GONE FOR GOOD!

In her debut book, Lewis offers straightforward strategies for sustaining a healthy weight.

After seven years of research as a weight-loss coach, Lewis shares eight common-sense steps to prevent weight gain after an initial weight loss. At the outset, she clarifies that her guidebook is “not a weight-loss plan” but a lifestyle approach with specific instructions on “how to keep the weight off once you’ve lost it.” Lewis believes “food is not the enemy we’ve made it out to be. I don’t believe that we’re meant to spend our lives counting calories, grams of fat, or anything else….I believe that life and food are meant to be enjoyed.” To strike a balance between the two, she aims to help readers keep unhealthy weight off for good. Some of her tactics are obvious—e.g., being self-accountable and prepared—while others are more demanding, such as having a day consisting of protein-only meals (aside from a small salad or piece of fruit). This quick read is divided into nine chapters that, aside from her strategies, feature success stories from her clients as well as her own. One particular client, a 65-year-old diabetic fond of artificially sweetened diet soda, enlisted Lewis’ assistance to help him lose 35 pounds. By following Lewis’ instructions, he quit his lifelong affection for diet soda and saw his blood sugars drop from “their highs of 400 to 125” after one week. Lewis advises readers to regularly step on the scale and to be prepared by sticking to a preplanned grocery list. Her other weight-loss tips are refreshing, even to the experienced dieter. She points out (notably, without citing any research) that “[w]hen the low-fat, high-carb diet became popular in the United States, the health of Americans took a serious nosedive.” As such, she attempts to debunk the notion that low-fat diets are healthy, instead advocating for the elimination of “bad fats,” artificial sweeteners and starches from daily consumption. Saying she doesn’t want to “bore” her readers, Lewis excludes scientific research citations, referring readers to the Internet and other weight loss–related books for details.

An accessible read with candid advice on how to maintain a healthy weight—for good.