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The Gabriel Method: The Revolutionary DIET-FREE Way to Totally Transform Your Body
Author Jon Gabriel uses his own remarkable transformation—from 409 pounds to 184 pounds—to show the solution to changing the inner belief systems that keep our bodies from thin.
When Jon Gabriel's life took an unexpected turn, he suddenly was awakened to the marvelous gift that he had been given—the opportunity to live—and was disgusted at how he had treated his body. At over four hundred pounds, walking, sleeping, and working was a struggle against gravity, and his life was a constant battle between emotional and physical satiation. He was slowly killing himself with food.
Jon was trapped in what he came to call the FAT—Famine and Temperature—trap. By studying biochemistry, Gabriel learned that your body has an internal logic that determines how fat or thin you will be at any given time. The way to lose weight is not to struggle or to force yourself to lose weight, but to understand this internal logic and work with it so that your body wants to be thinner.
After reading The Gabriel Method , you will
-Your body has a reason why it's holding on to weight—and it's not your fault.
-Fat is a cushion—a protective barrier that our mind believes is helping to protect us.
-If you can change that belief, you can change your body. Stop the cycle of crash dieting and start eating what you want, when you want it.
-How to choose healthy, nutritious foods that nourish the cells in your body, not starve them.
-Delicious shakes and smoothies, and super-power supplements, that can jump start your success.
-The simple way you can train your mind and body to work with your goal of health, not against it.
-Eliminate the emotional and mental reasons your body holds on to weight in just 10 minutes a day.
It certainly worked for Jon; he lost 225 pounds in two-and-a-half years, going from 409 pounds to 184, without suffering, dieting, or anguishing over his body. Unlike most people who lose an extensive amount of weight, his skin tightened up and now is indistinguishable from that of a person who has been healthy his whole life.
When Jon Gabriel's life took an unexpected turn, he suddenly was awakened to the marvelous gift that he had been given—the opportunity to live—and was disgusted at how he had treated his body. At over four hundred pounds, walking, sleeping, and working was a struggle against gravity, and his life was a constant battle between emotional and physical satiation. He was slowly killing himself with food.
Jon was trapped in what he came to call the FAT—Famine and Temperature—trap. By studying biochemistry, Gabriel learned that your body has an internal logic that determines how fat or thin you will be at any given time. The way to lose weight is not to struggle or to force yourself to lose weight, but to understand this internal logic and work with it so that your body wants to be thinner.
After reading The Gabriel Method , you will
-Your body has a reason why it's holding on to weight—and it's not your fault.
-Fat is a cushion—a protective barrier that our mind believes is helping to protect us.
-If you can change that belief, you can change your body. Stop the cycle of crash dieting and start eating what you want, when you want it.
-How to choose healthy, nutritious foods that nourish the cells in your body, not starve them.
-Delicious shakes and smoothies, and super-power supplements, that can jump start your success.
-The simple way you can train your mind and body to work with your goal of health, not against it.
-Eliminate the emotional and mental reasons your body holds on to weight in just 10 minutes a day.
It certainly worked for Jon; he lost 225 pounds in two-and-a-half years, going from 409 pounds to 184, without suffering, dieting, or anguishing over his body. Unlike most people who lose an extensive amount of weight, his skin tightened up and now is indistinguishable from that of a person who has been healthy his whole life.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
235 people are currently reading
654 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
August 29, 2009
If you've ever been a chronic dieter, you're always looking for the latest "hook" that will be the solution to your challenges with weight.
As a chronic dieter myself, I consider myself pretty aware to the strategy of most diet plans. Eat less. Exercise. Lose weight. And I agree..if you do that you will lose weight. In the short term. The biggest issue is keeping it off. That's always been my challenge. I've lost literallly hundreds of pounds in my lifetime, but the weight always came back because I never fully addressed the emotional and biological issues driving my relationship to food. This book does that in spades! The author, Jon Gabriel, is himself a biochemist and went on his own journey to lose over 200 pounds. This book addresses each of us as human beings, not weaklings that can't pass up that piece of cake. And it makes it seem manaageable. I have lost 57 pounds this last year via traditional methods, yet I knew something inside me wasn't being addressed. I have more weight to lose. I just started the Gabriel Method, and really feel like I'll never buy another diet book again. I'll post my progress again in a few months. But if you're contemplating another gym membership or diet plan, I'd read this book first. It will change the way you feel about food and your body.
As a chronic dieter myself, I consider myself pretty aware to the strategy of most diet plans. Eat less. Exercise. Lose weight. And I agree..if you do that you will lose weight. In the short term. The biggest issue is keeping it off. That's always been my challenge. I've lost literallly hundreds of pounds in my lifetime, but the weight always came back because I never fully addressed the emotional and biological issues driving my relationship to food. This book does that in spades! The author, Jon Gabriel, is himself a biochemist and went on his own journey to lose over 200 pounds. This book addresses each of us as human beings, not weaklings that can't pass up that piece of cake. And it makes it seem manaageable. I have lost 57 pounds this last year via traditional methods, yet I knew something inside me wasn't being addressed. I have more weight to lose. I just started the Gabriel Method, and really feel like I'll never buy another diet book again. I'll post my progress again in a few months. But if you're contemplating another gym membership or diet plan, I'd read this book first. It will change the way you feel about food and your body.
January 3, 2022
Still one of the best books that I have ever read! Not just for weightloss, but to create a healthy mindset and life.
January 1, 2013
I dig the premise, that you have to figure out why your body wants to bulk up, and address that. I even think there's a lot of value in visualizations. But other things this guy says are a little insane.
For example, he seems to think that our guts will run out of microfauna if we don't replace them regularly. Um, no. While it's possible that things can get out of balance, and there's some evidence that the kind of microfauna we have may impact our weight (a topic he doesn't even touch), most of our microfauna ecosystems are functioning fine. Also, he has this idea that heat destroys enzymes (technically true), so we should avoid eating foods that are too hot. This is patently absurd: by the time food reaches our stomachs, it has more or less reached our body temperature, and if it hasn't, it will within a few seconds. And don't get me started on his crazy, "eat things with more life energy because you'll get that life energy" junk.
Overall, there's a bit of good advice mixed in with a whole lot of nonsense. I'd say the book's chief value is in emphasizing that our bodies are more in control of themselves, and diets in the conventional sense don't work.
For example, he seems to think that our guts will run out of microfauna if we don't replace them regularly. Um, no. While it's possible that things can get out of balance, and there's some evidence that the kind of microfauna we have may impact our weight (a topic he doesn't even touch), most of our microfauna ecosystems are functioning fine. Also, he has this idea that heat destroys enzymes (technically true), so we should avoid eating foods that are too hot. This is patently absurd: by the time food reaches our stomachs, it has more or less reached our body temperature, and if it hasn't, it will within a few seconds. And don't get me started on his crazy, "eat things with more life energy because you'll get that life energy" junk.
Overall, there's a bit of good advice mixed in with a whole lot of nonsense. I'd say the book's chief value is in emphasizing that our bodies are more in control of themselves, and diets in the conventional sense don't work.
February 11, 2013
I really enjoyed it. I can see why some people love it and some people hate it. Much like every other book on earth, it's not for everyone. If I go through the steps and I come out the same size, but I've forgiven people who wronged me and I was holding a grudge against then it's a total win. I mean, really, if I just get rid of emotional baggage I still lost something I wanted to lose. Also, I've read studies on visualization and how powerful it can be. It's not like he's telling people to hop on one foot and ponies will fly from the air. My favorite message in this book is that everyone's diet will be different because we are all different. (I mean diet in the dictionary sense.)
January 25, 2014
I was placed on a diet at age six by my mother. I wasn't fat looking back in pictures. Each diet made me fatter. Now I live in another country and I stopped dieting about six months ago. For the first time in my life, I am losing weight effortlessly. This was before I'd even heard of The Gabriel Method so I knew he wasn't lying when I read the premise to his theory on a healthy lifestyle. I completely agree with this well written book but there is so much information and it's such a slow life changing event that you will have to read it over and over and start to believe for yourself. I liked the sciencey bit at the end best, but I'm odd like that. I wish I'd known about this book when it came out and had the confidence to believe then. I can't wait to react his one again and implement the ideas that help like visualization. Seeing is believing. And a free cd download to boot. Can't beat that.
April 2, 2016
This book is "the secret" but for weight loss. I don't believe in "thinking positively" or wishing away your extra pounds.
Basically this book has 3 advices:
1) think positive and do meditation and visualize yourself thin
2) eat organic, don't eat processed foods, don't eat sugar or white carbs, eat fish, organic meats, salads, and probiotics. Take vitamin, digestive enzymes and supplements. (So basically what every diet program out there tells you to do)
3) Exercise (again, what every weight loss program recommends)
It is also a means to get you to buy some meditation Cd that the author sells at his web page.
I don't think it works, so I don't recommend it.
Basically this book has 3 advices:
1) think positive and do meditation and visualize yourself thin
2) eat organic, don't eat processed foods, don't eat sugar or white carbs, eat fish, organic meats, salads, and probiotics. Take vitamin, digestive enzymes and supplements. (So basically what every diet program out there tells you to do)
3) Exercise (again, what every weight loss program recommends)
It is also a means to get you to buy some meditation Cd that the author sells at his web page.
I don't think it works, so I don't recommend it.
May 28, 2019
This is still one of my favourite books on wellness and health promotion. Years of studying functional nutrition still comes back to what is in this book. I read it regularly to remind myself of what health promotion is really supposed to look like when it comes to weight management.
May 12, 2020
This book is basically an approach to clean eating with some additional information about the power of visualization and some probiotic/flax/supplements. I really liked his approach to visualization and using the power of your mind to influence your body. Many of the other aspects I've seen in other healthy-eating approaches.
August 28, 2018
My sister recommended this book to me. I was hesitant... but then I started listening to it and things just seemed to make sense. Plus, I kept listening to it... so, ya. Haha.
Anyway, I guess we'll see what happens :)
Anyway, I guess we'll see what happens :)
December 22, 2014
I read this book because I saw Jon Gabriel on the documentary Hungry for Change, which I loved, and was really amazed by the guy's physical transformation. I wanted to see what he had to say about healthy eating. I am not personally trying to lose weight, but I am addicted to food, so I put myself in the same boat as those who are, because I want change my lifestyle and possess healthier habits.
He has a lot of good points, but the first half of the book isn't science based at all, and he offers no sources for a few of the bizarre stories he references. (Such as the man who locked himself in a freezer that was unplugged, yet somehow managed to freeze to death because he had a fear of freezing to death in the freezer, thus making his fear his own reality.) I like the idea and I get that for some deep, misunderstood, psychological meaning, chanting and visualizing and "gulping sun energy" may really work. (I'm serious, guys .) But if you're not into that stuff, don't even bother reading the first part of the book.
Minus all the weird new agey stuff, his weightloss philosophy is quite revolutionary, and I think a lot of people could benefit by following his approach.
He has a lot of good points, but the first half of the book isn't science based at all, and he offers no sources for a few of the bizarre stories he references. (Such as the man who locked himself in a freezer that was unplugged, yet somehow managed to freeze to death because he had a fear of freezing to death in the freezer, thus making his fear his own reality.) I like the idea and I get that for some deep, misunderstood, psychological meaning, chanting and visualizing and "gulping sun energy" may really work. (I'm serious, guys .) But if you're not into that stuff, don't even bother reading the first part of the book.
Minus all the weird new agey stuff, his weightloss philosophy is quite revolutionary, and I think a lot of people could benefit by following his approach.
March 11, 2012
I believe my head is in the right place and I am really focused on my health. If, like me, you are thinking of getting this book due to the potential wealth of information you can get on eating healthy and following a healthy eating plan that will maximize your weight loss, then rather try a different author like Dr Luc's work. The visualize mumbo-jumbo in this book is not invalid, but really overdone! If lighting a candle and picturing the ideal me would get me to my ideal weight and build, then everyone would have done it a long time ago; the problem I have with the book as that any idiot wanting to lead a healthy lifestyle would need to motivate themselves and get their mind in the right place if there's even a hope of it being successful or sustainable. By telling me in over 170 pages how I should meditate, it is not going to change my life - we all actually know this. And.. just because he lost the weight of 5 people does not make him an expert. Rather get a book written by someone that really knows what they are talking about.. will help you more and save you money...
July 27, 2016
Diets don't work, and counting calories is ludicrous. I've known that for years. I've also known that losing weight starts not with a knife and fork, but between the ears. This is the first time I have ever found a book that lays out for you the connection between what's going on in your heart and mind and what's going on your waistline. There is one simple concept that, for me, defines the book. "Your body wants to be fat." As long as your body feels that you need to be protected, then it will keep the fat on you and nothing you do will change that except momentarily. The key to being thin is to solve the need for protection. Marianne Williamson has a similar conversation going in her book, and I am going to try to blend the two and see what happens.
March 16, 2012
This book dives into more than just weight loss, but changing the way you think about EVERYTHING. It is very positive and has changed my life for the better in EVERY aspect. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to loose more than 10 pounds or wants to better their life in ANY aspect. This book will do it, if you do what it suggests you to do. It is actually a lot more simple than most would think and I was pleasantly surprised with the results I achieved. LOVE THIS BOOK. I am going to go and read it again!
March 15, 2013
It seems that I always end up reading diet books, which at my age has turned into a "yeah, yeah, I know that...I know that." Maybe I only glean a little knowledge from each book, or a new recipe or two, but I read them all the same. This book, however, blew my mind in an entirely new way, actually helped me think about things in a different way. It really is taking diet to a sort of "mind science"--where it goes beyond "you are stressed, so you are fat." It is a wonderful book that I really enjoyed reading so much that I got the audiobook to listen to as well.
April 14, 2025
Wow! This book and approach has shifted so much for me in regards to how I think about and act in regards to my health! Super grateful and just want to read more; the same book again as well as Gabriela others books.
Highly recommend this book, not just if you are struggling with weight issues, but for anyone wanting to learn more about overall health and the body from a holistic viewpoint and start a journey towards better health and meeting more of your physical and psychological needs.
Will be rereading this for sure.
Highly recommend this book, not just if you are struggling with weight issues, but for anyone wanting to learn more about overall health and the body from a holistic viewpoint and start a journey towards better health and meeting more of your physical and psychological needs.
Will be rereading this for sure.
August 30, 2015
The reason this only gets 2 stars is that it wasn't very professional. It felt like one man's opinions. Granted, a lot of his opinions I happen to agree with. But it didn't feel nearly as scientific or trustworthy as Dr. Hyman's 10 Day Detox. Still, helpful. I liked the section on the most efficient way to exercise. I still use this by pretending there is a predator behind me when I run sprints to get my heart rate up.
March 5, 2016
Yeah. I don't know. I don't read a lot of self-help or diet books because they so rarely seem to speak to me. This is an interesting take. Gabriel has some ideas I could really wrap my mind around, not the least of which is the idea that diets simply don't work. But some of his claims feel awfully thin on the science front to me. Which is not to say that I won't take some of what he's saying and try to make it work in my life. We'll just have to wait and see how it works out.
December 11, 2008
I did like this, but I edited it, and I have to admit I probably wouldn't have read a dieting book otherwise, hence only three stars. It has solid advice, a good tone, and an inspiring story, so I definitely recommend it to anyone in the market for advice in this arena.
October 22, 2011
I started reading the book because I wanted to lean out, and that can be hard when you like sugar as much as I do. He has some interesting theories, and some of them may have worked, but I wasn't very good about putting them into practice.
April 26, 2015
What's new? Not much. I remembered, why I didn't finish this book earlier. Visualisation in the way that it is presented is nothing for me.
I can conclude that it was an interesting read, but not totally practical for me.
I can conclude that it was an interesting read, but not totally practical for me.
June 30, 2017
Truly life changing for me... after struggling with my weight for years I used Jon Gabriel's non diet method and lost a total of 55 lbs. It didn't happen overnight but it's been gone over a year now and it feels different this time. It feels permanent. Thank you Jon Gabriel!
December 26, 2010
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
This was just too hokey to take seriously. Although I am sure it has helped some people.
This was just too hokey to take seriously. Although I am sure it has helped some people.
July 18, 2013
It teaches you how to heal and not be obsessed with calories. I've learned a lot from it but need to give it more time to work for me.
May 1, 2014
Had some okay ideas. Wanted the author to go more into emotional eating. Some of the science is very flawed.
January 3, 2025
El libro me gustó personalmente. Relata su cambio desde su perspectiva y cambios de hábitos en su vida. Es bastante lógico con lo que han dicho siempre los médicos: coma de todo, en pocas cantidades, pocas veces al día, privilegiando alimentos con proteínas, minerales, vitaminas. Comer de lo demás con cuidado. Hacer ejercicio y meditar. Modificar la mentalidad, aceptando el cambio.
A medida que lo leía, le encontraba sentido. Sobre todo en los tiempos que toma llegar a la meta; no es una dieta, es una forma de vida. Mi problema son los suplementos que recomienda (les tengo algo de temor a los suplementos en general) y algunos alimentos que no son conocidos en mi país.
Hay que considerar que él es un ejemplo en la aplicación del método y sus resultados son espectaculares.
Recomiendo leerlo con calma e ir aplicando los pasos de acuerdo a lo que va indicando.
A medida que lo leía, le encontraba sentido. Sobre todo en los tiempos que toma llegar a la meta; no es una dieta, es una forma de vida. Mi problema son los suplementos que recomienda (les tengo algo de temor a los suplementos en general) y algunos alimentos que no son conocidos en mi país.
Hay que considerar que él es un ejemplo en la aplicación del método y sus resultados son espectaculares.
Recomiendo leerlo con calma e ir aplicando los pasos de acuerdo a lo que va indicando.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2020
Wow. Full candor: I am a health and nutrition coach. I do not have a phd, but am a certified health coach, integrative nutrition coach, personal trainer, and have an A&P degree.
This book is really dangerously unscientific. For example, casting blame on "toxins" and "digestion" with zero explanation. It's shameful. I'm all for mindfulness and the power of the reticular activating system etc. but encouraging people to abdicate responsibility for their behavior is just preposterous.
It's actually much less compassionate and empathetic to tell someone that EVERYTHING is not their fault and due to some airy-fairy nonsense. Yes, the subconscious mind is powerful. No, you're not overweight because your "body wants to be".
This book is really dangerously unscientific. For example, casting blame on "toxins" and "digestion" with zero explanation. It's shameful. I'm all for mindfulness and the power of the reticular activating system etc. but encouraging people to abdicate responsibility for their behavior is just preposterous.
It's actually much less compassionate and empathetic to tell someone that EVERYTHING is not their fault and due to some airy-fairy nonsense. Yes, the subconscious mind is powerful. No, you're not overweight because your "body wants to be".
June 1, 2021
El libro muy fácil de leer, el método es muy sencillo de seguir.
Aunque dice que no va a darte dieta, termina dando una serie de recomendaciones que terminan siendo un nuevo régimen. A mí me gustó porque llega en un punto importante en mi vida en el que comulgo con lo que dice: mi cuerpo que antes quería ser gordo, ahora quiere ser delgado y estoy buscando las mejores formas de ayudarlo.
Da en el clavo con algunos aspectos físicos y sus reacciones (en mi caso el cortisol) en el cuerpo y con eso me quedo. Si quieres bajar de peso sin hacer nada, no es para ti, porque te pide que hagas muchas cosas, empezando por reducir el estrés.
Aunque dice que no va a darte dieta, termina dando una serie de recomendaciones que terminan siendo un nuevo régimen. A mí me gustó porque llega en un punto importante en mi vida en el que comulgo con lo que dice: mi cuerpo que antes quería ser gordo, ahora quiere ser delgado y estoy buscando las mejores formas de ayudarlo.
Da en el clavo con algunos aspectos físicos y sus reacciones (en mi caso el cortisol) en el cuerpo y con eso me quedo. Si quieres bajar de peso sin hacer nada, no es para ti, porque te pide que hagas muchas cosas, empezando por reducir el estrés.
September 13, 2023
amazingly mind changing
I’ve struggled since my late teen years with my weight and tried everything under the sun to lose weight only to gain it all back and then some. It got to the point where I was 300 pounds and didn’t recognize myself in the mirror. It felt hopeless. Since reading this book, doing the meditations and eating much healthier and healing a lot of my traumas I am now standing at 210lbs and feeling like I can achieve my goal of 170lbs without breaking much of a sweat. This book is a godsend for those who have struggled with fat loss and self esteem. It’s a must have.
I’ve struggled since my late teen years with my weight and tried everything under the sun to lose weight only to gain it all back and then some. It got to the point where I was 300 pounds and didn’t recognize myself in the mirror. It felt hopeless. Since reading this book, doing the meditations and eating much healthier and healing a lot of my traumas I am now standing at 210lbs and feeling like I can achieve my goal of 170lbs without breaking much of a sweat. This book is a godsend for those who have struggled with fat loss and self esteem. It’s a must have.
February 11, 2024
This book was eye opening for me. I've struggled with weight issues literally from about age 5. I always knew I was an emotional eater. This book is written by someone who lost over 200 lbs himself through visualization and meditation and understanding how the body turns on and off fat programs. I felt so excited reading it through the first time. I've started over again to make sure I follow all the steps accurately and have begun listening to the visualizations. If this works it truly is "revolutionary"!
July 31, 2019
A WHOLE(istic) Approach to Your Ideal Image!
This book covers what most diet approaches are missing: the mindset of the individual! Our bodies are an external expression of our inner thoughts and beliefs. Once those get readjusted, everything else follows suit! Thank you Jon for your amazing wisdom and I look forward to sharing my success story in the near future! Being a Mindset Coach I know how unbelievable this method is! You’ve saved many lives and you’ll continue to do so for many years!
This book covers what most diet approaches are missing: the mindset of the individual! Our bodies are an external expression of our inner thoughts and beliefs. Once those get readjusted, everything else follows suit! Thank you Jon for your amazing wisdom and I look forward to sharing my success story in the near future! Being a Mindset Coach I know how unbelievable this method is! You’ve saved many lives and you’ll continue to do so for many years!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews