Janet Thomson - The Placebo Diet: Use Your Mind to Transform Your Body

Praise for Janet Thomson:

The placebo effect has shown for years that you can use your mind to heal your body. Now Janet Thomson brilliantly brings together the science of how the mind works with techniques for reprogramming your thoughts about food and nutrition advice to create an effective and inspiring plan for losing weight and transforming your health.
DAVID R. HAMILTON PHD, AUTHOR OF HOW YOUR MIND CAN HEAL YOUR BODY

Finally, an interesting read that approaches health, vitality and weight management in an achievable way that really is good for you, long term. This book is definitely worth a read, whether youre after weight loss, more energy or simply a better relationship with food.
WOMENS FITNESS MAGAZINE

First you reprogramme your mind to change the way you think about food, then you use the books colour-coded system to create your own personal nutrition regime. Its straight-talking and easy to read. I love it because it really works!
ZEST MAGAZINE

For those looking for a cerebral answer to their weight problems, diet coach Janet Thomson offers a step-by-step plan to reprogramme your thoughts surrounding food. Ditch dieting, calorie counting, weighing and measuring, and embrace a new understanding of your body.
IRISH EXAMINER

First published and distributed in the United Kingdom by:
Hay House UK Ltd, Astley House, 33 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JQ
Tel: +44 (0)20 3675 2450; Fax: +44 (0)20 3675 2451; www.hayhouse.co.uk

Published and distributed in the United States of America by:
Hay House Inc., PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
Tel: (1) 760 431 7695 or (800) 654 5126
Fax: (1) 760 431 6948 or (800) 650 5115; www.hayhouse.com

Published and distributed in Australia by:
Hay House Australia Ltd, 18/36 Ralph St, Alexandria NSW 2015
Tel: (61) 2 9669 4299; Fax: (61) 2 9669 4144; www.hayhouse.com.au

Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by:
Hay House SA (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 990, Witkoppen 2068
info@hayhouse.co.za; www.hayhouse.co.za

Published and distributed in India by:
Hay House Publishers India, Muskaan Complex, Plot No.3, B-2,
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110 070
Tel: (91) 11 4176 1620; Fax: (91) 11 4176 1630; www.hayhouse.co.in

Distributed in Canada by:
Raincoast Books, 2440 Viking Way, Richmond, B.C. V6V 1N2
Tel: (1) 604 448 7100; Fax: (1) 604 270 7161; www.raincoast.com

Text Janet Thomson, 2016

A significant portion of this book was originally published as
Think More, Eat Less (ISBN: 978-1-84850-712-8).

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The information given in this book should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice; always consult a medical practitioner. Any use of information in this book is at the readers discretion and risk. Neither the authors nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to take medical advice or for any material on third party websites. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-78180-665-4 in print
ISBN 978-1-78180-677-7 in ePub format
ISBN 978-1-78180-678-4 in Kindle format

Interior images: 9 Thinkstock/Sfischka; 23, 167 M.Gove/dollarphotoclub.com; 152 Thinkstock/vicvic13/kowalska-art/bagotaj; 166 Thinkstock/Amedghousse Abdellah; 195 Thinkstock/ttsz; all other images Janet Thomson & Hay House UK

Contents

I hope that this book enlightens and inspires you. I have poured my professional heart and soul into it and dedicate it to you. If you are reading it then it is because you want to change. You want something better. I have good news: everything you need is within.

In as much as I hope that my work inspires you, this is my opportunity to say a huge thank you to those who have inspired and supported me over the last few years.

My children, Ben Ryan and Emilie, and my parents, Ken and Rita Eagle, are my inspiration for everything; they always will be. Its the kind of unconditional love that knows no bounds and has been the most constant and precious feature in my life.

One inspirational lady I have had the pleasure to get to know and work with, and who has inspired me to create programmes that help people change how they think and feel, is Dr Suhair Hassan Al Qurashi. She is president of Dar Al-Hekma University in Jeddha, Saudi Arabia. This amazing institution is dedicated to inspiring its female students to step up and believe in their own ability. Earlier this year I visited the university as a guest lecturer and taught my Change Your Mind programme to over 400 faculty and staff. It was an amazing experience and the enthusiasm of the students, under Dr Suhairs leadership, knows no bounds. If you approach this book with a fraction of the enthusiasm they embraced many of the same techniques with, then magic will happen.

In addition to my many amazing friends, there are four people, both friends and colleagues, who share my passion for helping people feel, and be, the best they can. Dr Mark Chambers has provided me with a constant supply of neurological books and papers (and no small amount of encouragement), which proved invaluable. Kevin Laye, a fellow therapist and author, and Steve McNulty, also an author and executive corporate coach, are a constant source of inspiration, and encourage me to stretch myself, professionally as part of the Growing Wellness team and personally. Special thanks also to the amazing Kay Westrap, not just for building the www.theplacebodiet.co.uk website and online programme but for being my business mum and an inspiration to everyone she meets.

Thank you to the inspirational Morris Goodman, who you will meet inside this book. He is simply an amazing man.

Without wanting this to turn into an Oscars speech, I must also thank Michelle Pilley and Jo Burgess at Hay House for embracing the uniqueness of The Placebo Diet.

At the end of the book you will find a recommended reading list. The beautiful books you will find here have informed, inspired and enlightened me, and I encourage you to read and embrace this list.

Welcome to the Placebo Diet. First things first if you follow the guidelines and exercises in this book you will lose weight. Thats the only reason its called a diet. However, its unlike any diet you have ever seen before, because although theres nutrition advice and a colour-code system to make it super simple to follow, this programme is more about how to change your mind, and reprogramme your brain so that you naturally make different food choices, with no willpower required.

I have been helping people just like you lose weight for over 25 years; along the way I have learned a lot about what works and why, and even more about what doesnt work and why. For example, I know putting yourself on a regime that means not having many of the foods you enjoy, and having to deny yourself the pleasure associated with those foods, does not work. No wonder so many people give up! If its not something you can change permanently without feeling deprived, then its never going to work long term. You can only sustain it as long as you can overcome your fundamental desire to feel pleasure, which ranges between a few days and a few weeks for most people.