Full disclosure - I have not actually done the entire workbook. That said, I've read the book and think that the workbook does not stand up well enough on its own. For example, the first step- day 1 - is to write down all the reasons you want to lose weight and to read that list at least twice a day. In the book she explains that you not only have to read the list, but you also have to ask yourself if that particular reason is important to you. She says this will stop you from just unconsciously reading the list and make you really incorporate it into your thought process. In the workbook, she doesn't get that detailed, and skips the whole thing about asking yourself if it is important. I like the convenience of having the workbook, but get the book as well. I do however think that if you actually do follow the program and incorporate all the steps you will definitely lose weight.

From: www.BasilAndSpice.com
Author & Books Views On A Healthy Life!

Don't Just Think Like a Thin Person--Be the Thin Person!(Oxmoor House, 2007) by Judith S. Beck, Ph.D.

Out the beginning of October, 2007 is the companion to New York Times Best-Seller The Beck DIET Solution: The Beck DIET Solution Weight Loss Workbook. Written by Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., it is The 6-Week Plan to Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person. Through reading, writing, and implementing The Workbook's contents, the reader will be able to counteract sabotaging thoughts, overcome weight loss obstacles, and succeed on any nutritious diet. It includes support and encouragement to the dieter through usable charts, graphs, inspirational to-do lists, journaling, and response cards.

Learning to think like a thin person involves a retraining of the brain known as Cognitive Therapy. It is the only psychological method known to help dieters keep off excess weight once lost. Cognitive Therapy is defined as a time-limited, very practical, problem-solving oriented psychotherapy that has been demonstrated in over 400 research trials all over the world to be effective for a wide range of psychological problems, from depression and anxiety to substance abuse, eating disorders, and even chronic pain.

The Beck DIET Solution is a six week program, using Cognitive Therapy, in which dieters learn new thinking or a behavioral skill every day. From that, one learns to superimpose old habits with new and better habits. These skills are used often or occasionally and relate to common sense ideas, like not overeating at dinner. Once a dieter's thinking is changed, these adopted good habits stay with him or her for a lifetime.

I asked Dr. Beck about the thinking of thin people, "Do thin people really think differently than heavier individuals?"

Dr. Beck: Not necessarily, but people who are chronic dieters definitely think differently. For example, they fear being hungry, they think it's unfair that they have to restrict their food, they fool themselves about how much they're eating, they think it's a catastrophe if the scale goes up. Naturally thin people or people who have dieted and have successfully maintained a lower weight may not like being hungry, but they just don't pay much attention to these sensations. Many of them restrict their eating to avoid gaining weight or just to be healthier. They don't see it as unfairness but rather as a normal consequence of achieving their goal. They don't deceive themselves about what and how much they're eating; they don't make excuses. If the scale goes up, they don't get worried. They just eat a little more carefully for a few days.

How do people have to change their thinking about these habits?

Dr. Beck: Dieters have all kinds of sabotaging thoughts that get in the way. "I really like to eat standing up. What's the harm? I'm just a fast eater--it would take too much effort to change. My life is too hectic. I don't have time to sit down for every meal and snack." These kinds of thoughts are exactly the ones that get in the way, that lead people to stray from their diet. They have to adopt a new mindset: "If I want to lose weight and be able to keep it off permanently, I have to change my eating habits permanently. I can't have it both ways. I can't eat the way I want to and be thinner."

After a refresher course of The Beck DIET Solution, chapters 1-4, the dieter will come clean with a Daily Food Plan Chart, read Response Cards, and review her List of Reasons to Lose Weight. Each morning the dieter will be asked to chart My Daily Schedule, fill out My Daily Food Plan Chart, and each evening review the Today's To-Do List, circling anything incomplete. Finally, a short journaling page is included for answering questions and reflection.

I have reviewed both The Beck DIET Solution and The Beck DIET Solution Weight Loss Workbook. These tools are ideal for any dieter, because they work with any nutritious diet and offer a realistic, new, scientifically-proven approach to dieting. Also, The Workbook is available in a very affordable pink paperback. Although readers of the first book will benefit as well from this new publication, Dr. Beck states that it is not essential have read the original Beck DIET Solution to use The Workbook.

Dr. Beck says, "The goal of Cognitive Therapy is to teach you to become your own therapist. We not only help you with problems; we teach you all the skills you need to solve your own problems in the future." The Beck DIET Solution Weight Loss Workbook is not just a book about how to look great in a swimsuit; it is a roadmap to a healthy life.

Dr. Beck: No other book teaches people the thinking and behavioral skills they need to succeed, one day and one skill at a time.

Dr. Judith S. Beck Ph.D.is the Director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy. She is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she has published four professional books and over 100 articles. Cognitive Therapy has been used and studied in over 400 clinical trials. Dr. Beck, one of the world's foremost authorities of Cognitive Therapy, travels the world teaching and continually researching its benefits and uses.

5 Stars

This workbook is setup differently. She goes into food plan, exercise, and diet coaches in the 1st couple of chapters and then later repeats it on the day that matches the book. I love the additional charts that she gives you and the additional steps. Makes a great workbook for her book.

I highly recommend the purchase of both of them.

It is a lot of work - but well worth it. She really nails the distortion in my thinking and it is working!! This will make any (sane) diet work!!!

This book will help alter your thinking to go along with any diet you choose, but will encourage healthy eating as a "diet". I am on Weight Watchers and this book is mentioned and recommended by many members. It helps you understand why "YOU" overeat and gives you workable strategies to deal with them.

Helpful to keep you on track. If you don't like making lists then this book is not for you.

I bought the workbook by itself because it was less expensive than the book and I thought that filling out the checklists would keep me accountable. However, I did not like the layout of many of the worksheets, and filling out the workbook each day ended up being a chore that I avoided. I ended up buying the book and starting over. I prefer the book because it goes into much more detail, and allows for more flexibility. I recommend that you buy the book and make the necessary lists yourself.

My doctor suggested that I buy either the book or this workbook. Since I like to make lists and check boxes, I chose the workbook. In eight weeks of dieting (10 weeks of following Beck's program), I've lost 16 pounds, and my eating habits have changed forever. The beauty of her plan is that it forces you to reorient your relationship with food. The most effective concepts for me have been: the rule that you must eat everything sitting down; eating slowly and mindfully; and the revolutionary (to me) concept that hunger is not an emergency, but a mild discomfort that will eventually be alleviated when it's time to eat again. When I finished with the workbook after six weeks I made my own. I highly recommend this workbook.

I have the original book and this workbook is a great supplement to it. This weight loss plan based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the first plan that's ever worked for me. If you have a food addiction, this plan retrains your brain and I'm amazed at the results so far. Definately recommend it to everyone.

I found this book to be very helpful, easy to read and easy to use. The active style the author takes to get you focused on life changes is the boost I needed to begin a weight loss program. This book gives you things to think about, ways to change what you think and feel about eating and many activities to help you along the way. It is not a DIET. It is a workbook to keep you on track while you change your eating habits. My only criticism is that it was not set up to use more than once.

Despite my extensive collection of diet books, there are really only two that have helped me: Dr. Phil's "The Ultimate Weight Solution", and now, this book. I just finished the 6 weeks, faithfully following the program each day, and I must say that I do notice a big change in my attitude toward food and exercise. I plan to take a week "off", then start reviewing it for another 6 weeks. There are lots of great strategies here, and the daily reinforcement keeps me focused. I highly recommend this book for its down-to-earth, no nonsense approach. (If you like to check off lists and write things down, I would recommend the Workbook over the book).

After having my fourth child (and having lost all the weight between each baby), I just couldn't get motivated to lose the weight again. I am not a "diet" person, and I refuse to do anything I don't feel I can maintain over the long haul. This book looked promising to me, and worth a try. Good decision. I lost 20 pounds over a period of about 6 months. I then stalled, still 10 pounds short of my pre-pregnancy weight. I knew I wasn't quite doing everything this program recommends, because cutting corners had been working ok for me (didn't do the food plan after the first 4 weeks or so... ate standing up a lot...). I bought the companion workbook for a quick re-read about 6 weeks ago. No more cutting corners. I have lost 6 more pounds... 4 to go. Everytime I don't follow my food plan, I stop losing.

No magic here. Useful methods that you can use forever. It's not easy to do it, but all you have to do to ensure results is DO it. If you do what she says to do, you will lose weight.

This was a very helpful tool to use with the book.

I'm 20 lbs down with an online wt loss site, but these Beck 'tools' have been quite a good addition.

Sunny

As a therapist I know this changing your thinking type book/CD can help me as well as others. Attended a workshop that Dr. Beck present. Excellent!

For everybody serious about losing weight and keeping it off. This book makes so much sense but it must be used correctly. All steps have to be followed and, truthfully, it's much better if it's done with somebody else. I'm doing it as part of a class and it does help to have a leader who can answer questions and keep people on track.

Good luck to all who are going to use the book.

My psychologist and therapist recommned this book and we have been working through each step.

Some of the recommendations are great: sitting down for each meal (no eating while standing or in a car), eating slowly and mindfully, dealing with hunger, etc.

I am a Weight Watcher Lifetimer and this book intergrates perfectly with the program. It is an in depth "Tools of Living" resource

Forget the latest, greatest diet craze. Dr. Beck has nailed it in this book:you have to change the way you think about food and eating if you really want to be succesful at losing weight.

This book helps you gain the skills to focus on what's important and the tools to successfully address dieting challenges. Best of all, she provides a framework to keep the focus positive so dieting becomes something you do for yourself, not to yourself.

If you've been frustrated with dieting before -- or are trying to lose weight for the first time, I highly recommend this book.

Cicero once said: "In nothing do men approach so nearly to the Gods, as in giving health to men."

Virgil said: "The greatest wealth is health."

So many of us take our health for granted. It's truly THE MOST IMPORTANT asset each of us have. I am posting this review to not only share my favorite, most important health books of 2007... but more important, to hopefully convince just one person to read a book that might strengthen their health and maybe help them live a little longer and a little healthier.

My Most Important Health Books of the Year...

* You: Staying Young - Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen hit a home run with this book. The advice is sound and the nutritional recommendations are cutting edge, presenting the latest research on nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and cayenne. This book may very well help rejuvenate your health and allow you to drop the extra pounds and possibly protect, and even reverse, certain ailments such as diabetes, high cholesterol, arthritis, and others.

* The Natural Bird Flu Cure They Don't Want You to Know About - The deadly bird flu is spreading like wildfire across Asia, and it's only a matter of time before it hits the U.S. The CDC and government officials have said as much. Unfortunately, we don't hear a lot about the bird flu in the U.S. anymore because of the media's preoccupation with O.J. and Britney Spears. This book reveals a possible natural cure to the deadly bird flu supported by 2 Nobel Prize-winning chemists.

*You: On A Diet - Another book by Drs. Oz and Roizen. While I do not like the word "diet" (it conjures images of strict calorie cutting, sacrifice, and, well, torture), this book does share a wonderful plan for finally and forever dropping those extra pounds. Let's face it, the majority of illness and ill health in America today is food related. This really is an important, worthwhile book, despite its somewhat gimmicky title.

Finally something that works for this obsessed food addict!

I have read every diet/compulsive eating/obsessive eating/overeating/binge eating, etc book on the market & I have tried every diet out there. Nothing works. Some things work initially but then my old demons come back & ruin all my work. I have undergone hypnosis & had counseling & taken prescriptions but nothing ever worked long term.

Well this book really teaches you how to stop those self-sabotaging thoughts, ways, actions. It really does teach you to think like a thin person does. I never understood someone that could actually throw food away or not eat dessert if it was in front of them.

It is initially a good amount of work but far less than most binge eating books,etc. But you really have to do all the steps to break free. You won't need to do them forever & this is only a 6 week program. By the end of the 6 weeks you realize which tools you really need to use forever. But isn't being thin & healthy worth it? I think so.

The book is very clear about eating disorders. If you have one this book isn't for you.

And everything I ever read said you can't lose weight or stop eating until you peel back all the layers of you messed up life or childhood & I have to say it's not true this book gives you an alternative!

For the first time in I would say 10 years I see the light at the end of the tunnel & I can actually say no to overeating.

This book basically helps any diet work great.

Beck Diet Solution Weight Loss Workbook is the perfect next step following the Beck Diet Solution (book). Everything I need to continue being motivated to lose weight is in your Workbook. Thank you Judith Beck. Having lost 17 lbs and continuing to lose 5 pounds at a time, I am elated!

I think this is really going to help me get a handle on my weight loss. It makes a lot of sense, and goes hand in hand with the weight loss program (WW) that I follow.

I have been following the Beck Diet solution using the original book. The workbook is a nice addition to the book, but basically is the same information as the original text with the exception of places to write your reflections. I think I'd stick to the original book, and just reflect in a journal. I love the content of The Beck Diet Solution. It approaches weight management from a common sense 'think positive' approach, giving a series of steps to take to gain control of your eating. It's made a big difference for me.