Perfect Weight: The Complete Mind Body Program for Achieving and Maintaining Your Ideal Weight (Deepak Chopra)

"I would recommend this book to anyone that is wondering why they can not lose weight. Very informative and easy read. The recommendations for eating habits and no stress exercises are very good. I appreciated the research information at the back of the book."
~ Written on 2008-06-27

"I am not quite finished this book, but have found some very interesting new ideas to weight loss. Overall a very interesting book."
~ Written on 2008-05-22

"It's an easy read.
My wife is really fat, and likes Chopra. I got it for her. It only cost 8 cents + shipping.
I ended up reading it for her, she is a bit lazy.
The approach to Perfect Weight is a common sense no brainer. We can't all be expected to look like fashion models or weight lifters.
Getting our weight, habits, and lives in a natural balance is of the utmost importance. I already knew that. The 126 pages only took a few days to read, then I went back to certain parts to better understand the concepts.

Here is the rub, To a great book, or a great plan. One must really, be motivated to do it. And start doing it, a little piece at a time.

Chopra is philosophical, somewhat spiritual, and logical. He is quick to point out myths, and thinking superstitions. A very pleasant person.

I'd give this approach serious consideration if I were concerned with weight, etc. etc. etc. It may be important to give the concepts enumerated on from the point of view of listening and learning a new thing and not refuting the methodology, or belief system, at every turn of the page.

There is a part at the end which illustrate some yoga exercises, which can help exercise the innards as well as trim and build mussels, which is part of the wholeistic, approach Chopra mentions.
The idea of cause and effect are obvious but need to be pointed out, this is done well, in areas concerning, eating, and just what are we eating, when and why.

The book has an uplifting feel, and hopefully we can re-boot detox and be come aware of what our eating habits and reasonings are.

It works for me, now her turn. :-)

"
~ Written on 2008-04-26

"I though Deepak Chopra gave some interesting points on weight loss, which I've been trying to incorporate into my daily life. He doesn't give an overal diet menu. It's more of a knowledge of how to eat and then you pick the foods. I'd never heard of ayurveda, but I took the test and it was eerie at how accurate it was. I've read lots of books and articles on dieting and I think anyone trying to lose weight could gain something from this, and I'm not talking pounds. "
~ Written on 2008-01-08

"I have lost weight all of my life. I have lost well over 500 pounds. (20 to 30 pounds per year) Gain, lose, gain lose; I took comfort in knowing the bears do it. The only problem as Deepak notes is that there is scientific evidence that yo yo weight control is not good for your health. With the exception of those who are clinically obese, over 25% above the normal weight for your body type, the yo yo'er is a big risk. I have successfully done just about every diet out there. The only problem is that each of them is based on excluding a food group out of your diet. After a while you crave that food group.
Talk about the "Power of Coincidence" part of another one of Deepak's books, I was at a party, and this girl who was in great shape said, "It's all about moderation and exercise" I heard that from others who have always been in great shape all their lives. The only problem is that I can't think about restricting portions or counting calories. Then along comes Deepak with the perfect answer. His program is simple, for the first two weeks only eat when you are truly hungry. He identifies the different levels of hunger, and assigns them a number. 0-1 is the first level. You feel real hunger, it is gnawing at you. This is the time when your body is prepared to assimilate food. Then you have the levels in between which is when we eat when we are not truly hungry. Maybe because it is dinnertime, or maybe because we have emotional needs that are not being met, and we are substituting food. Emotional eating as a substitute. When we are truly hungry at level 0-1, we then eat, and concentrate on what we are eating. Don't watch TV, don't talk just absorb the food. Almost on a spiritual level, you are welcoming the nutrition into your body, as compared to watching TV, talking on the phone, and scratching the cat while you are eating :-) then when you are done, you feel frustrated because you never had the "experience" of eating. In frustration you go back and eat some more. What he tells you to do is to eat until you reach level 6, which is the level that you are completely satisfied, but not over stuffed. He tells us to eat until our stomachs are about three quarters full. This is not deprivation, it is satisfaction. Furthermore, he is not telling us what to eat. When you body is telling you it is time to eat pasta, eat it. Don't over eat it, just enough until you are satisfied. This really works. I just went through the Thanksgiving holiday, even over eating on Thanksgiving, having chocolate cake on another night, and ice cream on another. All the while eating the way he taught me on the others. I am down 4 pounds over the holidays, and now I am down 5 1/2. These are no effort results. Who cares how long it takes.
Here is another key component. After the first two weeks, when he tells you to listen to your body, feel your stomach, and eat only when you are hungry, he leads you into week 3 with eating your biggest meal in the middle of the day. In Europe this is a tradition. During the morning, you should eat very little, if at all. I do this also, but I listen to my body, and if I am entering into a heavy labor day, I eat a hearty breakfast. If I am not hungry in the morning, I have green tea with mint, and seasoned with non-fat milk. Then for dinner, I eat light also, which is his recommendation. Either soup with a few pieces of toast. (Whole GRAIN toast is the most wholesome and dietetic) or I will have a light salad, or I will have whole grain cereal with non fat milk, fresh fruit or Del Monte brand quality canned fruit . So my overall day is one of fewer calories, but never am I sacrificing my pleasure. If my body says, I am at level 0-1 I eat. I don't sit down to dinner at 5 or 6 pm just because it is dinnertime and eat. If I am not hungry, I don't eat. Well duh, why have I been cramming a full meal into my body all along, even when I am not hungry, just because it is "dinner time". He says a pound a week is what to expect. With more exercise, expect more. Here is where he shines again. He gives us several Yoga poses that we are supposed to get into and hold for 5 seconds. Increase flexibility, strength, stamina, balance and generate a sense of well being in only 10 or 15 minutes. You can repeat them as you grow.
Now let me get onto something that is just as important. I am 55 years of age. Recently I started having what is known as Acid Reflux Disease. I am normally a perfectly healthy person. What I have been experiencing is waking up in the night, with gas trying to leave my body, but because I have been eating dinner at 8pm, then having a double chocolate pudding at 10:30 or 11pm, I have been having that problem. Gas trying to leave my body, being blocked by food in the way. So it pushes the food up above the esophogeal sphincter, burning the lining with stomach acid, and that is what they mean by acid reflux. No matter what I ate late it was a problem. Then I tried Deepak's eating routine as spelled out in this book, and I have not had even one single night of this problem. Forget taking medicine to mask the symptom, fix the problem instead. I even had Gastritis one night, where I woke up with SHARP gas pains in the upper part of my stomach area, and was wondering if I was having heart problems. I read in Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss about the causes, symptoms and treatment of, and was great relieved to see it was gastritis. (I highly, highly recommend Back to Eden as well)
So what did Dr. Chopra do with this book? He gave me back health, and gave me a way to lose weight for the rest of my life. A pound a week is fine with me. I'm not deprived in any way; I simply am no longer over eating. As a matter of fact the light mornings, and or light evenings are a miracle cure for a weight problem. Now I look and say, hey, be in perfect shape by next fall, no problem. I can do this forever. Maybe I can up my exercise routine and get there even faster.
By the way he calls the book "Perfect Weight" because he is not interested in you being skinny. He wants you to pick out the weight you want to be, and to be happy at that weight. (As long as the number is not at the level of obesity) When you are happy at a certain weight, your body shows it. You walk it, talk it, and exhume it. Like they say, when you look good, you feel good.
Including ginger in your diet, and sipping hot water during the day, I haven't done that yet, so ignore the skeptics. I'm perfectly happy with doing the rest of the program. I know I will introduce more ginger into my diet, and I will include more Green tea with mint very hot as a means of sipping hot water. Hey the rest of the program works, why not that part too.
This program is great. I know how to lose 6 pounds in a week, only to grow tired of the regimen. I think I will do this instead, and live a little now, while I am on the pathway to health and happiness. I highly, highly recommend this book. Thanks for your time.
"
~ Written on 2005-12-04