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Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss: Mastering 4 Core Eating Behaviors to Stay Slim Forever
Lean Habits isn't about quick-fixes, restrictive dieting or calorie-counting. The four staples of lean living are all about adjusting your relationship with food so you can eat what you want, when you want but with a smarter approach. Easy modifications like learning to sense when you are truly hungry and knowing the difference between satisfied and stuffed, will be your stepping-stones to a healthy life in which you don't have to stress about your diet. Millions of dieters are disillusioned by fad diets with celebrity endorsements but no basis in scientific reasoning. Georgie Fear is a registered dietitian and professional weight loss coach with research experience in nutritional science. Her approach is based on research and has been tested and proven on her clientele, including Olympic athletes and NCAA teams. Simply put, Georgie's approach to weight loss is the only non-restrictive, customizable, flexible and effective system that works for life. You don't just learn the habits; you change the way you look at food forever. No more forbidden foods, tiny portions or liquid cleanses--just better awareness and life-long results. "One of the best Diet audiobooks of all time" - BookAuthority
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
166 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 24, 2017
In the interest of full disclosure, I will note here that I have known Georgie for several years now, I am a graduate of her small group coaching program, and I actively participate as a mentor and moderator in her online communities, including the Facebook community associated with this book. This review is all my own, however. I was not paid or influenced to write this. I am writing this because I believe so strongly in Georgie, her message, her communities, her optimism, her message of love, her solid and unyielding belief that everyone is capable of a healthy life (no matter where they are starting from). And, because I have seen her methods work firsthand.
The way most of us have always tried to lose weight and be healthier in the past is through tons of nonsensical restrictions and strenuously trying to "burn off" or "earn" the things we eat, all the while feeling crappy and guilty. Those methods are not sustainable and often result in even more hangups and fallacies, not just about food and health, but about ourselves overall.
It's time for something entirely different.
Enter Georgie.
Georgie's program is a revolutionary-yet-simple way of looking at food and at eating, where you learn to do things one step at a time in an entirely different mindset. The ideas in her book may seem foreign, unbelievable, and even far-fetched. You are not given a meal plan. You are not given an exercise plan. You are not told to count calories. You are not told to weigh-in regularly or perform other measurements. You are not told to avoid desserts or carbs or whatever restrictions other plans impose. You are not given all the information at one time. You are told that you can do whatever you want.
But, at its core, what is this book is really about? Empowerment.
Empowerment is something many of us lack when it comes to how we feel about our bodies, how we treat our bodies, and, indeed, how we treat ourselves overall. When we speak to ourselves with respect and kindness, our perspective shifts from shame and guilt to neutrality and self-love. These are much better conditions under which to thrive.
Leave behind: restrictions, perfection, black-and-white thinking, diets, the scale, calorie-counting, attaching "good" or "bad" labels to food, emotional eating, the wagon (there is no wagon!), "trigger" foods, instant gratification, limitations, assumptions, preconceptions, expectations, "burning off" calories, and feelings of failure, shame, and guilt.
Embrace: a greater understanding and appreciation of how your mind and body are connected, neutrality, all forms of progress (known as NSVs, or non-scale victories), eating what you want, freedom, being proactive instead of reactive, happiness, mindful choices, personal responsibility and involvement in your own health, and simply being human.
Good health is a lifelong goal that cannot be achieved (or sustained) with quick fixes, but it IS a goal that can be achieved (and sustained!) through practice, patience, common sense, self-respect, awareness, and simplicity. The habits will help you do that, one step at a time. It will be a gradual emotional AND physical change, instead of an overwhelming compulsion and panic to fix everything at once. As you master each habit, moving at your own pace, you begin to understand how the habits work together to form a toolbox that you can use in any situation to do the best you can with what you are given.
Let go of your previous misconceptions, limitations, expectations, and misinformation about yourself, your body, and your abilities. Follow the habits. Be consistent. Trust the process. It's really that simple.
I recommend using this book in combination with the Lean Habits Facebook community, which is free access to a marvelously supportive group of people. Along with participants who may have just started their Lean Habits journey, Georgie herself, coaches on her staff, and community members that Georgie has appointed as moderators and mentors for both her Facebook community and her group coaching program visit daily to answer questions and participate in the community. The more active you are in the community, the more successful you will be because you keep your goals at the forefront of your mind, you find support, you interact with like-minded people, and, most importantly, you have fun.
The way most of us have always tried to lose weight and be healthier in the past is through tons of nonsensical restrictions and strenuously trying to "burn off" or "earn" the things we eat, all the while feeling crappy and guilty. Those methods are not sustainable and often result in even more hangups and fallacies, not just about food and health, but about ourselves overall.
It's time for something entirely different.
Enter Georgie.
Georgie's program is a revolutionary-yet-simple way of looking at food and at eating, where you learn to do things one step at a time in an entirely different mindset. The ideas in her book may seem foreign, unbelievable, and even far-fetched. You are not given a meal plan. You are not given an exercise plan. You are not told to count calories. You are not told to weigh-in regularly or perform other measurements. You are not told to avoid desserts or carbs or whatever restrictions other plans impose. You are not given all the information at one time. You are told that you can do whatever you want.
But, at its core, what is this book is really about? Empowerment.
Empowerment is something many of us lack when it comes to how we feel about our bodies, how we treat our bodies, and, indeed, how we treat ourselves overall. When we speak to ourselves with respect and kindness, our perspective shifts from shame and guilt to neutrality and self-love. These are much better conditions under which to thrive.
Leave behind: restrictions, perfection, black-and-white thinking, diets, the scale, calorie-counting, attaching "good" or "bad" labels to food, emotional eating, the wagon (there is no wagon!), "trigger" foods, instant gratification, limitations, assumptions, preconceptions, expectations, "burning off" calories, and feelings of failure, shame, and guilt.
Embrace: a greater understanding and appreciation of how your mind and body are connected, neutrality, all forms of progress (known as NSVs, or non-scale victories), eating what you want, freedom, being proactive instead of reactive, happiness, mindful choices, personal responsibility and involvement in your own health, and simply being human.
Good health is a lifelong goal that cannot be achieved (or sustained) with quick fixes, but it IS a goal that can be achieved (and sustained!) through practice, patience, common sense, self-respect, awareness, and simplicity. The habits will help you do that, one step at a time. It will be a gradual emotional AND physical change, instead of an overwhelming compulsion and panic to fix everything at once. As you master each habit, moving at your own pace, you begin to understand how the habits work together to form a toolbox that you can use in any situation to do the best you can with what you are given.
Let go of your previous misconceptions, limitations, expectations, and misinformation about yourself, your body, and your abilities. Follow the habits. Be consistent. Trust the process. It's really that simple.
I recommend using this book in combination with the Lean Habits Facebook community, which is free access to a marvelously supportive group of people. Along with participants who may have just started their Lean Habits journey, Georgie herself, coaches on her staff, and community members that Georgie has appointed as moderators and mentors for both her Facebook community and her group coaching program visit daily to answer questions and participate in the community. The more active you are in the community, the more successful you will be because you keep your goals at the forefront of your mind, you find support, you interact with like-minded people, and, most importantly, you have fun.
November 21, 2019
I don't read diet or weightloss books because I don't believe in diets. I don't want to lose weight fast and then gain it all back nor feel bad for eating bread. And no one is going to make money off me getting healthy (this was a library book! Ha!)
I want to eat ALL the foods and maintain a healthy weight. I've always thought there has got to be a perfect (for me) combination of foods in their proper quantities that gets me to, and maintains a healthy weight. "What does a 135 lbs Diana eat? What does this spread of food look like?" I didn't know how and when you eat is just as important.
Turns out this book is helping me to find this perfect spread of food and how to eat it. I can eat EVERYTHING I want. Just not all in one day. And yes, I need more vegetables.
I really don't want to pass on my unhealthy eating habits to my kids. Commands like "Clean your plate" and "3 more bites and you can have dessert" are teaching them to ignore their own fullness cues. WHAT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO EAT?
Enter this book to clear up generations of bad habits and poor directives.
Turns out I overeat. I'm not overweight so who knew? I'm not an emotional eater--I've always known that. But I'm an entitled eater. This book is just so dang eye-opening. And I've lost 8 pounds in 8 weeks and don't feel deprived. It's just happening! I can do this forever. I WANT to do this forever. It's common sense and feels so good.
I want to eat ALL the foods and maintain a healthy weight. I've always thought there has got to be a perfect (for me) combination of foods in their proper quantities that gets me to, and maintains a healthy weight. "What does a 135 lbs Diana eat? What does this spread of food look like?" I didn't know how and when you eat is just as important.
Turns out this book is helping me to find this perfect spread of food and how to eat it. I can eat EVERYTHING I want. Just not all in one day. And yes, I need more vegetables.
I really don't want to pass on my unhealthy eating habits to my kids. Commands like "Clean your plate" and "3 more bites and you can have dessert" are teaching them to ignore their own fullness cues. WHAT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO EAT?
Enter this book to clear up generations of bad habits and poor directives.
Turns out I overeat. I'm not overweight so who knew? I'm not an emotional eater--I've always known that. But I'm an entitled eater. This book is just so dang eye-opening. And I've lost 8 pounds in 8 weeks and don't feel deprived. It's just happening! I can do this forever. I WANT to do this forever. It's common sense and feels so good.
July 17, 2019
In weight loss efforts the All-or-Nothing (AoN) model contends and contrasts with the moderation model; Lose 20 pounds in Two Weeks vs. Lose 1/2 pound a week. The title of this book reveals Georgie Fear to be squarely in the moderation camp.
I won't lie: I'm enticed by the shiny glinting guarantee of quick weight loss. But I look with admiration and respect at those friends who have a kind of organic understanding of balanced eating, especially those who have formerly been fat.
I found it fascinating that Georgie suggests tracking HABITS, not calories. She considers one of the most important lifelong skill to eat only when hungry.
The most convicting thing I read was: Don't seek more information, when what you need is application.
And who can argue with this wisdom? Joy is not fattening.
I won't lie: I'm enticed by the shiny glinting guarantee of quick weight loss. But I look with admiration and respect at those friends who have a kind of organic understanding of balanced eating, especially those who have formerly been fat.
I found it fascinating that Georgie suggests tracking HABITS, not calories. She considers one of the most important lifelong skill to eat only when hungry.
The most convicting thing I read was: Don't seek more information, when what you need is application.
And who can argue with this wisdom? Joy is not fattening.
March 26, 2020
I love this book. It is one of my favorite books on teaching you to be mindful of what you put in your mouth. Most authors give you lists of things to eat and do, but this one equips you to make your own choices, without feeling guilty. Overall, my eating habits improved, because of the tools (Georgie shared) that I gathered from reading this book.
It covers being kind to yourself and not continuing to eat because you "messed up" with what you were eating. It helps to give you the room to forgive yourself without giving you free reign to continue making bad choices that will inevitably make you miserable with your life after those pounds have caught up.
I recommend it, if you want to understand the four basic ways to control yourself with food.
It covers being kind to yourself and not continuing to eat because you "messed up" with what you were eating. It helps to give you the room to forgive yourself without giving you free reign to continue making bad choices that will inevitably make you miserable with your life after those pounds have caught up.
I recommend it, if you want to understand the four basic ways to control yourself with food.
July 24, 2018
Hunger training is legit. There was an adjustment period of a few weeks, but now I get predictably hungry three times a day, I eat (protein, fat, veggies) until I'm not hungry anymore, and I've lost weight steadily. I eat occasional meals with friends, at restaurants, vacations, meals on the fly, and even a few desserts, but I know it's just one meal and it won't affect my next meal, and it has not affected my weight loss. It really is about habits; most of the time I follow Georgie's plan, and it has worked. Life/mind changing. It's been six months and it keeps getting easier as the habits become ingrained.
April 7, 2015
If you're looking for a sustainable way to get and stay lean, this is the book for you.
August 10, 2018
Great advice!!
February 18, 2022
I heard Georgie Fear on Heather's Half Size Me podcast (which is my FAVORITE). Heather (who has helped me more than anyone in my weight loss progress, which has been about 15 pounds in the last year) focuses on healthy habits, and Fear's work absolutely aligns with that--I mean, it's in the title. Her advice is incredibly sound, and even just reading the book made me think about how I eat, what I eat, and my own eating habits more clearly. I have a trainer who has definitely helped me think more about my eating, and I didn't realize until a year ago that I definitely have some disordered thoughts around food (my biggest issue--wasting food, even food I don't like that much, is a big issue for me. Just tossing out food is a big accomplishment for me). Fear also focuses on 2+ weeks (or more) to really practice each habit, and THIS IS HARD FOR ME. I like to do ALL of it at once, and in general I'm pretty successful at that--when I'm ON, I'm on, but when I'm NOT ON, it's all off the rails. So this made me realize I have to do one habit at a time (while I can be mindful of other habits) until I master it, and they build off each other. Ooh, that's tough.
I zipped through this book because I was so hungry (zing!) for learning more. My one issue (is it an issue? Maybe that's overkill) is that she really hates long-term tracking. I'm not sure I could've lost 15 pounds without tracking, but I hadn't tried her habits. I can see how I can eat to the calories I've tracked in the app rather than to my own eating intuition. I'm not giving up tracking anytime in the near future--I feel like her habits can work in conjunction with tracking (I know she would disagree!) but little steps, man--little steps. Overall, I loved this and can't wait to put it into practice.
I zipped through this book because I was so hungry (zing!) for learning more. My one issue (is it an issue? Maybe that's overkill) is that she really hates long-term tracking. I'm not sure I could've lost 15 pounds without tracking, but I hadn't tried her habits. I can see how I can eat to the calories I've tracked in the app rather than to my own eating intuition. I'm not giving up tracking anytime in the near future--I feel like her habits can work in conjunction with tracking (I know she would disagree!) but little steps, man--little steps. Overall, I loved this and can't wait to put it into practice.
January 25, 2018
Simple, solid advice for weight loss based on scientific studies. Some of the science got dry for me at points, but the common sense approach and pointers are the biggest takeaway in this book. One can actually use her table of contents to get the gist of the book.
As with most changes, especially behavioural ones, simple is not always easy. If you want to challenge yourself to build long-lasting healthy habits, I highly recommend this book to start.
As with most changes, especially behavioural ones, simple is not always easy. If you want to challenge yourself to build long-lasting healthy habits, I highly recommend this book to start.
May 7, 2018
Really helpful nutrition advice from an actual dietician (not just a skinny celebrity) and 16 diet (with a little d) and lifestyle habits that you work one at a time, adding them on to previous habits you've mastered, for sane weight loss/maintenence. Very much based on scientific research, so I feel confident following her advice.
May 30, 2015
A fantastic book. Georgie's approach to weight loss and weight maintenance is effective and sustainable. This book distills her wisdom and guides you through each habit. It is written in an accessible style and you feel like you are working with a personal coach. Highly recommended.
December 24, 2017
I really like the habit-based approach to nutrition in this book! It’s a very helpful way to think.
May 30, 2023
It was fine. Most of it was basically the same common sense advice as every other nutrition book that claimed to be different but actually exactly the same. However, there are a few times where it was head-scratchingly complicated while trying to be simple. For example - eat 3 meals a day and space them out so that you will be hungry for 30-60 minutes before you eat, adjusting either the times you eat or the portion size to make this happen, with the exception of always eat after a workout even if you aren't hungry and always eat breakfast even if you aren't hungry... this is supposed to be a simpler alternative to counting calories?? How is that simpler?
What I did appreciate is that she went deeper into the science in a lot of areas where other nutrition books would just brush over it, but then there were still a few other points where she said "Science agrees blahblahblah" without really giving the evidence to back it up. Something I see ALL THE TIME in these books (and no, not only for topics that are actually totally settled and universally agreed upon.)
I went to this author's website and checked out her blog, and what I found there made me tempted to knock this book down another few stars. She made a criticism of the HAES (health at every size) movement that completely misrepresents their philosophy and was basically just a giant strawman argument. I found that incredibly dishonest and not cool, and the dishonest nature of the blog's content made me more doubtful of the contents of this book. As I said, I was tempted to knock the book down a few more stars, but this is a review of the book and not the author, so I am letting it stand as it is.
What I did appreciate is that she went deeper into the science in a lot of areas where other nutrition books would just brush over it, but then there were still a few other points where she said "Science agrees blahblahblah" without really giving the evidence to back it up. Something I see ALL THE TIME in these books (and no, not only for topics that are actually totally settled and universally agreed upon.)
I went to this author's website and checked out her blog, and what I found there made me tempted to knock this book down another few stars. She made a criticism of the HAES (health at every size) movement that completely misrepresents their philosophy and was basically just a giant strawman argument. I found that incredibly dishonest and not cool, and the dishonest nature of the blog's content made me more doubtful of the contents of this book. As I said, I was tempted to knock the book down a few more stars, but this is a review of the book and not the author, so I am letting it stand as it is.
March 2, 2024
A good book about the essential mind over matter.
This book reduces the ‘supposed self help’ books about staying mentally, physically, spiritually healthy to chaff.
What Georgie Fear RD, has produced is a very obvious reminder that we ourselves are responsible for our holistic well being, regardless of our situation in life, the ability to self govern is ours alone.
Brilliant, thoroughly enjoyable listen, thank you for your collected words Georgie Fear RD with
Chandra Crawford and Romy Nordlinger your eloquence, very much appreciated ladies :-)
This book reduces the ‘supposed self help’ books about staying mentally, physically, spiritually healthy to chaff.
What Georgie Fear RD, has produced is a very obvious reminder that we ourselves are responsible for our holistic well being, regardless of our situation in life, the ability to self govern is ours alone.
Brilliant, thoroughly enjoyable listen, thank you for your collected words Georgie Fear RD with
Chandra Crawford and Romy Nordlinger your eloquence, very much appreciated ladies :-)
May 27, 2021
Simple and effective!
I love the way Georgie approaches this habit based weight loss. She teaches you to learn to trust your body to tell you what it needs and not rely on dieting on and off for the rest of your life. She explains everything that it makes this plan easy to start and follow for life. There is so much that goes into eating behaviorally, psychologically, and emotionally. She addresses all of it. HIGHLY recommend this and her other work, Give Yourself More
I love the way Georgie approaches this habit based weight loss. She teaches you to learn to trust your body to tell you what it needs and not rely on dieting on and off for the rest of your life. She explains everything that it makes this plan easy to start and follow for life. There is so much that goes into eating behaviorally, psychologically, and emotionally. She addresses all of it. HIGHLY recommend this and her other work, Give Yourself More
January 3, 2024
Anything too rulesy can be harmful to extremes but this book seems like it takes a solid approach with habits rather than rules.
Read as part of my general interest in nutrition (for weight, energy, and running injury avoidance more so than performance); this one is anti-snack but there are still a lot of pro-snack running nutrition advice out there so I'm curious to look into that more.
Read as part of my general interest in nutrition (for weight, energy, and running injury avoidance more so than performance); this one is anti-snack but there are still a lot of pro-snack running nutrition advice out there so I'm curious to look into that more.
January 13, 2024
Common sense information on intuitive eating in a nicely written format. I have recommended this book to a few people and those that can get past the gimmicky cover and title have expressed how helpful it was to them (and me) to re-evaluate their relationship with food and the habits they have built.
October 28, 2021
Absolutely life changing book that has helped rewire my brain to thereby change my relationship with food, my body, and myself. This book has taught me the habits to practice for a healthy relationship with food and how to listen to and honor my hunger/satiety cues to honor my body.
August 28, 2020
I love the first 4 habits of this book and then it devolves into diet rules. So I would definitely recommend it for just the first 4-5 habits.
May 26, 2025
ok - nothing radical
April 17, 2016
After reading and having success with THE DIET FIX, I decided that the "habits" in this book (which were often the opposite approach as presented in TDF) just weren't going to work for me. Which made reading any further a waste of time better spent tackling other books in my tbr pile. The habits I did read about struck me more as ways to make losing weight and gaining control MORE difficult rather than making it easier. If I feel hungry for 30 or more minutes, I'm certainly not going to eat a reasonable meal when I do eat, for example. I suppose this process would work for some people, but I don't see these lean habits working for many of us who struggle with control to begin with.
April 23, 2015
I've long been a fan of Georgie's writing and ideas. And I was looking forward to this book. It doesn't disappoint. It's a nice mix of evidence-based and experience-based. Gotta have both sides when it comes to nutrition. It could be useful if you are trying to improve your own nutrition or if you are coaching others. I'll keep this one for future reference.
September 4, 2015
Also a must read for fitness professionals. Georgie is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable people I've met in this industry.
February 7, 2016
A great book! I truly believe that sustainable habits are the key to lasting weight loss, and I am in the process of working on developing these habits.
January 24, 2016
Excellent book with strategies to help with food. I like not getting another food plan but real things I can do every day to reach and keep my goals!
February 21, 2016
2 1/2 stars.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews