Did you know that most of us eat a high protein diet whether we know it or not? Neither did I until I read Johansen’s Stop the Diet, I Want to Get Off! read. Did you know that the US is among the 10 most obese countries? … that three out of ten people are currently trying to lose weight? … that the grapefruit diet has existed since the 1930s?
Johansen has prepared us a dish full of common sense facts and truths about dieting. She names 12 characteristics of fad diets and explains how to recognize them. Specifically, she names 15 such diets – Jenny Craig, Paleo, Atkins, Gluten Free, Cleanse, Blood Type, Nutrisystem, etc. – and logically explains why these diets are not beneficial and even harmful for most people.
Next, Johansen explains who should and shouldn’t limit or avoid foods in certain food groups. Finally, she emphasizes, “It’s important that we don’t develop an unhealthy or anxious relationship with food.” In her book, she also explains how to visualize portion sizes. For example, it may be easier to regulate food consumption if you imagine a cup of cereal the size of a baseball, or three ounces the size of your checkbook, or a gram the size of a paper clip.
For dessert, part of the book is ironically hilarious as Johansen explains ridiculous diets like the “cotton ball baloney” where a person eats 5 cotton balls soaked in lemonade. Reading through these once-popular “diets” will give you a clearer perspective on today’s fad diets. In addition, more than 30 tips for a healthy diet are given, e.g. Eg: “Don’t drink calories”, “Practice mindful eating”, “Use your support system” and many more. Also, six indicators of not enough water and a description of our most efficient energy source are served on the table along with key content.
Finally, Stop the Diet, I Want to Get Off offers two websites where you can find a wealth of information about healthy eating while designing a diet tailored to your needs.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who eats and reads – especially anyone who has dieted, is dieting, or is considering dieting.
(5 out of 5)
My favorite quote: “…carrying a nutritional and exercise milk is one of the most useful weight management tools out there.” – Lisa Tillinger Johansen
Thanks to Aurelia McNeil
