The Losing Attitude for Dieters: Supercharge Any Diet through Healthier Lifestyle Choices
By: Professor Tom Laurie
Rating: 4 carrot sticks
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In the past, I have mentioned whenever I write a review for diet book that I do not read nor do I like diet books. In my time as a writer for this section I have been asked to review many books concerning weight loss. Most requests I quickly turn down because I am certain my bias against reading these types of books will not permit me to write a fair review. However, every now and again I come across a book I am interested in reviewing. The Losing Attitude for Dieters, by Professor Tom Laurie, is one book that caught my attention.
The first thing that caught my attention was the book is self published. That can either be an author who is determined to publish out of a passion or an author unable to get a book published by a large publishing house. I am happy to report the author has a true passion for his content and most likely wanted to maintain control over it. The second thing that caught my attention was the author. The author does not claim to be an expert. He is not affiliated or funded by a weight loss power house like Nutrisystem or Weight Watchers. He simply wanted to relay his experience with losing weight and what his journey taught him. So, I wondered what he learned about losing weight that could possibly light the path for others.
In short, this book addresses the mental outlook of the dieter which is the main issue when it comes to weight loss. We all know the solution to losing weight. Losing weight is simply a matter of consuming less calories than you burn. Mystery solved! Yet, so many of us (including myself) have such difficulty maintaining a proper diet or staying on a diet to lose unwanted pounds. Why is that? Attitude. Usually books addressing this subject focus on encouraging words and pep rally slogans to repeat to yourself as you see the dessert cart coming your way. As the title suggests, this book addresses the losing attitude. The attitude that causes Monday to never come or the devastation of potato chip bags being torn wide open and flung empty to the floor with abandon. The book begins with the top ten reasons diets fail. He nails this section. You will find yourself shaking your head with agreement and the knowing that you have been there before. Then throughout the book with tips and suggestions you are taught how to break free of these traps. The book comes across as if you are speaking to a friend who truly wants to see you succeed and who has been in your shoes before. His tips come from a real person who has put them to action and seen results. I love the causal tone and realism the book portrays.
As a Christian, I love the element of using prayer and the strength of Christ to help you in times of need. I used to feel so vain or silly praying about weight loss. However, he explains how maintaining the health of our bodies is bringing glory to God.
Keep in mind the book is not written by an expert in the field of weight loss. The author is a man who successfully lost 40 pounds who examines the heart behind the fat. As a layperson, he does an excellent job. I recommend reading this book mostly because the causal and friendly tone is truly motivating and the tips are great. The one thing that stands out that I disagree with is his assessment of diet pop. He is an advocate of replacing regular pop with diet. I do not think diet pop is a positive and I do not think a person should consume high doses of fake sugars. So, don’t go reading this and think I’m sweet on Splenda. This is no reason to dismiss the book as that is only one tidbit which has no bearing on the book as a whole.