The Only Diet There Is The Only Diet There Is

by Sondra Ray

Here is a book to change your life. It is a method for losing weight through positive thinking and the changing of attitudes toward life and food."This, of course, is no ordinary 'diet' book...This is an extraordinary approach to weight loss--a diet of forgiveness, a fast from negative thought--and if followed one can achieve bodily perfection. The theory is simple. Though we might think it is our negative eating habits that have kept us unattractive and unhealthy, it is really our negative thoughts and feelings. It is the latter we must change for that is what is aging and killing us. If we do...we drop our fat as well, for the same mechanism that holds on to negative thoughts and feelings holds on to fat." --from the Preface

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Diets, Spirituality

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Tricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book negative 5 stars I would.

[Missie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Only Diet There Is by Sondra Ray is quite a different book. This is basically another LOA read about weight and body image. The author explains that our way of thinking about ourselves is of the utmost importance when it comes to reaching and maintaining our ideal weight. She discusses psychological reasons for your extra weight and explores your belief system about your body and food. This isn't a diet in the normal sense, but a diet from negative thinking. According to Ray, it is this negative thinking that is sabotaging our attempts at weight loss.

This book is a little crunchy, but very therapeutic if you read it with an open mind and allow it to sink in. It is heavy on God and uber heavy on affirmations. The author explains that it is our thoughts about the food we consume that make it "good" or "bad". I actually wrote out ALL of the affirmations in this book. Some of them are pretty ridiculous seeming, but others really hit on some key reasons why people have weight issues and clicked with me. I see the affirmations as a tool to reframe your subconscious mind and in affect change your belief systems about your body, food, and eating.

In changing our mind, I can see where the affirmations could be helpful, as affirmations in general are great tools for change, but I can also see where many people could hate this book with a passion and believe it is utter bull shit because of their absurdity. It really is about what you believe. Self-change is a lofty endeavor for anyone, but you might have better results by starting from the inside. Your weight is a physical symptom of something else that is going on and it is true that in any weight loss attempt the best thing to change is your mind. As within, so without!

[Baroness · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sparkle! So good, I read it twice LOL.

[Lupita Figueroa BookLoverRomantic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente audiolibro. Lo único que tenemos que hacer es desprender y reprogramar la mente para lo positivo. Sólo Dios puede ayudar. Sólo con Dios podemos lograr todo lo que nos proponemos, sólo tenemos que entender que somos los creadores y diseñadores de nuestra vida. "Cualquier cosa es sanada cuando vez la verdad sobre ella". Mágico.

[Denise Lamonte]

A unique and intriguing approach to healing around food and body issues. Lots of reflection activities included. I found this a very helpful approach to dieting because it looks at the psychology and spirituality behind food and weight struggles.

[Nadia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't understand! This is witchcraft! I'll stick to exercise and healthy food ...

[Tim Lucier · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall message"The Only Diet There Is" is of loving yourself, forgiving yourself and others, and changing your thinking before you can expect to change your body.

If you are looking to lose weight, please know the lessons in this book can only be part of the solution. Sondra would have you living off of air or eating all the cake you want, and maintaining a perfect healthy weight. For most people this is unrealistic without proper nutrition and exercise, HOWEVER, I do still believe there is a lot of wisdom in this book.

Before I read this I already knew a fair bit about writing affirmations/intentions, the power of words & journalling, and the power your beliefs can have on the world. "The Only Diet There Is" follows similar principles to those found in "The Secret." It's all about the power of positive thinking.

You may pick up quite a bit about changing your thought patterns, to more positively think about your body, your eating habits, your relationships, your needs & wants, and to forgive. These are very powerful concepts that are delivered well in this writing, and if you do the prescribed activities I am sure they will have a positive effect on your health, paired with nutrition and exercise.

Published in 1981, there are a lot of things I would do different if I were writing a book like this today. A lot of the activities in this book involve writing down lists of negative thoughts you have about yourself / your eating habits / your weight, etc, then transmuting these thoughts into positive affirmations for what you want. This is all well and good, but I would say to do it in your head and Only Write Down The Positive Stuff!! Writing down those negative parts will only perpetuate them, based on the philosophies the book is calling upon.

I used this book almost as a list of affirmation ideas I could borrow and tweak for myself. And I did a lot of tweaking. As I mentioned above, Sondra is not always on top of her positives. Some of the affirmations have some negative/shadow elements that I would recommend rewording so that you find them completely positive.

Some might find the language used in "The Only Diet There Is" polarizing. It is heavily influenced by Christianity (with quite a few references to God / Jesus / some bible verses.) The term "Rebirthing" is thrown around quite a bit beginning halfway through the book, as if the reader already knows what it is. I didn't, but I was still able to get through the book and fully understand the material.

I do recommend this book if you are on a weight loss path, but I suggest taking it with a grain of salt. Think for yourself while reading this. You may not agree with everything and that's okay, but you'll definitely find some good pieces that can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. After all, a healthy mind and a healthy heart can certainly lend themselves to the creation of a healthy body.

[Kimberly Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone that has had body issues, this warm loving book is for you! Sondra's loving soul is just the right medicine.