Author Bio

Read the book. There is no way to skip this stage. The book will provide you with knowledge and inspiration. When you understand why you are doing something, you will want to do it. In fact, with time you will see that re-reading the book provides you with new insights and additional motivation for long term success.

Subconcious Accumulation Process

Let’s look at how habits play with our minds.
This is possibly one of the most exciting subjects I have ever come across. I sincerely believe that after you read these concepts, you will never look at the world in the same way again!

Many programs designed to “break bad habits" do not even discuss how habits are formed in the first place. They merely state that habits become second nature.

Let me begin by asking a simple question: In terms of character development, what is more significant — giving one dollar each to one thousand charities, or giving a thousand dollars to one charity?
In the first case, many people gain but the overall impact is minor. In the second case, only a single significant donation is made but it can go a long way to help. Is one better than the other? Or is each one equally positive?

Rambam writes:

Positive behavior characteristics are not acquired by doing great (positive) acts but rather through the repetition of many positive acts. For example, giving a thousand gold coins to one charity will not accustom a person to the trait of generosity, whereas giving one gold coin to a thousand different charities will do so. By repeating an act many times,an established behavior or emotional pattern is formed. In contrast, one great act represents an arousal to good, after which that motivation may disappear.

Rambam is teaching us a fundamental principle in human nature. Even a simple habit can have more of an impact on our personal development than a major motivational arousal! But why is habit so much more powerful? What is the difference between the first, second and third time we do something?* After all, it is exactly the same act repeated over and over again.

The answer is that real change takes place within, not without.
I like to call this the Subconscious Accumulation Process, or S.A.P.

In the early 1800’s, some of our greatest authorities* explained how habits are formed. This is the essence of what they wrote:

Learning a new language is a good analogy [of habit formation]. In order for the student to learn how to pronounce words, the teacher must first expend a great deal of effort and skill in order to teach him the different letters of the alphabet. Then he learns how to join the letters together to form words. Yet he must work extremely hard to learn this skill. Eventually, however, through habit, this skill becomes a function of the subconscious, and he learns to read with ease and without conscious effort.
We can apply this same process to the realm of emotions. There are both conscious and subconscious factors [in habit formation]." *

"Every single feeling, no matter how small it is and even if it is forgotten immediately by the conscious mind, always leaves some sort of impression on the memory. If one then experiences this feeling a second time, it combines with the original impression, thereby strengthening itself. Every time this feeling is experienced again, all the accumulated traces of the previous impressions combine with it.
We can now appreciate how the power of habit strengthens even the weakest feelings, and how it creates learned desires which intensify over time." *

"Over time, the most insignificant string of experiences can accumulate to become strong enough to even overwhelm a major experience." *

This is the power of habit!
The outer action may be exactly the same every time you repeat it, but the subconscious accumulation of every minor experience, feeling and image associated with that act gains more momentum each time it is repeated.
When we understand this mechanism, then every feeling, experience and image takes on a new meaning. In fact, this inner process affects every aspect of our personalities and practices.

Sources:
1. Commentary on Pirkei Avos 3:18.

2. See Mishneh Torah, Hilchos De’os 1:7.

3. Rav Yisroel Salanter. Rav Yisroel quotes ‘Sefer Cheshbon Hanefesh’ as a source regarding this subject.

4. Ohr Yisrael, Letter 6.

5. See Cheshbon HaNefesh 53.

6. See Cheshbon HaNefesh 55.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

David Zulberg spent six years researching

and writing this book. In its third printing

and translated into various languages,

the LT Diet has produced dramatic

life-changing results for thousands of people.

Zulberg is an ACE®-certified Professional

(Fitness and Dietary Guidelines) and

graduate of Columbia University in NYC.

LT DIET GOAL:

1. Knowledge of health and nutritional principles
2. Knowledge of behavior modification
3. The internalization of this knowledge through a

precise plan of action

COMPARING OTHER DIETS

If you compare this program to other popular diets, you will find that this program has more flexibility and food choices while offering a balanced, nutritious diet. Although it is true that crash dieting can result in large amounts of weight loss, it is muscle mass, glycogen stores, and water, not excess body fat, that is lost. Other problems include electrolyte imbalances, calcium deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Similarly, a diet that cuts out any food group from your eating program, ultimately sacrifices your health. Effective weight loss must be a combination of improving eating habits and increasing activity.

All this means that ‘no carb’, ‘low carb’ and ‘no fat’ diets are not serious options for losing weight permanently. Similarly, ‘Health’ or ‘Natural’ diets are often very hard to implement for the long term as they forbid food combing, and severely limit quantities and food choices, when followed properly. ‘Government dietary guidelines’ alone, necessitate copious sorting of information and unfortunately lack practical implementation. ‘Calorie-Counting’ or ‘Food-Measuring Diets’ are time-consuming and involved. Count or weigh everything! Very often this leads to obsessive eating habits or general food obsession. Furthermore, calories often take precedence over nutritious healthy foods. (The Glycemic Index (GI) diets have a similar problem. For example, potato chips have a lower GI score than do watermelon or brown rice.)

Now every one of these diets has some excellent aspects, but in practice long-term observance is almost impossible to sustain and in many cases the diets are unhealthy. Hence the never-ending search for the perfect solution – the new fad diet that promises to deliver that much-coveted dream of “normal weight.”

The Life Transforming Diet is not about what foods you can and cannot eat. On our program, you can eat any nutritious food. In fact, eventually no food will be off limits – if that is what you want. The Life Transforming Diet is a method of understanding not only what to eat but how to eat, with an explanation of inner motivational forces as well as external behavior patterns. Interestingly, many of the positive attributes of each of the above-mentioned diets are found in the Life Transforming Diet. Still, you will have the possibility of implementing the Dietary Guidelines and ACE fitness lifestyle guidelines for a balanced scientific based nutritional and exercise program. Importantly, ours is a workable, realistic system that allows you to go on living your own particular lifestyle while you gradually transform your life.

PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION

This is where this program shines! Based on Rambam’s opinion regarding changing habits, we will implement the above principles at the right pace.

We will introduce only one change every week.

In the first week, it is the HWC meal.

In the second week, we add a 5-10 minute exercise workout. Obviously if you are already following a balanced exercise program, simply continue with the HWC meal.

In the third week, we will introduce ‘Substitution’ between meals.

The fourth week introduces the main meal version of the One CF Meal.

In the fifth week, we will add the lighter version of the One CF meal.

This ends Phase 1.

Phase 2 is simply a continuation of Phase 1.

The only thing that will change is your exercise program. Otherwise you will simply continue with the guidelines of Phase 1 for three weeks. Many people lose 8-10 pounds on this Phase alone.

In Phase 3, we introduce the Mixed Meal and more desert options.

You will continue on this Phase until you are close to your goal weight.

At that point, there will be more snack options between meals and dessert options called Smart Exceptions.

It is that simple and that quick!

The relevant chapters in our book detail a clear practical implementation of our principles. You will also learn how to practically deal with excursions – deviations from the program. Excursions are an expected part of this journey and you will learn how to get back on track and how to make up for any lost ground.

You see, this program deals with the practical and psychological aspects of behavior modification.

A very simple Personal ledger system is also available (see link above on menu option), which is based on the great teachings of our great Mussar Teachers. In our Ledgers, you will simply have to write a number in a box.