Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have read, and followed, a lot of diet books. Honestly, they all worked for me, though they varied in ease, speed of weight loss, and entertainment factor. Do you see the problem in this? While I am able to lose weight following a specific diet, it doesn't stay off, and I wind up having to go back onto "a diet" once more to lose what I've regained. When I ordered this book, I was not aware of its particular premise, that of lifetime weight loss. (Yeah, the title should've been a clue, I know!) But I had noticed the scale and thought, "Uh oh, time for another diet." I picked this simply because it was a diet book, but I think this is the answer to my on-and-off weight problem! So what's it about? Well, Dr. Beck -- a psychologist, expert in Cognitive Therapy -- methodically teaches you the tools to rethink how you approach food, how you think about yourself and your weight, and what it means to "diet." I was initially concerned that this was merely a follow-up book to her previous release. While it builds on those concepts, it is completely stand-alone. The book is clear, gentle, deliberate, and yet firm. Start by simply reading the book. Next, begin Stage One, which has you set up motivational cards to read every day, track your weight, learn to plan your meals, realize that getting hungry is not a disaster, eat slowly, exercise daily, and work with a diet buddy. Sounds like a lot, hm? We're not even actually dieting yet! I lost five pounds doing this stage. Further stages add eating a certain amount of calories per day -- a surprisingly generous amount! -- and learning how to fit the initially rigid meal plan into real life, with restaurant outings, parties, and stressful times. I adore this book, and I'm immensely grateful that I discovered it. That said, it is probably not the ideal book for all dieters. PROS: * Virtually guaranteed lifetime weight loss and maintenance, if you follow the system. * Simple, painless system -- once you take the time to learn it. * Extremely flexible in the later stages. * Very uplifting concepts. You will feel good about yourself and what you can accomplish. * The Cognitive Therapy tools learned here can be adapted to many problem areas of life. CONS: * Not for quick weight loss. If you have an upcoming event you are trying to get slender for, this is not what you want. * Takes considerable time and commitment initially. Dr. Beck herself says that if you're overly busy or stressed right now, get your life under control first, then you can start to learn these skills. NEUTRAL: * Takes a lot of paraphernalia and setup: note cards of various sizes, a notebook, graph paper, daily worksheets to fill out, advanced meal planning, food-measuring tools. For me this is fun and a benefit, but others may find this a hassle. In conclusion: If you are serious about losing your excess weight and keeping it off -- and are willing to commit a bit of time and effort -- get this book.