10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet Book Review

I recently picked up a copy of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet: Simple Strategies to Eat Right, Lose Weight, and Reclaim Your Health (affiliate link) by Elizabeth Somer, RD, in a used book store and couldn’t put it down, so ended up bringing it home with me. I’m glad I did.  It’s brimming with helpful explanations of why we ‘shoot ourselves in the foot’ when it comes to losing weight and getting healthy.

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The author begins by saying, “think of the book as your best friend who honestly tells you like it is.” She knows these habits intimately, from both her own personal experience, as well as from her more than 25 years helping her female clients recognize and address them.

Talk about a wake up call. Though I’m a lifetime WW and pretty knowledgeable when it comes to food and healthy living, I was shocked to discover I have or have had ALL TEN of the 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet (affiliate link) at one time or another. 

So, what are the 10 habits that mess up a woman’s diet?

Habit 1: Mindless Eating. We are masters at unconscious eating – of nibbling, noshing tasting, licking, and clearing away leftover bites that we somehow believe don’t count but in reality can add up to hundreds of unsatisfying calories a day.

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Habit 2: Putting Others Needs Ahead of Our Own. Marriage, children, work, family gatherings, socializing, and eating out can all contribute to our straying from our best intentions.

Habit 3: Not Being Honest. We deceive ourselves believing we eat less and move more than we actually do.

Habit 4: Skip the Broccoli, Eat the Fries. We eat far too few fruits and vegetables and far too much of everything else.

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Habit 5: Setting Off without a Plan. As they say, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

Habit 6: Excuses, Excuses, Excuses. We are masters of making excuses and shifting blame. The justifications, rationalizations, claims, reasons and justifications are unending.

Habit 7: I’m Moody, Lets Eat! We use food to calm, control, celebrate, commiserate, medicate, wake up and wind down.

Habit 8: Give Me the Quick Fix Now! We fall for the latest fad gimmick looking from some magical solution to our weight and health issues.

Habit 9: Drinking Away our Waistlines. The more calories we drink the more likely we are to gain weight.

Habit 10: All or Nothing Approach to Dieting. We are living in a world of extremes – alternating between going like gang busters and giving up when results aren’t achieved fast enough.

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How many of these unhealthy habits resonate with you? While I hate to admit it, they all resonate with me. I’ve engaged in each of them at one time or another. And now as I read this book, I know I’m not alone.

In addition to helping you identify the habits that are holding you back from reaching your goals, the book provides wonderful strategies to help combat them including temptations faced when eating out, going to parties, and ways to bite back the late night munchies. 

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More Reviews of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet:

“I love Elizabeth Somers’ style: She demonstrates common pitfalls and offers strategies that are easy to read, understand and follow in everyday life. As a busy working mom, I found her ideas to be right on target, and easy to implement. When I’m reading her books, I feel like I’m actually having a conversation with her. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next!” “If you’re looking for a gimmick, a quick fix, or a flashy fad diet, keep looking. 10 HABITS THAT MESS UP A WOMAN’S DIET (affiliate link) is a book based on solid nutritional research and the author’s interviews with people who have done a lot of thinking about women and weight. Elizabeth Somer, RD, has a funny and engaging style, but she’s not afraid to serve you the facts straight up. The result is one of the smartest guides to nutrition for women that I’ve come across in years.” “Finally, a book about diet that isn’t a diet! Instead, it’s a compilation of all the information about losing weight and keeping it off through lifestyle changes. Easy to read, nicely presented, this book set me on a one-year plan to lose those last 10 pounds — one habit at a time.”

“Ms. Somers’ book is fun to read and a real eye-opener for all of us who sample our way through the grocery store but don’t understand why we gain weight. I would highly recommend this book to everyone — not just those who are trying to lose weight — because it gives practical guidelines for healthy eating and feeling better. And for everyone who is following the latest fad diet, this is a book you definitely need to read. It is a common-sense approach to dieting, and the book is packed with fascinating tidbits of information and strategies for tailoring a diet that will work for you! And I love her sneaky little ideas for getting my family to eat better too.”

Source: 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet

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Originally posted 10/2012; Updated with new content, links photos 12/2019