Premature Book Review: Weight Loss Boss

This is just a quick post to recommend a book that I am currently reading.  I am so impressed by it that I am only halfway through and pausing to write a post here to recommend that you add it to your own library.  Weight Loss Boss by David Kirchhoff (click the title for a link to order from Amazon) is a title just released this week that is written by the CEO of Weight Watchers.  Though it may seem like a shameless plug of the company he works for, it is that and so much more.  It does plug the company simply because he tried, unsuccessfully, many times to lose weight throughout his life and never found success until joining Weight Watchers as a member, not its CEO.  As I have been saying all along, their system just plain works.  Beyond that, the book is about his own journey to weight loss success and maintenance.  I'm a success story junkie and he has a great one complete with falling on his face many times and daily struggles to prevent backsliding (Put down the spoon and walk away from the ice cream!).  I am currently reading the "HOW" section of the book that gets down and dirty with the science of behavior modification, as well as his own 'tricks' for replacing bad habits with good ones.  Of particular note is Chapter 5 where he discusses the "triggers" that make losing weight a priority in one's life.  He does a great job of explaining the exact situation that I couldn't quite put into words where life reaches a point where you can finally make weight loss a priority.  All of the pieces have to fall into place for the timing to be right to "have your head in the game".  It was completely out of the question for me to start down this path until certain 'fires' in my life had been put out and I had the capacity to focus on myself.  It simply was not within the realm of possibility prior to that.

This book grew from Mr. Kirchhoff's blog, Man Meets Scale.  It is a great read filled with honesty, humor, nerdiness, practical tips and has great appeal to both genders.  I know it seems silly to recommend a book that I have not yet fully read, but I hope that will give you an idea of just how well written I am finding it to be.  I'm a little afraid that after reading his book, you might not find it necessary to visit this little blog anymore because he's covered it all!  Seriously.  Looking to be very good.  But every person's experience is unique.  Included at the end of each chapter is a success story of a Weight Watchers member.  Of course there is the obligatory Jennifer Hudson story but, of particular note, is a success story (page 48) of a 28 year old man who took 28 months to lose 340 lbs.  That's NOT a typo!  6'2" 529 lbs to 189 lbs in just over two years.  Incredible!