Smart People Don't Diet / Charlotte N. Markey

Smart People Don't Diet: How the Latest Science Can Help You Lose Weight Permanently by Charlotte Markey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book contains a lot of good advice and is worthwhile to read if you are struggling with weight issues and considering dieting. I think it's pretty evident now from clinical studies and from personal experience that diets don't work, mostly because we anticipate that they will eventually end. Then we go back to the old food habits that caused the need to diet, plus we have screwed with our metabolism in a way that makes it easier to gain even more weight. Not exactly what we are aiming for.

Weight loss requires permanent changes in lifestyle. Markey warns us about liquid calories. How many of us consume soda and fancy coffees without thinking about them? If you can cut out those offenders you will make progress. Often snacking can be an issue and finding healthier snacks can be helpful. I find eating out to be a minefield--it's much more fun to eat fries than salad, but salad is the better choice for the long run. One thing the pandemic has done for me is a return to home cooking. It's always the majority of my food planning, but I've become lax about vegetable consumption lately, relying on pasta and rice for their filling properties. Back to menus that heavily require veggies.

So I did find this book a good reminder of what needs to happen in my kitchen. More fruit & veg. More water drinking. Eating a reasonable portion and then waiting 20 minutes for it to “hit bottom." Plus more getting out of the house to go do things and go walking. It has been far too easy to hunker at home during this Covid-19 crisis and now I need to get back in the habit of leaving home.

What I didn't appreciate in this book was what I felt were two mutually opposing points of view that ran through it. On the one hand, the “don't diet" message. On the other hand, many very diety recommendations which I recognize from years of Weight Watchers and diet books. Yes, substitute salad for fries. No shit.

I think we also really need to emphasize health over appearance as our motivation for making change in our lives. Do it so you can feel better. Losing weight does not magically transform your life. You won't suddenly make more money or travel the world or be irresistable to potential lovers. You've got to do the things you want NOW, and let your weight loss catch up with you, or you'll just end up being a boring skinnier person.

I think that I will try to follow Michael Pollan's advice: Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants. If this book was of interest to you and you like to know the science behind the theories, I would recommend Linda Bacon's book Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight.


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