The Easy Way for Women to Lose Weight

[GGTTC123]

Has anyone read Allen Carr’s book The Easy Way for Women lose Weight? I’ve just finished it, and while a lot of it made sense, I’m left confused as to whether it’s realistic to follow the “rules”.
I’d be really interested in what others think or if anyone has tried it.

What are the rules?

Well it goes on and on about how we’ve been brainwashed into eating junk food and that natural foods, fruit/veg/nuts/seeds taste better and are all we need. It talks a lot about why wild animals aren’t overweight, don’t overeat etc. we eat junk to relieve a craving and we don’t even really like the taste of it. The rules are things like you feel elation in cutting out junk, you only eat when you’re actually hungry, you start be eating only fruit for breakfast (then you’ll start wanting to replace junk in other meals).
it’s all a lot more convincing than how I’ve described it. It’s very against us eating meat and dairy. It gives certain combinations of food to eat together to aid digestion.
it was an interesting read, but is possibly a load of old bollocks!

I think we all know that eating plenty of fruit and veg instead of junk food is better for us and we’d lose weight if we did that - it’s the actual doing it that’s the problem.

Although eating fruit only for breakfast goes very much against the current idea that we should be eating protein and too much fruit on its own can spike blood sugars .

The book says that lots of animals thrive without protein and that we have all been brainwashed by the food industry to think we need protein, milk, meat etc. When you read it, it does make sense, but as I say, it also sounds like bullshit.

Alan Carr?

If Allen Carr's diet books worked he wouldn't have needed to write 8 of them.

No, different one. The reason I read it though was because Lee Mack said in an interview that he read the quit smoking version and said he genuinely never wanted to smoke again after reading it. I thought it’d be worth a read.

😂I didn’t realise he’d written 8!!! I wonder if they’re all as bonkers as this one.

The Alan Carr quit alcohol book is excellent. Might look for the diet one as well, didn't know he did that too.

Protein is an essential part of a human’s diet. You can get it from varying sources and there’s no need to get it from dairy but you do need protein. It doesn’t matter whether other animals can thrive without protein. Humans can’t.

There used to be stopping smoking clinics called ‘Alan Carr easy way to stop smoking’. DH used this to give up smoking not long after we met early 90s. I thought it used a sort of hypnotherapy but I may be wrong .

I had always heard very positive things about his stop smoking course. He died a while ago but a friend of mine actually went to him to stop smoking. Friend worked for a tobacco company at the time (which made giving up even harder) but he said AC had all these tobacco company lighters ranged on a shelf, as every time he succeeded in making a tobacco company rep give up, they gave him their lighter.

Its difficult to comment on his diet book as I haven't read it, but I would say that losing weight is very simple (eat less, move more) but not necessarily easy. And sometimes there are underlying medical issues which complicate things for some people.

His advice sounds pretty much like Michael Pollen's

Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

Yes I think it does in a way. The way they are all written it repeats certain phrases and puts certain words and phrases in bold.

it feels super repetitive in places because it is, but I think that’s the point. To try to rewire your brain by brain washing you but in a way that you achieve the aim 🙂

Alan Carr is dead, when was this book written, it sounds recent enough if it discusses the protien obsession.

His easy way to give up smoking works.

This is true. I don’t like the taste of fast food because I’m used to eating proper, nutritious food. I do still like biscuits though 🤣

Millions of people have been brainwashed into eating junk.

Morgan Spurlock made a film about it 30 years ago, Drs Chris and Xand are talking about it now, Alan Carr was saying the same thing in between, yet people are always surprised at this amazing 'new' revelation.

I read it and used the hypnosis thingy a couple of times but it didn't work for me. He comes across as very preachy and seems not to understand that not everyone feels the way he does.

I've been using Slimpod and am losing weight very slowly but haven't had to diet, which suits me fine. I've lost 2kg since the beginning of May, which isn't a lot but I feel much less stressed over food and haven't had to avoid any occasions/nights out etc.

It costs £150 over 12 weeks, so not cheap but it seems to be an extremely sensible approach. Might be worth investigating?

What does slimpod involve?

I read his book to help me stop drinking so much and did so for 6 months. I do drink now but not nearly as much.

i think his method is just to keep repeating that you dont need to do whatever it is until you believe it - like hypnosis. He points out all the reasons why something is bad for you and what you should do instead.

the high protein thing is not new and was the basis for the atkins diet which became popular in the 1980s. I only ate fresh fruit and OJ for years after that as it does clear you out regularly!

I have the one about giving up sugar which was very helpful. I got it after a friend said the stop smoking one helped him quit very easily. It's hypnosis based.

I’ve not read it, but an ai summary says it’s fairly basic stuff we all know, published ten years ago?

The core principles of Allen Carr’s method focus on changing how you think about food, rather than using willpower to restrict yourself.

1. No Willpower or Deprivation

• No diets: Diets create a feeling of sacrifice and misery.
• No deprivation: You do not give up foods you love.
• No calorie counting: Tracking numbers creates unnecessary obsession and anxiety.

1. Rewiring Mindset (Undoing Brainwashing)

• Expose the illusion: Society conditions us to view junk food as a reward.
• Remove the conflict: The method aligns your conscious desires with your actions.
• End the craving: Once you see junk food as harmful, you stop wanting it.

1. Eating Consciously and Naturally

• True hunger: Eat only when your body genuinely needs fuel.
• Stop when full: Listen to physical cues, not emotional cravings.
• Appreciate flavors: Eat slowly to fully enjoy the taste of natural foods.

1. Choosing "Live" Foods

• Natural fuel: Favor fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole foods.
• Avoid "dead" foods: Minimize highly processed items that confuse your body's signals.
• No bans: You can still eat processed foods, but you will naturally lose interest.

1. Escaping the "Diet Trap"

• Break the cycle: Stop the endless loop of dieting, binging, and feeling guilty.
• Instant freedom: Weight loss becomes a happy choice, not a chore.
• Permanent change: Your relationship with food shifts permanently without effort

@GGTTC123 it's a podcast that you listen to every night. There's lots of support, coaching videos etc. It's based around positive reinforcement, and only eating until you're full. I've found it works for me. There's a (genuine) 10 day free trial, then 3 payments of £49. You can get your money back within the first 30 days if you're not happy with it. There are a few people on Mumsnet who've also used it with some success.