I posted a list of five books that can give you a fresh perspective on Web Worker Daily this morning. Since WWD is work and career-oriented, I didn’t include a sixth book that can also change your life, so I’ll tell you about it here. It’s the Anne 2.0 reader bonus for the day.
Fresh perspective book #6 is The Shangri-la Diet by Seth Roberts. Not everyone struggles with their weight or more generally with their relationship to food, but many do. This book, along with the experiences and wisdom shared by Shangri-la dieters on the Shangri-la diet forums, brought me to a place where mostly I eat what I want and weigh what I want and exercise as much as I want (that is, not at all) without any sense of deprivation, burden, or anxiety. Be aware that it can take some time for the appetite suppression and weight loss to kick in, especially for women who don’t have much to lose. And, as I’ve discovered over the past two weeks, the Shangri-la appetite suppression can be overwhelmed by what Roberts calls “ditto foods”–familiar foods with a strong flavor-calorie signal like Christmas cookies, eggnog, and scalloped potatoes.
If you have any favorite books for breaking your mind (or body) out of a rut, share them here.
4 Comments
I just wanted to second the Shangri-la Diet book. Wow, I had almost forgotten how well it worked until I got busy and stopped doing the once-a-day sugar water thing. After a couple days I started wondering what that odd feeling was until I realized it was intense hunger. This diet has been nothing short of life-changing for me as well.
The other big ones for me were the original Flow book, and Don Norman’s The design of Everyday Things. Technically I suppose they’re connected to my work, but they changed the way I see almost everything.
Happy New Year Anne!
Kathy - I started feeling hungry over the holidays when I started eating too many ditto foods. I was still having the oil and sugar, but it wasn’t enough to overcome all the cookies and other rich food. Now I’m starting to feel the appetite suppression again, phew!
I love the original Flow book–will have to reread that–but haven’t ever read Norman’s book. I’ll have to get that too. Thanks!
And happy new year to you!
I’m not so sure about the Shangri-la diet, but I definitely second Flow. I like the second book on flow, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience much better than the original 197x edition. The other book that I swear by is Authentic Happiness from Seligman. I really struggled with depression and procrastination before I found this book.
anne,
my better half is a S_L fan too.
http://charlotteotter.wordpress.com/2006/08/04/ooh-la-la-its-shangri-la/