How many diet books do you think are out there? Take some time one day to walk around your local bookstore and go into the health/diet/fitness section. I do this every couple months just to see what the heck people are trying to sell off nowadays as the “latest and greatest” diet to ever come along. If information really equaled results, holy cow we should be the fittest and healthiest generation in the course of known human history! Unfortunately I think we all know that is far from the truth. There is a level of insanity that we need to do something about if we ever want to win the battle on living longer and healthier.

Information overload!! That about sums it up pretty nicely. We pride ourselves nowadays on learning as much as we can about everything, yet one has to wonder how much practical application is really there? Case in point, some of the people who can tell me the most about building muscle down to the protein structures are also still struggling to put on weight and call themselves “hardgainers” as an excuse. I know people who have a home library of diet books, with all that information they should be an expert on results right? Unfortunately too much time reading and too little time taking action has kept them from any results. Or is it the fact that every diet book tells a different story only to confuse us even more, so we sit and do nothing as we don’t know what the right path is? So we just blame the diets, those don’t work….let’s wait around for the next diet book which will have all the answeres. When that diet book fails us then we wait for the next…and the next…and the next. Guess what, you think publishing companies don’t know this as well? They will be happy to provide the next great diet book, and the next, and the next. Imagine the economic disaster if people actually didn’t need diet books anymore! My goodness, the horror! (note a bit of sarcasm there)

Now I can’t stand the word “diet”, as it implies something that you do for 4-8 weeks and then go back to old eating patterns (that were not working in the first place). What good is that? Most everyone is aware of the “yo-yo” effect of weight loss and gain for most dieters. Did you know it is potentially more dangerous and harder for people that “yo-yo” with weight loss vs people who just take it slow and steady? Who do you think also has better long term success? (and by long term I mean years and years….where most diets say how much you can lose in one week). I’m going to break down how most diet books work, and then let you be the judge:

• Most are marketed with a trend eating pattern or whatever people think is “hot” right now. (just go and see how many “Detox” diets are out there right now as “in”). Want to detox? Drink water and don’t eat (aka fast)….the body will do the rest. Trends come and go, so this allows that publishing company to put out a new diet book every 6 months.
• Most have a “world famous trainer” who does Hollywood stars as the spokesperson. Really? We are saying what works in Hollywood for quick weight loss (with no account of what happens to those people years down the road….and all the weight they could gain back) is the ideal way? Why must they be the only people who know what works? Sure alot of them look good, but what you don’t know is that they probably also do hours of training a day and have a special cook come in for all their meals. How does that lifestyle reflect what you need to do?
• Most have you eating 6x a day. Ok, show of hands, who wants to worry all day about eating and make it a full time obsession? (my hand is not raised) Where did this science come from? Could it be the supplement industry? Seriously, the unjustified paranoia about going into “starvation” is what fuels this marketing sales hype. If we were going to starve by missing a meal or two then the human race would of died off a long time ago with the first bad day of hunting/famine and nothing to eat. The body is smarter than supplement companies give it credit. That and there is NO proven metabolic advantage to eating 6x a day vs 3x, NONE. Can eating this way work? Of course it can because it’s still about the total calories, but it is just not a realistic lasting (or fun) lifestyle. But if you had to make money selling supplements in the form of bars and shakes wouldn’t you tell people to eat 6-10x a day too? So see where the idea comes from first.
• Going along with the starvation myth, most push a supplement, bars, shakes or some other upsell on the side. (Without naming names, I know a few “diet” books that nutrition stores gave away FREE, because they made $100-$300/month on the recurring supplement sales from it. These books were essentially written by a supplement company at the heart of it!) Some would call this a brilliant marketing strategy, but others may be outraged to know what really goes on when people are planning these diet books. If you read the book and got results, then fantastic….but did you need to spend $300/mo on supplements to get there? Most likely not!
• How quick can you workout? 10 minute arms…no wait 9 minute abs…8 min glutes….it’s like we are trying to see how less we can actually workout and see miracle results. I bet you the 4 min workout sells more than the 5 min workout…I mean because who has time to spend exercising with that other minute in the day. It’s rediculous to think people need to title their workout/weight loss books by how few minutes you need to put any effort into it, but sadly if it didn’t sell….they wouldn’t market it like that. So people are buying into that concept.

Now I know what many may say, but diets can work right? Sure….at the heart of all diets you see 2 main things that will get people results: Insulin control (see the carbs are not the enemy post and insulin and sugar post) and Calorie Deficit Intake (so the body burns from internal fuel sources, which is what you need if you want to burn that stubborn body fat). Alot of books also may have good things in them, like the Zone teaches insulin control, another may stress the importance of Omega 3s (fish oil) and so on. If you can read a diet book and get lasting results, then it DOES work for you. Results are the only thing that should matter. But unfortunately the biggest danger with any diet book is that it promotes quick and unrealistic weight loss, keeps people on some crazy eating plan that they will no way do for years at a time, and doesn’t do the most important thing and give us the control back we need in our lives. The diet books want you to give up the control and do what they say. What people need is to know how and why to eat, and then they are in control from that point forward. If you want lasting results in the real world with crazy work schedules, different things that can happen, going on vacation and just whatever life throws at you, then you need that control so you know how to adapt to whatever situation you find yourself in.

Lastly, food should be enjoyed. There I said it. Nothing wrong with enjoying our food. The reason most people will not stay on a diet is because they feel deprived, like they are missing out on something. (remember the post about winning the mental battle) If you don’t enjoy something, you won’t want to stick with it pure and simple. Also people get down on themselves too much, why do we do that to ourselves? That will only lead to abandonment of any diet plan and back to Ben and Jerry for comfort. The key is real balance and knowing how to eat for your body while also enjoying how you eat. Now what if you found a way that worked for you, you enjoyed all sorts of foods and could control all your results…..wouldn’t that be the way you want to live? I would hope so.

I coach many people and that is the strategy I take (as well as the strategy you will see in the Death of the Diet ebook). In my business people want to be told exactly what to do step by step….but I want people to learn and take action for themselves. I will not tell people what to eat for dinner, but I can help them understand HOW to eat and let them choose their meal…and that is something completely different. Some people get frustrated at first because I am making them do the work….but down the road I know they will get what I call the “Ah Ha” moment of clarity...and then anything is possible for them from that point on. I always say I never get people any results, as they get it for themselves (I just help them understand how to do it and guide them in their daily journey).

So in this world of diet book insanity, it may be time to say “No more!”. Stop buying into the trends, giving your hard earned money back to publishing/supplement companies who want you to keep buying new diet books or miracle weight loss pills. Stop giving away your control and start to focus on putting it back into your life. It’s time for you to find what does work….and what you really enjoy. Eating shouldn’t be this complicated, we shouldn’t obsess about food. Simplicity is always better. Just keep it simple with the important things and ignore all the crazy ideas people use to make money off you. It’s also no secret that one of the best tools I think everyone should use is to just take a break and fast for a short period of time. Why? Well you let your body retune and reset itself, something it can’t do if you are shoving food down your throat 6x a day. Your body wants a break too sometimes, and will work better if you allow it time off once in a while. Get back your natural cravings and instincts. Let your body and mind start to function better. Get more in tune with the evolutionary design of your body. Let the next time you bite into an apple taste so sweet you will think it was dessert. Start to see life with a new sense of purpose, health and control. Live life to challenge your mind, exercise/move your body, earn your dinner and enjoy the rewards.

Above photo by KaraKeid