Recommended Literature?

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JessRene0103
JessRene0103 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to get back on the wagon [again]. I've already started today with the resolve that I would do better, and have the plan to start over tomorrow. Hey, what are Tuesday's for if not to rectify Monday's regrets?

I'm a bit of a workaholic, but I'm working on it. To learn ways to cope and develop good habits for work life balance, I've gotten into self-improvement literature covering topics such as productivity, creative thinking, and How to Stop Feeling Like *kitten*. Great read, by the way, that last one :wink: Being as work crazy as I am, many things have fallen by the wayside like my diet, exercise, and love to read. So I've discovered that I can get my literature in by listening to audiobooks during my daily commute. It helps me take advantage of that prime time in the morning when the mind is more able to absorb information, as well as helps me to switch gears from work-mode on my way home.

I've browsed titles and synopses for books about health, but I'm not sure I want to pull the trigger on spending my precious Audible credits on one [or three] just yet. What recommendations would the MyFitnessPal community have for such literature?

To help narrow down the search (and because I'm type-A....af) here are some preferential guidelines:
  • I prefer research-based material
  • material that analyzes binge-behavior
  • includes tips and tricks for not only healthy habits, but those specifically intended for coping with binge-tendencies
  • bonus: if supplementary material is recommended/provided with the book.

Here are the titles that I've bookmarked and am thinking of downloading--any and all feedback is welcome if you've already read them!

The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long Term Health by Justin Sonnenburg and Erica Sonnenburg
The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A Kessler M. D.
Always Hungry?: Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, and Lose Weight Permanently by David Ludwig
The Archetype Diet: Reclaim Your Self-Worth and Change the Shape of Your Body by Dana James
Mini Habits for Weight Loss: Stop Dieting. Form New Habits. Change Your Lifestyle Without Suffering by Stephen Guise
Never Binge Again: Reprogram Yourself to Think Like a Permanently Thin Person by Glenn Livingston PhD
Eating, Drinking, Overthinking: The Toxic Triangle of Food, Alcohol, and Depression by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

Sorry for the long post! :smile:

Replies

  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
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    Beware of non-academic books on physiology. There's a reason that most books aren't recommended reading. The best information is going to come from actual collegiate level, peer reviewed, textbooks. Such as Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology 13th edition. Mind you, the used price will run you about $100 (dirt cheap for science text books), but the information will be much more accurate.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    This link has a list of sources that aren't all they're cracked up to be. I tend to check it first. Some writers might be on the list who are 90% correct, but then go completely into tinfoil hat territory on the other ten. Unfortunately, I'm not always great at sifting.

    https://nutritionasiknowit.com/blog/2016/1/13/nutrition-sources-you-should-avoid
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    If you're interested in why we do what we do, the Power of Habit by Duhigg is a great and entertaining read. I also liked The Blue Zones, about pockets in the world with unusually high rates of active centenarians and what their lifestyle is like. I didn't agree with all their conclusions, but it was fascinating.

    In general I would stay away from books about diet or that promise to give you the secret to weight loss or health. 99.95% of the time, they are money grabs :disappointed:

    There are a few books about mindset as it relates to diet that have been recommended here before that I can't think of right now, but hopefully others will be along with that.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited August 2018
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    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    This link has a list of sources that aren't all they're cracked up to be. I tend to check it first. Some writers might be on the list who are 90% correct, but then go completely into tinfoil hat territory on the other ten. Unfortunately, I'm not always great at sifting.

    https://nutritionasiknowit.com/blog/2016/1/13/nutrition-sources-you-should-avoid

    The Kardashians (all of them) :lol:

    The bolded in your quote is the worst, because people could actually learn from them if they would just stick to their basic point, but then they lead people over the deep end. There were several names on that list that can be useful, if you can recognize that subtle line where they veer off into "woo-woo, daddy needs a mid-life-crisis-car land". But it's really tough to bail out in time!
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    I like reading diet books. I take something from them even if I don't always agree with the premise. From your list, I read a few but not all.
    JessRene0103 wrote: »

    The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long Term Health by Justin Sonnenburg and Erica Sonnenburg
    The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A Kessler M. D.
    Always Hungry?: Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, and Lose Weight Permanently by David Ludwig
    The End of Overeating: Reclaim Your Self-Worth and Change the Shape of Your Body by Dana James
    Mini Habits for Weight Loss: Stop Dieting. Form New Habits. Change Your Lifestyle Without Suffering by Stephen Guise
    Never Binge Again: Reprogram Yourself to Think Like a Permanently Thin Person by Glenn Livingston PhD
    Eating, Drinking, Overthinking: The Toxic Triangle of Food, Alcohol, and Depression by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

    Sorry for the long post! :smile:

    - The End of Overeating: I haven't found it very useful. It was basically "the food industry is making us fat" repeated in so many ways. If you're interested in the mechanisms and motivations that push us to eat, The Hungry Brain by Stephan Guyenet is a much more interesting book. He approaches the topic through neuroscience. I don't completely agree with his strategies based on said science, but I found them useful to form my own.
    - Always hungry? Run far far away. Ludwig is a quack and it would be very very hard to fish for the needle of truth in that haystack.
    - Mini Habits for Weight Loss: this is in the "yes" pile for me. Small sustainable changes and baby steps are effective for many people, and he introduces some really novel ideas throughout. Interesting read, but keep in mind that most "science" portions or explanations are either wrong or outdated. Pick this one up for ideas, not for the science.
    - Never Binge Again: I didn't like it. It's a short book, but I didn't like the tone at all. It took the premise of Brain Over Binge and rewrote it in a more juvenile way.



  • JessRene0103
    JessRene0103 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thank you all for this feedback! You've given me a lot to digest.... :wink: sorry for the bad pun.

    I certainly welcome any more feedback you all have to offer! This is a big help!
  • cnave99
    cnave99 Posts: 63 Member
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    That Never Binge Again is complete crap. Its immature and badly edited. Not a great combination.

    I like the mini habits. I have it on audible too.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited August 2018
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    Actually, this reminds me of a list I started but never finished of the diet books I read. Maybe I should get back to it. Here is what I have so far:

    The Beck Diet Solution
    *In: using CBT to combat sabotaging thoughts, complements Great Courses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Techniques for Retraining Your Brain very well.
    *Out: the specific system, finding an accountability partner (I don't do well with support), the rigid stance against cravings (I do best when I honor them than when I resist them), the rigidity and "un-negotiability" of it all - just stick to your diet.

    Mindless Eating/Slim by Design
    *In: certain environmental manipulations that make dieting easier for me
    *Out: Some manipulations aren't useful to me and some would outright sabotage my progress (I love fruits and having a fruit bowl out would lead me to consume more calories than I'd like), the system is not enough to induce meaningful weight loss without mindful attention to food

    Intuitive Eating
    *In: Very valuable insights on fixing a bad relationship with food. One of the principles resonated so strongly with me and became a staple in my weight management, "if you don't love it, don't eat it". It made total sense, why would I waste my calories on subpar foods.
    *Out: The firm stance against focusing on weight loss, the firm stance against any kind of dieting strategy or making weight loss informed decisions, heavily advocating the "set point" theory and the defeatism of it while discouraging any strategies to lose more weight than hunger dictates, even the sustainable ones.

    The Every Other Day Diet:
    *In: calorie cycling as a strategy. the science was good too
    *Out: the specific plan without personalizing the calories, the advice against eating back exercise calories on fasting days

    Brain Over Binger:
    *In: mindfully dissociating from a thought can work. The story was interesting
    *Out: The reptilian brain theory is outdated. More of a memoir than a diet book

    The Hungry Brain
    *In: this book is fascinating! It mostly discusses neuroscience theories and brain systems related to food intake, which can be used to form strategies. I can use biological motivators to make myself more motivated to eat lower calorie foods by using certain tweaks.
    *Out: I disagree with the specific strategy suggestions (like eating a bland diet that doesn't taste too good with as little variety per meal as possible) and would rather use the info to form my own sustainable strategies.

    Mini Habits for Weight Loss
    *In: the whole concept of gradual sustainable changes and baby steps, and some really interesting ideas that are worth trying
    *Out: some of the science and explanation behind it. May not be enough for some people as mini habits may stay mini and never grow or could drag out and the person may lose interest.

    ETA: I didn't have the book when I made this (incomplete) list, but I would like to add Lyle McDonald's The Women's Book Vol 1 as a valuable resource. If you want up to date and research-based, this is the book for you. It's very detailed.

    The only cons I think of, which aren't really cons, is that some of the calorie calculations in the examples can be a bit high for the typical sedentary person, and that he's more of a science guy than a psychology guy.

    I recommend reading this book before you read anything else because you need to get the dieting process itself sorted out and understood before you move on to mental strategies. It's easier to work on the mental aspects when you're not confused and jumping from one diet to another.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited August 2018
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    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    The Women's Book by Lyle McDonald.

    ^ Best recommendation in the whole thread. As far as being research-based, I believe he said he had 852 study references listed - but that may have been before it was finalized.

    Guyenet's The Hungry Brain is another great suggestion.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
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    3rd vote for The Hungry Brain by Stephan Guyenet.

    If it is auditory books you are wanting during your commute, why not listen to some of the suggested authors 1st via their YouTube videos? Stephan Guyenet has several talks/interviews on you youtube as does Dr. David A. Kessler. Lyle McDonald also as well as many of the others mentioned.

    Via youtube, you can at least get an idea of their talking points or expertise...for free then decide.

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