The greatest challenge is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Self-improvement: Discovering Martha Beck





Discovering Martha Beck


Written by Sharon Lennox-Infante
Wednesday, 21 November 2012

New York Times best-selling author Martha Beck is a life coach. She has a doctorate (several degrees, actually) from Harvard University, where she deviated from the typical career path of psychotherapist to the ahead-of-the-curve occupation of life coach – the difference being that therapists tend to treat people with disorders, whereas a life coach tends to treat healthy people who just want to make their lives better.
Beck's two diet books, “The Joy Diet” (Crown, 2003) and “The Four Day Win” (Rodale, 2007), were so surprising and deeply funny that I felt compelled to talk about them to anyone who would listen.

Beck mimics our inner voice – “Why are you so damn fat?” – and plots a course to change that dialogue. 

Unlike most diet books that promote an eating (or not eating) plan, Beck’s approach is to leave that part up to the individual.

Her value-add is providing insight and exercises (the mental kind) that help the reader understand and internalize the change.

Instead of further depleting an already-deprived and often self-loathing dieter, she actually adds helpful information to make success more likely, with quite a few laughs and self-deprecating personal examples along the way. 

She has been to diet hell, and returned to suggest a better path.   
Her writing is positive, practical and downright inspiring. 

The heart of her message is that change happens through love and compassion – for ourselves and others.





Sharon Lennox-Infante, contributing editor for Book Buzz, is a Los Altos resident.

Source:
Los Altos Town Crier - Self-improvement: Discovering Martha Beck

 http://www.losaltosonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44853&Itemid=57