Never Say Diet

Every so often, I use my blog to review books or products that I think my readers will like. I didn’t start out this year with any resolutions related to my weight; only a desire to pursue good health and be the best person I can be. When I was presented with the opportunity to read Never Say Diet by Chantel Hobbs, I thought, yeah, great, another diet book. But as soon as I saw the cover, I knew it would be different.

When my husband saw the cover, he laughed. He said “Yeah, right, as if she’s ever had a real weight problem!” I chuckled with him until I saw the subtitle that said she’d lost 200 pounds. When I pointed that out to Donnie, he just froze and said, “Wow.”

Hobbs did accomplish what most of us view as impossible without surgery: she lost 200 pounds and has kept it off. Her story is inspiring and her methods are sound. Two things that are really different about this program is that she suggests starting with exercise (while most programs suggest starting with the food, then adding exercise later). Exercise is treated as not optional, rather as something essential that our bodies are created to do each day.

The other huge difference is that she actually suggests that we make food boring. Now there is a novel concept…and one with a great deal of wisdom behind it. Every other diet on the planet strives to make “diet” food more interesting, more appealing. But think about it: do most overweight people need to be encouraged to enjoy food more? Hobbs’ theory is that food is fuel, and we need to see it as such. She doesn’t deny that it’s also meant for enjoyment, but the point is that every meal doesn’t have to be a culinary delight. However, we do owe it to our bodies to feed them the best fuel we can.

Never Say Diet and the helpful, daily-journal-style Never Say Diet Personal Trainer workbook, are both available at Amazon.com by clicking on the titles. Spiritual, without being preachy, these books are definitely going to be a much-used addition to my “better-health toolbox.”

Interested? Well keep reading! I am giving away a set of these to one lucky reader of this blog. Just post a comment to this entry (when you register to comment, I will have your email address, so you don’t have to worry about sharing it with the world). Next Friday, January 23rd, I will close comments on this post, put all names in a basket and  draw out a winner!

Here’s to good health in 2009!