The Diet Guy

Book Review - The Diet Delusion

I have for many years now been fascinated and commented many times on how in 2011 when we have more diets, more gyms, more exercise products, more healthy eating advice, more information and better healthcare than every before have we got more overweight and obese people than ever before.

If all of this worked then surely we would have less overweight people ? The fact the diet and health industry does not create long term success is something we all know and we all know that most people regain all of their weight and more but somehow this seems to be missed as the next fad diet or dance fitness routine comes along.

This book by Gary Taubes in my opinion is spot on, he analyses the same issue that I have talked about in how can we all continue to try the same old diets and not get results everytime and yet be stuck in the lifestyle.

This book is both blunt and to the point and may be too much for some people who want to believe that eating an apple at lunchtime really is going to help them stay slim long term.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to look beyond the fluff and the TV adverts and actually look at the science of whether diets really work.

The Diet Delusion is a fantastic informative and eye opening book and can be purchased from Amazon at The Diet Delusion

Book Review : Get The Life You Want

I love Richard Bandler's material, the thing I like most is that it is such an easy read and you feel like he is just chatting away to you while at the same time 'hitting your stuff' and really talking to you.

His approach is to just quickly deal with the problems and move onwards and upwards (and inwards!) and is a style I love. For me we spend too long focussing on problems and forgetting that we are only on the planet for a short period so live life while you can.

Just a note that with this book you also get a great CD which is ideal for listening to before bed and his voice definitely knocks you out quickly :-)

Very much recommended read from the father of NLP and is available from Amazon at Get The Life You Want

Book Review - Using Your Brain : For A Change

I am a big fan of Richard Bandler, he was one of the co-creators of NLP and this book is all about how to change your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Richard is an innovator and a shining light in personal and professional development.

A very easy read as Richard has a very jovial personality and uses humour and wit to deliver powerful metaphors about how to have a better life. I managed to read this book in one sitting and although deep in it's meaning it is very easy to get into and become engrossed.

Part of the book is based on a live transcript which I found very useful and went back to again and again.

This is the kind of book you will read three of four times and still get real value out of before lending it to your friends to read.

 

It isn't cheap, but for me, worth every penny as this is a blueprint for change and really makes you realise that you can be so much more than you are and how your limiting beliefs about yourself hold you back.

 

You can get it at Amazon.co.uk at Using Your Brain : For A Change

Book Review - Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life: A Kick-butt Approach to a Better Life

I bought Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get A Life at the recommendation of one of my newsletter readers last year.

I have never been a fan of the 'in your face' approach but this interested me greatly as I always like to be as flexible with my counselling skills as I can be and sometimes a certain type of person does require the 'bluntness' that this book offers.

The first thing to say is that although Larry 'tells it how it is' he also clearly deeply cares that you get the results you crave, even if that means you don't particulary like him or his techniques afterwards.

The book itself states

Internationally renowned success philosopher, business speaker, and humorist, Larry Winget offers advice that flies in the face of conventional self–help. He believes that the motivational speakers and self–help gurus seem to have forgotten that the operative word in self–help is "self." That is what makes this book so different. Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life forces all responsibility for every aspect of your life right where it belongs—on you. For that reason, this book will make you uncomfortable. Winget won′t let you escape to the excuses that we all find so comforting. The only place you are allowed to go to place the blame for everything that has ever happened to you is to the mirror. The last place most of us want to go.

Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life is simply a self–help book like no other. It takes on every idea you hold sacred. It trashes the motivational platitudes we have all grown up with and learned to trust. Larry attacks the importance of a positive attitude, the sanctity of marriage, sex, religion, fitness, friendship, money, stress, and happiness. This is anything but conventional wisdom, yet makes so much sense that his ideas are nearly impossible to argue with.

Larry Winget, also known as The Pitbull of Personal Development®, is confrontational in his style, direct in his approach, irritational in his manner, yet Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life is still hilarious. You will find yourself laughing out loud as he discusses his frustration with people who refuse to take responsibility for their lives and their results. Yet the most interesting part of this book is Winget′s emphasis on the importance of love and service to others. He explains that these two factors are the key to all success, happiness, and prosperity in both your personal and professional life.

You probably won′t agree with all Larry Winget says in this one–of–a–kind book. You may not like the concepts and ideas he believes will change your life. Winget doesn′t care. His ideas aren′t for everyone and he readily admits that. He just wants you to look at your life and your business, and if you aren′t totally happy with your results, then give his advice a try. If it works, you are way ahead. If it doesn′t, you haven′t lost anything.

For me this book is perfect for those that do want their advice straight to the point and don't do the softly softly approach that most self help genre books go for.The book is ideal for a quick 5 minute read and to put a lot of the real world advice into practical use and see some results.

The basics of the book are look at your life now and change what isn't working for you, but the key is to accept when things really aren't working and to do something about it. This is especially valid in the dieting world where a lof of us plug away at the same diet time and time again and accepting that it isn't going to work for you is the key to moving on.

Out of 10 I would give this book 9 and purely not a 10 as for me the 'brutal' nature of the advice isn't quite my thing. A great read though and is is available from Amazon by clicking here

Book Review - Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) Workbook for Dummies

I first came across the NLP Workbook for Dummies back in 2008 when I picked up a copy at an airport. I was never a fan of the 'dummies' guides as my perception was that they were condescending by calling me a dummy!

But I picked this up and flicked through and liked what I saw so I grabbed a copy and a pen and worked my way through it.

This is a real hands on book that invites you through loads of little exercises to understand why you do what you do and if you decide to change it.

I filled this in in about a week and found the contents absolutely inspiring and very eye opening even though I had already done extensive training in the subject area.

This book covers

Getting Your Mindset Right with NLP

Setting Sound Goals

Recognising Your Unconscious Values

Recognising How You Distort Thinking  

Developing Personal Rapport

Managing Your Emotions and Experiences

Changing Habits and Modeling Success

Recognizing What Works

Adapting Language with Metamodeling and the Milton Model

Assess your thought patterns and develop a positive mindset

Communicate confidently and effectively

Build rapport

Manage your emotions

Break away from bad habits

Set goals and achieve success

It is a really journey on the inside and at the end you are left with a goal and a plan of how to get there and then the book urges you to take action.

Anyway very strongly recommended and I would give this book a good 9.5 out of 10.

It is available at a great price from Amazon at NLP Workbook For Dummies