The Thin Commandments Diet: The Ten No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss    by Stephen Gullo Order:  USA  Can Rodale, 2005 (2005) Hardcover      Reviewed by Martina Bexte Dr. Stephen Gullo has impressive credentials: his doctorate is in psychology from Columbia University, and he is also former chair of the National Obesity and Weight Control Education Program of the American Institute for Life-Threatening Illness. His first book, Thin Tastes Better, was a national bestseller and Dr. Gullo has spoken about the topic of obesity and weight loss with Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters. In The Thin Commandments Diet, Dr. Gullo outlines '10 no-fail strategies for permanent weight loss', all of which make perfect sense, particularly for those who've battled weight gain all their lives or have struggled with the no-win yo-yo dieting dilemma. His opening sentence suggests that 'calories are only half of the weight loss equation'. He says that the dieters he's observed generally 'were not learning from their past mistakes'. This discovery helped Dr. Gullo devise what he calls everyone's 'eating print', which he goes on to explain is 'your own unique signature in the world of food'. Once you know your eating print 'you can predict your behavior in any food situation, with any food'. And once you learn and recognize your print, you can 'desensitize to the allure of tempting foods and eliminate the cravings and feelings of deprivation'. In the first half of the book, Dr. Gullo discusses his '10 Thin Commandments' in depth, including how to identify your 'trigger foods' and how to control what have likely become predictable cravings. He outlines how to conquer your cravings and how to never overeat again, and lists 'carbs that promote weight loss'. In part two of the book, he presents his ABC Eating Plan, beginning with a '10-Day Turbo Charge Diet' (its core foods are eggs, fish, and high calcium diary foods). Dr. Gullo maintains that eating fish is important to losing weight. However, for those who don't like fish, he suggests other options. He includes many wonderful-looking recipes, all with short preparation times (a real boon for the busy cook). At the end of the book he lists 'The 110 Best Light Foods on the Market', that not only have less calories but also taste great. Overall, The Thin Commandments Diet makes a lot of sense and looks to be one of the better diet books out there - one that could help you break ingrained eating habits, lose some weight, and maybe even keep it off for good. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews