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10th out of 31 books
—
23 voters
Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food
by
Susan Albers (Goodreads Author)
This book introduces and adapts the concepts of mindfulness and acceptance to the observation and management of eating habits. The result is a series of exercises and meditations that reinforce healthy habits and lead to greater tranquility at meals.
The book describes the four foundations of mindful eating: mindfulness of the mind, the body, the feelings, and the thoughts....more
The book describes the four foundations of mindful eating: mindfulness of the mind, the body, the feelings, and the thoughts....more
Paperback, 184 pages
Published
April 9th 2003
by New Harbinger Publications
(first published March 2003)
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Not just another diet book; more like the anti-diet book. In fact, this book would not approve of depriving yourself of the foods you love, because that can lead to binge-eating when your body and brain feel like they're not getting what they want. Instead, this book encourages you to listen to your body's cues. Enjoy your treats in smaller portions, using all five senses. Instead of cramming food into your mouth in a trance, stop to think about how it feels in your fingers, how it looks on the...more
Feb 03, 2008
Lisa Vegan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who has eating or body image issues, very mild to very severe
This book is an excellent adjunct to a book such as Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn or another general mindfulness book. While it stands on its own, both a general mindfulness book and, most importantly, a class or a therapy, is, in my opinion, the best combination of tools needed to deal with any type of mindless eating or other mindless behavior. There was nothing new for me in this book, as I expected, but unlike what I anticipated, I really enjoyed reading it, and feel that it’s a...more
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I typically do not find myself drawn to self-help books, but my nutritionist suggested I borrow her copy in the hopes that it would give me a few additional tools to aid in my recovery.
Eating Mindfully is a quick read, and while I found a few useful points and exercises to practice, there was a recurring "theme" that bothered me. Some of the skill-building exercises suggest an ethnocentric approach to the healing process that takes place between those with unhealthy eating habits and food. It be...more
Eating Mindfully is a quick read, and while I found a few useful points and exercises to practice, there was a recurring "theme" that bothered me. Some of the skill-building exercises suggest an ethnocentric approach to the healing process that takes place between those with unhealthy eating habits and food. It be...more
I have heard a lot about mindfullness but I've never really read up much on it. However, I have been aware that mindfullness is being present and in the moment with everything you do. This book, takes the idea of mindfullness and works on establishing a healthy eating lifestyle to help you lose or maintain weight. It's not so much a dieting book, but rather, a book that helps you deal with cravings, boredom eating, that kind of thing.
As someone that struggles with a few of the things presented i...more
As someone that struggles with a few of the things presented i...more
2 likes · like · see review
This book has some useful ideas and suggestions but it takes a long time to say them and gets bogged down with repeating itself; a criticism not unusual for a book about dieting/eating. Her core philosophy derives from the study of Buddhism though no knowledge or practice of Buddhism is necessary. If you were to implement all of her suggestions your entire life would be dedicated to eating. Or not eating. But it would all involve thinking about eating or trying not to think about eating. Good lu...more
I really enjoyed this book, and it's a quick and easy read. It reads like a novel but also as a kind of how-to manual, with many different exercises that one can adapt and apply to his/her own life and eating habits.
I think what I liked most was the approach. This is not a diet book with recipes. It doesn't tell you what you should or should not be eating. Instead it is an encouragement to approach the foods that you put in your body with awareness, mindfulness, purpose.
Not everything in this bo...more
I think what I liked most was the approach. This is not a diet book with recipes. It doesn't tell you what you should or should not be eating. Instead it is an encouragement to approach the foods that you put in your body with awareness, mindfulness, purpose.
Not everything in this bo...more
Nov 23, 2012
Lori
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Want to change how you approach food
This book is NOT a diet book. It does NOT have any new discoveries. It is NOT meant to be just read.
This book IS a framework to help you work on changing (unwanted) thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It uses mindfulness, a technique/style of Buddhism. You do not have to be Buddhist or religious in any sense for it to be useful. There are tons of books about diets, eating, etc. and quite a few using mindfulness. IMO the important thing is whether the book 'clicks' with you. Pick up a copy and th...more
This book IS a framework to help you work on changing (unwanted) thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It uses mindfulness, a technique/style of Buddhism. You do not have to be Buddhist or religious in any sense for it to be useful. There are tons of books about diets, eating, etc. and quite a few using mindfulness. IMO the important thing is whether the book 'clicks' with you. Pick up a copy and th...more
I did not read the first edition of Eating Mindfully, but I can relate to being the Occasional Mindless Eater and appreciate the addition. The whole book has a very new age feel to it that might turn off certain readers, but at the end of the day there is nothing wrong with slowing down and metacognitively thinking about what you think about food. Some of the exercises are repetitive, but I was able to find a few in each category that I know I will use from now on. I specifically like the idea o...more
This book was filled with a lot of new ideas for me and was right on target for what I wanted. I'm just at the beginning of targeting some of these eating patterns and will be easier able to identify them. The book isn't a strict "how-to", but does give some strategies for dealing with situations and habits you find yourself repeating regarding mindless eating. Being more mindful in all areas of my life would be a good thing; letting go of the past, not projecting into the future but allowing co...more
This was a really interesting read for me and what I really loved was that this is not a diet book. It's not about calorie restriction and it's not about fads. Rather, it's about carefully thinking about what you are eating and more importantly HOW you are eating the foods you choose. Eating mindfully is a process that helps you think more about the food you are eating which will also help you to reevaluate your own bodies signals about food in general.
There were a lot of good suggestions that I...more
There were a lot of good suggestions that I...more
First Line:
"Imagine for a moment that you are holding a bowl of chicken noodle soup."
Thus starts the voyage of eating mindfully. The chapter headings tell the reader what they will learn:
Mindful of the mind
Mindful of the body
Mindful of the feelings
Mindful of the thoughts
Mindful eating motivations
As the reader learns the different ways s/he appraoaches food and eating, it gets easier to pick the right foods. Pay attention to what your body is telling you.
"Imagine for a moment that you are holding a bowl of chicken noodle soup."
Thus starts the voyage of eating mindfully. The chapter headings tell the reader what they will learn:
Mindful of the mind
Mindful of the body
Mindful of the feelings
Mindful of the thoughts
Mindful eating motivations
As the reader learns the different ways s/he appraoaches food and eating, it gets easier to pick the right foods. Pay attention to what your body is telling you.
Food is a huge part of life, and for many it is a part riddled with anxiety. Food can be a positive rather than a negative aspect, however, if managed properly. Eating mindfully is written by a psychologist who specializes in assisting those who have troubled food relationships. I identified with many of the scenarios described in this book and found the strategies and suggestions to be reasonable and I will be incorporating a few of the concepts in my daily food interactions.
The main reason I didn't like this book is that the author spends most of the time contradicting the premise of mindful eating, which she actually states on page 141: Mindfulness encourages you to eat what works well in your life, rather than what you think is 'right' or 'correct.' Albers does a lot of telling you what is good and bad, right and wrong, instead of focusing on teaching you how to be mindful in eating. It's just another 'diet' book with a different twist.
Apr 26, 2011
lauren
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who ever stuffs themselves to the point of feeling uncomfortable
Recommended to lauren by:
k.s.
Shelves:
food
This book was so great in that it's made me really think about what and how i eat, like considering whether or not eating a hunk of chocolate is what i really want to do. sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes i'm really glad i didn't go for it and don't have the subsequent sugar high and crash. It's not a diet book, it's just about being mindful of what you're eating and how much you're eating. it's got just the right amount of woo.
As usual I read this type of books because when I was a psychotherapist one of my field of interesting was eating disorders. So this is a good book, it mixes mindfulness with psychology and tips from a nutritionist, still I was not completely satisfied with the approach of the author.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND NEW HARBINGER PUBLICATIONS FOR THE PREVIEW
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND NEW HARBINGER PUBLICATIONS FOR THE PREVIEW
A lot of psychological mumbo jumbo and silly exercises, but I did get a few things out of it:
Relaxation techniques
Cravings are the result of deprivation
Just because you feel an emotion doesn't mean you have to do anything about it.
When stressed, lay down and imagine a massage...start at the top of your head all the way down to your toes.
Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.-Buddha
Relaxation techniques
Cravings are the result of deprivation
Just because you feel an emotion doesn't mean you have to do anything about it.
When stressed, lay down and imagine a massage...start at the top of your head all the way down to your toes.
Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.-Buddha
oh my lord. HOW DID IT TAKE ME THIS LONG TO FIND THIS BOOK??!
honestly, i think this might be the one book i would give someone who wanted to know about mindfulness. it not only has EXCELLENT examples of what mindfulness is, it incorporates it in a very real, healthy way into how we eat.
this is sincerely one of the best books i have read in a long, long time about either subject - mindfulness, or eating. i would give this as a gift to everyone i know. i probably will.
but dude, annice and amy, y...more
honestly, i think this might be the one book i would give someone who wanted to know about mindfulness. it not only has EXCELLENT examples of what mindfulness is, it incorporates it in a very real, healthy way into how we eat.
this is sincerely one of the best books i have read in a long, long time about either subject - mindfulness, or eating. i would give this as a gift to everyone i know. i probably will.
but dude, annice and amy, y...more
While the concepts in this book were good, the writing was dry and lacked interest. I've read similar ideas elsewhere that were presented in a more effective manner
I enjoyed this book. It contains lots of real world advice and variety of exercises for practicing mindful eating that are accessible to anyone.
I read this a few years back and I found it to be really helpful. I just unearthed it in my attic again - think I'll read it again.
I gave up on this book and was relieved when it expired on my Kindle. As someone who has struggled with dieting/eating issues for decades, I didn't find this inspiring, educational or helpful in any way. If you have issues with food, you already know most of what is in this book and it will do nothing to help you conquer your issues.
Dec 03, 2007
Brandon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Therapist, Individuals with Food Issues
Shelves:
psychology
The author does an excellent job of applying mindfullness strategies specifically to food. The author is a psychologist with a history of treating clients suffering from eating disorders, so you will find a lot of practical knowledge in tihs book. Although I loved the book, the book had too many exercises in it to warrant a 5 star rating. I think the author does an excellent job of introducing the reader to general mindfulness techniques, too.
I would highly urge therapists to read this if they...more
I would highly urge therapists to read this if they...more
I got about 1/3 of the way through it and just couldn't take it anymore. I had read a lot of the same information in other places. This was just too repetitive for me to read it.
May 23, 2009
Diana
added it
buddhism principles applied to food, a new way of thinking about how we eat.
Great book. Most of it was review from DBT practice of mindfulness just applied in a different way.
Good sound advice with a sprinkle of Buddhism. Easier said than done!
good intro on mindfulness with regards to eating
My favorite book on mindful eating.
Very helpful idea's on how to eat better, especially if you're an overeater like me!
This isn't a book that grabs you and demands that you pay attention to it. Instead, it offers some sound and solid advice and asks you to trust. It's not practical, but what it offers is worth thinking about. To do anything "mindfully" - whether it's eating or exercising or working or spending time with another person, is actually a good exercise to try, and I think more of us should try.
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Dr. Susan Albers is a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic and is the author of five books. Her work has been quoted in O, the Oprah Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Self Magazine and Natural Health. She provides mindful eating lectures at women's groups, organizations and colleges. Dr. Albers has been a guest on NPR and Dr. OZ T.V. show. www.eatingmindfully.com
More about Susan Albers...
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