The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person Reviews

• Making it Happen

  
  By ATHRJH4N212N8 on 2007-04-02
  I have lost 90 pounds using the principles and techniques in this book. How can that be true when the book has been out for only one week? No tricks here - early in 2006 ( a year ago) I began a self-designed plan of eating right and exercising based on 2 things: 1. my many years of familiarity with every new diet and nutritional research discovery regarding weight loss; and 2. participation in a cognitive therapy-based group called DBT which teaches skills to increase emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, etc. A couple of months ago I started getting the Amazon plogs regarding Dr. Beck's new book, and I enthusiastically pre-ordered. After almost a year of steady weight loss and working my way up to walking 3 miles a day (with Leslie Sansone DVDs)I had stalled out at minus 90 lbs, and need to lose about 30 more pounds. Receiving the book, I was amazed, because almost everything I did to motivate myself over the last 13 months was contained in this work. Of course, the principles are set forth much more methodically, professionally, and with more of a well-developed theoretical basis, than in my home-made plan, but every sentence in the Beck Diet rings with honesty, integrity, thoughtfulness, compassion and hope.
  To be more specific, the book does not contain a "diet" and you are told to find a suitable nutritious food plan to follow, along with an exercise plan of your own. The strategies presented in the book do indeed 'talk' you through cognitive retraining techniques which change your thoughts about food and eating and hunger: identifying positive outcomes; ways to make a choice NOT to indulge; how to effectively deal with set-backs and limit the damage done; how to say no to friends /family who show love by sharing good food (I'm Italian; I know a LOT of them!)
  Interestingly, in the first 2 weeks you don't diet at all - this is time spent planning and strategizing to re-train your thoughts. This involves completing motivational cards where you write statements to counteract any sabotaging thoughts that will come up. I found the process to be so similar to the strategies I used when I was successful in meeting the inevitable temptation, so I know that it works "in action."
  On the 15th day you start your eating plan, and each day you have a checklist for reviewing the motivational materials (Advantage Cards, for example, list what YOU want to accomplish in losing weight.) Some of the basic concepts are to pre-plan for dangerous situations, acknowledge your accomplishments even if not perfect, and realize that resisting hunger and cravings is possible when you commit to using the skills Dr. Beck presents.
  I have read many, many books both on weight loss and psychology, and this book is "the one" for me, and I hope for you. You have to be willing to think ahead about eating, hunger and cravings. You have to commit to following the techniques daily. If you do, this WILL WORK!!!!
  I am going to be bold enough to add one additional technique that worked very well for me, and that is to "Redefine Your Treats." I admitted to a friend one day that I am basically 'treat-driven.' That is, I feel deprived and inferior in some way if I can't have a dessert, or eat a hearty portion of food. So I redefined treats - to me now it is buying bottled water; drinking Harry and David Tiramisu Coffee (no calories!!); playing Sudoku on the computer for 20 minutes. I feel like I'm indulging but it has nothing to do with actual food. So if you are "treat-driven" like me, try defining and then indulging in your own rewards.
  Reading this book made me feel positive; it made me feel like I can make it happen to lose the remaining pounds; it made me admire and respect Dr. Beck for producing a non-judgmental, encouraging, 'mindful' book that is written in an engaging style. I recommend it with 90 stars and more to come.
  
  

• THE Diet Book for me!

  
  By AZ5C45FZOTFNG on 2007-05-15
  Six to eight years ago, I stopped spending money on diet related products. Because nothing has worked for me. Maybe initially they seemed they were working, but it was just temporarily. I saw one diet book, while I was just browsing around on amazon, "you on a diet", I thought I might wanna try that, thinking like "who knows maybe this is the thing for me", so I bought it. Even though I spent lots of money on diet products, as a book, "you on a diet" was the first book for me on dieting. And, in couple of months I purchased some other diet books, hoping one would include the missing ingredient on those.
  This book,Beck Diet Solution was just released, and was at the best sellers list. I read the description. It sounded very promising, but since, at that moment I already had couple of diet books which none of them really fit in to my problem, I was skeptical. For two weeks, everyday I read the reviews, trying to see if some of the reviews was gonna convince me. I finally got it, I am so glad I did. Because that was the kind of help I was looking for.It is tryin to solve my physchological problems about eating and it is triying to re-program my brain about food.
  I knew myself, I can never count calories, I can never follow a menu plan written by some other people, I can never count my steps, I can never count carbohydrates, etc...etc... My diet should be without all these stuff. So that's why this is the book for me.
  She, the author asks you to make your eating plan, or if you want you can use any diet that already is out there. For me, I created my own eating plan.
  Then, she just teaches you some skills which is the missing skills in people who struggle with weight and skills which all the thin people has. And these skills/behaviors are not difficult to adopt. All you need to do is just practice, practice and practice... until they are your habits. Everyday, for fourty two days, you keep learning one skill at a time, until you complete all of them in that given order. You may take your time if you need, as she suggests. For example I am in my 13th day, but it has been already 23 days since I had started. Some examples of the skills are, first day you write down the reasons you wanna get thin; third day, you learn and practice sitting down whenever you eat; fifth day, you start to practice to eat slowly, and so on. At the end of the program, you have all the equipment to think like a thin person, and to be a thin person. So far I have lost 6 pounds, and I feel like I will be able to follow my plan for a long time. She gives you that confidence. She sounds very sincere about the advice she gives. And she just takes you step by step through the journey and to the very end of the journey. With other diet books, I felt like I am just left somewhere with the tons of information I did not know what to do with, or maybe they just dictate you what to do, or sometimes have fun with your eating habits, and you feel insulted and hopeless. But in this book, BDS, I felt some love and caring about the people, she sounds like she truly wants you to lose weight.
  By the way, I never write a review even though I enjoy reading them. That's how happy I am, it made me write one:) I hope this review is helpful for the people who cannot decide whether to buy it or not.
  
  
  
  

• Finally! a real lifestyle changing book----

  
  By A25ZV37VEFXFKW on 2007-04-01
  I've been dieting on and off for years...losing weight and then regaining it-- plus some extra with every attempt. I was about to give up when I found the Beck solution just last week....
  
  I've read the entire book already---it really hit a home run for me.
  
  I never thought of my excuse for regaining weight as being "it isn't fair if I can't eat the foods that I want to eat"...but I got a good kick in the pants by Dr. Beck when she says that life's not fair....even in the world of dieting! Finally....something that I can grasp as to why I continue to diet and regain weight!
  
  Life's not fair in fact....I already knew that tidbit...but never applied it to my dieting struggles. Now I feel a certain freedom....life is not fair...but I can accept that and now move on. Hopefully with a new, thinner body!!
  
  If you are tired of gimmicks and of being told that extreme dieting works...give this book a chance. It will clearly change the way you think about dieting and about life in general.
  
  
  
  

• An extraordinarily helpful book

  
  By A3GHJALAPP4A4B on 2007-05-06
  After 30 years of yo-yo dieting, laxative and diet pill addiction, and bulimia, I lost 50 pounds in 1999 and have kept them off (along with an additional 10) ever since.
  
  This book contains the key ideas that enabled me to keep the weight off after so many unsuccessful previous attempts.
  
  1. You have to accept that you will need to make permanent and significant changes in your eating habits. You can't "diet" and then go back to your old way of eating.
  
  2. There are very few "naturally thin" people, especially over the age of 35 or 40. People who didn't know me 10 years ago think I'm "naturally thin" but, in reality, I am vigilant in restraining my eating and exercising vigorously.
  
  3. Eating smaller, healthier portions and resisting snack food and fast food really DOES become easier over time. Once you establish habits of avoiding mindless and/or emotional eating, weight maintenance becomes almost second nature. In addition, if you do put on a few pounds, you will have the confidence that you can easily get them off by refocusing on those behaviors.
  
  4. Losing weight is absolutely worth all the effort. Beck lists 27 advantages to losing weight ... and I have experienced every one of them.
  
  Although I didn't have this book to help me lose weight or maintain my weight loss, reading it has helped me to put into concrete terms the mindset that I have developed during these last eight years. People often ask me what the "secret" to weight control is ... and I think this book has really defined it. It's not the diet ... it's the thoughts and habits that you must establish and maintain for the rest of your life.
  
  

• Read, re-read and re-read again

  
  By A7KQB3WGH6HT7 on 2007-04-11
  I ordered this book from Amazon, got it earlier than the April 1st publication date and immediately started to read it all the way through. As a veteran of Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Trevose Behavior Modification, Atkins, South Beach, Cabbage diet et al, I know that there are no magic notions about what to eat. What Judy Beck shows so brilliantly is that the key is learning how to talk to yourself. On other diets or programs, I was always saying "no" to myself - and that was doomed to failure since, eventually, I ended up saying "yes" to the wrong foods; with "The Beck Diet Solution" I am learning useful, targeted ways to respond to my urges to eat the wrong things, at the wrong times, or too much food. In addition, I have learned a new mantra: "It [everything you put into your mouth] matters" and I can refer back to my cards on a daily basis for reminders of why it matters.
  
  A few reviewers have complained that some previous reviewers have raved that the book has already made a permanent difference in their lives. I agree that such opinions are premature. However, the book does provide a truly useful road map, and this is one map that I intend to read, re-read and re-read again until the pages are well-used and I reach and maintain my goal weight.
  
  
• Great Guide for Motivated Dieters who want to make lasting changes
  By A2UVVB0EJ3G97R on 2007-04-15
  I am a medical student and have a bachelor's degree in psychology. It is widely known in both medicine and psychology that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most successful type of therapy intervention, which is why I decided to give this book a try to help myself with dieting.
  
  Much has been made about the reasons people eat. I've heard obese people on TV say, "Food was my best friend," or "I ate to fill a void." This book does not focus on the emotionally-based underlying reasons for eating that may plague a minority of overweight people, but rather the more mundane reasons that most overweight people have for overeating - boredom, fear of hunger, cravings, etc.
  
  The book provides very useful ways of countering overeating do to various causes. Dr. Beck asks the reader to change both sabotaging thoughts (the cognitive portion) and sabotaging behaviors, such as eating quickly and eating standing up (the behavioral portion).
  
  The book provides a day to day guide with predetermined goals and homework assignments. You must be motivated and very willing to submit to following someone else's advice. In addition, as the other reviewers have pointed out, the book does not give you specific advice for what to eat or to avoid. You must pick a separate diet to follow.
  
  I am about half way through the book and I feel that it has definitely helped me to control my overeating. I tend to eat out of boredom in the evening. I lacked the willpower to deny myself the snacks that I knew I didn't need. Now, I look at my advantage card (which is a list of reasons I want to lose weight) whenever I feel like snacking in the evening. The book also made me realize that I ate something right before I went to bed because I was afraid that I might be hungry later. I used this "fear of hunger" as an excuse for eating when I wasn't actually hungry. As the author points out, food is almost always around, so it hardly ever makes sense to eat just to avoid getting hungry. The author really does a great job of examining the reasons why most people overeat and gives solutions for how to overcome those sabotaging thoughts by countering them with more rational, helpful thoughts.
  
  I had been trying unsuccessfully to diet prior to starting this book. Now, since I got it 7 days ago, I have lost 2 pounds. I am recommending this book to my family and friends, and in the future I will recommend it to my patients.
  
  
• Follow this program and you will loose weight!
  By AP9DNI1QMBXTK on 2007-07-12
  Okay, so this is true. Why only 3 stars you may ask? Well, basically because if you diet and exercise and write everything down and "think happy thoughts" and take responsibility for yourself and what you put in your mouth, you will loose weight. As long as you stick with it and actually do what the book says, you WILL loose weight, and the author takes you through this day by day for 6 weeks. This approach may work for some people, but for those of us who are procrastinators and seek inspiration instead of condemnation, this book will probably be a disappointment.
  
  Maybe the workbook will be better. Oh, and the author makes it clear that if you have an eating disorder that you should not use this program. Most people think of aneroxia or bulimia when they think of eating disorders, but binging without purging, continuous overeating and the guilt and shame that accompany it are also eating disorders. If you have a problem with your relationship with food, you should go elsewhere. It is my opinion that most overweight people do have these types of issues, but hey, maybe I'm only speaking for myself and every overweight person I know.
  
  
  
• Promises to be the last DIET book you'll ever need!!!
  By A1B9RJWJ17RXTI on 2007-03-24
  As a professional yo yo dieter, I had begun yet another attempt to lose weight during this Lent of 2007. Lent is a time in my church to bring about needed changes in one's life. I certainly needed change regarding my weight. I am also a spiritual person who has prayed for help loosing weight many times, and when I was sincerely trying to loose and making daily prayer time for guidance to keep loosing and stick to my food plan, I always found help. For a food plan this time, I decided to combine the best of what had worked for me in the past into something I could reasonably follow. My daily prayer was......."With God's help, one day at a time I can do this."
  
  About 3 1/2 weeks into my new efforts, I found an article in Newsweek about Dr. Beck's book, The Beck Diet Solution. "THINK THIN TO GET THIN" it was entitled, and further said, "how to stick to a healthy eating plan of your own choosing (I had come up with one) by changing the way you talk to yourself when confronted with temptation, cravings, and the inevitable dietary lapse." Very interesting........"just what you need, another diet book....you have a whole shelf of them" an inner voice said. I didn't listen to that voice, because this book was different. It wasn't a new fad diet it was about changing my thinking....cognitive therapy....hadn't ever tried that approach. VERY INTERESTING!!!!!!
  
  I tried to find the book in stores and discovered it wasn't due out until 4/1 so I ordered it from Amazon......one of my favorite places to order books etc. Was told it would come after 4/1......Ok, I'll keep praying and do what I'm doing.
  
  The book came early..........a wonderful surprise gift to me, BUT the day before it came I found a bible passage, during my prayer time, that blew me away, especially after I started to read the book.
  
  It's from Romans 12: 1 & 2, part of which I quote in caps below:
  DON'T COPY THE BEHAVIOR AND CUSTOMS OF THIS WORLD (overeating of foods that are bad for you......not always making healthy food choices)BUT.....LET GOD TRANSFORM YOU INTO A NEW PERSON BY CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK (what the cognitive therapy approach promises to do).....changing the way I think!!!!
  
  As I started to read the book, I saw this book was something I'd needed for a long time to help me not only loose weight (I'd done that many times) but also learn to new techniques to keep it off permanently. The Beck Diet Solution does this with a 6 week plan to retrain your thinking about and approach to food. One new lesson a day and/or a task that re-enforces ones you learned previously...ONE DAY AT A TIME (my prayer as I started once again to try to lose).
  
  I feel I was guided to this book because of my prayerful desire to loose weight and be a healthy happier person. I want to stress that this is NOT A SPIRITUAL DIETING BOOK. Don't be afraid of it if you are not a spiritual person. What it is, is an excellent guide/tool for anyone who sincerely wants to loose weight and keep it off. Give it a try and see what you think!!!What do you have to loose????Me, about 40 lbs.
  
  I am about 1/4 of the way to my goal weight and for the first time in a long while, I am really enjoying my journey to get there. While I have only just started The Beck Diet Solution, I look forward each day to reading and doing what is asked in each chapter. I have confident hope that this is the last Diet book I will ever need. Thank you, Dr. Beck!!!!
  
  P.S. I have now finished Dr. Beck's wonderful book and am 1/2 way to what I think is my goal weight. I say "think" because Dr. Beck's book ends with discussions on "lowest achievable weight" and "lowest maintainable weight". Something dieters need to think about, because too many times we look to a number that is not easy to maintain. Dr. Beck covers this topic very well. I feel like a new person....I AM A NEW PERSON, the one my scripture reading talked about.......one who is loosing weight and using the tools this book provided to keep that up and to stay at a good weight WHEN I get there!!!! I say Thank you Dr. Beck again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  P.P.S. I am now down 30 lbs!!!! 3/4 of the way to my goal!!!! THIS IS THE BEST BOOK ON HOW TO STAY ON A DIET AND RETRAIN YOUR THINKING I HAVE EVER FOUND!!! Many of my friends have it and are using it too, with excellent results. Buy it and try it, you won't be sorry!!!!!!
  
  P.P.P.S. I am at my goal wt. and maintaining it using the skills learned in this life changing book. If you would like a book of spiritual help in you dieting efforts, I highly recommend "THE DIETER'S PRAYER BOOK" by Heather Harpham Kopp (see my review of it).
  
  
• Life Changing.
  By A1EO2OXKG74WO8 on 2007-04-23
  This book has been such a great experience for me. I'm in week four right now, and have lost about 15 pounds - 10 more to go. More importantly, I know I'll be able to keep it off, because my entire attitude towards food has changed. I actually enjoy my food more now, even though I eat substantially less. I went out to eat last night with friends at a Mexican restaurant, always my downfall, and I am proud and feel good about the fact that I didn't eat any of the queso and chips, and I stopped eating when I was full, though there was still a lot of food left on my plate. I was able to enjoy eating out without feeling uncomfortably stuffed and vaguely guilty afterwards - amazing! This book is not a diet - this book introduces you to a new way of life, which, though you may be resistant at first, you will ultimately find much more satisfying and enjoyable.
  
  
• If you diet, or overeat emotionally you need this!
  By A2L349DV5H3FPZ on 2007-04-25
  This book has been a God send! I have tried so many diets, and always lose weight .... feel deprived, binge and put it all back on! Its a vicicous cycle that has made me literally hate my body and lose a lot of confidence in my abilty to accomplish my goals. I am getting married in 23 days and this book has really helped with emotional eating. You cant stop eating emotionally until you control your thoughts, and you cannot control your thoughts until you see clearly how badly they often sabotage your efforts. It is for you if you know what to do, eat etc, but cant seem to follow through with actually doing it! Losing weight it very much a mental feat, and having the right mindset is essential to getting through temptation and maintaining the lost weight.
  
  
• I've tried them all - this one works!
  By A30J3G9Z57IOI2 on 2007-04-18
  I've had this book for less than a week and have already lost a pound. Even better, Beck's book helps me remove the power of my excuses (she lists every excuse you can think of)and offers ways to overcome them. Yep, I slide a bit, but I can already see a change in the way I approach food and snacks (my downfall, always). I only have 12 pounds to lose, but you'd think it was 120 because of the way I've avoided dealing with it. Sound familiar? You'll feel like she's reading your mind when you see your excuses in print.
  
  I have lots of reasons to lose this weight, the most compelling being that I've had breast cancer and there is a medically proven link between being even slightly overweight and the recurrence of the Big C. I do not want to go there again. However, this book brings all your reasons, big and small, to the forefront to help you remember how important the weight loss is to his/her life. Beck builds on this foundation with small tasks to do every day, so losing weight is constantly in front of you.
  
  I'm sending a copy of this book to my sister, so we can be each other's coaches (another key principle in the book). Bottom line: this book is different from any other "diet" book. It's really a self-help book to support the diet of your own choosing and help you change your eating behaviors FOR LIFE!
  
  
• Amazing
  By AEY9R59KIYLA3 on 2007-06-17
  I am completely floored by how much this book changed my thinking about food, diet, and exercise - especially exercise! I never would have imagined that reading one book, and CALENDARING my exercise appointments, would make the difference. At my exercise appointment times, I still think about how much I don't like going to the gym, but I find myself doing this griping while I'm putting on my gym clothes and running shoes, and next thing I know I have made it to the treadmill. And over time I have griped less and less. It is unbelievable.
  
  They key is you MUST do the written and mental exercises in the book, and plan meals the way it recommends. It truly, truly works. The writing exercises really do make it sink in, more than you think they will. It seems so basic and simple, but that's what works, for me at least. Also, the way Beck responds to many of our excuses for overeating or not exercising cut straight to the point, the heart of the issue. I am left with no argument or excuse, because she makes so much sense.
  
  I will admit I do not have a diet coach like she recommends, but my husband and I kind of coach each other. I read the book in 4 days, have been on the program for 3 weeks, and I have lost 4 pounds.
  
  Since I have been on this program, I have managed my eating very well in several social situations, including a wedding reception where I ate exactly as planned! I have slightly overeaten only one day, and it was a birthday celebration. I didn't go crazy, but ate a little more than I had planned. Afterward, I did not feel like I had totally blown my diet. Instead, I felt absolutely compelled to exercise the next morning (unscheduled!), not as a punishment, but because my body felt like it needed it.
  
  These are things I never would have done before! The techniques in this book are exactly what I needed.
  
  
• Saved my life!
  By A1FQ8A47T76T9A on 2007-06-10
  I read an article about this book in Oprah's magazine while I was away on a trip. I was interested to see that there could be a plan to change your behavior surrounding food. I was about 45 lbs overweight, and had been struggling to lose it since I turned 40. Weight watchers, South Beach, E-diet, Weigh Down Workshop and Atkins were some of the many ways I tried to lose weight. Each time I would lose weight only to gain it all back again. Through Dr. Beck and her behavior modification techniques I have lost 16 lbs in 8 weeks and I am still going strong. I learned how my thoughts sabotage my efforts and keep me from learning how to eat healthy. The book is set out in a day by day format which makes it very easy to keep going for the full six weeks of the program. If you do EVERYTHING that she tells you to do you will be amazed at how easily the weight comes off. As she says there is no magic diet. You must eat less calores and exercise to lose weight. This books help you to learn how to do it successfully.
  
  
• This works
  By AQ5QPZJWDTRZI on 2007-06-29
  I have found this book to be very helpful. I have been obese since childhood and have had no success at weight loss. Its been 8 weeks since I started reading the book and I have, so far, lost 28 pounds. (UPDATE: 28 weeks, 75 lbs lost.) What's amazing is the fact that it has been easy and pretty much painless.
  
  Here's the catch. For this to work, you must be willing to change the way you think, to admit that you might have flawed thoughts that need to be addressed. I was ready to swallow my pride, admit that it was possible that my thinking wasn't always as crystal clear as I believed, and to give this approach an honest effort. I'm glad I did.
  
  Cognitive Therapy involves homework, and this book requires you to do some exercises every day. I doubt you can have success without doing the exercises. This book talks nothing about what diet is best. Its all about how to think about eating...and exercise as well.
  
  I think Dr. Beck is really on to something here. I heartily recommend this to anyone who wants results. Personally, I have every confidence that I will continue to lose weight (I have a long way to go) over the next year. And that I will keep the weight off forever.
  
  
• I liked it and will use things in it with my dieting. It's different
  By A2OSXFEBSPSA7G on 2007-04-10
  I have been dieting for a while now and have lost about 60 pounds and kept if off for over a year. I read all the diet books that come out that I hear are good. This one has things in it that I will definitely use as I maintain my weight. There are tips to deal with triggers that make me want to eat. And there are strategies for working with thoughts that are not helpful to dieting. One thing about this program is that it asked me to do a lot of work. Writing things down. Making lists. It is pretty involved. I have been using a points system for weight loss and that also involved a lot of work. In some ways I am tired of working so I am taking ideas from this book and using them my own way and have found usefulness doing it like that. This book is different than other diet books because it isn't a diet plan so much as it is a way to do any diet. I tell anyone trying to diet that until I read *Effortless Wellbeing" from Evan Finer, I had no success and was miserable. After reading his book things finally fell into place and I was able to lose all the weight in a very consistent manner. It was easy. I used a points system at that time but it wasn't that system that did it. It was because I was finally at some peaceful place and then I just felt good about making myself fit and trim. I don't know why but that is the book that changed my life and weight loss. I got a lot out of *YOU on a diet* by Mehmet Oz also. Be sure to eat a lot of fiber and vegetables and fruit too. That helped me to be satisfied and full on reduced calories because quantity of food was still high. *Fiber 35 Diet* from Brenda Watson was very interesting about fiber and other stuff. Anyway, don't give up. Pick a diet, read good books to support you, and don't give up. I did it and thought I never would for several years, but now I can't believe I was ever that much overweight. I think this - these books can help you turn that switch and then it seems to just happen. Good luck!!
  
  
• This is the one for me!
  By AKOIRUE4SCUZZ on 2007-07-12
  Obesity is a complex problem, and there are many reasons why it occurs. No one book will ever be written that solves everybody's problems. If you're considering this one, read the reviews, and use the 'search inside' feature to take a look at it.
  
  There was a time in my life when I was thin, and although I just got the book, I can tell that this is what will lead me back to a normal weight. I used to resist food simply by using the techniques that are outlined in this book. When tempted, I thought about all the reasons why I wanted to keep my weight down, just like this book recommends. A lot of the other things I did then, are also recommended for changes to make on subsequent days. When I stopped caring; when I started nurturing myself with food (a subject Beck also addresses), is when I started gaining weight.
  
  If you have found diets that you think would be workable for you if you could only stick to them; if you want to change the way you think about food and the role it plays in your life, if you're willing to put forth some effort in return for results, this book will help you. The author discusses how to deal with hunger and how to distinguish it from desire and from cravings. She addresses all the issues I need to address. If you're looking to change your thinking, so that you can control your weight for the rest of your life, help is right here. There's no BS in this book. You have to pay attention, you have to try. You have to risk. This is an honest approach to weight loss that works with people, as they really are. The affirmations aren't "I am a good person" affirmations. They are affirmations that come from your own hopes and dreams for yourself.
  
  If you want a quick fix, and to effortlessly drop a bunch of pounds and have them magically stay gone, this ain't it. Go watch an infomercial.
  
  If you have OCD or anorexia, this might not be the book for you. But not all overweight people are overweight because of those problems. If you suspect you need to take a problem-solving approach because you've succumbed to a bunch of bad habits, and listened to too much advertising, this is the way to go. If you put food in your mouth, not understanding why, and are upset because you don't know how to stop doing that, buy this book.
  
  
  
  
• Not worth the money!!!
  By AA2B8DQNO3AWS on 2007-07-05
  Just another learn-how-to-diet book: Extremely low calorie diet, write your heart out in a journal, affirmation cards, and, oh yeah, if you don't succeed, it's your fault because your didn't do the work. Nothing new or inspiring in this book despite its claims. Instead, I would recommend The Rules of "Normal" Eating: A Commonsense Approach for Dieters, Overeaters, Undereaters, Emotional Eaters, and Everyone in Between! or The UnDiet: Painless Baby Steps to Permanent Weight Loss (without a day on a diet) or Water With Lemon: An Inspiring Story of Diet-free, Guilt-free Weight Loss! (although I do NOT recommend the cookbook mentioned in the Water with Lemon book). All three of these books are about healthy lifestyle choices - and shouldn't that be our real goal?
  
  
• Really Outstanding Dieting Resource
  By A1OAX2Z4R3BVOK on 2007-05-30
  Over the last 4 years, I failed to lose the 25 pounds I gained multiple times. I first read the review of this book in Oprah Magazine, and it intrigued me, so I ordered it. I have had tremendous success following the book, step by step, along with Weight Watchers. I never thought some of the things would work - for example writing down the reasons you want to lose weight, and reviewing them twice a day - but it make a huge difference. In order to succeed with this book, you really do have to follow it step-by-step, but you can definitely do it at your own speed. If you have the mindset that you really want to work at losing the weight and suceeding, this book is for you.
  
  
• Very Disappointing
  By A3NBLH2BTI56TN on 2007-05-13
  I found this book to be very disappointing. The book presents a program of cognitive therapy techniques to help you stick to any diet. The problem is this kind of advice is exactly what led me to develop a major eating disorder- binge eating disorder. There is nothing new presented in this book in reference to cognitive behavior therapy and dieting. It is old stuff.
  
  For me such an approach, along with diets led me to develop an all encompassing food thought disorder which has taken over my entire life. Do not buy this book if you have an eating disorder. The book "The Rules of Normal Eating" by Karen Koenig better characterizes and describes compulsive eating and binge eating disorders. Even though Koenig's book doesn't solve the problem, it at least realistically identifies the problem, and gives some strategies to help oercome it. Beck's book is not for people who suffer from compulsive overeating, binge eating disorder or for those who have an OCD related eating disorder.
  
  The end results for me in following a cognitive therapy plan similar to Becks over many years as well as following various diets with it was to fail at both following diets and maintaining the cognitive strategies that I was taught. As a failure of both cognitive therapy for weight control and dieting, I then developed an eating disorder.
  
  This book and its strategies are more for the casual dieter. As Beck says in her book, she personally wanted to lose 15 pounds and then she kept it off using her techniques. This book is possibly for someone who has dabbled in dieting, doesn't take their dieting too seriously or just wants to lose and maintain a relatively small amount of weight. It is not for someone with serious compulsive eating problems.
  
  
• Changed my life!
  By A17OREM3AHTV4H on 2007-07-18
  I bought this book after reading an ariticle about it in O Magazine, followed by the comment that the article author had continued to lose weight using the Beck ideas. I am a believer in the "change your thinking, change your life" premise, and this plan has proved it out for me. I have tried repeatedly to lose 25 lbs and had about given up. The loss was (and is) very slow going (Weight Watchers), and I would always lose patience and go back to my "regular" eating. After following the daily tasks in the Beck plan, I finally am down 15 lbs. still losing, and do believe I'm thinking like a thin person. I recommend this book to everyone. But you must really go through the process, not just skim the ideas. I finished the basic program about 9 weeks ago. A great break through for me.
  
  
• This "Clicked" for Me!
  By A1K3I6Z51CZIJM on 2007-03-31
  I've dieted since I was 14 and have been up and down in weight many times. Nine years ago I lost 20 lbs. and kept if off for about four years. But in the last five years, my weight has slowly crept up about four lbs. a year. Just as Judith Beck states in her book, it wasn't not knowing a good diet to follow that kept me from losing these four pounds a year, it was a lack of motivation, self-deception about the accumulation of pounds over the years, not knowing how to win the victory over hunger and food cravings, and a lack of knowledge of motivational and organizational skills.
  
  Last night I read through the entire book and today I'm starting at the first chapter and will do step by step what the author outlines. So while I can't say that I've done the book yet with success, I can say emphatically that I know what Ms. Beck writes is true. Whether or not I personally succeed is up to me--but the plan, I believe, has to work.
  
  This is a brilliant book written by a compassionate woman. For the first time in my life, I know that I can lose the weight I want to lose and keep if off. More importantly, I know that the self-control I learn from the author's techniques will help me grow in other areas of my life.
  
  As a born-again Christian, I am delighted that her idea that changing how we think will determine our success at losing weight and keeping it off matches what the Scriptures say! There is no doubt that the battle is always in the mind, that how we think and what we believe will always determine our success, and that we can change patterns of thought to achieve the goals we consider to be important.
  
  
• The Beckk Diet Solution
  By A2CEE7SJ8KQ68H on 2007-05-12
  Great tool especially if you are working in a health related field working with chronic dieters. The process works! It takes the focus off of food and directs the process in small steps and inner awareness.
  
  
• An evolution in weight loss strategies...
  By A16A0MJ5BPLXZQ on 2007-05-16
  As a graduate student in psychology, I am very familiar with cognitive therapy strategies and particularly Aaron Beck's (the author's father, I believe) incredible contributions to the field. In application to the "Beck Diet Solution," I have struggled with weight problems since I was 10-- first obesity, then starvation, then obesity again, and all leading to painful binge-eating. Judith Beck's "Solution" makes sense and is readable for anyone looking to become heathier-- whether losing 5 lbs or 50 lbs. She does not advocate any weight-loss program, which was helpful because I have been familiar with Weight Watchers for years. I have been able to make cognitive changes-- not simply behavioristic changes, such as "eating less, moving more." This makes a long-term change more plausible.
  
  I have shared this book with many people and feel as though it may be the only book of its kind.
  
  
• feed your head
  By A2ZY1THLZ5IHH2 on 2007-05-24
  Good book to help you re-train your thought patterns. Very good for those of us who have NO support in our dieting efforts from anyone around us. Self empowering and smart, just be honest, with yourself, about your thoughts on food and eating.
  
  
• Great concept worthy of better writing
  By A36UAFVVFUZ2CS on 2007-05-28
  Beck's cognitive therapy approaches and exercises really seem to work. However, the book is not too well written (or edited). About 1/2 of it tells you that the Beck Diet Solution will help you. I got the damn book, already, now just tell me what to do.
  
  
• Great dieting tips
  By AOE8TJWKJBKV9 on 2007-06-01
  This book is not a diet, but is full of tips on how to stay on your diet program and how to overcome obstacles to doing so. Things like getting all your food for a meal together before you sit down to eat so you see how much you are getting and your meal isn't interrupted by getting up to get more. You study one very short chapter (just several pages) a day and follow that day's tip. Doesn't take a lot of time, but is very helpful.
  
  
• Changing behaviors not just diet
  By AWG3JAXJYKZA1 on 2007-06-09
  Well-organized and well-written approach on how to change behaviors and ways of thinking about food in order to facilitate long term weight loss. A daily step by step plan can help the reader formulate concrete strategies to lose weight and, most importantly, keep the weight off. I recommend this book to anyone who has lost weight only to regain it. Lose weight and shed behaviors and thoughts that sabotage long term success.
  
  
• No more "fat-head" thinking
  By A2JAA7XR0HHT4J on 2007-06-15
  This book gives you the tools to stop the thinking that got you fat in the first place. Deal with your head and the rest will follow. Really love the tools given in the book. I have read a ton of diet books - this isn't what to eat, its about controlling why you eat. Best on this subject I have read.
  
  
• The REAL Solution: The Beck Diet Solution
  By AX8A6UI5WPRKN on 2007-06-26
  I've gained and lost weight many times since I was a teenager, and I have probably read most of the diet books ever published. This book is THE answer. We all know that you have to change your habits and lifestyle to maintain weight loss. This is the only book that I've seen that tells you how to do it. It's not a magic pill - you have to practice, practice, practice. But when you do, it's magic! You now have the new habits and you can think, eat, and live like a thin person.
  
  
• Helpfull in maintaining weight
  By A1TNZDUOEZ2M40 on 2007-05-13
  I've lost 20 lbs with the Weight Watchers and want to maintain my weight. To do so I have to change my behavior when it comes to fool, with the help of cognitive therary. In her book Dr Beck gives some exercices to do to face emotional eating, to eliminate cravings, to 'Practice hunger tolerance', scary but very helpful, etc. This book is a reality check. No more games, no more lies, you have NO CHOICE if you're serious about staying slim and healthy, you have to learn how.
  
  

• Beck Diet Solution Weight Loss Workbook: The 6-week Plan to Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person
• The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person
• The Volumetrics Eating Plan: Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories
• Shrink Yourself: Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever
• If I'm So Smart, Why Can't I Lose Weight?: Tools to Get it Done