I stopped at the bookstore the other day and was bombarded by a whole slew of diets books right in front. It looked like the same books that were there last January – The Abs Diet, Fat Flush, etc. Common sense should tell a person that if these books didn't work for many people last year, they won't work again this year. It's not as if everyone walking around the bookstore was suddenly lean this new year!
Most of these books are of so little value, their greatest contribution will come from the recycling of the paper. Honestly, there are probably less than 10 good diet/eating books out there (and I'm being generous). The Paleo Diet is the one eating book that I still have handy. Taubes' book was fantastic, but it was more theoretical than practical.
If a person is looking to lose weight, it is probably more beneficial for them to find someone who has been successful than to read more books. Even if a specific plan won't transfer exactly from one person to another, you could pull out the major points. For example, a good plan often contains these elements:
- Focus on whole, not processed, foods
- Lots of daily activity – walking, standing, etc.
- Bursts of high-intensity – sports like tennis or basketball, sprints, etc.
- Lifting or carrying heavier objects
The basics don't change. Many books focus on the details in order to create the appearance of a "secret" that has just been discovered. But this is done to generate profits, not results. There are many success stories available on the internet where people share how they've done it, free of charge. This is the real gold mine of information, not this year's round of diet books.
I totally agree. As with any discipline, nothing can replace good, long-duration coaching and/mentorship.