Book Review: The Setpoint Diet

I have read many, many diet books over the years. Mostly because I was never self-disciplined enough to ever learn to really like eating healthy for the right reasons. I have been up and down for so many years. But more recently over the last year, I have found that my attempts, even with the right discipline of tracking my calories and exercising, have been completely futile. This has never happened before. When I had put my mind to it in the past, it was never an issue to drop weight. This has me in a complete panic! I started researching about set point, or the weight at which your body fights to stay. I chose that route because I had experienced many a plateau over time and was frustrated by it to no end. I could feel my body fighting me every step of the way. I knew I had bad habits but this was ridiculous.

My reasons nowadays to lose weight are different from they were in the past. It’s not about vanity anymore. My father’s family had so much heart disease and I know I’m heading down the same path if I don’t do something soon. Also, I know I could have so much more energy if I could get this extra baggage off. I want to accomplish so many things, and I can’t do them effectively if my back constantly hurts due to all the extra weight. Lastly, my daughter sometimes asks me why she’s bigger than her friends. That absolutely kills me. I can’t send my daughter down the same path, it’s completely irresponsible. I must be able to show her a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Yes, she’s picky and that’s been really difficult, but it’s up to me to find a good solution for us both.

What I loved about The Setpoint Diet is how it reiterates so much great advice I had learned from legitimate nutritionist trainers over the years. It also points out all of the “controversial” foods out there. When you go into the diet aisle in the bookstore, there are so many publications which contain completely contrary advice; it’s so difficult to find the right formula. I’m busy, just tell me the right diet to follow and I’m willing to commit if I see results. The problem was, I had committed to so many false ideas that I continued to gain weight instead… talk about complete and epic failure!

Some diets work for some and some don’t. That’s clear. What I love about this book is that it focuses on whole foods. It also exposes the “healthy myths”, those foods you think are good for you but in actuality are stalling your progress. It recognizes that the problem isn’t always losing the weight, it’s keeping it off for good. That’s the aim of this book, to lower your set point and stay there without self-torture. I can’t tell you if the strategy from this book will work yet, but after reading no less than 50 diet books over the years, I’m willing to give this one a legitimate shot!