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Paperback
Publisher: Gurze Books
Ph.D., Gary Foster
No more diets! Be happy and healthy at your natural weight! In this completely revised and updated edition of her popular book, Carol Johnson reaffirms her passionate message: you can love yourself and enjoy life no matter what your size! A self-proclaimed "ambassador-at-large," she is positive and encouraging for anyone who is tired of weighing their self-esteem on a scale. Put on your "live-for-today" watch and "stand-on-your-own-two-feet" shoes and enjoy this book! Find out:
o The real reasons diets don’t work
o Why weight prejudice hurts everyone, fat or thin
o How to feel attractive and sexy at your natural weight
o How to create your own definition of beauty – in a big way
o How to change the goal from thin to healthy
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| Don't Weight to Love Yourself |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I love women. In fact, before I got married I loved as many as I could. It's a joke, c'mon, laugh...but anyway, the thing that I think is so great about women is that they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. I've always been attracted to women who are, shall we say, a little "fuller" than those size 0 models that you see "gracing" the covers of the various magazines. I have a friend who says he has his "standards" when dating women. They must be a size 1 or smaller. Now here's a guy who is bald, has a beer gult, and smells like maynonaise that's been left out in the sun for too long, and he has standards...geesh...I tell him that if he wants someone who is a size 1 or lower, why doesn't he start dating little boys? Women are supposed to be full bodied. Women are supposed to have hips, breasts, and even a little belly, and y'know what, it is sexy, it is attractive, it is beautiful. I believe that women with curves are symbols of prosperity, wealth, and abundance.
Now, I'm not talking about obesity. I'm not talking about people out there who are just eating themselves to death. I'm talking about women who are a little fuller, a little rounder, a little more robust...women like Oprah, Tyra Banks, Jennifer Lopez, my wife. Besides ladies, do you really wanna know what most men find sexy? Confidence, certainty, charisma. My wife has the most incredible sense of humor. She has to. She married me. (There, I beat you to the punch) But, she can have me in stitches and if more and more people...not just women...let their inner light shine, they would be attract true love, true joy, true peace. Of course, there will always be those people who are shallow and superficial and just judge by appearances, but like my bald , paunchy, buddy they judge others but do not see themselves.
This book is a great book, a wonderful book and I am happy that people are reading it, but what would make me even happier is if people...particularly you women, is if you really did believe it, accept, embrace it, and embody it. The world needs another wounded soul like we need another Bush in office. We need people who are spiritually, mentally, and emotionally empowered. We need people who can look at their reflections in the mirror and say, "Hello, you beautiful child of God!"
Love yourself. Be happy with yourself. Accept yourself for who you are. It's a funny thing, but we become who we truly are when we allow ourselves the gift of Love. Diet and exercise only help things, but SELF-love and SELF-acceptance are keys to making your diet and exercise program successful.
You are beautiful because Spirit made you that way. May the old, lumpy caterpillar die to its old ways of being and may the beautiful butterfly come forth. You are loved, because you are LOVE.
Peace & Blessings,
john, 'the Light Coach'
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| Written from the point of view of a woman who is on your sid |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Written from the point of view of a woman who is on your side, Carol Johnson had given us a book for a person of any size. Ms. Johnson is a research sociologist and certified psychotherapist. She is the founder of LargelyPositive.com. This website has been a great help to me even before I began writing here at BellaOnline.com.
Just reading the first line of Chapter 1 will get you siked up to read this book cover to cover. "Buckle up! You are about to take a journey unlike any you've been on before - at least in this society, because by the time we reach our destination, a place called `Largely Positive', you will no longer allow your size and weight measure your self-worth." She keeps to her work in this statement. The way she advises us isn't in a corny way that makes you roll your eyes like some self-esteem books I have read.
One of my favorite chapters of the book is Chapter 2 - "Separating Fact From Fiction." In this chapter, she presents facts of why most overweight people stay overweight or struggle with taking the pounds off. One theory about obesity that she points out is that many people believe is the gene factor. She says researchers haven't been able to pinpoint only one single gene that predispositions us for obesity but rather there are many different factors that can be looked at, such as you ancestry and immediate family members.
Her statement on page 41 really helped me in feeling better. "Larger people are biologically and physiologically different from thin people. It has nothing to do with willpower. It has nothing to do with your character." Every thin person who makes fun of larger people nee to read Chapter 2. I don't know how many times a thin person has commented to me how easy it is to lose weight and the tings I tell them (like all the women in my family are overweight) they say are me making excuses for my weight.
Another useful chapter is Chapter 4 - "Acceptable Discrimination". Not only does she point out the most common discriminations that most people go through but some that I hope I would never have to endure. Through this chapter she empowers us to recognize discrimination and ways to fight back.
Even though this isn't the typical workbook type book like a lot of self-help books, Chapter 5 offers a great section on working through how you developed the feeling you have now about your body and how to begin to except the size you are.
I could just go on and on about this book. Thank Gods I had a free weekend to read it because I couldn't put it down! I recommend this for anyone struggling with their body image and also to anyone who looks down on us. You will learn that just because someone is overweight doesn't mean we aren't healthy, happy, productive individuals
See more book reviews by me! http://bodyimage.bellaonline.com
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| A life changing book! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I put off buying this book for a long time for whatever reason, but am so glad i finally did! This is a life-changing book. For those of us who struggle with weight and everything that goes with it, this book is for us. It reminds us that there is more to life than what size we are and has some really good resources of where to find clothing, shoes, etc. I highly recommend this book. It is right up there with Hirschman and Munter's book, Overcoming Overeating and When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies. This is a keeper!
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| Self Esteem DOES come in all sizes |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I read Carol Johnson's book a long time ago, before it's revision and it truly changed my mind about myself. While I am not obese, I have weight issues that I have dealt with since my first diet at age 12. I think that some of the other customer reviewers have missed the point of the book. I don't believe that Carol Johnson ever denied that healthy eating and exercise are a very big part of being healthy. What she does emphasize is that even those who eat healthy foods in reasonable portions and who exercise to their best ability may not fit into what one reviewer called "normal" status. "Normal" is one of those words that some people use to keep prejudice going. What is normal anyway? There certainly isn't one definition for that word, because what you feel is normal is different from what I feel. That's because we are viewing it with a subjective rather than objective eye. Self esteem is vital to success; whether it be in school, business or your personal life. I believe that Carol Johnsons' book supports self esteem for all people, regardless of their size. And that is the point, my friends. Thin people are not necessarily better or smarter than heavy people; the so-called "experts" out there would just like us to believe that it is so.
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| Fat People Deserve to Live Fully |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The main message I took away from this book was that being fat is nothing to be ashamed of, and no reason to put off enjoying life and doing what you want to do. Given that millions of women of all sizes are miserable about their weight, hide themselves away because of shame about their weight, and think "I have to be thin before I can participate in public life or enjoy myself," I think Johnson's book sends a very important countermessage. Given the daily media bombardments reinforcing the notion that fat people don't deserve to be part of public life, I think her message needs wide distribution. The tips on creating your own support group are invaluable.
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