The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size
by Julia Cameron
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Book Reviews of The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size
Book Review: Highly recommended
Summary: 5 Stars
The Writing Diet by Julia Cameron helps us address something that most of us know instinctively - that a main reason we eat is emotional. By writing and journaling, we help to address those emotions - and lose weight!
Julia was not a weight loss expert. Rather, she taught classes on writing and journaling. She noticed as she taught that people who came in overweight often ended up the class looking much more happy and healthy. It became very clear that it was the writing - the releasing of anger and loneliness and discouragement - that was helping people embrace a more healthy lifestyle. They were taking care of themselves, caring about what they ate, going out for a walk, and becoming happy.
One of the main things Julie promotes is to simply write. Write about anything. Get into the practice of it. Every morning write three pages of whatever comes to mind. Share your feelings, your frustrations, your goals. When you feel a craving come on, sit down and write about it. Figure out if you really are hungry - or if you are using food as a substitute for something else.
Julia points out that food will stifle creativity. That is, say you have the energy to do something fun and creative. But say that you sit down and eat a half gallon of ice cream instead. Now you are full and have the sugar-crash, and are likely just to sit on the couch. I've seen this happen in my own life many times. Food can definitely impede your lifestyle!
You do want to eat of course - just eat wisely! Julie suggests having a once-a-week Culinary Artist Date where you treat yourself to something healthy AND tasty. Stretch your horizons. Treat yourself to a delicious meal that is good for you. It will help you to realize that you deserve good food - and that good food can be very tasty and nutritious too. It's not all dry salads and lentil beans!
Julia warns to stay away from the "deadly whites" - sugar, flour and starches. She reminds you to drink a ton of water, and to have healthy snacks around. Clear the house of all junk food to give yourself a fighting chance. Make a 'vision board' of positive thoughts and role models, and enlist a honest and kind friend. You want someone who will be truthful to you, but be gentle too.
Julia encourages you to get out walking - in a mall, with friends, in your back yard, however you can do it. Building those basic muscles in your body will help keep you strong and healthy, and muscles burn calories 24 hours a day just by existing. The more you get active, the more your body will naturally lose weight every second of every day.
I found every chapter here to be quite helpful, full of direct tips to give you a hand and real life stories to show you it can be done. Everything in here can be done by all of us. There are no esoteric yoga poses, no complicated systems. It is very simple. Get a notebook. Start writing daily. Write when you're hungry. The more you do these basic things, the more you will get attuned to the way you eat, and the more you can take control of your daily life.
Highly recommended!
Book Review: Great for a Daily Dose of Inspiration
Summary: 4 Stars
What I like best about this book is its presentation. The information provided is not necessarily new and profound, but the way it is presented really works for me. The chapters are very brief and each ends with a writing exercise. Because of the chapters' brevity, I was able to read one each morning. It served as a kind of diet devotional. It gave me the motivation to start my day in a positive frame of mind. Cameron explains the importance of eating clean and this makes a lot of sense especially with all the mysterious "additions" that are now included in many of our foods. However, she recommends "diet" foods that include artificial sweeteners which I personally believe are not part of clean eating. I found the exercises to be effective and the personal and client testimony/dialogue to be inspirational. I especially like Cameron's emphasis on living in the moment even when we have chosen to eat something that is not healthy for our bodies. We do not have to continue our unhealthful eating for the rest of the day (as we often think) but can instead forgive ourselves immediately and start over right at that moment. Writing daily, in what Cameron calls "Morning Pages", can really help to uncover hidden links between food and emotions (both negative and positive) as well as other issues we may not be aware of that sabotage our efforts towards a healthier life. Anyone who is focusing on leading a healthier life and building a positive relationship with the food they eat should read this book. They will come away with many great tools - such as four questions to ask before making the choice of what and when to eat - to help them on their journey. This is a book that should be read more than once. I recommend reading it again and again as a daily dose of inspiration.Book Review: This Book Changed My Life
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been a member of Weight Watchers for some time, and I was doing quite well but the weight was coming off (very) slowly. I started reading this book with very low expectations of weight loss happening due to writing. I read along and followed her advice about journaling, and wow - the weight really did come off! This book really gave me a clear way to look at the results of my daily actions. I learned a lot about myself which really helped me become a healthier person. This book absolutly changed the way I think about myself and has helped me change my life in the most positive ways! Of course, just reading it did not make me magically lose weight, but I was open to try something new and doing the writing exercises and following her suggestions did help me see what my real issues were and I was able to give myself solutions to many of my problems. (For one example: I now know that I eat when I'm too tired. If I don't get at least 8 hours of sleep, I'll totally mess up my eating plan for the next day. This is a simple thing, but I did not realize it until I started journaling.)
I can't recommend this book enough. I've even bought it for a Christmas gift for my mother and I give it credit for my successful 2008 resolution to be in the healthy BMI range. Thank you Julia Cameron!
Book Review: Worth every cent
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not even a third into this book and already the benefits are awesome and totally tangible. I did not expect such results so quickly. My personal struggles are not just with weight, and it's these personal struggles that are already being addressed thanks to Morning Pages. I love this book.Book Review: The Writing Diet: Write Yourself the Right Size
Summary: 3 Stars
Contains some helpful information, prompted me to do some things differently...glad I bought it used and didn't pay full price. I purchased it because I have read other books by this author.