Mind Over Fat Mattersis a friendly, yet authoritative, book about conquering psychological barriers to weight management. The title is a reliable reporter of what will be found between the book’s covers. The author, Lavina Rodriguez, takes heady and heavy subject matter, only a doctor of psychology could consume, and breaks it down into bite size pieces, that any body attempting to conquer these barriers, could manage.
“The brain wants to do what it imagines to be enjoyable and resists what it thinks will be too much effort or discomfort. If it’s not enjoyable, it’s bound to fail—so why do it the same old way again?” This is the heart of the first chapter. Understanding that your powerful brain can be foe or friend, depending on how you act, based on what your brain thinks and what you allow it to ponder.
In twenty-one short chapters, Rodriguez – a clinical psychologist with over thirty years experience – dollops out hearty doses of life saving information, helpful summaries with questions for reflection, at the end of each chapter. From the basics of weight loss to ending one’s obsession with food (asking yourself, do I have an eating disorder), readers are charged with close self-examination of how the mind works and how to allow the mind to lead you in directions that poise you for lasting wellness – all over the body, beginning with and ending with the brain.
Most interesting to me, personally, with this read, was its clarity with complex brain research and study using appropriate examples and concrete steps on how to more fully utilize the brain for optimum success.
This Floridian recommends using self-talk to counter dysfunctional thinking. This would mean focusing not only on losing weight, but focusing on gaining health. Savoring the food you eat and engaging in “play,” not exercise, were two exciting topics to delve into, particularly because I intend to do a better job of incorporating such tips into my daily living, especially since I get why it would pay off. “The brain loves to play. In a sense, your brain never grows up. If you convince it that it can play at whatever you want to do, it will follow willingly,” Rodriguez revealed.
As for the tone and style of writing, the words are realistic and straightforward. It is quite realistic for most people to be healthier. It is not realistic to be healthy while being impatient with yourself or embrace a negative image of yourself, even if there is more weight on you than you’d prefer. The author alerts us to the adverse effects of engaging in these unhealthy behaviors, and exactly how those thoughts (if we are not conscious of them) can contribute to an unhealthy reality. Perhaps we’ve heard this before.
The difference with Mind over Fat Matters is that it is efficient with space, and things were so clearly articulated combined with humor and passion to interest readers in the “intellect.” For women or men, who invite brief but strong learning opportunities into their lives — will enjoy the read and hear a significant, underlying message; allow the brain to lead during your current state will open the gates to and for change.
Rarely do we look at actual Mind over Matter thinking as an easy task. It is exactly that, which must happen, according to Ruiz, to sustain meaningful change and achieve the kind of health we all deserve.
