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This is kind of a funny thing to say in a diet book, but very true in my opinion, and why it works in this particular book is because “Diet Enlightenment” is simply bringing us back to the basics. This book reminds many dieters that have lost their way or given up entirely, how to start with a clean slate, and begin again in working their way toward a healthier lifestyle.“Despite billions of dollars spent on weight loss, sixty-eight percent of Americans remain overweight and obese, and the dieting industry continues to grow. Yeah sure, blame it on a lack of willpower, a lazier generation, overly processed food…Despite these realities, I believe that the dieting industry is also greatly to blame.”
“Diet Enlightenment” by Rachel L. Pires gives simple advice on dieting, and easy ways to follow it. This is a book that takes an old idea, and shows how easy it has become in this day and age. What is this idea? Calorie counting. It is interesting, because in all honesty calories are usually mentioned in any diet you come across, but the idea is usually overwhelmed and forgotten because of each diet’s separate gimmicks. No gimmicks here, just good old fashioned calorie counting.
Now, we know that this is not a new idea, and it is even mentioned in the book that:
But the author goes onto say:“The Weight Watchers program…is essentially a calorie counting diet…”
I do think that this is partially true, but I also know that part of Weight Watchers is the support system. You are held accountable, and go to meetings, and become an actual part of their community. I believe for some this is actually as big a help as the tools for counting calories. If you don’t need that community, or can get that same support through internet recources or friends, then this book will probably help you in the same way.“While I think it’s one of the best commercial diets, my question for you is-do you really need to spend all that money when you could have easily achieved the same results on your own?”
Since calorie counting is such an easy idea, you may be wondering why you would need to buy the book at all. Pires has done a lot of research, and she gives you a number of recources to help you along the way. There are numerous helpful tips she’s sprinkled in from her own journey as well.
Now, there was a section talking about “healthy” meals versus “none-healthy” meals that I found funny, because many of the foods mentioned I would not consider “healthy”, but simply foods many consumers have been led to believe are healthy. Foods like granola, yogurt, and restaurant salads are usually not the healthiest choice. The first two, not just because of the calorie content as Pires points out, but also because of the sugar content. Also, While Pires gives a lot of tips to dieters, I was surprised it wasn’t suggested that if you really want that salad, order it with the dressing on the side. Dressing is often times the biggest contributer to the unhealthiness factor of a salad, and when ordered on the side you can drizzle rather than drench it.
Now, it is said in this book that
This statement almost lost me. While different professionals will tell you different things when it comes to the subject, most will agree that exercise factors into at least 20% of your weight loss goal. Now, 20% may not seem like much, but it is pretty well agreed upon that you will not get your “dream body” that is mentioned in this book, unless you include some form of exercise into your program.“…recent studies have found that exercise just isn’t that important when it comes to weight loss.”
Pires redeemed herself a bit when she later talked about different exercises helping to shape your body, but I definitely wouldn’t have started the exercise chapter by saying that it’s not that important. I think that many people reading this book don’t just want the weight loss, but the look of a healthy person as well.
Now, there is a disclaimer in the beginning of this book where Pires states:
So, I feel that I must mention that I do work in the fitness world, and part of my job is sitting down with people, helping them to reach their own fitness goals. Those goals include diet as well as exercise. I will admit that the author and I have a slight difference in opinion in some areas, but I believe the main reason for this is because this book never claims to be a “get healthy” book, but instead a “how to lose weight” book. I personally am all about getting people healthy, because there is nothing like having a client who can barely make it up a flight of stairs, and turning them into someone that can keep up in a high energy Zumba class. In my opinion the best, and easiest, way to do that is to look at more than just calories when choosing foods, and to include some form of exercise; even if the program starts with something as simple as walking or easy does it pool activities.“I am not a licensed nutritionist or physician, and this book is not intended to replace nutritional counseling…”
Now, with all of that being said, this book has an abundance of research and helpful information. It gives you so many sources to help achieve your weight loss goals. While Pires didn’t always go into detail, some of the sites mentioned do not only help you calculate your calories, but also include support teams, recipes, exercise programs, etc. Hardly any of them just show the calories, but also include protein, carbs, and other nutritional information. I personally believe balancing your diet is important for a lasting end results, if you want to not only look but feel better. I do wish that Pires had included some of her own favorite recipes as many of these diet books do. I believe that if she had, some of the redundance in sections of this book could have been edited out.
As I said before the main point of this book is weight loss, and I believe that this is a good book to get people started on their journey; So I am rating “Diet Enlightenment” by Rachel L. Pires 3 out of 4 stars.
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