Permanent Weight Control by Michael J. MahoneyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Context & Why I read this book
Well, I am currently overweight and wanted to procrastinate doing anything about it by reading another book on how to do so. Jokes aside, I am currently really struggling with weight control and it seems no matter what I try I slightly gain some ½ kg per month for over a year now. Mahoney is one of my favorite and most trusted authors, and I wanted to avoid hyped diet books on the topic; that is why I chose this book from 1976 instead of the many alternatives that present themselves.
What is the book about as a whole?
The book aims to provide a system for losing pounds and keeping them off forever — a very ambitious goal. For this, Mahoney presents the best scientific evidence from that time (1976) for doing so. The book is very practical in that it is easily understandable, includes many assignments and exercises, and takes you by the hand in a step-by-step manner.
The book's structure
The book is divided into 12 chapters:
1. This Can Be the Last Reducing Program of Your Life
2. Reduction Readiness
3. Thick and Thin: What Makes the Difference?
4. Getting in Focus: The Culprits Are Patterns, Not Pounds
5. The Elements of Successful Self-Control
6. Cognitive Ecology: Cleaning Up What You Say to Yourself
7. Engineering a Slim Environment
8. Reducing with Reason: The Personalised Diet
9. Is Your Eating Style a Problem?
10. You Don't have to Be Radical to Be an Activist
11. Emotional Eating: Relax — You're not Hungry
12. Troubleshooting and Maintenance
One lesson
I am a professional caffeine -> source code converter (I drink a lot of coffee at work). Therefore, one personally relevant piece of information for me was that there was evidence at the time that caffeine may reduce blood sugar levels, giving rise to the sensation of hunger. I'll need to follow up on this and research if this has been refuted in the last 50 years.
Reading Recommendation / Who should read this?
Overall I rate this a 7 out of 10 (⭑⭑⭑⭑): it's a good read, despite minor weaknesses; and I generally recommend it to people who struggle with weight control. Although I didn't translate it into practice yet, the presented system seems very promising and I will make it a top priority to follow it in 2022. One year from now I shall come back and re-rate this based on my success or failure of applying it.
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