When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies: Freeing Yourself from Food and Weight Obsession

I'd like to address the review below me by "Gym Goddess" before I get started. The plan they encourage about carrying around a food bag is part of their plan to overcome binge/compulsive eating, which is an eating disorder. It might not make sense to you, because it may not seem "healthy" or "listening to your body", but this just proves that attitudes like that are the result of buying into society's disordered eating and diet obsessed culture. In fact, the plan is the most compassionate, truthful, rational way to overcome eating disorders, which are NEVER about food. Let me give some background of where I am because I think this places the book in the proper scope of understanding. I am recovered from Binge eating disorder, which I have had for about 20 years. I see a therapist about once a month for a good venting session as well as perspective and I'm also on an antidepressant. EDs are never about food. Eds are the result of pushing down your problems by stuffing yourself with food (or not eating it, in the case of Anorexia). This way, you can superficially stay in "food mode".. you can blame the food, you can go on a diet, you can obsess about scales, points, calories, carbs and "being healthy" INSTEAD of dealing with the problems that you have no coping skills to deal with. "Overcoming Overeating" and "When Women Stop hating their Bodies" are companion books that help set the stage that American society and their obsessions with diets are not only detrimental to women, through pushing women to diet to conform to society's definition of beautiful (for now, a man body with huge breast implants), American society pushes women into eating disorders. Bad body thoughts are a companion to food obsession that help you avoid your problems. Feeling "FAT" is an ED sufferer's way of trying to distract themselves from what is really going on with themselves by obsessing about their bodies. How do you escape bad body thoughts? You become your own caretaker. WWSHTB continues the plan given in "Overcoming Overeating" and takes you through not only unraveling your thought processes, which are twisted around food, but also shows you HOW to become your own caretaker by feeding yourself when hungry, carrying around food in case you get hungry (whichever food YOU crave) and how to deal with "mouth hunger" (which is eating when food calls to you). In addition to showing you how to initially become your own care taker by FEEDING yourself, "WWSHTB" picks up where 'Overcoming Overeating" left off, which is taking you past the plan to overcome bingeing and mouth hunger, by showing you how to face your problems by sitting with them and looking at the problem from a different perspective. At some point, when food is no longer a friend or a lover, you'll still need to address residual issues which will occassionally cause you to fall into your old coping skill of eating. They show you how to do that! This book has many gems in it. My favorite line

Recently I ran into an acquaintance. When I asked how she was doing, she immediately began complaining about her body, her thighs, how fat she felt. I looked at her. She was probably around 5'6" and weighed about 120 dripping wet. She looked terrific, but felt miserable. So many of us bodybash. This book will help you free yourself from bodybashing. You can learn that no matter what your weight or how you look you can feel wonderful. Why focus on your negatives when you have so many positives. This book can empower you to go beyond obsession with food and weight and negative thinking to a place where you can appreciate and love yourself regardless of size. And many folks will find these tools help them become their natural size. This is an excellent book as is "Overcoming Overeating" by Hirschmann and Munter.

I am a recovering anorexic and reading this book has been the biggest help on my road to recovery. Not only that but I recommend this book to any woman who has ever dieted or has ever felt unhappy with her body. this book is empowering spiritually, mentally and physically. I read this book like I read the Bible and I want every woman out there to realize that fat is not bad, food is not the enemy and that there is nothing wrong with the way you are at this very moment. If you ever do anything for yourself and your mental state of mind, read this book, you will feel so much better after the first day !

This book will change your way of thinking about yourself and about your role in society. It explains in detail the way women associate many of their problems with food. It encourages you to change and to love yourself unconditionally, and to learn to be a gentle caretaker to yourself. It really is a rewarding experience to read and live by the philosophies explained. Living without unhealthy body obsessions, but instead with love, will lead you to a much happier existence. I encourage you to read this, even if you don't think you have an eating problem. The book really applies to all women. Learn to love yourself, and stop hating your body! I highly reccommend this, obviously...:)

As a budding psychiatrist with a strong personal and professional interest in eating disorders, this book speaks to me every time I pick it up. It makes sense. These authors present their thesis for changing the focus of your life from food and weight in small carefully explained steps, and challenge your arguments and doubts in detail immediately thereafter. I must agree with the other reviewers in recommending that every woman in America read this book. If you are sick of dieting and tired of hating your body, and who isn't? This book will change your perspective and tempt you to take their advice and change your life. I've only just begun, but it's changing mine already.