Reinhard Engels, The No S Diet

Reinhard Engels is a librarian turned computer programmer turned diet book author—an unlikely career trajectory. Some years ago, I guess in the mid-2000s, he put the system he'd devised for gaining control of his weight on the internet (check out everydaysystems.com), and it gained adherents. Ultimately, the website resulted in this book, which codifies the information available online. You don't need this book to get the info. Indeed, the whole of the diet can be simply stated: No snacks, no sweets, no seconds, except (sometimes) on days that start with "S." But you'll want to read more, because Engels is a brilliant guy who approaches questions from an unusual perspective and offers workable solutions to real-life problems (not only about diet, by the way).

This really isn't your average diet book. It's largely about habit building, training yourself to adopt habits that will make your life simpler, your diet better, and your food more pleasurable. I'm reading it now for the second time just because it's motivating reading. (See also the author's podcasts, which are a great resource.) Even if you don't wind up losing weight by No S-ing, adopting the habit of eating as Engels suggests is beneficial because you'll come to have a better relationship with food.