Customer Reviews

Breaking Free from Emotional Eating

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book changed my life in all the ways I was longing for it to be changed.
I read Geneen's work in the middle of my eating disorder. I didn't begin using it right away because I didn't trust it. I didn't like it. I didn't think it would work. It does.

Different approaches work for different people. I think this worked for me because, deep down Geneen's philosophy is in accordance with my own. I wanted to be my own authority. I wanted it bad enough to give this a try. I didn't tell myself I had to do this forever. I didn't have blind faith. I also didn't give up on it in the first three months. I gave myself a year to decide. A year, where I promised myself I wouldn't diet. A year in which to work through every exercise I reasonably could. In addition to committing to this book, I continued seeing a therapist on a weekly basis. That helped, but this book is what ultimately gave me coping tools. I know that I was in the extreme, not everybody needs as much help as I did. I also know that distorted eating is very normal in this culture. I feel blessed to have been able to examine something so fundamental, and transform what was a problem to a benefit. I've read all of Ms. Roth's books and enjoyed each of them. This one has a great combination of explaining and exercises to do, which is why I chose it. However, the chapters are widely divergent in terms of work. Her other book "Why Weight" appears to be the same exact work better organized, but less expository. If you are unsure if this work is for you, buy or borrow "Breaking Free". If after reading through it you feel excited but overwhelmed by the work load, you may wish to try "Why Weight" as a work book.

I rarely review books. I chose to review this one because it was life changing, and a big risk. Hopefully my experience is of some help.

This book completely transformed my view of food. It truly is all in our perspective of how we look at a sitation and Geneen Roth helps us to love ourselves, truly. She describes her own pain and suffering with compulsive eating and allows us to remember that there are many other women out there feeling the same way. I read this book for the first time when I was sixteen and was able to stop bingeing for a year! Now, I am rereading it at 19, after going through a hard time, and once again practicing her teachings. I love her. She is such a wonderful inspiration and has completely changed my life.

I have had problems with emotional eating/binge eating on and off for over 15 years. Geneen Roth shares her struggle with emotional eating and as you are reading you feel as if you are not alone. That many other people share your struggle and there is help. This book is based on her work shops with exercises but mainly deep reading that really gets you to re-set how you think about yourself. I have and I do recommend this book.

It may sound corny, but this book really did change my life. I was knee-deep in a seven-year-long binge/starve cycle. My life had passed me by and I was numb to everything, only being able to think and obsess about eating constantly. When I remember those times, I am amazed. A couple of years ago, I wouldn't have been able to even fathom imagining I could recover, or change, or that I would one day start to live again.

I just reread this book one full time through again-- I usually refer to certain chapters at certain points in my life, but I found myself completely pulled back into compulsion recently-- and once again, this book helped me save myself.

Geneen Roth is inspiring and-- dare I say?-- caring. She speaks to the reader with deep empathy as someone who has been there and truly wishes to help. This book taught me to do the daring thing I had never considered before-- love and value myself. To learn to eat when I was hungry. It sounds so simple to someone who may not struggle with food, but that's what this book does. It teaches you how to eat when you are hungry and it affirms that you are worthy. It is a beautiful book, raw in its empathy and emotion.

Granted, it may not help everyone. Every person is different. But I daresay it will help many, and it certainly helped-- that's an understatement-- me.

I usually wait until I've finished a book before I review it. But I'm too excited about this one! In 90 pages (fewer, really) Geneen Roth brilliantly broke down my whole lifelong obsession with food. After incorporating her changes, I have made peace with food. I let it talk TO me, not FOR me. And I'm happier about my eating habits than I have been in years! Last year, I joined Weight Watchers. And initially, I loved that I could eat what I wanted as long as I was accountable. I lost 17 pounds and found the meetings inspiring. Then something happened. I became more food obsessed than ever! At breakfast, I was thinking about dinner. On Wednesday, I was thinking about what I'd eat over the weekend. Saving points for a couple of drinks. Planning ahead for a dinner date. It was driving me crazy and making me feel like a failure and a weakling when I didn't stay within my points! This book really calmed me down in no time flat. And it made me realize that, when left to my own devices and allowing myself to eat what I really wanted, I didn't always want pizza, burgers and fries! This is still shocking to me! :) I feel free now. I think about what to eat when my body tells me it's hungry. Not by the "points" I have yet to use. And not by the fat or carb content. I think WW is a great program. And I have learned things that I will continue to use for a long time. But for a foodie like me, Geneen's way makes so much more sense. I love, love, love this book!

As a serial dieter, I was skeptical of anything claiming to help me "break free" from this millstone around my neck. But as I read the book I began to see what a novel approach Ms. Roth has outlined. It is clear, well-defined and, I think, do-able in the long run. It is not a fast fix and I cannot yet testify to its effectiveness, but I am hopeful and look forward to the soul searching and self-discovery that lies ahead. If nothing else, it has calmed me down, taken away a large part of my dispair, and given me a glimpse of possible freedom from my addiction.

I don't usually write reviews but I felt like I had to for this one. "Breaking Free" goes beyond just food to explore the essentials: emotions, shame, forgiveness, sexuality. Truly a special book--Roth's voice is very genuine and the personal experiences she relates make you feel like you know her and can trust her. One of those books I'll keep around forever.

I bought this book a couple years ago after I acknowledged I had serious eating issues, and wanted to stop the destructive mental and physical cycle I was engaged in. I was a chronic dieter, obsessed with my mission to lose the last 10-20 pounds I believed was 'ruining' my life. I thought if only I was 130 pounds I would be happy, and I couldn't be happy at 150. I would regularly diet and binge, losing and gaining 20 pounds within a couple months. Everyday was full of anxiety and dread, eating was stressful, all I could think about was how wrong I was and how shameful my eating issues were, and of course how miserably 'fat' I was. I struggled with compulsive eating for 6 years-with the unending 'urge' to eat, until I found this book.
If you struggle with emotional or compulsive eating, buy this book! Read it, listen to the message, and most of all give yourself time to heal and make changes. The principles of this book essentially teach you how to tap into your actual hunger and fullness, while ridding yourself of the horrible deprivation mindset of dieting that leads to overeating. I am finally practicing the principles to the fullest (I used to sort of half practice the principles in the hope that I would lose weight, but I was still dieting and fell back into my former behaviors), and after 6 years of chronic binging, I haven't binged in months! But it took time, and I'm not completely free of my tendency to overeat, or my desire to eat when I'm not hungry for various reasons. This past week even I definitely ate too much and when I wasn't hungry. The key thing this book has changed in me is- that I accept it and I MOVE ON. I don't dwell or hate myself or desperately try a new diet. But even so, I am much happier, my eating disorder is not dominating my thoughts as it once was. I am improving daily, I actually feel my 'hunger' now, I actually do not 'feel' like eating when there is delicious food around. For me, this is a major breakthrough. I'm thinner then I have been in years, not 130 pounds, but for once- I'm fine with my weight. I'd rather stay this weight then potentially revert back to my old behaviors- without Breaking Free I would never be this reasonable!!! I can't emphasize enough though- it takes TIME. Be patient, you may gain weight, you may have setbacks, progress is GRADUAL. But if you embody the message of this book, you can overcome your ED!
This book will teach you how to accept, love, and forgive yourself in spite of your eating issues. It delves into the emotions and thinking patterns that fuel compulsive/emotional eating, and helps you escape the mental outlook that causes the eating disorder. This is not a dieting book! But it will teach you how to find the strength in yourself to solve your eating issues, and to move on with your life.

This is, in my opinion, the best book written on food/weight issues I've ever read! And I've read too many to count. Geneen Roth truly knows about issues with food, weight, dieting, bingeing, & makes so much sense, I'm just sorry I didn't find this book years ago! I've been on the diet/binge cycle for close to 30 years, & since reading this book, I haven't binged in 2 months. Ms.Roth makes the reader feel good about his/her self, just the way they are, that I found I don't even want to overeat. I haven't been on my scale, but I have already lost some weight--by NOT dieting. She "gets" it, and I recomend all of her books. She is obviously intelligent, very knowledgable on the subject, & she uses humor in her books. Great books, great author!

I've read several diet books in my time and while most of them were educational to some extent, none spoke to me on the level that this book does. Many of the anecdote's Geneen Roth has included in her book are seemingly taken directly from the pages of MY life. Her encouraging dialog has let me realize that I am not alone and more importantly has helped me start to transform how I eat and more importantly view food. For anyone who is an emotional eater, who sneaks food, who binges or engages in other similar activities, this easy to read book is worth a look. It could help you better understand your motivations and enable the changes you want, but feel you can't make.