The Emotional Eater's Book of Inspiration 90 Truths You Need to Know to Overcome Your Food Addiction

by Danowski, Debbie

• ISBN13: 9781569242568
• ISBN10: 1569242569
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-13
• Publisher: Balance

Summary

Debbie Danowski weighed in at more than 300 pounds. Years of trying every diet program imaginable left her feeling exhausted, miserable, and hopeless. By realizing the connections between food and emotions, she learned to overcome her food addiction. Now, The Emotional Eater's Book of Inspiration offers the tips that helped her lose more than 160 pounds and keep them off for the past seventeen years. One of the biggest hurdles to weight loss and continued success in food-addiction recovery is denial. The Emotional Eater's Book of Inspiration helps you confront your own "fat lies" by providing 90 essential truths, such as: You won't lose one ounce of weight by talking about it. Dieting is not a competitive sport. Cleaning your plate will not feed one starving child. "Free" foods are too expensive. Touching on common challenges faced by everyone who's wrestled with emotional eating and food addiction, Debbie Danowski empowers you to manage your emotional connections to food, giving you the tools to achieve long-term success.

Author Biography

Debbie Danowski, Ph.D., is a nationally renowned expert on weight loss. A pioneer in the food addictions field, she is the author of Why Can’t I Stop Eating?, Locked Up For Eating Too Much, and The Overeater’s Journal. For over twenty years, she has worked as a freelance writer, her articles appearing in First For Women, Woman’s Day, and Seventeen, among other publications. A member of the International Advisory Board of the Food Addiction Institute, she currently holds an associate professorship at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Danowksi lives in Connecticut.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xv
Phil Werdell
Introduction	xvii
Your calendar is making you fat	1	(3)
Simple is not the same as easy	4	(2)
``Food lies'' cause emotional eating	6	(2)
Closing your mouth really does work	8	(2)
What you eat should be about nutrition, not guilt	10	(2)
A food survival pack is necessary	12	(3)
If food calls your name, you don't have to answer	15	(2)
Your body is more than your face	17	(3)
You can choose your own body size	20	(2)
Real women come in all shapes and sizes---not just 2 and 4	22	(2)
The perfect diet doesn't exist	24	(2)
There's no such thing as a good excuse	26	(2)
You need friends who understand your struggles with food	28	(2)
Your own frozen dinners are better for you than any you can buy	30	(2)
You are not to blame for your weight problem	32	(2)
A food-free room at holiday gatherings will keep you sane	34	(2)
You are not a human garbage disposal	36	(2)
Cleaning your plate will not feed one single starving child	38	(2)
For emotional eaters, the grocery store can be a war zone	40	(2)
``Free'' food is too expensive	42	(2)
The space in front of the refrigerator is a ``no parking'' zone	44	(2)
Your body is a miracle, no matter what your size	46	(2)
Photographs of yourself are extremely valuable	48	(2)
You can survive the ``Bermuda Triangle.''	50	(3)
Your survival depends on knowing exactly what you are eating	53	(2)
Asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness	55	(2)
You won't lose weight by rubbing up against a thin person	57	(2)
You won't lose one ounce by talking about it	59	(2)
Others are not to blame for your weight problem	61	(2)
Rachael Ray doesn't eat everything she cooks and neither should you	63	(2)
Cooking shows can trigger a binge	65	(2)
For emotional eaters, cookbooks can be dangerous if not used correctly	67	(2)
You don't need to make one more celebrity richer by buying his/her diet book	69	(2)
Most models and actresses eat too little and exercise too much	71	(1)
There is no law that requires you to eat chocolate on holidays	72	(3)
Exercising is simply moving your body once a day	75	(2)
Monday isn't the only day to begin a healthy eating plan	77	(2)
There is no magical weight that will make your life perfect	79	(2)
Your imperfections are a part of you	81	(2)
It's what you do after a slip that matters most	83	(2)
Your ideal body may not be your reality	85	(2)
If your hands are busy, you won't reach for food	87	(2)
You can't handle your feelings alone	89	(2)
No one can lose weight for you	91	(2)
Not all magazines send negative body image messages	93	(2)
You're not the only one hurt by your emotional eating	95	(2)
You can accept your body with childlike wonder	97	(2)
No one will die if you say no to dessert	99	(2)
The food pyramid was created for a reason (and it's not to torment you)	101	(2)
Food manufacturers weren't joking when they outlined serving sizes	103	(2)
It is best to decide what to eat when you are full	105	(3)
Brutal honesty about your feelings won't hurt anyone	108	(2)
Wearing big clothes only makes you look bigger	110	(3)
Weighing yourself too often puts your emotions on the scale	113	(2)
Food doesn't have to be on every guest list	115	(2)
Jokes about your body size are not funny	117	(2)
No amount of makeup can hide puffiness in your face	119	(2)
Searching for the magic pill will prevent you from recovering	121	(2)
Dieting is not a competitive sport	123	(2)
Hunger pains won't kill you	125	(2)
Having only one size of clothing in your closet keeps you honest	127	(2)
Your too--small bathing suit is holding you captive	129	(2)
You do deserve an occasional reward	131	(2)
Hurting yourself even in subtle ways affects your eating	133	(2)
The rewards matter more than the difficulties	135	(2)
Inspiration may be corny, but it works	137	(2)
Pretending to join the Army will save your life	139	(2)
Standing up straight and holding your head high will make you feel confident	141	(2)
You don't need to impersonate the Invisible Man	143	(3)
Pleasing people by eating something is about you, not them	146	(2)
Not acknowledging your beauty each day is an ugly thing	148	(2)
Magic wands don't work	150	(2)
Writing is the right thing to do	152	(2)
Saying no is an essential part of your healing	154	(3)
Commercials will cause cravings	157	(2)
Baking is not a way to show love	159	(2)
Calories don't count	161	(2)
Food funerals help you to mourn	163	(3)
Guilt doesn't hurt as much as resentment	166	(3)
Enjoying what you eat is not the same as eating everything you enjoy	169	(2)
A Swat team will rescue you	171	(2)
Models may look good in print, but they don't look that good in reality	173	(3)
You can't have your cake and lose weight, too	176	(2)
Just like Linus, you will need a blanket	178	(3)
Using food in the decor of your home is like playing with a loaded gun	181	(2)
Love is all you need	183	(2)
Emotional hunger isn't physical and shouldn't be treated that way	185	(2)
Burning something will light a fire under your recovery	187	(3)
Growing pains are part of life	190	(2)
You are worth it	192	(2)
Resources	194	(3)
Acknowledgments	197