4 out of 4 stars
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In Zeus Defied, Rez Khan employs the mythical Greek figure of Sisyphus to illustrate how willpower is not the answer to losing weight. Sisyphus was condemned by Zeus to push a boulder all the way to the top of a mountain. Believing he could summon the strength to do it, Sisyphus would push and push until his strength failed and the boulder tumbled all the way down. Then he would start again. The result, of course, was always the same. Khan argues that dieters are trapped in the same cycle. Why? Because they, like Sisyphus, are relying on the strength of their will to achieve results. And just like Sisyphus, they will never have enough strength. The solution? Realize that the answer is not found in summoning the strength to push the boulder higher; the answer is getting rid of the mountain.
So, how do we get rid of the mountain? Simple: by making the task easier. Remove easy access to stimuli that triggers harmful habits. Structure our environment to our advantage. Don’t keep bad foods in our home. The author breaks it down into the following fifteen steps:
1. Initial Commitment
2. Consistency
3. Start small
4. Daily Log
5. Support
6. Understand Your Triggers
7. Replace the Old Habit
8. Perfection (don’t expect it)
9. Environment
10. Role Models
11. Visualization
12. Familiarize Yourself with the Advantages
13. Plan a Start Date
14. Prepare for Negativity
15. Repetition
Khan does more than merely attack the psychological underpinnings of obesity; he also provides practical steps to overcome it – nine steps, to be exact. They are:
1. Mindful Eating
2. Dairy Switch
3. Leaner Meats
4. Carb Loading
5. Kicking The Can
6. Sugar: Not So Sweet
7. Small Is Beautiful
8. Move Your Body
9. The Path Of Greatest Resistance
These nine steps are part of destroying the “Sisyphean mountain” which “resides deep within your unconscious mind” and has been “built through physiologically corrupting dietary choices. The mountain has a deep foundation which supports actions that not only sustain but also steepen it.”
What I liked most about this book is the approach the author takes to weight loss. I believe he successfully identifies a major problem with most diets: they rely on the willpower of the dieter. The author does a good job of showing why willpower is not enough. He does an equally good job of providing an alternative. I also liked the practical nature of the author’s prescriptions. Although he does insist that weight loss entails a psychological component, he does not assail the reader with a multitude of esoteric spiritual ideas that must be mastered in order to achieve success, as is the case in many Eastern-based books of this kind. The reader should be relieved to know that he can lose weight without understanding the precise interplay of heat, air, and water as it pertains to his mind and body; nor does he have to know anything about his past lives. The prescriptions are practical, and anyone can follow them.
What I disliked most about the book is that the author tries to suggest his approach is novel. I’m not so sure it is. I think most weight loss books point to the problems with traditional dieting methods, identifying some of the same faults with them as Khan does, and proposing some of the same solutions. Khan’s book is excellent, but I would not say that it is unique.
I think people who have had bad luck with diets like Slimfast or Jenny Craig will like this book. It talks about the problems with those diets and offers a solution. People who are seeking to understand the roots of their weight problems will like this book. Physicians and nutritionists may also enjoy it.
This book will probably not appeal to those looking for a quick fix, as it does require some work. It is not meant for those who want to find a silver bullet; to the contrary, it is meant for those who have grown tired of such “solutions” and seek a more comprehensive approach. Those who do not wish to change their thinking and their lifestyle will not like this book.
This book is well-edited; the closest thing I found to a grammatical error was a comma separating two complete sentences.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is a weighty answer for those seeking a way to shed some pounds.
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Zeus Defied
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