The Four Day Win by Martha Beck (2006, Hardcover)

We all know that in order to lose weight we have to eat less and move more. This seems like a simple and obvious concept, so why doesn't it work. Why is it that the harder you try to lose weight (eating less and less and exercising more and more) the more likely that you end up craving junk food, binging, and eventually giving up? The Four Day Win gives us the answer.

Losing weight and being healthy isn't about willpower, starving ourselves to death, or exercising until we pass out. In fact, stubborn will-power is actually the problem. The key is listening to our needs and being kind to ourselves. Simplistically put, once we care to stop, listen, and understand our true needs, we soon realize that instead of dealing with our anxieties, our fears, and the things in our life that cause us stress, we tend to self medicate with food. It's seems so much easier to eat that chocolate cake than deal with that relationship issue or that job we hate. Then, we turn around and beat ourselves up because we weren't strong enough which makes us hate ourselves that much more causing us to binge. It's a horribly unloving cycle.

I'm eating less and I'm moving more but most of all I am paying more attention to my inner self these days. I'm constantly learning about myself while developing healthy self soothing and rat park strategies. I'm happier, healthier, and far more hopeful after having read this book. Four days really can change your life for the better.

It has been a week and a half since I read the book. In the first 7 day period, I lost two and a half pounds. With weight-watchers I could only lose a pound a week. Up to this point I had not been able to lose anything for three years. I'm sold on this. No dieting required, but these practices work with any diet program. Or, as the author does, just eat what you want and lose weight. It works! The premise is based on avoiding "famine-brain". She explains why today's diets and diet-advice actually works to keep people fat. One example - getting sufficient rest trumps exercise. Exercise is essential, but if done too much on an already stressed body, weight gain is inevitable. This is true. I ride my bike moderately hard 5 days a week. I don't lose weight. However, when I was sick with a cough for two weeks and couldn't ride - I lost weight! I had not changed my eating habits. She has a jump-start program to get you started immediatly losing weight and you can read the rest at your leisure to re-wire your brain for weight-loss for good. Revolutionary!!