Customer Reviews

Chocolate...is My Kryptonite: Feeding Your Feelings/How to Survive the Forces of Food

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My parents were alcoholics. Fortunately, they found and sustained recovery. Friends recognized that alcoholism was a genuine disease, and supported both them and their recovery.

I never even tried alcohol (my parents taught me well in that regard). But I drowned my sorrows with food, day after day. There was no support and no understanding. My parents had a disease...but I was weak-willed.

Chocolate is My Kryptonite helped me realize that Food Addiction is a disease. In fact, it is quite similar to alcoholism. For as Dr. Keene points out, "what's alcohol, but the ultimate processed carbohydrate."

I'm using this book, and the Menu For Life to find recovery for the first time in my life. It's only been 4 months so far, but it is the best I have felt in ages.

I know that a prior poster had concerns with the concept of "abstinance," but having lived the life of a food addict, and the daughter of alcoholic parents...I find abstinence not to be a problem...but rather, to be the solution!

Chocolate is My Kryptonite is Freedom From Food Addiction.

English 101 taught me to open with a "headline grabber," so I figure saying "saved my career" is a pretty good start. But it's not too far from the truth. I am a Senior Airman with the United States Air Force and have struggled with emotional overeating and weight gain since the birth of my first child and separation from my husband.

The military is one of the few places where you can be fired if you are overweight. I had already failed two weigh-ins when I read an article in the Air Force Times about Dr. Keene's belief that compulsive overeating is a chemically-based disease and not just a matter of will-power. I bought the book based on the article and have made great strides. I'm off the weight management program and have returned to my pre-pregnancy "fighting" weight. But more importantly, I've learned how to "feel" my feelings and not "feed" them. This is a wonderful book!

I found the book, "Chocolate is My Kryptonite" to be very informative and easy to read. Keene discusses the all-too-often left out emotional aspect of compulsive overeating. I am in a 12-step program, and this literature is a welcome addition. The book is a fast read, containing a lot of information to digest (no pun intended!). I would encourage all who are thinking of buying this book to do so. A note of caution: if you are or think you might be a compulsive overeater, please look for a variety of materials. Keene's discussion of this disease seems somewhat brief. Think of this as supplemental reading. Good luck!

i didn't even know that food addiction existed. But after watching Oprah's show on Carbohydrate Addiction yesterday, I went right to the library and checked out Keene's, Chocolate is My Kryptonite, Heller's, Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, and Sheppard's, Food Addiction: The Body Knows. I've been up all night like some information crazed beast devouring the text in these books. All three books are excellent in their own way, but Chocolate is My Kryptonite does the best job of explaining the emotional and physical causes of my struggles with food. It just makes the most sense. I'm looking forward to starting the food plan as well as some of the psychological exercises, and seeing if I can practice what it preaches. I highly recommend it to any and all food addicts

I first heard Dr. Keene on America Talks Health. I was impressed by his down to earth demeanor and humor. I ordered his book with high hopes, and have been pleasantly rewarded! Chocolate is My Kryptonite is my life story, and yours too, if you're a compulsive overeater. His theory is sound, his stories compelling, his writing witty, but most of all, his plan works. I've lost 34 pounds in four months and feel fantastic. This "Supermom" Give Chocolate is My Kryptonite a big thumbs up!

Just wanted to take a moment and share my thoughts and feelings about this terrific new book. As a therapist it is almost impossible to find a book to help eating disorder patients particularly binge eating. This book is fantastic for both provider and client alike. For years I had seen binge eating clients who have used food as a way to regulate their mood but I had no clear idea on how best to help them. This book explains the phenomenon concisely and with warmth and humor. This is a must read!!! It feels wonderful to be able to offer these individuals a way to understand their disorder so that they may stop labeling themselves so negatively. Thanks Dr. Keene!

Well, I read Dr Keene's book within a day and must say I was very disappointed with the overall message. Firstly he claims that overeating is a genetic dysfunction caused by a lack of serotonin for which the overeater tries to compensate by eating various types of junk food. Then he goes on to say that prozac is often a good treatment in more severe cases. Admittedly he does clearly identify some of the emotions felt by overeaters and explains in not too technical terms why food is used as a comfort. However his solution is for those afflicted to "abstain" from "trigger foods" for life. He sets out a "menu for a lifetime" which should be followed and stresses that the overeater has to stick to this and always measure out their portions of food. For me, this meant that the obession with food would reign! There is no teaching of how to deal with the problem, instead it is treated as a handicap with which all those affected must live. My goal is to be able to eat normally, to be able to have an ice-cream now and again or a bar of chocolate and not feel guilty and not feel like I have to go on and finish the tub or eat 6 more bars. I do not want to have to spend my life thinking about food and measuring out each meal whilst following a "menu for a lifetime"! Certainly there is an issue of healthy eating which is what the menu is aiming to promote, yet to brand some foods as "forbidden" is ridiculous. How on earth can people with jobs, relationships and leading real lives possibly be expected to abide by this menu day in and day out! Obviously certain sorts of food are bad for us and should not be eaten on a regular basis, but coffee is also not the healthiest of drinks, yet 2 cups a day are allowed on the "menu"! For me this book sees the problem of overeating as a permanent disability with which we are born and thus makes it a central point of the victim's life. Every day has to be tailored to deal with this "defect" and it is made into something which distinguishes the sufferer from the rest of society, as opposed to helping the sufferer be reintegrated into society and live a normal life. It is a well-known fact that eating disorders are anti-social and this book, by introducing the "menu" does nothing to help the sufferer deal with this prevalent aspect of the problem. This book is an interesting perspective for those doing a comparative study on different approaches to the problem but absolutely useless for those looking for genuine support and guidance in dealing with with something which we want to change, not be burdened with for a lifetime.

I just wanted to thank Dr. Keene for writing a book that actually helps. I have fought a weight problem for as long as I can remember. Now for the first time I feel like I actually understand what my eating is all about. I never knew that my mood was so effected by what I ate. I always thought I was depressed just because of failing diet after diet. Now I feel so much better and know the weight will come off if I take care of my feelings and not just my calories. I have recommended the book to all my friends. Again, thank you for making me feel like a normal person again.

I've read a lot of books on diet and overeating, and Chocolate Is My Kryptonite is one the best. Explaining both the biology and psychology of overeating and presenting it in an understandable manner helped me to better realize my difficulties. Now I know why I binged, and why I couldn't stop. It's helpful to know that I'm not alone in fighting this disease, but it's even more helpful to know that I can finally beat it.

Well written and not full of a lot of medical terms. This book talks to the everday human dealing with a serious problem and tells you how to deal with it. I really enjoyed it and that is rare for a self help book! Entertaining and informative, a first for me! If you think you have this problem read this book!