Friday 22 April 2022

Love Yourself, So...Hate the Weight! - Brother Craig Driscoll - 100 Diet, Metabolic-Rate-Enhancing and Exercise Tips That Really Work!

Love Yourself, So...Hate the Weight! 
100 Diet, Metabolic-Rate-Enhancing and Exercise Tips That Really Work!
Brother Craig Driscoll 
Woodbridge Press
ISBN 0880072156
ISBN 9780880072151


This volume ended in my 'Did Not Finish Pile' I have read a few of Brother Craig's books on prayer and thought they were pretty good. I could use losing a few pounds. I picked this up on a few occasions but the errors and bad advice was too much. I have been a certified fitness instructor, and read many books on health and fitness. but the arrogance in this volume ... just wow!

“11. You will lose Weight.

If you do all the things I mention here, my personal experience tells me you will lose weight! If it doesn't seem to be working, please check to see which part you've omitted, or neglected.”

People need to find what works for them. If health was a one size fits all the fitness industry would not be worth billions of dollars.  Another example:

“9. Eat Breakfast!

Don’t skip it. I can tell you from personal experience that breakfast boosts energy and makes me feel better. You may have observed, as I have, that people who skip breakfast often make up the calories by eating more later in the day!”

This advice again might be good for some people but not all. I know several people who follow the 2 meal a day plan, or practice Intermittent Fasting that have no issues with skipping breakfast and in fact do better doing so. A final example is:

“10. Don’t eat fattening foods! Don’t Do it!

That should be emblazoned on your refrigerator and your food cabinets (although, really, there shouldn’t be any fattening foods in the house! When you go out always carry low-calorie, fat-free food with you-so you won’t turn to high-calorie or high-fat food as snacks.”

Again many people who practice Paleo or Keto do the opposite of this to great results; both in the short term or long term. The book is 100 points along those lines about what worked for Brother Craig, but they will not work for all and some contradict clear scientific studies and practices. I cannot even in good conscience say this book is worth picking up for any reason. And I feel sorry for anyone who bought into Brother Craig’s ‘Love yourself, so … Hate the Weight!’ seminars. 

I enjoyed the two books on prayer by Brother Craig that I have read but with my low opinion of this book, I am not sure I will pick up his remaining books on prayer and spirituality. That is how little I think of this book. This is the worse type of pop culture fitness fad material. A terribly disappointing volume!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

p.s. part of me does not even want to list this as a book I read but I want to put the warning out there.

Books by Brother Craig Driscoll:
Of the Cross a Biography of Blessed Edith Stein
Our Lady, an Angel, and Sister Agnes: the story of the wondrous events at Akita, Japan
Thérèse - Teacher of Prayer
The Coming Chastisement




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