Take Charge of Your Diet

This is a short, accessible workbook offering a new approach to weight loss based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Rather than proposing a particular diet, the workbook offers practical tools to help slimmers adhere to whatever plan they have chosen. Written in plain language for the general reader it is based on principles widely discussed in academic research on addiction treatment. Informed by the author's professional experience of working with people addicted to alcohol, gambling and drugs, this book adapts the tools of addiction treatment to help people manage their weight loss. Addiction treatment centres often produce manuals for counsellors to work through with their clients in a step by step fashion, and the author follows this format to produce a workbook. The reader is taken through ten easy to follow stages. These are similar to those suggested in addiction recovery, but here they are applied to weight loss: keeping a diary, building motivation, identifying unmet needs, drawing a plan, creating new habits, identifying triggers and risk situations and learning how to deal with cravings and relapse. The last chapter also contains information for family, friends, carers or professionals to support loved ones or clients through the ten stages. Each chapter contains an explanation of the stage, one or more examples to illustrate the task and exercises to be completed by the reader followed by useful tips. The aim is for the reader to use the traditional tools of addiction treatment to become their own weight loss coach. It is designed as a 'companion' to a diet to increase slimmers' motivation and self-confidence, and goes beyond the diet to adapting to life after weight loss.