets Don't Work

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Simply said: this book was very helpful for me. My whole attitude has changed towards food and dieting. It is crucial to do the exercises in the book. The first time I read this book, I skipped the exercises and it wasn't very affective. However, the second time around, I actually completed every single exercise. By doing this, I was able to dig deep into my mind and understand why I was slightly over weight and by completing the exercises my views on food consumption and dieting took a 180 degree turn. If you decide to buy this book, please make sure that you get rid of your diet mentality that Dr. Schwartz talks about in the beginning of his book. It takes time to get rid of the diet mentality, to be honest, I am still working on it, but I have noticed a great difference in my attitude towards food and dieting. I have lost weight and I feel GREAT!!! Don't expect results very fast. It's a gradual process but long lasting.

I read the book the first time in January, and the second time I read it in Feb. in six months I have noticed a difference in the way I feel about food and the way I look.

Rating:
Summary: Lost 25 pounds in 15 years
Review: This book changed my life. I dieted (aspiring dancer and all that) from age 12 to age 28, when I stumbled upon this book. From age 12 to 28 I gained 30 pounds (105 to 135). After reading the first few pages of the book I had a revelation. And I stopped dieting. I am 43. I weigh 110. It is hard to learn to accept yourself and refocus your life. You must drop the priority "if only I was thin." It's not that important. When I read the book I could not believe the part about the woman only eating part of a chocolate mousse. Believe me its true. Dieting damages your natural system of satiety. It takes about ten years to heal. When you are healed (and you will be if you stop dieting) you do not know if there is chocolate in the house. You can eat it. Or not. You can even eat a lot of it. I'll eat a big bar when I want. When you are healed and your satiety is fixed there will be times when you just don't want any. I've had chocolate go grey because it was forgotten. You owe it to yourself to heal. Life is much better. The important rule I retained is *only eat delicious food*. Now can't you live with that?
Remember: The 1200 to 1800 calorie diets that women go on correspond to the figures of starvation published by the World Health Association. Symptoms are: inability to concentrate and a general slowing down of the body (to save energy). And we expect starving people in the west to be productive?! Dieting is a barbarous practise similar to bloodletting for fever.

Stop dieting. Join the world. The ten years you need to heal will pass anyway.

Rating:
Summary: Works by treating the *cause* of your weight problem
Review: This is a practical book in the spirit of the writings of Geneen Roth and others who emphasize self-trust in eating. What's great about this book is that it's a workbook format that enables you not just to read about the philosophy, but to put it into practice and discover the ways that it has practical significance in your life.

When I first read this book, I completed the entire thing, writing directly in it (as the author recommends), and I put it into practice in my life as well. After reading it and following the recommendations, I lost 30 pounds that I have not put back in the 5 years since I read the book. After about six months of following his advice, I started to habitually experience cravings for foods traditionally considered healthy---lots of fruits and veggies, salmon, that sort of thing.

In the years following this change, my cholesterol also went from over 250 to well below 200, although I didn't work directly on changing the composition of my diet. I just ate the foods asked for by my body. The composition of my diet did change, but not by force. It was a natural shift, and my diet also continued to include foods Not traditionally considered healthy (such as Orange Chicken from Panda Express---a sugary, deep-fried concoction).

The down side is that I didn't carry the advice through entirely. I would like to lose more weight, but I haven't followed through completely in that I still use food when I am feeling exhausted and for entertainment. To let go of the way I've used food for my entire life has been hard. The changes in my diet (craving healthier foods and so forth) has remained, however, and I've never gained back the weight I lost using this approach.

The up side is that this book gives you the opportunity to choose to live differently. During the time I lost weight with this book, I did so without becoming more obsessed with food and exercise, but less obsessed. Other times I've lost weight, I've done so feeling more and more like who I am is not to be trusted. This offers an approach that has the potential to *solve* your weight problem, rather than only treat its symptoms.