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The Beck Diet Solution
This time, its going to be different. This time, you are going to diet successfully, lose weight with confidence, and, most importantly, keep it off forever. That's because The Beck Diet Solution is the first book that teaches dieters how to apply the proven benefits of Cognitive Therapy to dieting and weight loss: how to think differently, change your eating behavior, and lose weight permanently. In fact, Cognitive Therapy is the only psychological method shown to help dieters keep off excess weight once they lose it. The Beck Diet Solution will change the way you think about eating and weight loss forever!
Written by world-expert Cognitive Therapist Dr. Judith S. Beck, The Beck Diet Solution is a remarkable six-week program that gives you all the tools you need to train your brain to think like a thin person. This breakthrough approach, which works in tandem with any nutritional diet plan shows you how to make the kinds of positive, long-term thinking and behavioral changes necessary to lose weight and to maintain your weight loss, not just for the short run but for the rest of your life! Simply put: The Beck Diet Solution teaches you the skills you need to diet successfully and to keep the weight off permanently.
You will discover Dr. Beck's strategies for ensuring long-term weight loss based on over 20 years of successfully coaching dieters in her practice including ways to:
- Learn to stick to any diet.
- Make cravings go awayfast!
- Resist tempting foods.
- Deal with trigger eating situations.
- Say, No, thank you, to food pushers.
- Put an end to emotional eating.
- Conquer every excuse to overeat.
- Find time to exercise.
- Lose weight and keep it off for a lifetime!
Give yourself the mental and emotional foundation you need to succeed with The Beck Diet Solution.
Written by world-expert Cognitive Therapist Dr. Judith S. Beck, The Beck Diet Solution is a remarkable six-week program that gives you all the tools you need to train your brain to think like a thin person. This breakthrough approach, which works in tandem with any nutritional diet plan shows you how to make the kinds of positive, long-term thinking and behavioral changes necessary to lose weight and to maintain your weight loss, not just for the short run but for the rest of your life! Simply put: The Beck Diet Solution teaches you the skills you need to diet successfully and to keep the weight off permanently.
You will discover Dr. Beck's strategies for ensuring long-term weight loss based on over 20 years of successfully coaching dieters in her practice including ways to:
- Learn to stick to any diet.
- Make cravings go awayfast!
- Resist tempting foods.
- Deal with trigger eating situations.
- Say, No, thank you, to food pushers.
- Put an end to emotional eating.
- Conquer every excuse to overeat.
- Find time to exercise.
- Lose weight and keep it off for a lifetime!
Give yourself the mental and emotional foundation you need to succeed with The Beck Diet Solution.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2007
1151 people are currently reading
1552 people want to read
About the author
Judith S. Beck
46 books160 followersDr. Beck has written nearly 100 articles and chapters on different aspects of cognitive therapy. She is the author of the primary text in the field, which has been translated into 20 languages, as well as books, workbooks, and pamphlets for consumers.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., is an eminent clinician and educator who previously served as director of Clinical Services at the Center for Cognitive Therapy and now serves as president of Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. She is also clinical associate professor of psychology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her doctoral degree from Penn in 1982.
Dr. Beck directs the three major functions of Beck Institute, professional education and training in cognitive therapy, clinical care and outreach.
Dr. Beck divides her time among administration, supervision and teaching, clinical work, program development, research, and writing. She has been a consultant for several National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) studies, has developed widely adopted assessment scales for children and adolescents, and has presented hundreds of workshops nationally and internationally on various applications of cognitive therapy. She is also a Distinguished Founding Fellow and Past President of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., is an eminent clinician and educator who previously served as director of Clinical Services at the Center for Cognitive Therapy and now serves as president of Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. She is also clinical associate professor of psychology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her doctoral degree from Penn in 1982.
Dr. Beck directs the three major functions of Beck Institute, professional education and training in cognitive therapy, clinical care and outreach.
Dr. Beck divides her time among administration, supervision and teaching, clinical work, program development, research, and writing. She has been a consultant for several National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) studies, has developed widely adopted assessment scales for children and adolescents, and has presented hundreds of workshops nationally and internationally on various applications of cognitive therapy. She is also a Distinguished Founding Fellow and Past President of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
April 2, 2009
If this is how most people actually think... then no wonder I'm overweight. I have some serious work to do... but I am up to the challenge. The most important things I learned from this book that I will use during my weight-loss journey:
1. Being hungry is not an emergency. You can just tell yourself you will eat again at your next meal, it is not a big deal.
2. Make a plan and then stick to it, because cravings and desires for food are totally temporary, but the effects are very hard to get rid of.
3. Eat a healthy portion of food and then wait 15-20 minutes before you have seconds... that is how long it takes for the brain to get the messge that you are satisfied.
4. Notice I didn't say "full" in #3, you are not supposed to feel full! You should be able to take a brisk walk immediately after eating.
5. Having to eat a certain way to lose the excess weight is unfair.. but life is unfair in so many ways and which is worse, feeling like things are unfair, or not ever losing this weight?
6. Always eat sitting down, we eat mindlessly when we are standing at the counter, etc.
7. you need to CREATE the time to plan healthy meals, write your plan and check it off as you eat it, shop for healthy food without distractions, and exercise.
OK... there is more, but you'll have to read the book :)
1. Being hungry is not an emergency. You can just tell yourself you will eat again at your next meal, it is not a big deal.
2. Make a plan and then stick to it, because cravings and desires for food are totally temporary, but the effects are very hard to get rid of.
3. Eat a healthy portion of food and then wait 15-20 minutes before you have seconds... that is how long it takes for the brain to get the messge that you are satisfied.
4. Notice I didn't say "full" in #3, you are not supposed to feel full! You should be able to take a brisk walk immediately after eating.
5. Having to eat a certain way to lose the excess weight is unfair.. but life is unfair in so many ways and which is worse, feeling like things are unfair, or not ever losing this weight?
6. Always eat sitting down, we eat mindlessly when we are standing at the counter, etc.
7. you need to CREATE the time to plan healthy meals, write your plan and check it off as you eat it, shop for healthy food without distractions, and exercise.
OK... there is more, but you'll have to read the book :)
February 18, 2019
(Note: if you have or have had any eating disorder, or could easily fall into such issues, don't read this book.)
This book offers cognitive therapy tools that you can use alongside your diet, in a 42-day program. The intetion is to find a way to change how you think while dieting, to help you not sabotage your diet because of certain ways of thinking.
I gave this book three stars for two reasons: 1) I fought the whole idea through the reading, and 2) I did not like the tone, did not always like the author's view on things, and really didn't like the idea of wasting food so easily (just fridge/freeze it, really). The book was useful enough - otherwise I wouldn't be reviewing it, but simply getting rid of it - but I did do my 'toss against the wall' thing after I finished.
Now, each of these 42 days has something to do. The first 14 are for doing before the diet. Some days I chose to ignore (I mean, I don't drink so the day about that subject was a 'day off' for me). The idea of writing down on a card your reasons to lose weight was a good idea, as was the idea of writing down of the benefits of maintaining the reached goal weight.
This is what the days do:
You write the reasons why to lose weight and choose two healthy and reasonable diet (one which one to use). You learn to sit when eating, to give kudos to yourself, to eat mindfully, to arrange time on your calendar for buying/planning/making your meals. You plan your exercise. You change mentally (to think better, to answer your mind's complaints and sabotaging) and learn to not fear hunger. You plan next day's meals and keep food diary honestly. You plan what you'll do when at parties/eating out/traveling. You face backslides, disappointments, and plateau phases. You weight yourself weekly.
Didin't really like the examples of her talks with her clients, felt too pushy (see my point no.2 above on why I didn't love the book). The occasional repetition didn't bother me too much. Each day had a list of things to do at the end, which can feel repetitive if you're reading through, not just the day's section.
In the end, I would (and probably will) follow many of her ideas, and skip some. It's not a book I'd read through again, just dip into the relevant sections when I need them. The negatives got my usual reaction, but I could see sense in many of the points given. Useful, but flawed.
This book offers cognitive therapy tools that you can use alongside your diet, in a 42-day program. The intetion is to find a way to change how you think while dieting, to help you not sabotage your diet because of certain ways of thinking.
I gave this book three stars for two reasons: 1) I fought the whole idea through the reading, and 2) I did not like the tone, did not always like the author's view on things, and really didn't like the idea of wasting food so easily (just fridge/freeze it, really). The book was useful enough - otherwise I wouldn't be reviewing it, but simply getting rid of it - but I did do my 'toss against the wall' thing after I finished.
Now, each of these 42 days has something to do. The first 14 are for doing before the diet. Some days I chose to ignore (I mean, I don't drink so the day about that subject was a 'day off' for me). The idea of writing down on a card your reasons to lose weight was a good idea, as was the idea of writing down of the benefits of maintaining the reached goal weight.
This is what the days do:
You write the reasons why to lose weight and choose two healthy and reasonable diet (one which one to use). You learn to sit when eating, to give kudos to yourself, to eat mindfully, to arrange time on your calendar for buying/planning/making your meals. You plan your exercise. You change mentally (to think better, to answer your mind's complaints and sabotaging) and learn to not fear hunger. You plan next day's meals and keep food diary honestly. You plan what you'll do when at parties/eating out/traveling. You face backslides, disappointments, and plateau phases. You weight yourself weekly.
Didin't really like the examples of her talks with her clients, felt too pushy (see my point no.2 above on why I didn't love the book). The occasional repetition didn't bother me too much. Each day had a list of things to do at the end, which can feel repetitive if you're reading through, not just the day's section.
In the end, I would (and probably will) follow many of her ideas, and skip some. It's not a book I'd read through again, just dip into the relevant sections when I need them. The negatives got my usual reaction, but I could see sense in many of the points given. Useful, but flawed.
May 24, 2011
Who has never been able to diet successfully for 4 weeks straight? ME! Until now. I cannot stress to future readers how much this book has changed my thinking about eating. A year ago at 239 pounds, I started working at a weight loss program,I also had a personal trainer...I had all of these tools for my use but I would always go off and eat things I shouldn't...like buying McDonald's or any other fast food on the way home after a weigh in or going to a Taco-Hut (Pizza Hut/Taco Bell) and ordering a meal from the pizza hut menu and the taco bell menu for myself and would eat this in the car not even paying attention to what I was really putting into my body...or after my boyfriend and I would fight the next day we would make up with food oooor living with my parents still and my mom (who has started to read this book now) who would ask me "are you having a good day today?" "why? do you want to get something to eat?" and then I would end up eating mindlessly for hours and never feel full and always vowing the next day, next week, or the next month that I would start back on my diet. I would lose weight one week and then I would gain weight the next. I ended up losing 25 pounds over like 5 months but I ended up gaining 20 pounds back.
I look back on my habits from before and I just want to shake myself! I cannot believe how RIDICULOUS I was being before! I tell anyone who is struggling with their weight about this book and I feel like it sounds like I am in a cult or something. It has just helped me so much! With the help of this book and the healthy diet that I chose to plan my weekly menu, I have lost 15 pounds in one month. And I want to get down to 150 but I am not discouraged at all with how far I still have to go because I now KNOW that there is no doubt I WILL reach my goal!!! A BIG THANK YOU to Judith Beck!!!
I look back on my habits from before and I just want to shake myself! I cannot believe how RIDICULOUS I was being before! I tell anyone who is struggling with their weight about this book and I feel like it sounds like I am in a cult or something. It has just helped me so much! With the help of this book and the healthy diet that I chose to plan my weekly menu, I have lost 15 pounds in one month. And I want to get down to 150 but I am not discouraged at all with how far I still have to go because I now KNOW that there is no doubt I WILL reach my goal!!! A BIG THANK YOU to Judith Beck!!!
May 4, 2017
This is by far the best diet book I've ever read. Why? Because it is not really a diet. In fact, the author asks you to choose your own diet and a plan B diet should your first option not work for you.
This book addresses the often ignored part of dieting - the mind games you play with yourself as you are dieting.
First things first. This is not a diet book. Wait a minute, didn't you just say that this was the best diet book you had ever read. Yes - I did. However, this book goes deep into your lizard brain and trains you how to think. The author takes every argument you've ever made about life not being fair, why do I have to diet, why can't I eat that bowl of ice cream, etc. and helps you come up with an appropriate response and behavior. And....should you follow her instructions, you may be on your way to losing weight.
What I liked about this book was that before you even started dieting, the author took you through several steps in order to prepare you for a successful lifestyle change. There were written exercises that were enlightening (and repetitive) as well as conversations the author had with her patients.
This is the first time that I felt that a book was speaking to me.
If you feel that you want to finally get off that yoyo dieting thing - this is it.
Thank you Ms. Beck.
This book addresses the often ignored part of dieting - the mind games you play with yourself as you are dieting.
First things first. This is not a diet book. Wait a minute, didn't you just say that this was the best diet book you had ever read. Yes - I did. However, this book goes deep into your lizard brain and trains you how to think. The author takes every argument you've ever made about life not being fair, why do I have to diet, why can't I eat that bowl of ice cream, etc. and helps you come up with an appropriate response and behavior. And....should you follow her instructions, you may be on your way to losing weight.
What I liked about this book was that before you even started dieting, the author took you through several steps in order to prepare you for a successful lifestyle change. There were written exercises that were enlightening (and repetitive) as well as conversations the author had with her patients.
This is the first time that I felt that a book was speaking to me.
If you feel that you want to finally get off that yoyo dieting thing - this is it.
Thank you Ms. Beck.
July 2, 2010
In my opinion, this book is poison. It's about how to use cognitive behavioral therapy to help chronically deprive yourself. I made it through very little of this book. The author doesn't refer to the people she has worked with as people. To her, everyone is a "dieter." I guess that makes me not part of her audience, since I don't "diet." But, man, really?! Are people "dieters" before they are human? Yucky.
Someone recommended this book as one that changes the way you relate to food--in a good way. Hm. It does change the way you relate to food, but not in a good way, according to my understanding of food as nourishment and a healthy and pleasurable part of life. One of the things at the beginning of the book is a "key" which involves taking out a list of all the reasons you want to lose weight every time anyone offers you something you "shouldn't" eat.
What a deprived and restrictive way to live. So not for me.
Someone recommended this book as one that changes the way you relate to food--in a good way. Hm. It does change the way you relate to food, but not in a good way, according to my understanding of food as nourishment and a healthy and pleasurable part of life. One of the things at the beginning of the book is a "key" which involves taking out a list of all the reasons you want to lose weight every time anyone offers you something you "shouldn't" eat.
What a deprived and restrictive way to live. So not for me.
July 16, 2018
I'm half-way through the The Beck Diet Solution.
I've done everything in this book exactly as written: made the index cards, attempted to check off the list everyday, read the index cards, investigated diets etc. Its all been so helpful and CBT strategies really DO work if you actually DO them. Beck has written an excellent book that, if it were used by all dieters, would make them much more successful in the long-term. I wanted to write a review before finishing the book because I've come across a few things to consider:
(1) The book requires LOTS of time and energy. Some of the tasks are easy (for me, picking two reasonable diets) and others are not so easy (for me, dealing with cravings). Despite explicitly telling readers to 'create time and energy' for dieting, Beck has only one sentence which tells readers that going through this book will also require time and energy, and that you can spend as much time as you need to implement the changes in the book. I get it: 'in 6 weeks you'll think like a thin person' sells books. You can't sell books with 'this will probably take a few months to get under your belt!'. But, as a psychologist, Beck ought to put much more than one sentence about this in the book. For people who have never considered the psychological aspects of eating, CBT will especially be a shock! So far, for me, the book has so far required more time and energy than I expected: downloading apps on my phone to record time eaten, writing index cards, recording hunger and cravings, investigating diets, buying gadgets for dieting... These things take time, money, and effort. Definitely more than one day. So, I think acceptance that the book will probably take longer than 6 weeks to implement is important.
(2) The book does not acknowledge that, for people who compulsively overeat while on a diet, dieting is not for you. I think it would be appropriate to say in the book, 'if you are overeating/binge eating while dieting, it may be appropriate for you to stop dieting'. Beck does have an eating disorder disclaimer near the start of the book, saying that this book is not appropriate for them but, as I've discovered, sometimes past disordered behaviours that you thought were long-gone suddenly re-appear when you begin a new diet. When I learned to stop binge eating a few years ago, I was taught that 'dieting is incompatible with stopping binge eating'. And it's true, because when you are dieting you are consuming fewer calories than you need to maintain your body's current weight, which sets you up for bingeing, which you then try to control through dieting, which sets you up for more bingeing, and so on. To break the vicious cycle, I needed to stop dieting. Overeating is a huge problem for a lot of people who want to lose weight - Beck knows this - so if this is a continual problem when you start dieting, then dieting is NOT the solution, and Beck should add in this specific disclaimer.
(3) The book does not advise people on the best time to start this book (which requires a lot of time and energy). Here's my advice: don't start this book if you know you have a stressful period coming up (house renovations, a new work project you are responsible for) or if you know that your support system will not be available (eg if your partner or 'diet coach' is going on a holiday and will not be within reach). Doing everything in this book requires time and energy and you will be actively challenging sabotaging thoughts, which is uncomfortable and stressful. You may have problems arise while completing this book that are far more complex than what the CBT solutions offered in this book can solve, such as unresolved trauma. The thought, for example, 'losing weight will mean I am more vulnerable to abuse' can be helped through disputation but it certainly can't be solved. It usually requires long-term treatment with a specialist mental health professional and team of other health professionals.
(4) Beck seems to forget that the Beck Diet Solution has worked for her patients, which she sees regularly in therapy, and that it may not work as well for every day people who do not regularly see a therapist. A therapist would be able to readily assist people with core beliefs and past experiences that are getting in the way of doing the Beck Diet Solution effectively. A diet coach would be great at helping with everyday stresses and sabotaging thoughts but, like I've said - sometimes what makes people unsuccessful dieters is more complex than surface-level sabotaging thoughts. My advice: if you've ever had an eating disorder in the past, if you've got other 'stuff' (unresolved trauma, bereavement, depression, anxiety, difficult relationships etc) don't just get a 'diet coach', get a health professional you trust and respect on board. Realise and accept that you may need to address this other stuff first before doing the Beck Diet Solution (which may add extra stress when you're already doing hard work trying to resolve other life stuff).
all in all (tl;dr): Start reading the book and find out, for yourself, whether it's the right time to do this book OR whether you need to resolve other issues (mental health issues or life stress) before tackling this book. The book will take time and effort and you may need the support of a health/mental health professional to get through. Accept that the book will probably take longer than 6 weeks to take everything in properly, but that it will be worth it in the long term.
I've done everything in this book exactly as written: made the index cards, attempted to check off the list everyday, read the index cards, investigated diets etc. Its all been so helpful and CBT strategies really DO work if you actually DO them. Beck has written an excellent book that, if it were used by all dieters, would make them much more successful in the long-term. I wanted to write a review before finishing the book because I've come across a few things to consider:
(1) The book requires LOTS of time and energy. Some of the tasks are easy (for me, picking two reasonable diets) and others are not so easy (for me, dealing with cravings). Despite explicitly telling readers to 'create time and energy' for dieting, Beck has only one sentence which tells readers that going through this book will also require time and energy, and that you can spend as much time as you need to implement the changes in the book. I get it: 'in 6 weeks you'll think like a thin person' sells books. You can't sell books with 'this will probably take a few months to get under your belt!'. But, as a psychologist, Beck ought to put much more than one sentence about this in the book. For people who have never considered the psychological aspects of eating, CBT will especially be a shock! So far, for me, the book has so far required more time and energy than I expected: downloading apps on my phone to record time eaten, writing index cards, recording hunger and cravings, investigating diets, buying gadgets for dieting... These things take time, money, and effort. Definitely more than one day. So, I think acceptance that the book will probably take longer than 6 weeks to implement is important.
(2) The book does not acknowledge that, for people who compulsively overeat while on a diet, dieting is not for you. I think it would be appropriate to say in the book, 'if you are overeating/binge eating while dieting, it may be appropriate for you to stop dieting'. Beck does have an eating disorder disclaimer near the start of the book, saying that this book is not appropriate for them but, as I've discovered, sometimes past disordered behaviours that you thought were long-gone suddenly re-appear when you begin a new diet. When I learned to stop binge eating a few years ago, I was taught that 'dieting is incompatible with stopping binge eating'. And it's true, because when you are dieting you are consuming fewer calories than you need to maintain your body's current weight, which sets you up for bingeing, which you then try to control through dieting, which sets you up for more bingeing, and so on. To break the vicious cycle, I needed to stop dieting. Overeating is a huge problem for a lot of people who want to lose weight - Beck knows this - so if this is a continual problem when you start dieting, then dieting is NOT the solution, and Beck should add in this specific disclaimer.
(3) The book does not advise people on the best time to start this book (which requires a lot of time and energy). Here's my advice: don't start this book if you know you have a stressful period coming up (house renovations, a new work project you are responsible for) or if you know that your support system will not be available (eg if your partner or 'diet coach' is going on a holiday and will not be within reach). Doing everything in this book requires time and energy and you will be actively challenging sabotaging thoughts, which is uncomfortable and stressful. You may have problems arise while completing this book that are far more complex than what the CBT solutions offered in this book can solve, such as unresolved trauma. The thought, for example, 'losing weight will mean I am more vulnerable to abuse' can be helped through disputation but it certainly can't be solved. It usually requires long-term treatment with a specialist mental health professional and team of other health professionals.
(4) Beck seems to forget that the Beck Diet Solution has worked for her patients, which she sees regularly in therapy, and that it may not work as well for every day people who do not regularly see a therapist. A therapist would be able to readily assist people with core beliefs and past experiences that are getting in the way of doing the Beck Diet Solution effectively. A diet coach would be great at helping with everyday stresses and sabotaging thoughts but, like I've said - sometimes what makes people unsuccessful dieters is more complex than surface-level sabotaging thoughts. My advice: if you've ever had an eating disorder in the past, if you've got other 'stuff' (unresolved trauma, bereavement, depression, anxiety, difficult relationships etc) don't just get a 'diet coach', get a health professional you trust and respect on board. Realise and accept that you may need to address this other stuff first before doing the Beck Diet Solution (which may add extra stress when you're already doing hard work trying to resolve other life stuff).
all in all (tl;dr): Start reading the book and find out, for yourself, whether it's the right time to do this book OR whether you need to resolve other issues (mental health issues or life stress) before tackling this book. The book will take time and effort and you may need the support of a health/mental health professional to get through. Accept that the book will probably take longer than 6 weeks to take everything in properly, but that it will be worth it in the long term.
May 31, 2011
I REALLY enjoyed this book. I learned a lot of information that I have written down and will be using!
For me, I've already lost 25lbs so I was not "starting" a diet with the book, I was just doing some reading to compliment my lifestyle change and get some information to help me finish this weight loss journey. Here are some of the things I thought anyone could use:
The idea of writing down advantages of staying healthy. I think it will be helpful when you get bored or depressed with a healthy lifestyle and think about just going back to eating junk.
The NO CHOICE rule. I think it's helpful to make boundaries for yourself, like the book said, "to strengthen your resistance muscle".
The Oh Well attitude- you'd say this if say you don't want to exercise that day, or you'd rather have a greasy burger vs. a salad for lunch. Oh well, again, sets boundaries that it's not a choice.
Eat sitting down and think about and enjoy what you are eating. Scarfing down the food will not satisfy you, and sitting down is a conscious effort to eat what you are eating. If it's something unplanned or unhealthy, you may think twice before sitting down.
What would you tell your friend? I also like this strategy- if you are up against an obstacle or feeling down- in any aspect of life, I think it's helpful to answer this question. I know personally I will allow others more lee-way than myself, and maybe that's not good for ME. Give yourself a break.
Celebrate each HALF POUND weight loss. This is also important- esp. after you've lost a significant amount of weight already like myself, it gets much harder and I need to remember that even a half pound is something to be proud of!
Remembering to celebrate the new me, and criticize. Again, good thing to think positive esp. if you are plateauing.
Lastly, there was some great info about maintaining weight loss over time and plateau's. Both of those are really where I am at now, and I appreciated the insight that was included!
I really would recommend this book to anyone making a lifestyle change. You may not agree with everything, but there are certainly many good points you may find helpful!
For me, I've already lost 25lbs so I was not "starting" a diet with the book, I was just doing some reading to compliment my lifestyle change and get some information to help me finish this weight loss journey. Here are some of the things I thought anyone could use:
The idea of writing down advantages of staying healthy. I think it will be helpful when you get bored or depressed with a healthy lifestyle and think about just going back to eating junk.
The NO CHOICE rule. I think it's helpful to make boundaries for yourself, like the book said, "to strengthen your resistance muscle".
The Oh Well attitude- you'd say this if say you don't want to exercise that day, or you'd rather have a greasy burger vs. a salad for lunch. Oh well, again, sets boundaries that it's not a choice.
Eat sitting down and think about and enjoy what you are eating. Scarfing down the food will not satisfy you, and sitting down is a conscious effort to eat what you are eating. If it's something unplanned or unhealthy, you may think twice before sitting down.
What would you tell your friend? I also like this strategy- if you are up against an obstacle or feeling down- in any aspect of life, I think it's helpful to answer this question. I know personally I will allow others more lee-way than myself, and maybe that's not good for ME. Give yourself a break.
Celebrate each HALF POUND weight loss. This is also important- esp. after you've lost a significant amount of weight already like myself, it gets much harder and I need to remember that even a half pound is something to be proud of!
Remembering to celebrate the new me, and criticize. Again, good thing to think positive esp. if you are plateauing.
Lastly, there was some great info about maintaining weight loss over time and plateau's. Both of those are really where I am at now, and I appreciated the insight that was included!
I really would recommend this book to anyone making a lifestyle change. You may not agree with everything, but there are certainly many good points you may find helpful!
September 30, 2012
Took a psychology class last summer and had to do a "self improvement" project. Chose this book off the list. Wasn't sure if I could actually lose any weight since I happened to be at what was the normal lowest end of my adult weight. I did the behavior modification parts of the diet religiously, but used my own eating plan that's just balanced meals, lots of vegetables, not much breads. 4 months later I've lost 13 lbs. and weigh what I weighed in the eighth grade. Just walking one mile a day for exercise plus my normal fairly active lifestyle. What I like about it is that it focuses on LONG term. People who have used it tend to keep the weight off...even continue to lose after stopping the diet portion. Good habits to keep.
It's not terribly well organized and does take a bit of an effort to implement...but it's worth it.
It's not terribly well organized and does take a bit of an effort to implement...but it's worth it.
April 20, 2008
I found this book to be very helpful in my quest to permanently change some of my not so helpful eating habits. What I liked most about the book is that it doesn't talk about what you should eat or not eat, but talks about your thinking, beliefs and attitudes about yourself and food that either help you or sabotage you in your efforts to eat healthy. The basic premise is that whether it's conscious or unconscious, any time we act, we have thoughts that proceed that act. And the key to alter behavior is to examine the thinking that leads to your actions.
May 16, 2018
DNF. I tried to do this, but it was just so damn repetitive. It really didn't need to be a book...more like a pamphlet.
January 22, 2010
cognitive behavior theory works. i know this. but man, this book is really not for me. yes, i am having 'sabotaging thoughts'....really this book is for people who truly have a bad relationship with food and have no common sense at all. i have a little of the former and some of the latter.
there is no way, even in my pretty non-busy life, that i can try to incorporate all 42 tasks into my life, write little notes about them and then remember them all each day afterwards.
i really thought this book would speak to me in an intelligent way. and even though it IS different than other weight loss books, it still feels condescending while still being totally boring.
there is no way, even in my pretty non-busy life, that i can try to incorporate all 42 tasks into my life, write little notes about them and then remember them all each day afterwards.
i really thought this book would speak to me in an intelligent way. and even though it IS different than other weight loss books, it still feels condescending while still being totally boring.
February 3, 2019
Devoured this book! Found it on another WW member’s post and was curious. Already 2+ months into WW and find this to be an excellent resource. Very practical, easy to apply advice. She takes you step by step through the process of changing how you think about food. I know I will be going back again and again to reference her examples and coaching, so I tabbed the book to make these interventions easy to find. WW promotes holistic approach to losing weight: Food, Activity and Mindset. Mindset was the area I struggled with, but With Dr. Beck’s book, I am confident I will be successful in this journey.
November 30, 2020
I read this book 10 years ago and initially lost 25 lbs. I then gained all that back despite the “skills”. I think some of the ideas are useful but many are unrealistic to maintain for life. I would like the author to get statistics about how many of her readers were successful outside of her clinic where they come for months and years leaving hundreds and thousands of dollars for CBT. “If you follow my advice you will be successful “ is not a scientific answer. Look reality in the eye and tell me what percentage of people were actually able to change permanently. Without evidence this book is just another fraud.
June 18, 2007
I just purchased this book and cannot seem to put it down. I never really knew before that I had to train myself to diet. This is not a meal plan book, but based on using cognitive therapy to think differently about food.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for solutions on weight loss and keeping off the weight for life!
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for solutions on weight loss and keeping off the weight for life!
April 5, 2021
So much fat phobia.
March 20, 2025
Excellent. For someone like myself who's struggled with their weight their whole life, this is the 1st book to really delve into the problems with how I and others think about food, diet, all or nothing mentalities, "I've already eaten badly today, may as well: 1. eat more, 2. fuck it, 3. eat sweets, 4. start again tomorrow," etc.
I read through this twice, and am back on a good streak of sustainably tracking my calories and macronutrients. Trying for slow and steady sustainable changes.
I highly recommend this book, and the exercises within. It's so much more helpful than "just do this one thing!" "Just eat paleo!" "Just do more cardio!" "Just do keto!"
I read through this twice, and am back on a good streak of sustainably tracking my calories and macronutrients. Trying for slow and steady sustainable changes.
I highly recommend this book, and the exercises within. It's so much more helpful than "just do this one thing!" "Just eat paleo!" "Just do more cardio!" "Just do keto!"
January 31, 2019
Cognitive behavioral strategies outlined here seem corny, but they work for me. It highlights my limiting beliefs and then brings truth and light to them, this making them disappear. It's an awareness book for weightloss. I love it.
March 19, 2025
Great CBT for sabotaging thoughts and weight loss maintenance insight. I lost 164 lbs, which has been completely life-changing, and have found maintenance to be more challenging than weight loss ever was, especially with hormonal imbalance. Dr. Beck had some great tips about identifying and replacing sabotaging thoughts with truth. This works with whatever diet anyone wants to do, which in my case has been WW, one of the tools God has used to bring freedom in the area of weight and idolatry.
March 14, 2019
Pretty much everything you'll ever need to know about weight management. Seriously.
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April 26, 2016Where has this book been hiding? It offers an intelligent way to approach dieting or eating healthy or slimming down or whatever you want to call it. I've employed several techniques already and I feel much better. I like the way Dr. Beck identifies sabotaging thoughts and counters them with positive messages that clearly identify what you really want to tell yourself.
This is classic CBT, of course, so I loved it - lots of index cards with reminders on them. I liked the way it was organized (small steps, one day at a time, one difficult mental hurdle at a time) and appreciated that I could read the book and implement positive thinking strategies immediately or spread them out over the course of six weeks.
My favorite of her strategies is the one to counter: "Why can't I just eat like everyone else?" Everyone has felt that way at one time or another. Or all the time!
I also appreciated the enlightening experiments Dr. Beck presents, such as skipping a meal to differentiate between hunger and a craving. This is eye-opening, actually. The entire point of these exercises, these cards, and the repetition of the affirmations is to change your thinking. That's the beauty of CBT. It works.
This book should be read in conjunction with a diet plan of your choice (preferably vegan or vegetarian, ahem). This will help you implement the diet, believe me. Put a little effort into these steps and you'll receive back immense, healthy rewards.
This is classic CBT, of course, so I loved it - lots of index cards with reminders on them. I liked the way it was organized (small steps, one day at a time, one difficult mental hurdle at a time) and appreciated that I could read the book and implement positive thinking strategies immediately or spread them out over the course of six weeks.
My favorite of her strategies is the one to counter: "Why can't I just eat like everyone else?" Everyone has felt that way at one time or another. Or all the time!
I also appreciated the enlightening experiments Dr. Beck presents, such as skipping a meal to differentiate between hunger and a craving. This is eye-opening, actually. The entire point of these exercises, these cards, and the repetition of the affirmations is to change your thinking. That's the beauty of CBT. It works.
This book should be read in conjunction with a diet plan of your choice (preferably vegan or vegetarian, ahem). This will help you implement the diet, believe me. Put a little effort into these steps and you'll receive back immense, healthy rewards.
July 11, 2022
Woa, an evidence-based and effective dieting book - rare find.
"Dieting" is a dirty word these days because it's trendy to accept every imperfection under the sun.
Whether you like it or not though, you're on a diet.
Something I learned in Greece was that the word 'Diet' comes from the Greek 'Diaita', meaning 'Way of life'.
Fact is, everyone selects food to eat.
Some people do so in a way that maximises their happiness and longevity, and some people don't.
This book teaches applied cognitive behavioural therapy techniques to the dieting realm.
There's nothing here that's not in a CBT textbook, but it's explained in a new & simpler way. I'd definitely recommend this to a 55-year old Mum who wanted a book to read on dieting.
Though one gripe I had was the claim that the diet you choose doesn't matter. I disagree. It does matter. A lot. If you're mainly eating calorie dense foods it will be very difficult to regulate your eating behaviour even with all of these tips.
A lil primer on eating to maximise satiety would have perfected this book IMO
"Dieting" is a dirty word these days because it's trendy to accept every imperfection under the sun.
Whether you like it or not though, you're on a diet.
Something I learned in Greece was that the word 'Diet' comes from the Greek 'Diaita', meaning 'Way of life'.
Fact is, everyone selects food to eat.
Some people do so in a way that maximises their happiness and longevity, and some people don't.
This book teaches applied cognitive behavioural therapy techniques to the dieting realm.
There's nothing here that's not in a CBT textbook, but it's explained in a new & simpler way. I'd definitely recommend this to a 55-year old Mum who wanted a book to read on dieting.
Though one gripe I had was the claim that the diet you choose doesn't matter. I disagree. It does matter. A lot. If you're mainly eating calorie dense foods it will be very difficult to regulate your eating behaviour even with all of these tips.
A lil primer on eating to maximise satiety would have perfected this book IMO
December 15, 2013
If you are the type who likes to journal and keep charts, like graphs and meal plans, then you WILL lose weight with this book! According to the author, there is no other way. She may be right, lord knows I've tried every other way but hers.
I did like everything she had to say. I've read it all before but this book puts it all in one place for you. Instead of reading these tips in dribs and drabs in magazine or internet articles you can get the whole shebang in this book.
I read the book with yellow highlighter in hand and I will re-read these parts. For those who follow her plan perfectly success can be had. Go for it!
I did like everything she had to say. I've read it all before but this book puts it all in one place for you. Instead of reading these tips in dribs and drabs in magazine or internet articles you can get the whole shebang in this book.
I read the book with yellow highlighter in hand and I will re-read these parts. For those who follow her plan perfectly success can be had. Go for it!
February 6, 2021
I was drinking the Kool-Aid at first, the first 4 weeks I was all in, this is going to be the answer to get that holiday and quarantine weight off for good. Then I was tired of being hungry, tired of my exercise plan and just plain tired. So I started going easier on myself and just going through the motions. Then I finished day 42 and I read the last section about maintaining. And it totally went against everything else I just read. I want to eat a little more and exercise a little less, so all I need to do is adjust my goal weight and be happy with that number. So basically I need to just be happy where I am now.
November 12, 2023
I would never recommended this book to anyone. It promotes unhealthy eating and deprivation, with one day of the program being devoting to purposefully not eating to learn how to tolerate hunger and train yourself that “hunger is not an emergency.” I only read this for research purposes, but even getting through it for that was painful. I would much rather devote my money to supporting authors who teach readers to radically accept their bodies and treat themselves with compassion and love, which includes taking care of their bodies in a way that works for them.
July 29, 2008
This is the ONLY book you need to lose weight. It doesn't address what to eat but how you think about food. Every other diet book in the world is only complementary to this one!
While at times it's hard to focus & you truly believe you 'dont' need to do this' ~just do it! By the end of the book you have lost a couple pounds & reshaped your thinking ~definately a task and hopefully, I'll finally have learned to keep the weight off!
While at times it's hard to focus & you truly believe you 'dont' need to do this' ~just do it! By the end of the book you have lost a couple pounds & reshaped your thinking ~definately a task and hopefully, I'll finally have learned to keep the weight off!
January 9, 2009
After reading this book, I realized that I very likely have "sabotaging thoughts" that get in the way of most of the things I want to do (but don't quite have the willpower to accomplish.) Now that I'm aware of them, I can attack my weaknesses head-on.
I found this book to be an enlightening foray, not just into weightloss, but into the world of psychotherapy for self-improvement. I plan to apply these skills to other goals...not just weightloss!
I found this book to be an enlightening foray, not just into weightloss, but into the world of psychotherapy for self-improvement. I plan to apply these skills to other goals...not just weightloss!
November 23, 2011
well I have finished 42 days of this and overall yes it did work I lost a total of 12lbs but was it do to the training of my brain? or was it the fact that the book states to pick two diets and follow one and have the other as a back up in case the 1st one fails. I feel that it gave me a new way of approaching how I eat and it also gave me insight as to how I view other things in my life. I would suggest this to others if they were looking for something to go along with a diet
March 25, 2010
I can say that this book has completely changed my life.
It changes the way you react to food really deep.
Even though i was never too fat, I admit that I have a horrendously obese mind, always obsessed with food, never knowing the boundaries of satisfaction and frugality.
This book made me so much better....and it can be aplied to other fields.
Just try it :)
It changes the way you react to food really deep.
Even though i was never too fat, I admit that I have a horrendously obese mind, always obsessed with food, never knowing the boundaries of satisfaction and frugality.
This book made me so much better....and it can be aplied to other fields.
Just try it :)
April 8, 2020
A autora da um passo a passo para você colocar em prática o emagrecimento. Achei muito clichê de outras coisas que já li na internet e informações a que tive acesso em outros canais como YouTube e Instagram. É um passo a passo perfeitamente aplicável, porém acho que há coisas mais importantes do que o que é exposto no livro quando se fala de emagrecimento.
October 11, 2022
Read this for work purposes. A physician recommends this book to some patients so I wanted to read it. Definitely don’t agree with the main theme of the book which is to “think like a thin person”! Health is about way more than the scale. She did have some good behavioral strategies but overall the message was too tainted by the thinness language.
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