The Diet Survivor's Handbook: 60 Lessons in Eating, Acceptance and Self-Care [Paperback]

Judith Matz (Author), Ellen Frankel (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 1, 2006

If you're one of the nearly 116 million Americans trying to lose weight, only to find that every diet you've tried has failed you, you are a diet survivor.

You can step off the destructive diet bandwagon and reclaim your self-esteem, positive body image and a happy, healthy life. These 60 inspiring lessons will give you the tools you need to change your relationship with food, your body and yourself.

Dieting is hazardous to your health. Diets don't work and they won't work, and yo-yo dieting will make you fatter.

This book can show you how to:
* Never diet again and allow your weight to stabilize
* Stop feeling guilty about eating the foods you love
* Free up all that mental energy to be more productive and have more fun in life
* Get in touch with physical hunger and learn to love your body

Give up the vicious cycle and stop overeating.

Judith Matz and Ellen Frankel are sisters and therapists specializing in eating problems and weight issues. Each holds a Master's degree in Social Work and has over 20 years of clinical experience in teh field of eating disorders. They are the authors of Beyond a Shadow of a Diet.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Judith Matz, LCSW, and Ellen Frankel, LCSW, are clinical social workers and sisters who grew up in the Chicago area. In 2004 they published Beyond a Shadow of a Diet: The Therapist's Guide to Treating Compulsive Eating.
Judith is the director of the Chicago Center for Overcoming Overeating, Inc., an organization dedicated to ending the preoccupation with food and weight. She has worked in the area of eating problems since 1986 and is a frequent speaker at workshops and conferences on the topics of compulsive eating and body image. She has a private practice in Skokie, Illinois.
Ellen has worked in the field of eating disorders sice 1987 in both outpatient and residential settings. Her book Beyond Measure: A Memoir about Short Stature and Inner Growth will be published in 2006. In additon to writing full time, she speaks at conferences and serves as a consultant. Ellen lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
You can visit their website at www.dietsurvivors.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks (February 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402205449
• ISBN-13: 978-1402205446
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.7 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for those learning to eat intuitively November 22, 2007

By Joya D. Weinroth

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is a wonderful guide for people who are trying to learn to trust their bodies again. The journey towards becoming an attuned or intuitive eater can be hard, especially for anyone battling back from an eating disorder. This book gives you easy lessons, in short, easy to digest chapters. Its also a small book... perfect for slipping into a purse or backpack. That may seem like a silly comment, but I love it because it means I can take the book with me anywhere, for when I need some extra support.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must read! February 12, 2006

By A Diet Survivor

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A great read! This book is the answer to the countless diets that I have tried. The authors present a nurturing, compassionate compelling answer to years of an unhealthy relationship with food and my body. The quotes along the way both inspired me and made me laugh. This is the type of book that I will turn to again and again for support and guidance. After reading this book I am proud to call myself a diet survivor!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A No Nonsense, Informative Guide to the "Non Diet" Approach April 7, 2010

By Elle

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've purchased many books over the years on dieting & weight loss, specialty cookbooks, the power of the mind (think thin, why French women don't get fat), etc. but NONE have compared to the straightforward, honest book: The Diet Survivor's Handbook. There are 60 short yet very informative chapters (lessons) on taking a non-dieting approach to living your life, which in turn yields natural weight loss.

Key issues the book focuses on: "Dieting" creates a mental & physical cycle that studies have proven to be inherently flawed & which inevitably backfires. Women must honestly stop striving to reach impossible sizes & standards set by the media - focus instead on finding your body's natural weight (sorry, but that might not be a size 0). What does work is tuning into your body's natural signals of hunger, eating what you honestly crave & stopping deprivation or "forbidden or bad foods," which ultimately cause you to want them more. Also, approaching exercise in a different way -- yes, you will still need to move your body -- but instead of forcing hours at the gym on the treadmill, focus on activities that you actually enjoy and that don't feel like hard work (ie. bowling, walking, bike riding, dancing, etc). Moving your body as often as you can (even if it's just a little bit here & there) will start to make you feel better about yourself, relieve daily stress & help you to become more healthy & in tune with your body needs. If you tune into & satisfy the rest of your body's needs & mental health or well being, losing weight will naturally follow.

The book is also filled with great, realistic examples -- not idealistic tales of other people who struggled "just like you" and found great success. These are real lessons that you can begin trying right away & examples that you can actually relate to. As a person who has struggled with being overweight since childhood, I have read a lot over the years about nutrition, dieting, joined various weight loss programs, exercise regimes, etc. -- all to no avail. Why can I achieve other life goals except for losing weight & keeping it off, which is so dear & important to me? This book has finally given me new information & key insights as to why I keep failing at my dieting efforts. Like many women, I've simply been coming at it from the wrong approach. When you treat the real issue of the mind, spirit & body -- losing weight will happen.