Elizabeth Somer. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006. US $16.95, Can $22.95. ISBN 0-07-146228-7. 306 pp.

This book is like your best friend, the one who honestly tells it like it is. The author gives numerous suggestions as to how to change your focus on food and live a healthy life. She also supports you on the ups and downs of changing lifestyle habits. I have worked in weight loss clinics, and this book puts all the wisdom I have learned from clients and professionals as to how to live a healthy lifestyle and not feel deprived. The only negative comment I have is her use of the word "diet" in the title. I have found the word diet to mean deprived of things I want. I would highly recommend this book to professionals and any woman who wants to get to know herself and help herself lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.

The purpose of the book is to make women aware of the unknown habits and games we play that prevent us from losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. It gives the scoop on women's diets and fads that we have used for years to lose weight. The bonus is the 10 habits that prevent us from losing weight and keeping it off. There is a never-ending list of ways to deal with these habits, from the food we choose, to the exercise we do, to self-talk.

The content is organized, and this book is a complete resource. There are facts about present-day eating patterns (research based), steps to prepare yourself before you start, what does healthy eating look like, and how one's diet rates. Instead of looking at this as a diet, the focus is on your own habit. No one has all 10, maybe just 1, but she denies the habit specifically and gives you tools to know yourself with this habit and techniques to kick the habit. The bonus is you get to choose the new habit as a part of your healthy lifestyle.

There is no new information, but it is so well organized and based on research that every technique she suggests is supported. One can start with 1 habit, work on that, and then feel good about oneself. There is so much packed into this book, and you can start anywhere and find what you need to help yourself. I like how she sneaks so much nutritional information into each habit that you do not realize you on a diet to lose weight.

The book is well written. One could start on any chapter or habit in this book and make a personal connection. I loved "Skip the Broccoli and Eat the Fries." Women do not have a clue of how skipping meals affects what they eat. Many people do not like vegetables and fruit; our culture drinks way too much pop and coffee, but what people need is water.

For CNSs, if your work involves helping women with healthy lifestyle choices, you need this book. Each one of us could use it for ourselves personally. One could use the techniques with a client and also give them the book to use. One definitely needs another to support them in the use of this book, or the woman could make excuses, excuses, excuses, which is habit 6.