I read an exerpt from the book on the Newsweek site - I can't believe the book The Secret is so popular, it just seems like craziness to me. Here is a section explicitly talking about weight loss:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17317691/site/newsweek/

Parts that particularly annoy me:

To put it in the most basic terms, if someone is overweight, it came from thinking “fat thoughts,” whether that person was aware of it or not

This line of thinking permeates the entire book apparently, if you have cancer, it's because you had bad thoughts. You can also catch bad thoughts from other people, so avoid people who are manifesting bad thoughts (ie sick). Twaddle - I was heavy because I ate too much junk every day and didn't exercise.

Food is not responsible for putting on weight. It is your thought that food is responsible for putting on weight that actually has food put on weight

I recognize that some people have deeper psychological issues around food (eat for comfort, eat to hide, eat for stress), but for me...it was the FOOD. I ate pizza and muffins and full fat venti lattes and M&Ms and Taco Bell almost everyday.

Don’t buy clothes at your current weight. Have faith and focus on the clothes you are going to buy.

I am a huge fan of NOT putting your life on hold until you are "perfect." I think this comment is particularly stupid - at one point in the middle of my weight loss, my size 18 pants literally were falling off my body. Should I visualize my pants NOT FALLING OFF or should I buy some pants that fit so I don't have a Janet Jackson-type wardrobe malfuction at work?

Attracting the perfect weight is the same as placing an order with the catalogue of the Universe. You look through the catalogue, choose the perfect weight, place your order, and then it is delivered to you

Uh huh. I would like to put an order in the catalog to win the 96M Mega Millions lotto tonight.

If you see people who are overweight, do not observe them, but immediately switch your mind to the picture of you in your perfect body and feel it.

This is particularly horrifying and cruel - what, don't even LOOK at fat people? Just pretend they don't exist? What the ****?

Parts that I do like:

The definition of the perfect weight is the weight that feels good for you. No one else’s opinion counts. It is the weight that feels good for you.

This is good advice.

You will never change your body if you are critical of it and find fault with it, and in fact you will attract more weight to you. Praise and bless every square inch of your body.

I agree with this too, I spent a lot of time hating myself and not looking at myself. When I finally started loving myself a little, weight loss was easier.

The "Secret" isn't much of a secret at all. It's called many different things: prayer, positive visualization, dreams, willpower, etc. -- all of which work in varying degrees of success toward the goal of your choosing depending on your state of mind. But it is self-delusional hogwash to believe that we became overweight simply by thinking we are. Or, more importantly, that we can lose weight by wishing it so. Actions have consequences. Thoughts do not.

I do believe, though, that all successful weight loss begins with the positive decision to make it happen. Without the vision of weight loss to drive our actions, we do not commit to the program, make it a priority, overcome obstacles, etc. We merely drift through one bad decision after another. That's been my experience, at least, and that's also why this time is going to be different.

Arghhhh. I cannot believe the popularity of The Secret, but I particularly agree with your insight Glory. We did not get fat because we thought fat thoughts! And whether or not you have other problems that lead to using food for self-medicating, comfort, etc., it is ultimately food that causes us to be fat. But Booklover (as a librarian, I love your name!) is right, too - "all successful weight loss begins with the positive decision to make it happen."

Bwah!! Glory, I think I love you. The Secret just annoys me. If I sit on the couch and eat junk, I don't care how many positive, thin, true believer thoughts I have; I'm still gonna be fat! Postive thinking is great, but it reminds me of that saying, "Trust in God, but still row away from the rocks" (paraphrased). Believe in yourself, and then TAKE ACTION.

I believe in the power of positive thinking, reducing stress, and the possibility for the placebo effect, but the premise of "The Secret," infuriates me. I am on disability, and I can deal with people who tell me it's my own fault that I am sick (it's an oversimplification, but yes, my lifestyle and personal choices have contributed to my illness), but when an aquaintence lectured me that I could "bring health" to me, if I wanted it. At the time, I had pneumonia.

She had read the book and had just started a new business and was convinced she was going to make the business a success by "thinking it," as the book suggested. She lectured everyone who would listen that everything that happened to us, positively and negatively were things that we had brought to ourselves with our thoughts.

About a week after I broke off ties with her, her store was flooded. You have no idea how hard it was for me not to email her and suggest that she must have brought it on herself, or at least ask her if she still thought the book was so amazing.

I really believe that thinking positively is a very important thing. But more in the sense that - I know that I can do this. We can think postive thoughts all we want, but the bottom line - what's needed to change things is ACTION.

I haven't read The Secret yet but from what I've heard a lot of the book seems to be a bunch of crap. I believe in postive thinking but I also believe this book tries to find easy and fast solutions to complicated and long term problems. Even when I'm feeling bad about myself and thinking negatively if I still go to the gym and stay on plan I lose weight.. how about that.

I think the problem isn't so much that it emphasizes thought over action, as acting in accordance with your beliefs is implicit (if my understanding of the book is correct, having not read a great deal of it). What concerns me is, as Katie states, the oversimplification of complicated problems, and the implication that we have control over every aspect of our lives, and if we encounter any difficulties or pain in our lives it is our own fault.

With weight loss, there are enough myths out there that cause us to second and third guess ourselves, we don't need any more. The idea that we can do everything else right, and yet sabotage ourselves by having the occasional wrong "thoughts" just puts too much pressure on already stressed lives.

I am sorry to hear nobody hear likes The Secret. I love it. It has completely changed my husband and me. We have taken a new path, and can really feel the great effects. I highly recommend it. The DVD is great. It is only start, you ultimately have to do more research.
Billie TX

OK, here are my thoughts sending to the universe via this post. I know that many of you will help me with these thoughts.

New calorie and nutrition information!

10 bonbons = 10 calories
pizza = 5 cals per slice
beer = 0 calories (free)
wine = 0 calories (free)
French Fries = 15 calories for a super-size serving. (added bonus - 5 grams of fiber per serving!)
salad dressing = who needs salad dressing?
cake = 5 calories per slice
fudge = 0 fat, 3g fiber, 3 calories per oz.

I feel lighter already......

Oh goodness. I also understand the power of positive thinking in propelling us to action, but statements like "Food cannot cause you to put on weight, unless you think it can," are downright ridiculous. As powerful as our thoughts are, I don't think they can overwrite basic biology and chemistry.

The Secret sounds like a load of tripe.

I completely agree. There is some wisdom in having a good perspective about things, but wishing for more money or a better body isn't going to get you there.