Gillian Riley - Ditching Diets: How to lose weight in a way you can maintain

I am a psychologist in practice for 30 years, and this is the most cogent and wise approach I've encountered to date. It's the only approach I've seen that combines all aspects of this complex problem: neurochemistry, blood sugar, nutrition, the rebelliousness of the human spirit, and the power of intentional mindfulness into a practical, sensible plan for altering those addictive neural pathways.

April Martin, PhD

This book has changed my life. Most importantly I am able to integrate all this into my normal daily living. I do not have to say no to parties or social gatherings afraid I will break my diet! This is a lifelong, livable way of relating to food.

Dr Rosaire O Donovan

This is an awesome book. Concrete and do-able, its groundbreaking advice. Makes me feel I don't need to fall out of love with food, or disconnect myself from it, rather that I can turn my passion from a negative to a positive one. Really exciting stuff. I have spent so much of my life with my head in the sand because I thought nothing would ever work.

Having read your book Eating Less , I think this more condensed format actually gives the message a lot more punch. I feel energised and able after reading this. The ease of the read somehow syncs with ease of attitude Im searching for. This is more compelling than ever.

Amy Marshall

I can't even remember the last time I had a huge blow out binge to the point of discomfort and pain. I can now comfortably leave food on my plate without worrying about it. I can now socialise without feeling stressed and anxious. Before, I was an all day grazer and any little graze could trigger a major big binge and that was the day in tatters.

My husband commented recently that he thinks I seem more relaxed and less uptight. I think I am a happier person with myself, and life in general.

Naomi Cresswell

DITCHING DIETS

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT

IN A WAY YOU CAN MAINTAIN

Gillian Riley

Copyright 2001, 2009, 2012 Gillian Riley, www.eatingless.com

First edition, Beating Overeating: The Lazy Persons Guide , Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 2001

Second edition, Beating Overeating: The Easy Guide , Gillian Riley, London, 2009

Cover design by Chris Manning

Gillian Riley has asserted her moral rightto be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior, written permission of the copyright owner.

Although every effort has been made to ensure that the contents of this book are accurate, it must not be treated as a substitute for qualified medical advice. The author cannot be held responsible for any loss or claim arising out of the use, or misuse, of any of the suggestions made or the failure to take medical advice.

Authors Note to Readers in the United States and Other Parts of the World: This book was written in England using language as it is written and spoken in this country. You may find that some spellings, words and phrases seem unusual, and I hope this doesnt detract from your enjoyment and understanding of the book.

CONTENTS

How to eat less without following a diet. Everything you need, summed up in three themes.

Youre being good while you stick to the rules, but then youre bad and return to overeating. The solution is to learn how to eat less through a genuine sense of free choice, rather than prohibition.

Strengthen your motivation with feedback thats both more immediate and more lasting than weight loss alone.

Instead of trying to avoid your interest in food you dont need, which cant possibly work forever, discover how to overcome it by thinking in a completely new way.

Understand a few things about what happens in your brain when you want to overeat, and you can work with your brain instead of against it.

It will help you to lighten the impact of all the meanings, explanations and stories that support your overeating.

Learn how to eat in an imperfect way, so that a few bad choices dont turn into an ongoing disaster.

Its important to know that some food enhances your health and some undermines it. You can discover the difference and still not turn that into a rule youve got to follow.

How to live in a world full of food temptations, continue to eat less of them and feel at peace with yourself about that.

A variety of resources are available if you want support to go further with this approach.

A selection of published research to support everything in this book, together with brief descriptions of the findings in each study.

INTRODUCTION THREE QUESTIONS

Welcome to an extraordinary journey. This will be an adventure, and just like all adventures it will be challenging, risky and full of surprises. At times you might think youll never get anywhere and that nothing will ever change. At other times you might fear so much will change you wont be able to handle it. Just stay with it and watch what happens. Let those thoughts and fears come and go. Get some support with it if you want to, someone to talk to about it all. I know you want something to change; otherwise you wouldnt be reading this book in the first place. So in a sense youve already started the journey. Just dont give up on it, however long it takes, and you will get there in the end.

First things first. You want to change something about the way you are with food, so that you can be more in control of what you eat. Now, in order to change your actions, you change the way you think. Why? Because behind every action theres always a thought. The thought can be ever so subtle, so subtle you may not even notice it, but its there. You think, Another slice of cake looks good and before you know it youve eaten it. What you can do here is to learn a new way of thinking so that you can change your actions. Then, you have the opportunity not to eat that other slice of cake.

There are, of course, some theories out there that propose biological causes, such as low blood sugar, a lack of amino acids, or other nutrient deficiencies. But research has shown that serious overeating, even in those diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder, responds dramatically to placebo intervention. Although unlikely to be a long-term solution, the fact that this happens at all shows us the significance of the ways in which we think: our attitudes and expectations. ()

Appetite hormones such as leptin and ghrelin are also highly susceptible to the placebo effect. Providing signals of hunger and fullness, they have a major influence on how much you eat, and the fact that they are strongly influenced by mental expectation is often ignored. ()

Its not that there isnt also a physical, biological side to all this, its just that changing the way you think is an extraordinarily powerful factor.

When it comes to changing the way you think about food, there are three things to keep in mind. Lets call them themes. Im going to describe what they are, so you can understand and remember them. Then, if your eating is not what you would like it to be youre eating in ways that you later regret you ask yourself about these three themes.

What youll discover is that whenever any one of these themes is out of place, youll feel out of control with food in some way. Youll be eating too much, too often, the wrong things or at the wrong times. When you question and find the truth about these themes for yourself, then youll feel in control of your eating. Then, you feel at peace with food. Then, you have a good relationship with food and eat in ways you dont regret.

So what are the three themes? Ill list them here and then Ill go into more detail over the following chapters:

1. AM I CHOOSING? Most people deny choice in an attempt to cut back on their eating, whether or not they are actually managing to cut back. If you ever notice a rebellious quality to your eating, especially if you feel completely out of control at times, feeling overwhelmed by intense and persistent cravings, this is the theme for you to tackle. If you keep procrastinating, putting off making good changes or if you feel deprived when you dont eat something yummy, this is the theme for you. When you eliminate these problems, then you take control. You take control by developing a deep sense of free choice. Only then can you make genuine choices that work for you, choices you really do want to live with.