(December 2000) [Printed in "Reality Module No.19."]

RATBAG BOOK REVIEW-

"If Not Dieting, Then What?" - Dr Rick Kausman

My sister got me this book - since I'm heavier than I'd like to be and want to do something about it.

The book is easy to read, insightful and has much that goes against the prevailing dieting-paradigm.

Diets don't work! They are restrictive and unnatural. Being forced to eat what we don't want to eat will cause us to rebel. (And if you are not enjoying your diet, you cannot stick to it, and cannot make it a permanent part of your life. And going on and off diets is bad for your health.)

Instead Rick offers new advice and new insights:

1. Be aware of non-hungry eating. Often we eat when we are not hungry. We eat out of habit. We should be aware of when we are indulging in non-hungry eating and cut back on it. (In many people, he tells us, the majority of eating is non-hungry eating.)

When food is available to us - we should ask ourselves:
"I can have it if I want it, but do I really want it?" And be honest - and only eat something when we really fancy eating it.

2. There is no such thing as good or bad food. (There are problems with labelling food as "good" or "bad" - for example if we have labelled "chocolate" as bad - and our will-power crumbles and we eat a few squares we will likely say to ourselves: "Well that's my diet buggered up now, so I may as well eat the rest of the family block!" Instead - if you want some chocolate - have some! You can have chocolate whenever you want it - but only have it when you actually want it!

3. Eat slowly and enjoy your food. (This has two benefits:
a).You will enjoy rich foods more and will find you need less of them to satisfy your craving.
b).It can take you 10-20 minutes for your body to recognise that you are full - so if you are eating too quickly it is very easy to overeat.)

4. Be aware of how hungry you are, and eat just enough. (Try not to let yourself get too hungry - for then you will eat too much, too quickly of the wrong thing.) You should try and eat when you are just starting to eat a bit peckish, not when you're ravenous and feel like eating a rhinoceros! (He also mentions the value of snacks to stop us getting over hungry.)

5. Self-esteem is very important - value yourself.
(Dr Kausman tells how over-weight people often have a problem with self-esteem because they don't like their appearance. To try and make themselves feel better - they eat something nice! This makes them fatter, and their self-esteem plunges lower still! Vicious and circular.) It is important to be able to appreciate yourself - however you look. [Easier said than done in a culture that idolises the young, the rich, the beautiful, and the thin!]

6. Be more active. (Little bits of exercise all add up.)

7. It is okay to go astray - as long as you return to the path. (It takes all of us time to unlearn bad habits, and to remember to practise good habits.)

*I'll know this book is okay if I am able to follow its advice and end up healthier and skinnier in a year's time!

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Last Updated: 21 June 2020