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karenstory 's review for:
Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything
by Geneen Roth
Catching up…
In “Hungry Ghost” I shared that “my sister and I lived this experience, too.” In reference to having an eating disorder. I also said that, “Even as I enter into a new decade, it doesn’t mean that I still don’t struggle with body image issues. Did you think this was just a teenage thing? Think again.”
Through therapy, I have been able to talk about my shame and discomfort with these thoughts and beliefs about myself, and my struggles with disordered eating at even my ripe old age.
And…
This was one of the books that I read years ago, and had been reintroduced to by my therapist.
So…
With all the stress of my husband’s illness triggering issues for me, I felt it was time to revisit this book again.
First of all…
Let me just say I am not a religious person. I am spiritual.
And…
There is a difference.
So…
I was a bit concerned about how I felt about having God in the title of this, or God being responsible for anything here. I have always been one to take full responsibility for my life, which included recognizing that love starts from within.
But…
I was interested in learning more about my disordered eating (and obsession about it) and how I could demystify weight loss. In a healthy way. And if that meant believing in myself and my own inner strength, I was ready to address it.
And…
What she shares in her prologue touched me.
“…our relationship to food is an exact microcosm of our relationship to life itself.”
So…
It was time again to dive deep into my disordered eating issues. (A preoccupation with food and its adverse effects on my mental well-being and physical health.)
One of the first issues for me to overcome, was the issue of shame. That feeling that I am not good enough as I am – and if I weren’t thin, I would not be considered attractive/interesting/relevant.
And…
That at my stage of life, why should I still be concerned, as a happily married woman, about how I look or am to others? Or even to my husband, who loves me for me.
On page 84, Roth shares…
“You are not a mistake. You are not a problem to be solved. But you won’t discover this until you are willing to stop banging your head against the wall of shaming…yourself.”
Which…
Definitely resonated with me. I knew the pressure I was putting on myself to be a specific weight, and it was literally killing me. I wasn’t experiencing food in a nurturing way, or respecting how it made me a healthy person.
Because…
What I would do would measure how good I was based on what my weight scale told me that day.
And…
If I wasn’t happy with the number, I would find a way to deny myself further nourishment. This behavior was definitely leading me down a slippery slope.
I needed to simply…
Trust myself. Love myself. Respect myself. Regain control of myself.
This book, or guide, or meaningful sharing of empowerment, for those of us who struggle with eating disorders or disordered eating, is thoughtful and kind. Something we need to learn to be for ourselves.
And…
Roth takes us to the places that define thoughtful and kind to ourselves by providing this book in 3 parts: 1 – principles, 2 – practices, and 3 – eating. With these 14 chapters readers will be guided and prodded to look at eating differently. She also shares an epilogue of last words, and an addendum which also includes an Inquiry Practice and ‘The Eating Guidelines.’ (Included below in the quotes.)
There is so much here to take in and appreciate.
And…
Even if the title is misleading (since it could be a guide for men, too – and God isn’t really a character in this book), there were still some tidbits to be gained from her personal experiences.
So, let me just leave it with this from the author herself…
“In each moment of kindness you lavish upon your breaking heart or the size of your thighs, with each breath you take – God has been here. She is you.”
Yes…She is you. The best possible version of ourselves. A beautiful work in progress.
To read the review for “Hungry Ghost” go here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5993404760
In “Hungry Ghost” I shared that “my sister and I lived this experience, too.” In reference to having an eating disorder. I also said that, “Even as I enter into a new decade, it doesn’t mean that I still don’t struggle with body image issues. Did you think this was just a teenage thing? Think again.”
Through therapy, I have been able to talk about my shame and discomfort with these thoughts and beliefs about myself, and my struggles with disordered eating at even my ripe old age.
And…
This was one of the books that I read years ago, and had been reintroduced to by my therapist.
So…
With all the stress of my husband’s illness triggering issues for me, I felt it was time to revisit this book again.
First of all…
Let me just say I am not a religious person. I am spiritual.
And…
There is a difference.
So…
I was a bit concerned about how I felt about having God in the title of this, or God being responsible for anything here. I have always been one to take full responsibility for my life, which included recognizing that love starts from within.
But…
I was interested in learning more about my disordered eating (and obsession about it) and how I could demystify weight loss. In a healthy way. And if that meant believing in myself and my own inner strength, I was ready to address it.
And…
What she shares in her prologue touched me.
“…our relationship to food is an exact microcosm of our relationship to life itself.”
So…
It was time again to dive deep into my disordered eating issues. (A preoccupation with food and its adverse effects on my mental well-being and physical health.)
One of the first issues for me to overcome, was the issue of shame. That feeling that I am not good enough as I am – and if I weren’t thin, I would not be considered attractive/interesting/relevant.
And…
That at my stage of life, why should I still be concerned, as a happily married woman, about how I look or am to others? Or even to my husband, who loves me for me.
On page 84, Roth shares…
“You are not a mistake. You are not a problem to be solved. But you won’t discover this until you are willing to stop banging your head against the wall of shaming…yourself.”
Which…
Definitely resonated with me. I knew the pressure I was putting on myself to be a specific weight, and it was literally killing me. I wasn’t experiencing food in a nurturing way, or respecting how it made me a healthy person.
Because…
What I would do would measure how good I was based on what my weight scale told me that day.
And…
If I wasn’t happy with the number, I would find a way to deny myself further nourishment. This behavior was definitely leading me down a slippery slope.
I needed to simply…
Trust myself. Love myself. Respect myself. Regain control of myself.
This book, or guide, or meaningful sharing of empowerment, for those of us who struggle with eating disorders or disordered eating, is thoughtful and kind. Something we need to learn to be for ourselves.
And…
Roth takes us to the places that define thoughtful and kind to ourselves by providing this book in 3 parts: 1 – principles, 2 – practices, and 3 – eating. With these 14 chapters readers will be guided and prodded to look at eating differently. She also shares an epilogue of last words, and an addendum which also includes an Inquiry Practice and ‘The Eating Guidelines.’ (Included below in the quotes.)
There is so much here to take in and appreciate.
And…
Even if the title is misleading (since it could be a guide for men, too – and God isn’t really a character in this book), there were still some tidbits to be gained from her personal experiences.
So, let me just leave it with this from the author herself…
“In each moment of kindness you lavish upon your breaking heart or the size of your thighs, with each breath you take – God has been here. She is you.”
Yes…She is you. The best possible version of ourselves. A beautiful work in progress.
To read the review for “Hungry Ghost” go here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5993404760