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Summary: This Book is Just What the Dr. Ordered!
Review: This is not just another weight loss book. Dr. Phil takes a holistic approach that gets to the heart of the conflict between our conscious desire to lose weight and our subconscious sabotage mechanisms that get in the way when we try to do so. I found his approach to be sound, sensible and doable. I just finished reading it and it feels like I've lost weight already.
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Summary: Nothing new?
Review: I've only started reading the first two chapters of this book, and already I find myself considering new possibilities about how I view myself and food!!!I was very disappointed to read the disparaging comments about this book and its author. I think people who expected to find something new here a) Don't get it; b) Are looking for a magic bullet; c) Just need something to complain about. THERE IS NOTHING NEW ABOUT DIETING! Eat less, move more... it's that simple! In fact, if you've ever read the Bible, you know that a few thousand years ago Solomon had already declared that there was "nothing new under the sun" way back then! Losing weight is all about common sense. That's what I expected from Dr. Phil which is exactly why I picked up his book in the first place. What Dr. Phil does that many psychologists simply aren't good at is take what is common sense and get you to accept it. For some people, like me, it means leading them to the point where it almost seems like it was their idea in the first place. Dr. Phil has a way of doing that for me. This is not a book about a diet, like South Beach or Atkins, where you learn to control food, but never get your mind and heart in order. This book is about changing the way you look at yourself, why you want to lose weight, what you expect to happen when you reach your goal, what are you willing to do to make that happen. Bottom line... Phil cuts the crap about dieting! So, the naysayers are right, there is nothing new here... just the plain honest-to-God truth, and that's exactly what I was looking for!
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Summary: Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Loss Solution
Review: I wished that Dr. Phil had written this book a long time ago, because I, too, have been on different diets, and every diet that I've been on has not worked. Dr. Phil has a way of telling you like it is about how you should look at yourself in a positive way rather than in a negative way. Since I've been reading this book and eating the foods that he has listed, I feel good about myself and my body. For those of you who have been on diets or are on diets that don't work, please purchase this book and read it for yourself.
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Summary: What a lot of Anger
Review: I've been reading Amazon reviews for a long time and I don't think I've ever seen a book produce so much anger and negativity. The pot shots at Dr. Phil are particularly interesting, since he's certainly not presenting himself, either in the book or on TV as being some kind of perfect specimen. If you actually READ the book, which it seems that many here have not, he talks at length about finding a reasonable weight and sticking with it, which he seems to have done. I mean the guy's in his late fifties, he not going to look that good.
it is more of a self help than a diet book, and while I think a lot of what he says just makes sense, some of it strikes me as psycho-babblish. On the other hand, many diet books with their bizarre restrictions or obsessive counting of carbs or fat grams are completely useless to the average person. Dr. Phil is basically saying "eat right and exercise" but he's also acknowledging that this is very difficult for many people and giving you tools and information that will make it somewhat easier.
Why that puts people's backs up to the degree I've seen in these reviews I have no idea.
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Summary: Dr. Phil Bashers
Review: It's obvious that most of the negative reviews for this book are from people who did not bother to read the book. They just don't like Dr. Phil for whatever reason. "He's just trying to cash in.".... I don't see any weight loss books that are being given away for free.
"Why take weight loss advice from someone who is overweight"...That's like saying I shouldn't take medical advice from an MD because he smokes. "He's not an MD".....Most weight problems have more to do with psychological and emotional problems than nutrition. Do you think someone who has anorexia is too thin because of nutritional issues? The same holds true for overweight people. Some people have called this plan "Dangerous". Are you kidding me? What's dangerous is popping OTC weight loss supplements, or having no plan to follow at all. Or worse off following the advice of Dr. Atkins, MD. Anyone telling people to eat mostly meat and dairy products is dangerous. You'll probably lose weight but I think the rate of cancer and heart disease just tripled. What Dr.Phil is advising is life style changes that will support your weight lose effort. That can be too much work for some people to go through. It's not a diet. He tries to help you figure out why you're overeating so you can address it. I admit I don't agree with the selling of his other products but that doesn't take away from the advice in this book. I truly believe this book will help nearly everyone who actually reads it and sticks with the plan.
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Summary: overweight man with solutions?
Review: I purchased Self Matters and would give it 5 stars. I read some of this book, but had trouble taking it seriously....everytime I thought about Dr. Phil's overweight condition and the fact he's giving advice in this area made me laugh. After about 20 pages I gave up and reshelved the book. This has the same irony as William "High Roller" Bennett lecturing on virtue and morality. Good for laughs though.
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Summary: Practical, practical, and practical
Review: As a veteran of the diet wars, i must admit to some skepticism when beginning this book. BUT-- i had seen enough people achieve success with it to make it worth the read. And i've tried enough different eating styles (body type diet/grapefruit diet/starvation/all protein/no meat/low carb/no carb...to name a few) in the name of weight control to make reading The Ultimate Weight Solution a worthwhile venture. So often we humans become trapped in our own dysfunction, products of an accumulation of bad experiences and years of wrong thinking. Dr. Phil is able to lead through the process of challenging those thoughts and the truths we have internalized from those bad experiences. Making use of the exercises in the book (yes, it takes time but is well worth it) and filling out the assessments regarding my habits helped me see the areas where I wasn't being entirely honest with myself or where I needed to make adjustments. The book is filled with practical help. Dr. Phil makes the point that you can't simply remove something from your habits without replacing it, and he gives abundant solutions to walk through the process of changing your views to support a healthy mental/emotional/physical lifestyle. I'd recommend this book to anyone whether they want to lose 5 or 500 pounds. I for one would like to have comfortable control of my weight rather than my weight controlling me--and this book is helping me achieve just that.
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Summary: A book for everyone
Review: I truly enjoyed this book and I didn't need to lose any weight. This book explains why you eat when/what you eat. The first step is to identify the specific need you fill by eating and replace it with another activity. This book is for anyone who does not know why to eat the foods that are good for the body. It was a great review of basic nutrition information for me. This book is not for anyone who isn't ready to take a really good look at themselves, because it is YOU that needs to change....and anyone can do it!!
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Summary: The psychology of losing weight
Review: The only book I've read that deals with a person's psychology about losing weight. This book gives the reader the mental tools, for not only losing weight, but also for dealing with some of life's problems. I didn't use Dr. Phil's meal plan because I've found Atkins, but everything else is great stuff. I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: Do you know how to get yourself to do what you need to?
Review: It's no secret that the only healthy way to lose extra pounds and keep it off is to eat sensibly and exercise. So if everyone knows this, why aren't we all svelte? Why is America fatter than it's ever been before? The reason is that obesity is more than a physical problem. It's a problem of habit, a problem of self esteem, a problem of faith and a whole lot more. Dr. Phil is a powerful motivational speaker. He can help you believe that losing the extra weight you've been lugging around is truly possible, and that in itself is half the battle. He takes you as you come to the book, with all your imperfections. You have little will power? He shows you how to structure your environment in such a way that lack of will power will result in the least amount of damage possible. You have a lot of stress and eat as a result? He shows you ways to reduce stress and to develop different mechanisms for coping with stress. The point is not that you don't have to do the work. The point is figuring a way around the weaknesses to get you to do the work necessary. And somewhere along the way it starts to feel less like work and more like second nature. I only have one reservation about the book. While it endorses a well balanced diet emphasizing whole grains and low fat, "high response cosy/high yield" foods, the eating plan is presented as one size fits all, providing about 1200-1400 calories per day. Needless to say, a 6'2" 350 lb man will have different calorie requirements than a 5'3" 145 lb woman. I am concerned that heavier people could lose weight at a faster rate than is strictly healthy, which means losing muscle mass--a common side effect of dieting. Dr. Phil addresses the subject of muscle loss in his book, emphasizing the need for resistance exercise, but lifting weights won't entirely prevent the problem if the body is not sufficiently fueled. Anyone who needs to lose a large amount of weight should consult with a doctor/nutritionist who can work with them to determine how much they should be eating. But as proper nutrition is only one of the 7 Keys described in the book, the reader will still get plenty of help and inspiration from the remaining 6. I give this a big thumbs up!!! Incidentally, with Dr. Phil's help I've lost 65 lbs to date.
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