Your Last Diet!: The Sugar Addict's Weight-Loss Plan [Paperback]

Kathleen DesMaisons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 26, 2002

From the bestselling author of Potatoes Not Prozac–this is the first diet plan specifically designed for people who are sugar sensitive.

If you’ve tried every diet under the sun only to watch your weight boomerang, take heart. You may have been born with a biochemistry that makes you more vulnerable to becoming addicted to sugar. The first weight-loss program of its kind, Your Last Diet! pinpoints what you can do to heal your sugar sensitivity once and for all–and lose weight permanently in the process.

Inside you’ll discover how to
• Increase seratonin and beta-endorphin levels for appetite and mood control
• Feel more confident, energetic, and clear-minded
• Lose weight steadily–without rebounding
• Adjust eating habits for maximum health

Filled with testimonials from people who have followed the plan, lost weight, and kept it off, Your Last Diet! is a powerful inspiration to all who have struggled with sugar addiction and weight issues. This will truly be your last diet!

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

For the sugar sensitive.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"A practical, compassionate, uplifting, and very effective way to recover from the ravages of sugar addiction and reclaim control of your health and your life. I highly recommend it."
--CHRISTIANE NORTHRUP, M.D. (on The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program)


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (November 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345441354
• ISBN-13: 978-0345441355
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. is the best selling author of Potatoes Not Prozac, The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program, Your Last Diet, Little Sugar Addicts and Your Body Speaks. She is both a compassionate coach and a social commentator, who has taken the concept of sugar sensitivity and transformed the way of looking at the relationship of addiction and food as a healing agent. Kathleen is a cultural visionary, understanding the essence of addiction in a compassionate and revolutionary way.

In 1988, Kathleen started a small addiction treatment center in Northern California. Seeking new alternatives to enhance the success rate of her center, she initiated a nutritional protocol with her clients that caused the sobriety rate to skyrocket to 92%. Following her deep commitment to understanding the biochemistry of her clinical success, she returned to school to obtain a Ph.D. She chose to attend The Union Institute, the country's oldest and most prestigious interdisciplinary university committed to connecting scholarship and social action. The nature of her work was so revolutionary that she graduated with the first degree awarded in the field of Addictive Nutrition. That work chronicled her efforts in seeing Drunk Driving as an issue of alcoholism rather than criminal action and resulted in a dissertation of the impact of her nutritional intervention on a group of multiple offender drunk drivers which was associated with a 30% drop in offense during the time her program was in place.

As the biochemical understanding of sugar sensitivity and sugar addiction have evolved, so has Kathleen's mission, transforming from a lone voice on the cutting edge of addiction treatment to a cultural leader and life guide, inspiring hope in hundreds of thousands world wide who have suffered from alcoholism, sugar addiction, depression, eating disorders, and the complexities of parenting. Kathleen's voice is caring, skilled and clear in a realm where fog, blame and dysfunction abound. She provides not only hope, but also practical skills for profound life change.

Kathleen's books have a worldwide audience from all over the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Australia and into the Far East including Mongolia, Japan and Thailand. Her books have been best sellers in the UK and the U.S. and have reached close to a half a million people. She has taught animated and informative workshops, seminars and retreats since 1988 across the country and the UK.

Kathleen's name has become synonymous with the healing of sugar addiction through nutrition. The genuineness of her vision and the depth at which people have bonded with her message have powered the development of her website at www.radiantrecovery.com into a leading voice of hope and healing throughout the world. In 1998, she set out to build a worldwide community of supportive sharing, previsioning the social networking of today. She has empowered hundreds of women and men to collaborate with her in providing support to thousands daily. The members of her community respect her as a trusted servant of truth and an embodiment of authenticity. Her unique style and vision flows out into a vibrant and empowered collective voice of recovery.

Kathleen lives with her three Golden Retrievers in Albuquerque New Mexico. She also serves as the President of the statewide Golden Retriever Rescue. She can be reached at [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Follow the steps! Don't jump ahead!!!!!, April 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Your Last Diet! The Sugar Addict's Weight-Loss Plan (Hardcover)

I had read DesMaisons first book "Potatoes Not Prozac". But, I didn't get anywhere. So I decided to buy her latest book and I figured out what went wrong. There are 7 steps that Kathleen outlines in all of her books. Me, being the impulsive and impatient sugar-sensitive person I am skipped these steps and immediately went for the detox. Big mistake!!!!!

I am still working on the 7 steps, but the thing I love about this book, "Your Last Diet" is that it reminds you to follow these steps and it shows you that this is not a quick fix. This is a program that takes time. Patience is the key. You didn't gain the weight in a day, so it's going to take you a while to lose it. And the weight is not the issue. It's the biochemistry and any other emotional issues you have with food.

The reason why this book stands out for me is it gives better reasons to take it easy. It gives better reasons to follow those 7 steps. This is probably because there's been more feedback and experiences with this program since the first book. Probably the biggest step I ignored was the third step - the journal. I thought I knew what I was eating, so when these wierd cravings came back, I was confused. Kathleen's reasons for this step explained everything to me. Without the journal, you are unclear about how your body feels about the food you eat, therefore when a crave comes up, you have no clue where it came from.

This book can easily be your last diet. Diet is really not a good word for this program, but I understand that Kathleen had to have a title that was catchy. But, you have to be patience and go through the steps. And I already know from my own experiences that life changes that occur slowly or at a steady pace last a lot longer than those that happen overnight.

76 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A life-changer!, March 27, 2002

By 

Shani Ferguson (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Your Last Diet! The Sugar Addict's Weight-Loss Plan (Hardcover)

I've read *all* the books and tried so many "diets," but never found one single program that was able to make a lasting difference in my life and weight. This book builds on the science explained in Dr. Des Maisons's first book, Potatoes Not Prozac, which helped me to understand that weight gain (and depression) WAS NOT MY FAULT, but rather a function of my sugar-sensitive biochemistry. That realization was key to 80 pounds of weightloss (and counting) and the kind of centeredness, confidence and happiness I haven't known since childhood.

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Editorial Review, February 13, 2002

By 

Nickie (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Last Diet! The Sugar Addict's Weight-Loss Plan (Hardcover)

I have read this awesome book and am working on step 1, adding protein to my breakfast. From day 1, I've been feeling much better and I actually see a light at the end of the tunnel of depression (and it ain't no train either LOL). I really recommend this book to anybody who wants to stop dieting and who wants to start living again!!!

I believe that this somewhat negative review would shy away people who love to eat a variety of food. If I didn't know anything about YLD, I probably would look for another book with more positive editorial reviews. However, I read it and I love the concept. And from day 1 I really felt a difference on how I felt in the morning by eating a good, filling breakfast, which carried me well into lunch time. The program focuses on slow and easy steps towards weaning yourself off sugar, unlike the Atkins diet. Therefore it is so much easier to incorporate it into your life. You're doing baby-steps not giant leaps that mess you up and are unsustainable. Also, you are not being told what to eat, you learn how your body reacts as you do the steps.

However, as I read the editorial for this book (after I had read my copy), I've noticed that the author of the editorial review said that you cannot eat white foods, which includes potatoes. Actually, if this person would have read the book, he/she would've learned that eating potatoes before going to bed plays a major role in stabilizing your chemistry over night. As a matter of fact, a whole section (step 4) is designated to stress the importance of the spud.

Also,what was that remark about the book consisting of more marketing than science (not the exact words, but same meaning). In my opinion, it includes enough science to explain to people outside the scienctific-profession how the chemical levels in your body can make you react a certain way. To be honest, if Dr. DesMaisons would've added much more scientific facts, the book would've been overwhelming for many readers. I'm more interested in the way her program can help me live again. If you are a science-buff, I'm sure she wouldn't mind giving you more details via e-mail. As a matter of fact, you will see how involved she is with her groups on her website at radiantrecovery.com and you can read the forum or join other online support groups where you can communicate 24/7 with other people on the program at different levels. If someone has a question that's tough to answer or someone posts something that's not correct, she is always willing to answer questions or correct readers.

Marketing? Marketing is good, if it makes people aware of what they need to know. In this book, Dr. DesMaisons merely points out sources and products that can help us in recovery. Also, she helps sugar-sensitive people to cope with their feelings and teach them how to get well. If this is considered marketing, it's great, isn't it? Again, just go to the website or the online groups and see what veterans or even newbies have to say.

Great book and great support! I love it!!!