Kimberly Willis

If you are reading this book you're probably no stranger to dieting.
The first thing you need to know is that this isn't a diet book. This book is different.
You already know that you need to lose weight.

Forget the cliche flower bouquet. What better way to congratulate a mother this weekend than by handing her The Little Book of Diet Help by Kimberly Willis? Nothing says "I love you, Mom" quite like gifting another book about dieting. "Here's something to help you lose weight. Happy Mother's Day!"

I didn't buy this book for my mom; I bought this book for my grandmother. She has been dieting since before I was born, she has been dieting since before her children were born, and I'm pretty sure she has been dieting since she was born. With all that dieting, my grandmother has accomplished two things: splurging on more diet plans than she can afford and gaining weight. After finally deciding that Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig were not for her, she has moved toward the hCG diet. It's only a matter of time before she finds 500 calories a day too restrictive and looks for another "miracle diet."

When will she learn that it's a lifestyle change that she needs? My guess is never, but that's why I bought her this book.

This book will help you shift the blocks that are stopping you from becoming your slimmer self.

Well, I bought it for her and then read it, but I still plan on giving it to her. Does that count as a hand-me-down? It counts as even: she bought me a Scandinavian cookbook for Christmas but kept it for herself... She enjoys all-things food.

This book provided me with no new information, and I assume that none of it will be new to my diet-experienced grandma. However, if you--or someone you know--is like my grandma, you (or someone you know) disregard the hard work and look for quick-fixes when there are none. This book is more of a reminder of that, and hence provides nothing savvy searchers can't find online nowadays. With that in mind, I like Willis' book; it's a little motivational. It's nice to have all that information compiled and condensed into one, small book for reference.

One aspect Willis loves to dote on is tapping acupuncture points. If anything concerning acupuncture sends your head shaking in disbelief, this book is most likely not for you. When I was a youngster, my mom was gung-ho and made appointments to have needles poked into her face. That was okay until she tried it on me. Anything my mom did to help relax her anxious child ended up increasing the anxiety. I don't like it, it makes me anxious, and this acupuncture-point tapping isn't something I buy into.

Willis also has activities for dieters that include affirmations with tapping. If anything, this book focus heavily on a reader's mentality. How do you see yourself? How do you want to look? How do you speak to yourself? Your goals? Emotional eating, "food rules," alcohol, your liver, and exercise are covered, ending with an extended list of further reading material. It's nothing I haven't heard before, but is any diet book going to wow us with ground-breaking information in the world of health and dieting?

This is another motivational diet self-help book that will get added to the shelf among others. Ultimately, I think, it's about finding what works for you and making it a habit. That doesn't mean this isn't a nice book to keep around, although I am sadly $15 poorer. Maybe my grandma can become 15 pounds lighter with Willis. Happy Mother's Day!… (más)