ACCIDENTALLY OVERWEIGHT

Dr. Libby Weaver's written a fascinating book about all the biological factors governing the female body and its ability (or inability) to lose weight. ACCIDENTALLY OVERWEIGHT busts many of the current myths about fat storage, such as counting calories (not all calories are created equal and not all people process them equally) and exercise (sometimes exercise can be a bad thing - really).

Says the author: "Whether consciously or subconsciously, many people are frustrated by how they feel about their body, or its appearance, and this frustration can take up their headspace and influence their moods. By exploring the physical mechanisms of your biochemistry and the emotional forces driving your life, you will begin to understand what has governed the growing and shrinking of your body up until now."

You can read the book in one sitting, but you'll probably end up skimming through all the important medical stuff. I took it a chapter at a time, each chapter dealing with one piece of the weight battle puzzle. Written for women, most of the wisdom in this book (apart from the sex hormone chapter) can be applied to men.

The advice is simple:

• slow down
• cut caffeine
• sleep more
• breathe deeply
• chew
• figure out what supplement your body lacks (iodine, hormones)
• be kind to yourself.

My kind of book. I need it on my shelf just to remind me.