Los inteligentes no hacen dieta

by Charlotte Markey, Antonio Luis Gómez Molero (Translator)

In Smart People Dont Diet, Dr. Charlotte N. Markey offers a refreshingly different approach to weight management. Her plan addresses the underlying causes of weight gain and offers proven strategies for healthful, lasting weight management, including advice on how to eat well, lose weight, and keep it off.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Nutrition

254 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2014

About the author

Charlotte N. Markey, Ph.D. is a professor of psychology and member of the Psychology, Health Sciences, and Prevention Science Departments at Rutgers University at Camden.

She received her doctorate from the University of California at Riverside in health and developmental psychology, with a focus on eating behaviors and body image.

She has been conducting research on eating and body image for over 25 years.

Dr. Markey has published over 100 book chapters and journal articles in peer-reviewed journals. She has hundreds of presentations to her name at universities across the U.S. and at national and international conferences. Each year, she teaches hundreds of students at Rutgers University, including students in her Psychology of Eating course.

Dr. Markey has long been involved in community efforts to educate parents and children about eating, body image, and psychological and physical health in general.

Reviews

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a lot of good advice and is worthwhile to read if you are struggling with weight issues and considering dieting. I think it's pretty evident now from clinical studies and from personal experience that diets don't work, mostly because we anticipate that they will eventually end. Then we go back to the old food habits that caused the need to diet, plus we have screwed with our metabolism in a way that makes it easier to gain even more weight. Not exactly what we are aiming for.

Weight loss requires permanent changes in lifestyle. Markey warns us about liquid calories. How many of us consume soda and fancy coffees without thinking about them? If you can cut out those offenders you will make progress. Often snacking can be an issue and finding healthier snacks can be helpful. I find eating out to be a minefield--it's much more fun to eat fries than salad, but salad is the better choice for the long run. One thing the pandemic has done for me is a return to home cooking. It's always the majority of my food planning, but I've become lax about vegetable consumption lately, relying on pasta and rice for their filling properties. Back to menus that heavily require veggies.

So I did find this book a good reminder of what needs to happen in my kitchen. More fruit & veg. More water drinking. Eating a reasonable portion and then waiting 20 minutes for it to “hit bottom." Plus more getting out of the house to go do things and go walking. It has been far too easy to hunker at home during this Covid-19 crisis and now I need to get back in the habit of leaving home.

What I didn't appreciate in this book was what I felt were two mutually opposing points of view that ran through it. On the one hand, the “don't diet" message. On the other hand, many very diety recommendations which I recognize from years of Weight Watchers and diet books. Yes, substitute salad for fries. No shit. There are too many cutesy stories, too many exclamation marks, and not enough scientific data. Plus I get the feeling this author has never strggled with more than 5 or 10 pounds.

I think we also really need to emphasize health over appearance as our motivation for making change in our lives. Do it so you can feel better. Losing weight does not magically transform your life. You won't suddenly make more money or travel the world or be irresistable to potential lovers. You've got to do the things you want NOW, and let your weight loss catch up with you, or you'll just end up being a boring skinnier person.

I think that I will try to follow Michael Pollan's advice: Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants. If this book was of interest to you and you like to know the science behind the theories, I would recommend Linda Bacon's book Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight.

[Ellen Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart People Don’t Diet is a fresh new voice in the sea of dieting books and countless opinions on weight and health. Dr. Charlotte Markey writes with a human touch and shows us all how easy changing habits for the better is...and why it is smarter than the crazy fad diets that we have all tried and tested (and failed).

I haven’t read any other books by this same author, and I don’t usually read books in this genre, but I do think it was very interesting and I learned a lot. The book brings a lot of health concerns and permanent weight loss in to play. They were very effective and put me in a great growth mindset for the future. This book appeals on both the emotional and logical field. I am very interested in psychology and this book was full of psychology behind why certain eating habits happen and why the brain does things to you. I felt I really connected with the author on some of those points because I understood the perspective and angle she was coming from. It was also from the logical perspective because the advice all made sense, and was cleverly worked into the book.

The main idea is staying healthy and losing weight. It is very important throughout the book to be slowly changing your bad habits, and integrating new ones, in a manner that is not to difficult. It is even said throughout the book, that the point of this process is not to be hard, it’s to be simple and rewarding. Many other customers on other reviews have confirmed that it was a refreshing change from other diet books and takes a clear and bold stand for healthy eating and living. This book is definitely a good resource for any question on healthy eating and dieting.

The purpose for this book is very apparent. It is clearly about finding balance in your health and losing weight. Obviously the main theme of losing weight is very clear. But along with this a lot of other strong ideas are presented. Good overall health is a main focus as well. Stopping eating disorders is also reiterated a lot, and good habits are pushed. I think these together are very influential and they fit together to inspire change in the good way.

Dr. Charlotte Markey, author, teaches classes about this topic at Rutgers University, and wrote this book to share some of that information with the world. She has done a lot of research and compiled good reasons and evidence to help motivate and support those trying to get their health in check. She produces many compelling arguments to battle the unhealthy choices we make in this obese America we live in.

This style is very carefully written to apply to everyone. It has an informational tone, but Markey writes from her own flawed and experienced perspective and this makes it very easy to read and accept. It applies to adults, but also teenagers and adolescents. It also applies to people who want to lose 100 pounds, or even just 5. The author also implements stories and humourous insights to keep you interested in the actual information.

I would overall recommend this book to all sorts of people, young and old. It’s important to understand and practice good eating and exercising habits while you’re young, and fix/re-fix them through your adult life as well. This book truly will give you some insight and hopefully get you started on a path to a better you.

[Cititoare Calatoare · Rating 4 out of 5]

De ce sa ne facem viata un chin si sa ne furam singuri placerea de a savura ceva gustos, cand am putea sa ne formam un stil de viata sanatos, echilibrat ce ne-ar ajuta sa aratam asa cum ne-am dorit, sa fim sanatosi dar si sa ne bucuram de mici gustari delicioase!?

Cititi recenzia completa pe pagina mea de instagram @reading_on_my_way

[Sanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite thing about this book was that it was focused on weight management as opposed to strict diets. People who pick up books with this content do so usually because they are looking for new solutions to old problems. As someone who's dealt with weight issues, as well as had a problematic relationship with food, I believe in acquiring knowledge in order to figure out what works for you. Smart People Don't Diet focuses on basics that often get overlooked when it comes to fad diets. It's really important to understand the basics of nutrition in order to develop sustainable eating and lifestyle changes in habits.

No single book will give you magical solutions to your problems but this book will definitely add to your arsenal of important knowledge related to your health, weight and eating habits. It's a quick, easy read and is more focused on changing your habits vs simple dieting.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Perseus Books Group, Da Capo Press for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Pam Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the principle behind the book, how diets dont work but by using a scientific methodical approach both adults and a child eating attitudes would change. Too often as children and teenagers we are embroiled in our body image especially when you see thin models in all magazines and one remark can send you off down the road of being thin, constant dieting, weight loss. This book explains with common sense approach about the science and psychology behind changing your attitude to what you eat, loving yourself for who and what you are and promoting healthy eating fort life. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED A MUST READ BOOK

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Această carte a fost o adevărată provocare pentru mine pentru că e prima carte în limba engleză pe care o citesc, dar m-am descurcat foarte bine ( cu traducătorul mereu gata 🙂) datorită terminologiei pe alocuri ușoare, aproape de medicină, sănătate și obiceiuri utile.
Primul lucru pe care l-am apreciat sunt studiile autoarei, informațiile documentate dar si exemplele personale pe care le aduce.
M-am convins încă odată că modul sănătos de viață și nu dietele drastice sunt cheia succesului, e greu să renunți la unele obiceiuri dar prin voință și multă muncă poți ajunge la rezultate foarte bune.
Recomand tuturor această carte care își merită locul în bibliotecă.

[Dmitry · Rating 5 out of 5]

(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)

Эта одна из немногих книг, которая повлияла на меня радикально. Именно благодаря этой книге я решил следить за теми продуктами, что я ем, т.е. я полностью исключил сладкие газированные напитки, сахар (в кофе, чай), а также стал читать этикетки на продуктах питания с целью исключения всего ненатурального, т.е. вредных E-добавок.

Вторым важным событием стало начало регулярных фитнес-упражнений (30 минут в день с одним перерывом в неделю). Всё это произошло 5 лет назад. 5 лет назад я прочитал эту книгу. 5 лет назад эта книга внесла радикальные изменения в мой образ жизни. Не каждая книга способна настолько сильно повлиять на человека, но это та наугад выбранная книга, которая оказалась именно той единственной, которую стоит прочитать, если вы хотите сбросить несколько килограммов или если хотите начать здоровый образ жизни. Я рискну сказать, что в отличие от книг/диет, эта книга сработает 100%.

В чём секрет успеха похудения? Два фактора: питание и физические нагрузки. Как говорит фитнес-тренер, чьи видео на YouTube я регулярно смотрю, «Consistency is the key» и «80% - nutrition and 20% fitness».

На самом деле автор предложила очень простую схему смены стиля жизни. Ибо если диеты диктуют нам строго придерживаться какого-либо направления, то в этой книге автор предлагает очень гибкое решение. Автор пишет, что читателю не стоит впадать в крайность и удалять из своего рациона абсолютно все «вредные» продукты. Автор не пишет, что вам с завтрашнего дня нельзя подходить к Макдональдс и на пушечный выстрел. Любите Макдональдс, пишет автор? Хорошо, посещайте его. Звучит странно, не так ли? Я и сам когда читал, думал примерно так же. Но именно эта простота меня и завлекла. Всё дело в методе, что предлагает автор. Разумеется, вам стоит прочитать эту книгу самому, чтобы понять гениальность метода.

Хорошо. Вам нравиться есть в Макдональдсе, но при этом вы хотите похудеть и/или начать вести здоровый образ жизни. Нет проблем! Ешьте в Макдональдсе, но сначала заведите дневник того, что вы едите и пьёте на протяжении всей недели. Далее, посмотрите, от какие напитков и еды вы можете отказаться, а какие заменить на более полезные. У меня описание метода выходит не очень складное, поэтому лучше прочитать всё же книгу. Итак, вы ��ожете, к примеру, заменить обычную Колу на диетическую, батончик шоколада на фрукты, а вместо классического бургера взять бургер с курицей. Важно понять, как пишет автор, что «хитрость состоит в том, чтобы наслаждаться едой, не выходя за пределы разумного слишком часто». Именно поэтому я в самом начале и написал, что если хочется ходить в Макдональдс, то не стоит себя ограничивать полностью. Как пишет автор, даже в Макдональдсе можно выбрать менее вредную пищу. Ибо в этом деле, главное начать. Плюс, как пишет автор, «исследования показывают, что если вы на какое-то время полностью откажитесь от по-настоящему любимых блюд, а потом снова позволите их себе, то, скорее всего, начнёте переедать». И далее, «И всё равно я наслаждаюсь едой и глубоко убеждена, что она должна приносить вам удовольствие, а не заставлять чувствовать себя виноватым». Это крайне важное наблюдение автора, ибо если еда не приносит вам радости, то долго соблюдать подобный режим вы не сможете, т.е. наступит какой-нибудь день, когда вы плюнете на всё это и вернётесь к прежнему стилю жизни. Как правильно замечает автор, «Когда вы слышите слово «диета», вы, вероятно, представляете себе какую-то кратковременную (неделя, месяц и т.п.) строгую программу питания, направленную на снижение веса. Умные люди не сидят на диетах, потому что они знают, что устойчивого снижения и поддержания веса нельзя добиться временными мерами». Ибо после того как кратковременная диета закончится, что произойдёт дальше? Правильно. Весь потерянный вес вернётся. Именно поэтому диеты, как таковые, абсолютно неэффективны. Единственное что сработает наверняка, это смена всего стиля жизни. Как пишет автор, «Один из главных ингредиентов моего рецепта поддержания веса – такие перемены в вашем питании и активности, которые вы сможете придерживаться на протяжении всей оставшейся жизни». Это очень точное замечание, показывающее, почему диеты не могут работать в принципе. Нельзя мучится из-за лишнего веса, и при этом делать лишь кратковременные действия. Увы, но это самообман. Тело человека, если его не тренировать, будет хиреть согласно запрограммированному природой коду, ходу действия. Если не принимать душ, не мыться, то через какой-то промежуток времени запах будет всё нестерпимее и нестерпимее. И тут не помогут одноразовые акции.

Второй важный фактор, это физическая активность. Я выбрал фитнес, ибо могу заниматься им дома, попутно слушая аудиокниги или музыку, благодаря чему не наступает скука. Автор, к примеру, занимается ежедневными пробежками. О важности физических упражнений говорится во всех книге по ЗОЖ.

Мне так же понравились советы, которые автор даёт в отношении детей, которые так любят всё сладкое и Макдональдс в частности. Не буду пересказывать их все, но скажу, что важным фактором является, что сами родители едят. Т.е. если сами родители не ведут здоровый образ жизни, то, как они могут требовать этого от детей. Как пишет автор, «Всегда подавайте на стол полезные продукты, включайте их в состав разных блюд и показывайте детям, с каким удовольствием вы сами их едите». Во-вторых, как правильно замечает автор, некоторые продукты люди начинают ценить, когда повзрослеют.

It is one of the few books that influenced me radically. It was because of this book that I decided to watch the foods that I eat, i.e. I completely eliminated sugary carbonated drinks, sugar (in coffee, tea), and also started reading the labels on food products in order to eliminate everything unnatural, i.e. harmful E-additives.

The second important event was the beginning of regular fitness exercises (30 minutes a day with one break a week). All of this happened five years ago. Five years ago, I read this book. Five years ago, this book made a radical change in my lifestyle. Not every book can make that much of an impact, but this is the one book that was chosen at random and turned out to be the only one worth reading if you want to lose a few pounds or if you want to start living a healthy lifestyle. I would hazard to say that, unlike other books/diets, this book will work 100%.

What is the secret to successful weight loss? Two factors: nutrition and exercise. As the fitness trainer whose YouTube videos I watch regularly says, "Consistency is the key" and "80% is nutrition and 20% fitness.

In fact, the author offered a very simple scheme for a lifestyle change. For while diets dictate us to follow strictly a certain direction, in this book, the author offers a very flexible solution. The author writes that the reader should not go to extremes and remove absolutely all "unhealthy" foods from his diet. The author does not write that, from tomorrow, you should not go anywhere near McDonald's. Do you like McDonald's, the author writes? Fine. Sounds strange, doesn't it? I thought the same thing myself when I read it. But it was that simplicity that drew me in. It's all about the method the author proposes. Of course, you should read this book yourself to understand the genius of the method.

Okay. You like eating at McDonald's, but you want to lose weight and/or start living a healthy lifestyle. No problem! Eat at McDonald's, but first, make a journal of what you eat and drink throughout the week. Then, see which drinks and foods you can give up and which ones you can replace with healthier ones. My description of the method is not very coherent, so it is better to read the book.

So, for example, you can replace a regular Coke with a diet Coke, a bar of chocolate with fruit, and instead of the classic burger, get a burger with chicken. It is important to understand, as the author writes, that "the trick is to enjoy food without going beyond what is reasonable too often." That's why I wrote at the very beginning that if you want to go to McDonald's, you shouldn't limit yourself completely. As the author writes, even at McDonald's you can choose to eat less junk food. Because in this case, the main thing is to start. Plus, as the author writes, "Studies show that if you give up your really favorite foods completely for a while and then allow yourself them again, you're more likely to start overeating." And further, "Still, I enjoy food and strongly believe that it should make you feel good, not make you feel guilty." This is an extremely important observation of the author because if the food does not bring you joy, you will not be able to keep such a regimen for long, i.e., one day, you will give it all up and go back to your old lifestyle. As the author rightly observes, "When you hear the word 'diet,' you probably imagine some sort of short-term (a week, a month, etc.) strict diet program aimed at weight loss. Smart people don't go on diets because they know that sustained weight loss and maintenance cannot be achieved by temporary measures. For after the short-term diet ends, what happens next? That's right. All the weight you lost will come back. It is why diets, as such, are completely ineffective. The only thing that will work for sure is a change in your whole lifestyle. As the author writes, "One of the main ingredients in my recipe for weight maintenance is the kind of change in your diet and activity that you can stick to for the rest of your life." It is a very accurate observation, showing why diets can't work in principle. You can't agonize over being overweight while only doing short-term activities. Alas, this is self-deception. The human body, if it is not trained, will become weak according to nature's programmed code, the course of action. If you don't take a shower, don't wash, after a certain period of time, the smell will become more and more intolerable. And this is not where disposable promotions will help.

The second important factor is physical activity. I chose fitness because I can do it at home while listening to audiobooks or music, which prevents boredom. The author, for example, does daily jogging. The importance of exercise is talked about in all books on a healthy lifestyle.
I also liked the advice the author gives for children who are so fond of all things sweets and McDonald's in particular. I won't recount them all, but I will say that an important factor is what the parents themselves eat. That is, if the parents themselves don't lead healthy lifestyles, how can they demand that from their children. As the author writes, "Always serve healthy foods, include them in different dishes, and show your children how glad you are to eat healthy foods yourself." Second, as the author correctly points out, some foods people begin to appreciate as they get older.

[Brittany Harley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Smart People Don’t Diet: How the Latest Science Can Help You Lose Weight Permanently, author Charlotte Markey dives into the world of dieting and explains why today’s dieting fads do not work. She then goes on to provide more suitable and effective ways to lose weight. Markey states that some reasons why dieting does not work is because it takes a lot of brain power to diet. This can lead to unconscious binge eating and cause weight gain in the long run. Markey suggests that instead of trying to cut “bad foods” altogether and try and lose weight quick to try and cut back on the amount of fatty foods you have daily. Also she suggests that instead of trying to lose a certain amount of weight per month to set a goal of losing a certain amount of pounds for year.
What I Like about this particular weight loss book is that it does not offer the same tactics present in every other book about weight loss. Other books try and sugar coat the fact that it is basically telling you to cut everything that isn’t fruits and vegetables and exercise all day every day so that you can lose ten pounds in one week. In Smart People Don’t Diet, Markey understands how hard it is to lose weight quickly and gives reasonable alternatives for losing weight instead of dropping every partially bad food from your life.
When it comes to the research and how practical Markey’s suggestions are the book can be considered well written. The only thing I find really wrong with the book is that I feel that it gets repetitive at times. I would have also liked if she could have dedicated a part of the book to providing some good exercising workouts. Otherwise I liked the book and I will start to cut back on the amount of junk food I eat every day, drink less soda, get a better night’s sleep and incorporate some exercise into my daily routine. I recommend this book for all people who are interested in the topic of weight loss but also for people who struggle with weight problems and are looking for effective and understandable weight loss tips.

[Christina Dudley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a perfectly adequate book about eating healthier and would especially good for chronic dieters and/or people who haven't read a lot on food or nutrition. Markey claims to support her points with science (as opposed to fad diets and their questionable health benefits).

What I found most helpful were the ideas of shooting for ten pounds weight loss per year, rather than per week! Achievable through small increments and sustainable through new habits. The examples are exactly what you might expect (i.e., low-hanging fruit): cutting the soda-a-day habit or swapping out a few pieces of fruit for the bag of Cheetos every afternoon. More drastic weight loss would involve making more than a simple change or two, and shooting for, over the course of several weeks or months, *ten* changes or whatever.

So you don't "diet," per se--no foods/food groups are forbidden--but many daily delights might have to be relinquished for the most part.

In our household we usually make up for December sugar-and-fat-overload with Sugar-Free January, since I find going cold turkey for a little while much easier than just treating myself occasionally, but to each his own.

I did furrow my brow over the emphasis on limiting saturated fats like full-fat dairy and red meat, since I feel like the science arguing that full-fat dairy negatively impacts cholesterol and such has been debunked. (See THE BIG FAT SURPRISE, and WHY WE GET FAT, for example.) In fact, despite the subtitle "How the Latest Science Can Help You Lose Weight Permanently," there was far less science covered than in many other similar books I've read.

If you do happen to read lots of food and nutrition books, you will find this book pretty familiar and often repetitive. But given how badly most folks eat, I think there's a big audience out there that could benefit from the message.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

SMART PEOPLE DON'T DIET is a refreshingly logical and level headed approach to weight loss that really focuses on gradual long term modifications over quickie fad diets, which is definitely a change from so many of the low carb and paleo fads that seriously get old and exhausting after a while. Markey emphasizes the importance of small, individualized behaviors that make a healthy lifestyle seem incredibly easy; for example, focusing first on eating a healthier breakfast or choosing a lower calorie beverage option -- which truly encourages 'dieters' to set realistic expectations and goals that make the process much less overwhelming. The author takes the same approach to exercise, insisting that small steps can eventually evolve into long lasting habits, which are the stepping stones to a healthier, more vibrant lifestyle.

My only disappointment in this selection was that there just wasn't as much detailed emphasis on "the latest science" as I expected from the title itself. There are, indeed, brief and casual mentions of the outcome of studies, which I'm sure can be referenced in the footnotes to find further information from the original source. I think I just expected more detail and more specifics, just since the title made a point to mention such.

Overall, though, I was quite pleased to read a 'diet' text that didn't immediately demonize fruits and carbohydrates, which seems to be a particularly popular trend right now. While there was nothing incredibly new or revolutionary in SMART PEOPLE DON'T DIET, it's simplicity and straightforward approach were exactly what made this selection unique in a slew of fad diet books.

I received a copy of SMART PEOPLE DON'T DIET for the purposes of providing an honest review. I definitely recommend this title for anyone who is looking for a logical and gradual approach to weight loss and to a healthy lifestyle in general.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best "diet" books I've ever read, this work promotes slow and steady eating changes for a gradual - and sustainable - weight loss. Written in a calm and logical tone, the author gives the reasons to give up on fad diets, diets of any kind really, and focus on small changes we can make to improve the quality of the foods we put into our bodies for increased health. The one thing lacking in her ideas is the fact that, while many of us will know WHAT to do to lose the weight, and WHY we should do it, it's the motivation that can be lacking. For some of us, there's a lot going on behind the scenes that is expressed in unhealthy eating patterns. Without dealing with the underlying issues, and finding other ways to deal with those emotions besides eating, the unhealthy coping with food will continue. But that is addressed in other books, and is beyond the scope of this work.

If you've worked through your issues, and are ready to make lasting change, this plan can help. Highly recommended.

[Jen K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant. It is truly the last "diet" book one will ever need to purchase. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in creating a healthier lifestyle because this book offers realistic, manageable, and research-based techniques that will yield lifelong improvements without leaving its readers feeling judged, deprived, or cranky! I am currently working with patients struggling to manage their weight, and this book is the first resource that I offer them without any hesitations. Not only do they appreciate the strategies that they can realistically implement, this book has helped them feel more in control and empowered on their weight loss journeys-and really who doesn't want to feel empowered?! This book is such an easy read, as Dr. Markey writes from an honest, fresh, and pretty hilarious point of view. I read it in 2 days, was sad when it was over, and have been talking about it with anyone who will listen ever since!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to start the New Year and to last a life time!

As I read the book, I felt like I was sitting down with a wise friend. I wasn’t being lectured about my weight. I was being encouraged to ask questions, to think about my eating habits and to make some positive choices . Reading the book and reflecting on each chapter was a helpful brainstorming session between myself and the author. Instead of getting a lot of rules that work for awhile, I felt that I was working through what was going to be successful and best for me in the long run. It felt empowering to eat the things I liked, knowing I could make some changes that were more healthy. Laura

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already believed that a life style change in eating works better than dieting and this book just confirms everything that but puts the science behind it. The book is easy to read with the science being used to emphasize various points without being overwhelming. Markey agrees with Michael Pollan that you need to eat less, eat real food (unprocessed), eat more plants, and cook it yourself. She offers information on why diets don't work and how you can instill healthier lifestyle changes without depriving yourself of food that you love.

[Janet Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think there are a multitude of reasons why everyone should read this.The best diet is the one a person follows without thinking about it. If a person uses a common sense approach then the idea that she is either on a diet or off a diet becomes secondary to eating healthy foods and exercising in moderation.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very straight forward, commonsense book. I am not sure who the target audience for this book is, but perhaps a young teenager might benefit from this. If you have ever struggled with dieting nothing in this book will be news to you.

[Teralynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of common sense and logic, an interesting read.

[Jessica (Books: A true story) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smart People Don't Diet is a common-sense, long-term approach to weight loss.  It's probably a refresher course to the health class you took in high school.  Since it's been a while since I was in high school, it was kind of nice to get some reminders of the best way to stay healthy.

The first part of the book spends time convincing you not to go on diets and why.  TL;DR - there's no such thing as a short term diet if you want to lose weight.  So you can throw Atkins, low-carb, and Paleo diets out the window (unless you're going to do them for the rest of your life.)

Don't completely eliminate food you love.  If you can't give it up forever, don't give it up at all and instead practice moderation when you eat the foods you love.  Charlotte Markey mentions coffee, but mine would be chocolate and sugar.  I've been working on allowing myself sweets but in moderation and it's been working for me.  I'm still losing weight!  Research shows labeling foods as "forbidden" makes you eat more of them than if you hadn't called it "forbidden."  Didn't Edward Cullen say something about the forbidden fruit tasting the sweetest? LOL kidding.  (He said his girlfriend did taste really good though)

Now this idea was really cool.  Make a food diary on a piece of paper or using an app to keep track of every thing you eat for a day.  Be honest.  If you eat a tub of cookie dough write it down (8 servings of cookie dough...check).  Then make small changes each week based on your diary to make it healthier.  Pick things you can stick to long term.  Her approach could take as long as a year to completely change your diet, but the gradual changes don't make you feel deprived and it's easier to stick with it.  Here's the order that Charlotte Markey says to make healthier changes in your diet:

Beverages
Snacks
Sweets and treats
Meals

Drinks are the easiest place to save calories.  Replace junk snacks with healthy snacks.  Don't eat too many sweets.  If you do eat sweets, be very careful with portion control.  There was a Quality vs. Quantity analogy she had that I liked.  She loved ice cream and would eat Ben and Jerry's but since it's full of calories she can't eat very much of it.  She found herself having a hard time with portion control so she switched to a sorbet that she could eat a lot more of.  All good advice, right? And we all probably know it.  But that doesn't mean I was doing it.  Reading Smart People Don't Diet gave me a kick in the pants to start making better, healthier choices.

Work on meals last.  Split your calorie goal into how much you want to eat for each meal.  I liked this idea and I started do it with My Fitness Pal.  It's a fast way to know if you're generally eating the amount of calories you should without religiously counting them.  She says you shouldn't spend your life counting calories, but I kind of like it.  It's like a game to make sure I stay under my calories and hit my protein goal. (I'm a little competitive:)

Try to exercise 150 minutes a week.  Any physical activity is better than nothing.  You might think I'm dorky, but I'm using this pedometer that came with my Wii Fit U and I plug the data in the game.  It has these online courses you can go on for distance and altitude.  I've climbed the Eiffel Tower and walked all through New York and Chicago! Digitally! But still it's kind of fun!  Since the pedometer tracks my steps, I am actually doing real housework so I can increase my activity each day.  Seriously. Like laundry and everything.  I'm going to hike London next and climb the tallest building in the world.

There were a few practical things that I learned.  Protein should be 20% of calories for weight management and carbs should be 45%-65% of calories for weight management.  I did not know that.  Thank you, book.

The two best tips that I got out of Smart People Don't Diet were:

Keep yourself motiviated by focusing on not gaining weight.
Have "every day" foods and "sometimes" food for special occasions

Apples are every day foods and cake is a sometimes food.  I had the reverse attitude which is more like, "Every day is special! More cake! You deserve it Jessica!"  While I do deserve cake, I now save it for birthdays and don't eat it every day anymore.  Slowly but surely I'm going to get this whole healthy thing down.  And going easy on yourself by saying "Hey at least you didn't gain weight today!" is actually a pretty good way of not beating yourself up if you aren't perfect.

[Aleh Piatrou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книга о том, как перестать гнаться за "быстрыми" диетами для похудения и начать жить по принципам здорового питания.

[Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book argues that, if you're smart, you won't go on a diet. Instead, what she proposes is... a diet. Okay, what she really means here is, don't fall for fad diets, or short-term diets. Weight loss and weight management is not something that you just do once and then you're done with it. It's a lifetime of better eating and exercise habits. They add up over time.

This is still "dieting" as I define it. Maybe I'm bickering semantics, but Wikipedia defines "dieting" as "the practice of eating food in a regulated and supervised fashion to decrease, maintain, or increase body weight. In other words, it is conscious control or restriction of the diet." That's exactly what this book proposes. What she's really warning away from are certain types of diets.

What I like about this book is that the general premise and advice are all very sound. I especially like the emphasis on the psychology of eating. So many people focus on types of food, and completely overlook their whole attitudes and beliefs around eating and fitness. I have no gripes about the correctness of the contents, only the presentation of it. The semantic confusion about what "diet" means is just one of the problems with this book.

This book reads like one of those cheesy magazines you see at the grocery store. A lot of yapping, not much substance. There is actually a fair bit of substance in this book, just not enough to justify 228 pages. Cut out the innane rambling, and this book would be 100 pages, tops. Here's a good sample of the junk that laces these pages: "We can all play a role in improving the odds for healthy weight management--bit by bit, bite by bite, a thinner tomorrow is possible!"

The author also does a lot of pandering and preaching. It almost feels like she goes back and forth: Don't worry about that donut! We all pig out sometimes! And there's all this shame in society, that's not good for you, of course you need a donut. Just be smart about it. Cue the preaching. She really bends over backwards to comfort the reader that they won't have to work for it, but then outlines all the work they have to do.

It's like a written version of Planet Fitness. That's the gym that "doesn't judge you." They offer free pizza and Tootsie Rolls. They discriminate against "lunks," people who are of a larger build, mostly men. They try so hard to comfort people who are turned off by fitness that there doesn't seem to be much left for grit, just getting off your ass and busting it until you get into the kind of shape you want to be in. It's not easy. Yes that sucks, but no amount of bullshitting and pandering is going to make it easy.

It also bugs me when she tsk tsks all those "fat shamers" or bad politics that keeps the food companies rolling in it. Most of this is at the end, but she does really love her soap box from beginning to end.

And yet, I can easily imagine myself recommending this to anyone who struggles with diets and weight loss. Because, for all its faults in its presentation, it does really give the right advice.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounding up from 2.5

This book presents a common sense approach to managing weight not by dieting, but by examining your food and exercise habits and making one small, sustainable change each week. This is clearly a good way to improve your health and nutrition. I'm not convinced it will actually help more than a few people shed significant weight. She pointed out a lot of low-hanging fruit, like replacing sugary drinks with no-calorie drinks. For someone who drinks soda every day, this could be a really positive change. But I've made a lot of the lifestyle changes she recommended years ago, and I continue to struggle even to maintain my weight. She panned the whole concept of dieting, and from a psychological perspective, I agree that dieting is terrible since it makes you focus on food even more. On the other hand, if I don't keep careful records of what I'm eating, it is really hard to get the energy in/energy out balance right. I also feel like she did some hand-waving about the research on the low-carb diets. It's clear she doesn't approve, and I think she dismisses them out of hand. But I've seen other, more well documented, analyses that paint a more positive picture. There was very little attention given to other factors besides diet (like hormones and genetics) that may make it more difficult for some people to lose weight.

In all, I think the basic premise of the book - changing small habits - is a good one. But the idea that this will help everyone lose weight permanently seems like an over-promise to me.

[Am Y · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essentially tells you what you already know: do everything in moderation and all will be fine. Basically a book of common sense, debunking all other diet books on the principle that if you eat wisely, there is no need to go on extreme diets to try to bring yourself to some magically correct weight. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know reading this book; this book might, however, knock some sense into gullible people who are susceptible to trends and who are chronic fad diet followers.

I knocked a star off my review because the author wrote that she refused to allow her daughter a Barbie doll on the pretext that it would encourage her to develop wrong body image notions. You can see me rolling my eyes, facepalming and shaking my head, right? (And yes, I had plenty of Barbies when I was young, and turned out perfectly fine.)

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad summary of the current thinking (psychological and nutritional) about dieting. Probably best for someone new to the topic. If you learn only three things from this book they should be that a. you should avoid "drinking your calories" (this includes soda, juice, milk, alcohol, etc), b. while exercise won't have a huge impact on weight loss it is important for general wellbeing (much current research is focusing on the negative impacts of being sedentary which is just as bad, if not worse, than being obese), and c. any changes you make have to be for life! Personally, I do not agree with her ideas concerning metabolism as there is much ongoing research into this topic that contradicts this author's stance.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of the book is good, that it takes lasting change in daily habits to make lasting change in health, not just quick fixes. However some concepts I didn't agree wish such as a calorie is a calorie. Science shows over and over that our bodies treat different foods differently and it isn't just about the calories.

[Bren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basic information that I have gleaned from other books written about diet and weight loss. More fish foods, less (read - NO) processed foods.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reflects my thoughts and philosophy of slow and stead as well as a lifestyle change for weight loss. Loved it.

[Manu Sánchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro “average”, he aprendido alguna que otra cosilla que me sirve para mi estilo de alimentación, pero la verdad que no viene a decirme nada nuevo. Lectura de baño.

[Shana Keel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really had higher expectations for this book.
I've come to the conclusion about a year ago that counting calories, macros, and avoiding types of foods is not a sustainable way to live for most people. So when I saw this book, I thought it would have a ton of updated scientific information.
Instead I got, log your food and how it made you feel and here are 10 chapters of statistics I found on the internet.
Look, it has some good points but Markey talks about BMI (not an accurate measure of health) stats about where the highest percentage of obesity in the US, just things that I as a reader don't need to know.
She barely touched on health issues that may cause fat loss resistance, genetics, injury, physical disabilities, etc.

Nothing in this book was news to me other than this :
Make healthier choices gradually and lose weight slowly so you don't notice you are being healthier.

[Lorena Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un libro de conceptos básicos de nutrición. Básicos en el sentido de simples. La forma de redacción es ligera y fácil de leer.

Tiene algunos pocos puntos interesantes y conceptos prácticos para hacer cambios en los hábitos de alimentación, pero en lo que se basa para tomar buenas decisiones nutricionales deja mucho que desear.

Pensar únicamente en reducir calorías y hacer más ejercicio simplemente no tiene mucho sentido.

[Wan Shoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting facts on managing your diet and weight. It is a very straight forward and practical way of changing your mindset and practising discipline over your food while allowing you to enjoy your life. Evidence-based diet definitely the way to go for a more lasting and sustainable weight management.