Any diet book that changed your life?

I was searching the Strand bookstore's "diet&nutrition" section and surprisingly saw that they have 904 books in the list. I know most of it is crap so I wanted to ask you, is there any book that changed your life? helped you loose weight? changed the way you look at dieting? Thanks everyone, who'll take time to answer.

Never Say Diet by Chantel Hobbs.  She used to weigh over 300 pounds and now she is at 150.  (she's tall).  She reached her goal by eating 1500 calories a day and exercising.  The book is candid and honest. I recommend it.  It really motivated me to start eating less.  That is the key.... just eating less and exercising more.  It is actually very liberating

It's not a weight loss or diet book, but Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe changed the way look at food forever.

I bought this book by Chantel  and it is GREAT. She is really motivating! I read Sugarbusters and I cannot recall who it is by but this book motivated me like crazy. I read it several yrs back. I actually borrowed it from a trainer @ the gym, started reading it & had to buy the book the same day. I finished the entire book in 2 sittings. I could not put it down. It is not a big book. Check it out!

Secrets of a Former Fat Girl.  It kind of clues you in on how to gradually get into diet and exercise without getting overwhelmed.

It's not a diet book perse it's about changing eating habits for your entire life.  It's called THE HEALTHY HEART MIRACLE by DR. GABE MIRKIN.   This book literally saved my 75 year old father's life, and has completely changed my  eating and exercise habits that I have passed on to my son and am trying to pass on to everyone around me.  It's not a pop culture book, Oprah has not endorsed it, he's not a doctor of anthropology he's a board certified physician (one of the few in the U.S. to be board certified in 4 different disciplines) and the advice he gives isn't flashy but it is easy to understand and it's full of useful medical information and how your eating relates to each of them including heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes...etc. 

Abs Diet Power book and following Abs Diet on Men's Health. It's not even a diet really, it basically tells you to cut the crap - modified carbs, anything that comes in bags and boxes. Eat clean and you will lose body fat and reveal your abs. Love it. No Calorie counting needed, eat intuitively, sustainable lifelong habits. Highly reccomend.

I read 2 books last year.  The China Study and Eat to Live.  They made me and my husband passionate about changing the way we eat not only so I would lose weight but also to teach my children habits that would be better for them and their life than what we were currently doing!  My kids now eat a great variety of veggies and ask for them.  Not only are we eating better, we are eating for less money!

Skinny Bitch. honest and funny it is more for people who want to try to be vegetarian or vegan, but also for anyone who wants to eat healthy and organic, without additives. it really made me think about what i put into my body, and what horrible things are hidden in foods.

The Omega Diet was a fantastic book, as is the Omnivores Dilema.  The Omega Diet completely changed the way I looked at food, especially fat, and for me was more of "health gain" book as opposed to "weight loss" although they do have a weight loss "program" which is just calorie counting while eating the foods they recommend.

Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Dean Ornish

and 

Dr. John MacDougall's several books/cookbooks

Both explain it all. 

Living vegan is cleaner, cheaper, easier, kinder, healthier, better for the planet. 

Going nonfat vegan, I finally shed 75 lbs., kept it off for 20 years now, with occasional modest ups and downs within a small range of 5-20 lbs.

Adding add small amounts of olive oil is acceptable, even necessary.

Now at my (danger zone), high point I refuse to buy clothes OR pay for alterations. Being rather strict (like using this site) to get back into the clothes.

I recommend listening online to Jillian Michaels' radio program also for answers to questions and for inspiration, check her website for details.

More structure helps me. And I never eat anything with a face.

Good Luck, all.

I also read Skinny Bitch. I had been trying to give up meat for awhile and was struggling with it. After reading that book, I haven't touched red meat. I thought some of their views were too extreme for me, but it did help me start making better choices and really think about what I'm eating and drinking.

I'll also put in my vote for Skinny Bitch.

I never, ever intended to read this book. It sounded so stupid to me, and I hate hearing about fad diets because all they do is suck money and don't teach anything practical or worth while. I always thought Skinny Bitch was just another gimmicky weight loss checkout-stand-at-Borders book, but once you get past their shtick of writing in a 'bitchy' tone (it's actually pretty funny, the way they do it), the book is jam-packed with really sensible information. It's not so much about a traditional time-sensetive 'diet', as a true lifestyle change. I always knew I would make the jump from vegetarianism to veganism, but I never imagined that this silly-sounding book would be the one to give me the push!

It is celverly written, extremely well-cited, practical and if you follow the path of making the clear, obvious, healthy choices that the authors advocate, you will most certainly lose weight. (When I read this book and switched to Veganism, I didn't do it to lose weight, but ended up dropping a dress size anyway! And what's more, I feel fantastic, inside and out.) The book is a life-changer. Just wait 'till you read the meat chapter. Eek.

Good luck finding a book!

Thank you all for the valuable input. I'll check these books when I get to NY soon! And I also want to look at the new book that I read is mentioned in the NY Times:
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Break Through Your Set Point: How to Finally Lose the Weight You Want and Keep It Off  by George Blackburn

Anybody read it so far? Any ideas?

*** sorry guys! I don't know why my reply came out that way. Here is the new one ***

Thank you all for the valuable input. I'll check these books when I get to NY soon! And I also want to look at the new book that I read is mentioned in the NY Times:

Break Through Your Set Point: How to Finally Lose the Weight You Want and Keep It Off  by George Blackburn

Anybody read it so far? Any ideas?

The Beck Diet Solution by Dr. Judith Beck.  This approach uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to change the way we think about food.  You can use whatever diet and exercise program you want with BDS.  I've changed the way I approach food, and I hoping that these changes will be life-long.  

Laura

I love anything by Dr. Dean Ornish, and Dr. Andrew Weil.  Lot's of good information.

Haven't heard of the book, but doesn't Beck write for O magazine?

How do you "approach food now"?

I live alone now. I'm focusing more on chewing thoroughly, slowing down. Put the fork down, wait.

I also use visualization to deter me. 

When seriously tempted by Frozen Soy [not ice cream] Cream. I make myself read the contents on the package, esp. the sugar count and the fat content. Then I visualize the huge vats of sugar or the oil that's use to mass produce this stuff.

How gross and unncessary it seems to eat something processed if you can be satisfied by a piece of fruit and a spoonful of cashew butter.

Cravings are difficult for me. It takes a huge effort to stick to a plan. Hopefully inertia will set in, and it will be easier for me to continue on this way of life rather than to revisit my less-than-healthier choices.

So what's your approach? 

Basically I love Dr. Weil, but put off by his relentless commercialization, selling herbal supplements, etc., that are generally proving to be more sizzle than steak (horrible expression for me, as a vegan!).

I get his daily newsletter all the same. I just don't buy any of that stuff.

Excuse my repeating info. from my prev. post..

Best diet books imho:

Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Dean Ornish

any of Dr. John MacDougall's many books

They focus on heart disease and diabetes, which are awful problems that coincide with overweight. Their method can reverse these conditions while excess lbs. evaporate.

This article really changed my life

The Ultimate Weight Loss Guide

Quote from the article:

"The One Fact: A caloric deficit is what causes weight loss.  Read that again if you need to. It is the one fact that practically all tips, hacks, methods and diets are based on... getting THAT to happen. This "one fact" is, in a nutshell, all there is to weight loss."

i recently bought the Flat belly diet book and it changed my whole outlook on eating and dieting in general.

i did this diet for the full 32 days + more. i didn't lose nearly as much as i wanted only like 7 lbs. and that was within the first week or so but i did gain some muscle form it.  and i do believe the diet truly works for a lot of people.

and it definetly changed the way i look at my eating habits.  i no longer want to snack on unhealthy foods all day and i go for healthier choices now. 

and i must say the food is delicious and keeps you full until your next meal!