[ellis]

I'm going to move any book reviews, recommendations, etc into this thread.
If you've read anything helpful (or not!), please feel free to contribute to this list!
Or comment on any of the books here. Etc.

I know this is very messy looking right now... ... I'm working on it...

[ellis]

Originally Posted by LMAC

Did you ever read that book "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins? If not, I highly recommend it if you are considering vegetarianism. I bought the book after considering being veggie for health reasons but that book enlighten me, big time!!! It's the cruel truth of how that meat and fish gets to our table. It is truly a gruesome process. It's also very interesting reading. You would just think we Americans would know the details of the process but we don't. We just scratch the surface of the real story. It's a big secret kept by the Beef and Dairy Association that will continue to advertise their "healthy" products on TV and in magazines, etc. They have lots of money - money shuts up a lot of people. It really is crazy and we (my husband and I) have decided we want no part of it. We enjoy being veggies and are proud of it.

[ellis]

Originally Posted by Leenie

I just bought two books I am going to read one is (although I can't stand him lol) Dr. Phil's book and the other is The Joy Of Weight Loss, this is a book about Norris Chumley who lost 160 lbs and has kept it off. Cant hurt.

Also, I am talking to my doctor about weight loss, I have high blood pressure so my next visit which is april 4th we will discuss diet plans and what not. I hope I have lost a few pounds b/4 I go. I've been just loading up on water and with my dinners eating a huge amount of veggies. It really is filling. I also just took up some knitting, just to keep the hands busy. I work full time and when I get home I just want to eat anything in my path because I am so tired (I also have a 3 year old) so my dinners have become a real challenge.

[ellis]

Originally Posted by funniegrrl

Yup yup yup, physical addiction to certain foods -- especially carbohydrates -- is a very real phenomenon. There's a book called Anatomy of a Food Addiction that explains this in detail.

And no, I'm not Oprah, far from it. And, I understand the cycle, because I've lived through it many times. What I'm saying is that it is possible to BREAK the cycle with the right mindset and the right tools. WHY do you "let yourself fail?" What is it that allows you to do well on a program, then fall off and never get back up again? Only you can answer those questions, but until you do, the cycle will just repeat. You say you get where I'm coming from, but you can't do it. You can't plan, you can't think of alternatives, you can't work on stress reduction, you can't journal? You're waiting for a magic wand to wave over your head and make everything different? And if that doesn't happen, you're just going to throw up your hands and quit?

The way I broke the cycle was by finally realizing deep down that I could not "go on a diet" and "lose weight." I was so deeply mired in my fat, compulsive overeating way of life, and in being vastly overweight, that the only way out was through approaching this like a disease. In previous weight loss attempts I, like most people, assumed that I would eat a certain way for a while, lose weight, and when I reached my goal I would be magically transformed into a person who naturally ate properly. When something happened in my program that showed that magical transformation wasn't taking place, that I was still the same person with the same impulses, I became discouraged and quit, either all at once or gradually. What I finally realized was that I would ALWAYS be the same person with the same impulses -- that was never going to change. But, I could work on how I reacted to those impulses. That meant a LOT of self-observation, self-learning, conscious effort, and planning, planning, planning. I had to be CONSTANTLY aware of what was going on in my brain and whether it was leading me the wrong way. I had to learn to recognize which thoughts were destructive and which were helpful. I had to make a conscious effort to think more helpful thoughts, even if I didn't really feel that way.

What it also meant was that I could not go on another diet. It DID mean that I had to find a way to manage food -- and my illness -- for the rest of my life. I thought about people who have, for example, diabetes. If they want to be healthy and manage their disease, they don't really have the option of "falling off the wagon." If they make a slip, they can't just say, "Oh well, I give up." They have to get back on the wagon the very next day, if not the very next bite. I had to approach my problem in the same way. When you look at this as a LIFESTYLE CHANGE, and not a diet, the wagon gets a lot bigger and more secure. You may get jostled around a bit, but there's more padding. And, if you do fall off, it's a lot easier to get back on.

This is where that demon "all or nothing thinking" is so hurtful. When you are trapped in that mindset, you assume that doing things perfectly is the only way, and if you can't do it perfectly, there's no point in even trying. That is a load of hogwash, and I should know -- it kept me fat for 39 years. You have to teach yourself to think differently; even if you slip, even if you slip every single day, it's still worth the effort to get up in the morning and try again. If you are approaching this as a new lifestyle, then overeating one day is no big deal. If you are on a diet, ruled by the scale and timetables and perfectionism, then one day of overeating is a disaster.

If you haven't already seen this, I highly recommend the book The Thin Books by Jean Eddy Westin. She is an OA member, and I found a wealth of information and encouragement there.

[ellis]

Originally Posted by echristo

Hi All...

I am an OVEREATER...compulsive eater....obssesive eater...however you choose to label it! Honestly, and I can't say that I've finished the book or that I've had a lot of practice with the teqnique but I suggest that you try reading "When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies...Freeing yourself from Weight and Food Obssession" by Jane R. Hirschmann and Carol M. Hunter. This is not a weight loss/diet book. This book is a "self-help", and I sort of cringe at that notion, type of book. It helped me gain some insight on why I overeat and what I can do overcome it.

[ellis]

Originally Posted by houndlvr1

The other thing I'd suggest is picking up a daily affirmation book like one that I have called "Inner Harvest". It gives you a daily message to read to keep you motivated. You can find a slew of these books from Hazelden.com.

[ellis]

Originally Posted by katrinabgood

I've been reading a book called "Potatoes, not Prozac" which explains about sugar sensitive people and the body's physiological reasons for overeating. (Sugar sensitivity, low levels of serotonin) It's very interesting and gives a plan to "wean" the body from sugar and tells how, that by eating less of it, you crave it less.

[ellis]

Originally Posted by mamalove

I just purchased the book Runaway Eating by Cynthia Bulik and Nadine Taylor.
It is about people who are obsessed with their weight and are always dieting. It is about people who also binge once in a while and then feel horribly guilty about it. It is about people who eat like a bird but, enough to keep going. Not quite anorexia and not quite bulimia.

[ellis]

"... an author by the name of Constance Rhodes has come out with a book called Inside the "Thin" Cage which deals with chronic dieting and ED-NOS."

[ellis]

Originally Posted by Susanna

I am a compulsive overeater and enjoy OA although like you there are no close meetings. I also obsess about my weight, food and my appearance. I do know that God loves you and I right where we are now which is a big comfort. A good resource is the book Eating by the Light of the Moon by Anita Johnston( its not religious)

[ellis]

Originally Posted by Jenelle

I have a group of four sixth grade girls who are in a literature circle with the book "The Cat Ate My Gymsuit" by Paula Danziger. Don't know how many of you read it when you were adolescents, but it's a good book. Anyway, the main character, Marcy, is a little chunky and has some self-esteem issues. She doesn't have many friends, and her mom always tries solve problems with food. (Gee, familiar anyone? ) Anyhow, we were discussing the book today and how Marcy doesn't have any friends and one of my girls said, "Well, ice cream is her friend." Boy, did I tear up at that!

[ellis]

Originally Posted by jansan

I will be unable to tell you all I did to find relief of this problem, but it is not an overnight solution. It is not about the weigh per se, nor the food, but what we have been taught to believe about ourselves. What I did was to begin reading the books by Geneen Roth. A good place to start, skim them chronologically as they were written. They will give you a perspective that you are not alone, and that your behavior has causes and solutions (though geneens are not most current) Another excellent book is Laurel Mellins 'The Solution'. And her other book, 'The Pathway'. See if your library has any of them. There are others, but once you start reading, you will find your own path - look in the bibliographies of books you like for suggestions. I also loved the works of John Bradshaw, tho he deals with compulsivity rather than specifically food issues. (Just plug in the word 'eating' when he says alcoholism, etc.- same causes, different substance) There are also many other good books out there that will help. Also go to your bookstore to check out what is current. look in the sections dealing with food addiction, alcoholism, compulsion, etc.

[ellis]

Originally Posted by skippy257

I don't know what kind of books you might be interested in, and forgive me if I am out of place for making a reccommendation, because it could be way off for what you need right now, but when I was in need of encouragement for my marriage a few years ago, I read the book "Power of a praying wife" , and it really helped me a lot. That was several years ago, and I have changed now in some of my views and beliefs, but at the time it was very helpful, and I thought I'd throw the title your way in case you find an interest in it. There is also a "Power of a praying husband" by the same person, but of course, my husband wasn't interested in that one. But really, reading some of the thoughts and praying with the author over certain issues, seemed to really help encourage me and see some areas that I could work on for my own peace of mind.

[ellis]

Originally Posted by rochemist

My therapist gace me a book for my birthday. Its a kids book called "You are Special" by Max Lucado. If any of you get a chance pick it up, if you don't cry. OM Goodness it is sweet.

[ellis]

Originally Posted by treaseigh

Was it you that was reading The Purpose Driven Life? If so, I wanted to say that I am, too, (along with every other spiritual/self-help book on the market) and I'm really enjoying it.

Originally Posted by cyndi7

Yes, It's me who is reading that book. It's a great book.

Originally Posted by cyndi7

I've been reading a book (The Purpose Driven Life) and I was reading in it recently about surrendering. It says that we have to surrender over and over each day, how ever many times it takes. The book is a spiritual book, I don't know if you have heard of it or not, but I think we can apply it to our eating and health as well. We need to let go of it as many times a day as it takes.(trade the negative for the positive)

Originally Posted by treaseigh

I'm reading The Purpose Driven Life, and it's helping me surrender my problems to my HP. (Christian in nature, though, for anyone who's not familiar.) I've gotten so wrapped up in my dramas lately, that I haven't seen the forest for the trees. It's a good book for pulling your head out of your ***. I'm not totally there yet, but I'm beginning to see the light!