What Types of Books Help You Lose Weight?

In the world of weight loss plans there are myriad schools of thought including pills, fasting, calorie counting and forgoing certain types of food. It’s hard to make sense of it all. One place to start your weight loss journey is with books. If you’re a reader, the first step is figuring out what type of book will help you lose weight.

Journals

Journals or blank books may seem an odd choice for a dieter, but often overeating is an emotional rather than a physical response. Instead of jumping headlong into yet another odd-ball diet, take a few weeks to think and write about what forces are driving you to eat. Every night, write in your book what you ate and how you felt. Over time, you might discover a pattern. For example, does having a bad day at work lead to eating an extra scoop of ice cream? Does being extra busy mean you skip meals or eat without thinking? Along with noting your feelings, this is a great place to work out any anxiety you have about dieting before you start a new regime such as “Do I need to count calories?” “What is Thrive and how can it help me lose weight?” And “which diet plan will work best for me?”

Inspirational

Sometimes it helps to follow the footsteps of others to help you understand that you are not on your journey alone. There are plenty of books filled with inspiring stories of how others got healthy. Following their setback and progress can lend emotional support to what you are attempting to do. In It Was Me All Along, Andie Mitchell, “discovers” as a young woman that she is fat. Her story is not just a tale of how she changed her eating habits, but also how she learned to love herself. For lighter fare, pick up Shauna Reid’s The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl based partially on her blog that chronicles her weight loss journey.

Science-Based

If you have the right type of brain, you might enjoy reading more science-focused books about food that could really help you unpack what you crave. Many books of this genre are not diet books per se, but instead intellectualize the bigger picture of what we put in our mouths and why. The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor, for example, was written by Mark Schatzker, a journalist, not a dietician. Schatzker explores the world of the processed foods industry and how it has shaped our palate. Neuroscientist Rachel Herz examines the subconscious relationship we have with food in her book Why You Eat What You Eat.

Cookbooks

Diet specific cookbooks provide you with recipes that follow a certain weight loss plan. If you stick with the meals in the book, you’re sure to drop a few pounds. Cooking, although time-consuming, can really become a labor of love that you perform for yourself. Because there are so many different types of plans, you should choose the one that will fit into your lifestyle with the least discomfort. Fill Your Plate, Lose the Weight by Sarah Mirkin, R.D.N. focuses on a 21-day meal cycle that promises to keep you full so you will be less tempted to snack between meals. Erin Palinski-Wade, R.D., C.D.E. wrote Smart Meal Prep For Beginners to guide her clients towards healthier eating by changing their habits. Deciding whether to go on a keto plan, follow Weight Watchers, try a Mediterranean diet or start eating vegan only may ultimately have to do with the types of food you like best.

Conclusion

Losing weight can be time consuming because of the amount of energy you must spend trying to figure out what you can or should eat. Unfortunately, there isn’t really a quick fix to dropping the pounds. However, if you embrace the diet journey as a part of a greater wellness plan, you may just ultimately find success.