Weight Wisdom Affirmations to Free You from Food and Body Concerns

In this powerful guide, Kingsbury and Williams equip readers with simple reflections, vignettes, and everyday analogies that they have successfully used with their own clients to counter destructive feelings and shatter distorted ideas of food and weight. Pithy and positive statements replace compulsive, perfectionist rules with new strategies to cope with blame, guilt, vulnerability, and self-criticism. Concrete activities help people with eating problems get off the scales, get in touch with their feelings, and make friends with their bodies. Written by experienced therapists who understand the needs and fears of people with eating problems, the book is a refreshing guide to lasting change and recovery.

Introduction:The Journey Begins No you're not crazy you're coping.There is no magic wand. Find a safe place to heal. It is not your weight, it is the weight of you issues. If thin is in, I don't want to win. You are not your dress size. Think genetics. Recovery is an inside job. Fat is not a feeling. Food is just food. Keep fuel in the tank. Learn to criticize behaviors not yourself. Use short-term diversions. Progress is not measured on the scale. If you do not feel then you cannot heal. It is human to need others. Develop your voice. Stay with the day. Value the instrumental not the ornamental. Slow and steady wins the race. Take one step outside your comfort zone. The road to recovery is a long and winding road. Conquering the Hills and ValleysIt is hard to have an appetite with a belly full of feelings. Fear not your feelings, every feeling has a special gift. It is not selfish to take care of yourself. Strive to be average. Norman Rockwell does not live here anymore. What is done is done! Quiet your mind. Who says you "should"?Take your compliments. Laugh at yourself. Go with your grain. Feeling and acting in beautiful ways showcases your beauty. Beware of the "Crunch"! Life is too short to wear uncomfortable shoes! Coffee, Croissants and ConflictGet off the sidelines and get into the ballgame. Before growth one generally experiences a period in which nothing appears to be happening. You can't buy something from an empty store. Practice, practice, practiceContinuing the JourneySlips don't always lead to slides. Notice the moon. Perfection and certainty do not exist. The only thing that is constant is change. Pursue your passion. Desserts equals stressed spelled backwards. Walk to the beat of your own drumEvery Day is A GiftLife after recovery is just life. Recovery is possible. Parent SectionBe a super model. Educate for your children's sake. Watch for red flags. In every crisis there is an opportunity for change. Get out of the blame game. Pace yourself. Have hope. Professional SectionRecovery is a team sport. Sometimes appearances do count. Plant the seed - you never know what will grow. Take tea and see. Change can happen one person at a time. ResourcesDo I Have an Eating Disorder? How to Help a Loved One with an Eating DisorderHow to Find an Eating Disorders TherapistEating Disorders Treatment and Referral CentersYour Road to Recovery

Kathleen Burns Kingsbury is a licensed mental health counselor specializing in the treatment and prevention of eating disorders. She is founder of the South Shore Eating Disorders Collaborative in Quincy and Easton, Massachusetts. Mary Ellen Williams is a licensed independent social worker in North Easton, Massachusetts. She is a seasoned clinician whose specialty includes individual and group treatment of eating disorders.