Love Food & Live Well by Chantel Hobbs

Food is not the problem, says Hobbs. It is a challenge, but the more troublesome challenge: ourselves. The struggle is in our heads. “First you change your mind, and then you can change your body and your life.” (36) She lists five decisions that must be made: being truthful with yourself and God, repent and ask forgiveness, make a commitment, seek knowledge, then daily surrender to God your life, your strength and your ability to change.

Hobbs encourages a healthy love of food and knowing the real role of food. She has a great section on the types of food, what they are made of and why they are needed to supply energy to the body.

Hobbs suggests calculating how many calories your body needs to sustain the weight you want. “All weight loss comes from a deficit of calories. Period. If you use more calories than you consume, you will lose weight.” (93) Hobbs provides some suggested exercises, too.

 One of two parts of the book I really liked was her 80/20 rule. “A full 80 percent of the time, all food you consume should accomplish the following:

• supply vital nutrients
• satisfy your hunger
• deliver long lasting energy.” (127)

“What helps you commit fully to this discipline is the knowledge that the other 20 percent of the time you can splurge – within limits.” (128)
The other part of the book I really liked was her ten ground rules for loving food and living well. One is “smile while you swallow.” Another, “feel free to spit it out.” Despite what my mother always said, “food can go to waste.” You don't have to clean your plate. The ten ground rules are great!
One would not have had to read her previous books to benefit from this one, but to receive the full impact of what Hobbs is communicating, reading Never Say Diet would help.