I’ve had the great pleasure of reading James Fell’s new book, Lose It Right, and let me tell you, it’s a great read!
The book is written by James Fell, a Calgarian fitness journalist, MBA, columnist for Chatelaine and the LA Times, amongst a long list of achievements. He has written a very pragmatic, well researched, and entertaining approach to weight management and leading a healthy life. He truly walks the walk, enjoying a permanent (and impressive!) healthy lifestyle after struggling with his weight in the past.
The book goes through three Stages:
Stage I: Learning why we as a society, and as individuals, struggle with our weight. From portion sizes, stress, and external food cues, to understanding the dopamine reward pathway in our brain that reinforces rewarding behaviors, James runs the gamut to help us explore the diverse elements that may be contributing to each individual’s weight struggle.
Stage II: Preparation for changing your lifestyle, from changing how you view food, to goal setting, and how to manage practical aspects of lifestyle change.
Stage III is the Doing part of the book – James’ actual how-to’s of morphing your lifestyle into a healthy one.
You can read an excerpt from his book here.
What I really love is that this book is all about not just doing a lifestyle plan, but becoming that lifestyle. James’ plan has an emphasis on exercise – while exercise is important, it’s not for everyone, or at least it is more for some people than for others. Also, it’s important to speak with your doctor before you embark on a new exercise routine, to ensure it is safe for you to do so.
But regardless of the details of how you embark on a healthier lifestyle:
“Losing It Right is about changing who you are. It is not a list of actions, but rather someone you become.”
And finally, my very favorite quote: “Don’t just do this. BE this.”
