The Rules of "Normal" Eating: A Commonsense Approach for Dieters, Overeaters, Undereaters, Emotional Eaters, and Everyone in Between! (Paperback)

by Karen R. Koenig (Author) "A client with a compulsive eating problem told me early in her therapy about an incident that had astonished her so greatly that she was..." (more)
Key Phrases: restrictive eater, disordered eaters, reframing beliefs, Belief Store (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Written in easy-to-understand, everyday language, The Rules of "Normal" Eating lays out the four basic rules that "normal" eaters follow instinctively — eating when they're hungry, choosing foods that satisfy them, eating with awareness and enjoyment, and stopping when they're full or satisfied. Along with specific skills and techniques that help promote change, the book presents a proven cognitive-behavioral model of transformation that targets beliefs, feelings, and behaviors about food and eating and points the way toward genuine physical and emotional fulfillment. Readers learn how to reprogram their dysfunctional beliefs, manage uncomfortable feelings without turning to food, and establish new eating habits that tune their bodies into natural sensations of hunger, pleasure, satisfaction, and satiation. Filled with humorous insights, compassion, and practical wisdom, the book outlines balanced attitudes and patterns that benefit all types of eaters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Gurze Books; 1 edition (January 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0936077212
• ISBN-13: 978-0936077215
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,629 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #39 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Eating Disorders
  #45 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Disorders & Diseases > Eating Disorders

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn How to Develop a Healthy Relationship with Food, February 21, 2006

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (2/06)

"The Rule of Normal Eating" is written for people that have an unhealthy relationship with eating. People that are unhealthy eaters can range from undereaters to overeaters. The author, Koenig, has impressive credentials as a psychotherapist. What really makes her writing different and refreshing is that while she has these credentials, she is also able to relate to her readers with unhealthy eating habits, because she is a former overeater and chronic dieter. She understands what she is writing about. This means a lot to me as a reader, because I know that she was able to apply the principles of what she presents to her own life and that she succeeded.

Koenig uses Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques as guidelines to assist the reader with developing normal eating behaviors. While she addresses the unhealthy behaviors that are a result of having an unhealthy relationship with eating, she focuses more on the positive aspects of developing a healthy relationship with food. The readers need to develop healthy relationship with themselves while overcoming their unhealthy habits.

Koenig does an excellent job describing the painful experience of feelings of deprivation caused by dieting and then the guilt that ensues when the chronic dieter falls off the wagon and overeats. As I read this book, I realized that I don't want to be like this anymore. As I read her descriptions of what it is like to be a normal eater, I realized how much easier my life would be if I didn't put so much emphasis on what I was eating, when I was eating and the guilt that follows when I don't eat as well as I should.

Koenig discusses new ways to handle eating situations and people's reactions to the changes that you will be making. She also writes about accepting your body the way that it is. In this section, she really opened my eyes as to the reasons behind why I over-exercise.

"The Rule of Normal Eating" is not a quick fix. It has been my experience that quick fix diet books tend to fail quickly, leaving me to feel like more of a failure than when I started. By reading this book and realizing how my unhealthy behaviors are really caused by unhealthy and incorrect beliefs, I am given tools to make the changes that I need. The new habits will not happen over night, but I feel confident in knowing that every day I will be able to make positive new changes that will make each day better.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this to my message board members, November 6, 2005

By	Linda Moran - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is back-to-basics and practical. It asks of its readers no more than to examine their own faulty beliefs and replace them with more rational thinking--the kind of enlightening work necessary for true recovery. Known as cognitive therapy, this kind of work is far more effective for weight loss than willpower or diets of any kind.

I own a Yahoo! group to help folks ditch their diets and become normal eaters. Of all the "non-dieting" books, Karen R. Koenig's is the one I most often recommend.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensible, Comprehensive and Grounded, December 4, 2006

By	DC (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

I bought this book because I was tired of wasting my time thinking, worrying and feeling bad about what I was eating and what I weighed. I tend to overeat, feel bad about what I weigh and how I look, get excited about dieting, lose the weight and then start the cycle all over again!

The author has an excellent style of writing: she is thoughtful and intelligent, without making any wild statements or proclamations. One could say she is practicing the rational thinking that she preaches.

If you are looking for a book to help you lose weight, you may need to look elsewhere. But, this book provides you with much, much more than that: how to have a healthy relationship with food and eating. As an added plus, you will learn how to examine your beliefs (about anything) and choose ones that will leave you happier and healthier. What more could you ask for from a book?