Reading Material!
 

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... :lol: ... I'm working on it...

:)

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.

:)

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.

:)

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.

:)

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.

:)

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.

:)

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.

:)

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.

"... 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."

:)

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)

:)

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!

:)

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.

:)

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.

:)

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.

:)

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!

:)

Originally Posted by rochemist:
What opened my heart was the "AA Big Book Chapter to the Agnostic" where I was free to make the Power greater than myself of my understanding. What did I have to lose, my own thinking had gotten me nowhere. More than that I really could evaluate my past experiences with spirituality and religion to what I needed. In program the saying "Take what you need and leave the rest" was a very freeing concept for me.

:)

Originally Posted by rochemist:
I got a new piece of OA literature last night, a book called Abstinence. You know it just is too simple Refrain from compulsive overeating, now writing it and doing the footwork are 2 different things, but this book makes the idea of a lifetime abstinence seem more real to me than it did before.

Originally Posted by elizabecca:
The Abstinence book is one of the first pieces of literature I bought from the OA website. It is good, isn't it?

Originally Posted by KatSLP:
Isn't Abstinence a great book? The Wednesday f2f morning meetings that I sometimes go to read from that (and the OA book).

:)

Originally Posted by rochemist:
I will recommend a book (not an OA authorized read) The First Bite by Kay Shephard. This is a guide to complete recovery from food addiction.

:)

Originally Posted by chops:
my friend suggested a book called "there's more to life than this" by jeanette wright that talks about behaviors that take away our energy, this fascination with food planning is really common and is also in the book. i just ordered it, hopefully it will help me. it's on amazon.com - there are a lot of positive reviews about the book on amazon if u are curious.

:)

Originally Posted by Rowan Baily:
I was told once by a woman, she wrote a book that you can get online, it is a very short book called "count it as a vegetable and move on" It is all about the guilt that is linked to binge eating or eating off plan. She suffers from this so her approach is very realistic.

:)

Originally Posted by Grin + Share it:
One book that has really helped me is " the Quest for Peace,Love and a 24" Waist" by Deborah Low. She is a lady that has been there. She has several simple exercises that make you think about the behavoir behind the food issues.

:)

Originally Posted by antidiet:
I am a self-diagnosed binge/compulsive eater. I have had a eating disorder since I was a child. No one ever called it that; so it was labeled a "willpower" issue. I started hating myself, everyday berating myself for being weak-willed, for failing another diet.

Then, in May 2002, I picked up some diet books from the library. I had got up to a whopping 250 pounds (I am only 5' 2") and I was very depressed. One of the books was "Losing It" by Laura Fraser. She opened my eyes. This was no "diet" book. Laura Fraser is a journalist that did an expose on the diet industry and society's role in women's self image. I couldn't believe what I was reading, she started right out by saying that diets do not work, if anything, they are the root cause to all eating disorders, not the solution.

I did some additional reading into this "anti-diet" thinking, and it has changed my life. I have been working to give myself permission to have what I want to eat, when I want, and to stop when I am full (with the approval to eat more if I am hungry later). It is like I had to tell myself the obvious; the stuff that thin people take for granted. I am re-discovering my relationship with food. I still have a lot of work to do, but the obssessions and cravings are SO much better.

:)

Originally Posted by Kylie68:
I learned about a book called, "When You Eat at The Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair" by Geneen Roth. I am by no means recovered, but I am on my way to discovering ME and that is the real battle inside anyone with an eating disorder. Please check out the book online or at your local bookstore

:)

Originally Posted by roundwoman:
There is also an excellent book called: "Self Esteem Comes in All Sizes"
by Carol A Johnson

The book is written very intelligently and is about how we can feel good no matter what we look like. We can choose to lose weight or not. We can do it for our health issues and for reasons of health more than anything. It helps us to focus on what's the most important things. There are also people overweight who choose to be larger and are healthy and strong through exercise according to the book. There's much more but it is a fantastic book written by a woman who overcame much.

:)

Originally Posted by Freedom&Light:
I had an "A-HA" moment! I was reading When Food is Love by Geneen Roth (I know, y'all are all surprised ), and she tells the story about this little 8 year old girl whose mother put her on a diet. The girl (we'll call her Sally)gained 14 pounds on this diet. Sally's mother was distraught and went to see a therapist. The therapist asks the mom what Sally's favorite food is. Mom answers "M&Ms." The therapist tells Sally's mom to go and buy enough M&Ms to fill up a pillowcase and give it to Sally. When Sally eats them all, mom is to fill them up.

Sally is shocked by the pillowcase and takes it everywhere with her. For eight days, Sally carried around the pillowcase, eating M&Ms. Sally's mom was totally ticked off, wondering how this was supposed to help her kiddo. She calls the therapist, livid.

The therapist tells her that when Sally believes- truly believes- that she can eat whatever she wanted and her mom wasn't going to take away her M&Ms, she would slowly "relax and begin eating from stomach hunger."

And she did. Sally ended up losing six pounds.

I love this story, because I've been doing this to myself! I've been telling myself that white bread is bad, peanut butter is bad, vanilla coke is bad, cereal is bad....all of these things that I really like. So, by these restrictions, I have been creating my own desire to binge.

I went shopping the other day. I bought all of the things I listed above. I'm still "carrying around my pillowcase," but I'm beginning to realize that I don't need that second bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch because I'm just not that hungry.
I love this book!

Originally Posted by ShihtzuX2:
Freedom and Light: I've been reading the same Geneen Roth book and I think it's great. I've read her books before but my head is in a place right now where I understood it differently or something. I'm still a little nervous about stocking my kitchen (Binge Monster's been too "hungry" lately).

And now the big news: Well, I've registered for one of Geneen Roth's workshops in September! I'm really excited. The title of it has something to do with "the search for true nourishment" -- as opposed to the searching I keep doing in boxes, wrappers and bags.

It'll be a weekend workshop at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, at this fabulous looking resort. I'm taking a week's vacation and I'm hoping the DH will come with me as a 6-year-anniversary getaway.

Sorry, :( I'm a traditionalist. I'm a BIG fan of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (just change the words alcoholic and alcohol to compulsive overeater and food) as well as the 12 & 12 of AA (personally I feel the OA version is too wordy but has many good aspects to it).
I also really enjoy the daily meditation books For Today and Voices of Recovery. Both OA approved literature. I also just recently got a copy of the Bible called The Recovery Life Bible which details the 12 Steps in it, really good! Helped me out a lot when I got into a spiritual slump. It also has a really extensive index where you can look up character defects (such as ego or pride) and it will give you relevant passages.

Don't be sorry, Stephanie! :) Thanks for adding to the list! :wave:

Life is Hard, Food is Easy by Linda Spangle
The book talks about recognizing your emotions and what emotions trigger what types of cravings, how to overcome the cravings and deal with the real issue at hand.

Quote from the book:

"Food is Wonderful! In fact, food is my best friend, but lately I'm aware that my friend is hurting me, making me uncomfortable, sabotaging my goals, causing me grief and guilt, possibly destroying my life. Today I made a decision-it's time to get a new friend."
-Linda Spangle

I started reading this book before and did not finish it because I was not ready to accept what it was saying. I did not believe that I had a problem with emotional eating...."I just like food" I told myself. I have since realized that I do, indeed, have a problem with compulsive eating and I have started the book again and in a better frame of mind and no longer in denial. I believe that it is going to help me.

I hope it's okay for me to put the link to the book at amazon.com because it has the full editorial review and also a bunch of customer reviews as well. It has 15 customer reviews and all gave it 5 stars.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

Im currently reading a book called "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb. It is such a great book, it is about a girl who has a troubled childhood and resorts to food and by the end of high school is 257lbs, it is just an awesome book and I can really relate to her, I would recommend everyone read it, even if they have never had a weight problem.

Hey all,

I just wanted to add a book I just started reading. It's called "From the First Bite: A complete Guide to Recovery from Food Addiction" by Kay Sheppard. I've been calling myself a Food Addict and a compulsive overeater for years, but this book just nailed it for me when it explained how food addiction is actually an attempt to rectify distressed brain chemistry. I think before reading this I still had this notion that I just really loved certain foods, and I just needed to be more disciplined. I still know it's going to be a challenge, but I think it's always good to clearly identify the enemy or the challenge one is facing.

Mandi, Trixie and Annie, thanks for adding to the list! :wave:

Trixie, I enjoyed that book, too. :yes:

Mandi and Annie, I am so with you. We have to acknowledge that it's not just a desire for certain foods that is causing the cravings... that our brains are actually requesting something specific, and we're not listening.
While my meds for depression work fairly well, they're not perfect, and I have terrible carb cravings. Instead of eating the good ones, though, I'll reach for the easily attainable ones. The bad ones, like chips. :nono:

The 7 Secrets of Naturally Slim People is an excellent book on addressing the issues of overeating and how to eat in a normal way.

I've gleaned a lot of great information from this book. The main premise of the book is to only eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. This is accomplished through frequent meals, 6 to 8 times a day.

New magazine
 

I recently picked up a new magazine at Walmart the other day and found it to be very useful. It is called "Looking Good" and has a lot of tips and inspiration. They even feature a real person who has a lost weight on their cover and discuss how they did it in an article. It was one of the first magazines that I have found related strictrly to weight loss issues and is a good resource for anyone trying to lose weight no matter what stage they are in.
I actually enjoyed the magazine so much and found it so useful that I am subscribing for the year!

Earlier this year, I read The Fat Girl's Guide to Life by Wendy Shanker. In the book she discusses how she grew up and had the constant battle all of her life. I really identified with this book because it was sprinkled with humor whether cynical or lighthearted. That's what I need to help me out. Near the end of the book there was a statement that I loved so much it now sits on my fridge:

"Part of feeling good about my body is accepting its limitations and taking responsibility for my choices. One day I may find a way to get a little lighter, but I will never be skinny, and that's okay. The idea is to be who you are, not who you're not."

I absolutely love this statement! The book was truly inspiring for me.

Hi everyone - I have something that i would like to recommend. I don't really post too much, I only have one post, but someone recommended an eBook to me and I was actually blown away when I purchased it.

It is called "How to End Binge Eating and Start Taking Control of Your Life". Y'all, this eBook was just what I needed to let me know that i am not alone. To help me believe in myself again and to know that there is a way out of this bad dream that i've been in for so long. For the first time in a while, I feel hope. I feel like I truly want to get better. i am motivated to take the actions in her plan to put me on the right track. It just seems that my prayers have bene answered. I read the eBook in full in just 2 days. it was that good and kept me interested. another thing that i love is that this girl (Kristin) semes real. her voice is on the website and she just sounds so friendly, like i would want to take her advice and be her friend (maybe thats too much and she would think that i'm a weirdo)...

Bottom line is that if you have BED or if you just eat for whatever reason, but know that you have a problem - at least go to this website and check it out. i could relate to her and this is her true story... not just some dr. writing his/her thoughts on the subject. she knows what it is like to eat like i do...aghhhh someone that I can finally relate to. the site is endbingeeating.com

whoever decides to get this, please pm me or start a thread bc i would love to talk to people about it. maybe start some kind of support group and we can do some of the things in the plan together...

thanks for listening to me ramble. i just feel better than i have in a longn time. thanks so much to sarahberry for recommending this to me. THANK YOU.

OMG! I read in your other post that you posted here, but I didn't know that you mentiond me! :) Pink, you are well on your way!!!!!

I also admit that Kristin's book is what got me on the right track more than anything else out there. A couple months ago if you told me that I would be writing in a journal every day, walking every day, own a tradmil, and be excited about life again, I would have thought you were nuts!

And while I am posting here, another book that I am reading that is really helpful that kristin suggested was "Conquer Fear". I'm only 1/2 way through it and it's really helpful. I am thinking about getting the CDs so I can listen to them every day. :)

I just wanted to add that I have found the Overcoming Overeating and When women stop hating their bodies books to be really helpful in identifying triggers and what purpose food and eating services. The books have also helped me accept that I actually am a compulsive eater and to start to address that.

Just as a little side thing.. a book called Everyday Zen has also been really beneficial to take note of the mental stuff that triggers my eating

Wow, there are a lot of cool book resources out there! I will definitly go and check those out soon.

I do have one I discovered recently that I really enjoyed.

Mindful Eating 101 by Susan Albers. This book is geared mostly towards university students, but she does have a more extensive version out there. It's a very short read and she takes a look at what causes mindless eating (which is anything from over eating to under eating). It's just very insightful, and has lots of common sense advice to start being conscious of the food we eat and when/why we are eating it.

her website is www.eatingmindfully.com

I really felt this book hit home:

The Taming of the Chew: A Holistic Guide to Stopping Compulsive Eating

It's quite short but if you are ready to end overeating it gets you to think about why you are doing this to yourself and is gives practical ways to end it.