The Emotional Eating Workbook: A Proven-Effective, Step-by-Step Guide to End Your Battle with Food and Satisfy Your Soul

by Carolyn Coker Ross

When we constantly feel hungry and overeat, sometimes it’s not about the food. In this important book, a weight management expert presents the proven-effective Anchor Weight Management System to help people finally end their struggles with emotional eating and weight gain. For over fifty years, nutritional and medical scientists have dissected the problem of obesity. The result of this half-century of investigation has been a series of recommendations about what and how much to eat, and an unintended consequence is that we’ve been deprived of the joy of eating. From low-fat diets to the no-carb craze, the market has been continually flooded with one assortment of fad products and diets after another. So, when does it end? If you’re struggling with emotional overeating and are trying to lose weight, you should know that you don’t need to deny yourself certain foods. In The Emotional Eating Workbook , you'll learn about the real psychological needs that underlie your food cravings, how to meet those needs in positive ways, be mindful of your body, and find the deep satisfaction many overeaters seek in food. It’s not about food. It’s about how food is used to self-soothe, numb ourselves against the pain of living, or self-medicate in coping with stress and unresolved emotions. The Anchor Program™ approach detailed in this book is not about dieting. It’s about being anchored to your true, authentic self. When you find your unique anchor, you will relate better to your body, you'll know intuitively how to feed your body, and you'll reach the weight that’s right for you.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Social Work

216 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2016

Reviews

[Leah Hortin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This didn't really work for me. I am an Intuitive Eating Coach looking to diversify my toolkit in helping clients through emotional eating and I don't see this approach resonating with any of them. I found it to be too weight-focused. And prescribing rules to how you should eat is not a helpful approach. Yes, there were some nuggets in here that are in alignment with what I teach but overall, this doesn't seem effective for my setting. Some of the topics toe the line of therapy, and it seemed more exploratory than a "how to" guide for overcoming emotional eating.

[Stacey]

Clearly not a book for me. Very much geared toward someone with significant weight struggles, obesity problems. I should have guessed that but since I sometimes eat for stress, etc., I thought this would be a good read.

[Ashley Maude-Lecholat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

This book would be best in workbook form- kindle makes that a little difficult. There were some very informative sections of this book and caused me to approach situations from a different angle.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Healthy Mind And Body Planning

Interesting approach to weight management program. Shows the importance of customizing you food plan based on personal preferences. I intend to reread parts of this book and include it for my own personal weight management goals.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, thought provoking. Found it helpful

[Ceanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too weight focused and just gives you “rules” like a diet even though they say diets don’t work.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emotional eating is one of those things that you don't notice you're doing till you've done it. At least for me. Which logically, would make it an ideal issue to tackle via the Psych industry's current Golden Child Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)*.

In The Emotional Eating Workbook, that logic becomes applied.

Personally I've not had good results with CBT for Major Depression, but friends and millions of others all over the planet have. Therapy is a one-size-fits-all solution much the way it is in clothing... meaning there are plenty that it really wont fit, but lots it will.

If you've not experienced this kind of program, i heartily recommend you try it. If you have, this will feel familiar. At the very least reading through these pages might give you that "Ah-ha moment when you realize something new about your mind. If not, well, theirs always other things to try.

Just don't try the triple hot fudge sundae. It never works.


*Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy. It was originally designed to treat depression, but is now used for a number of mental disorders. It works to solve current problems and change unhelpful thinking and behavior.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked The Emotional Eating Workbook by Carolyn Coker Ross, MD. MPH. I did the exercises and learned a lot about myself. There are examples of situations to illustrate what the author is looking for. I like the format of information, question and your response. The approach was very non-judgmental which I really liked. I have a counseling degree so that makes me feel even stronger that this book provides a way of the yoyo syndrome.

I learned what negative experiences upset me in the past and caused me to see comfort food which I really did not enjoy as much as the idea of being comforted. There is a very large reference section in the back for more reading on this subject.

I am recommending this book for anyone comtemplating going on a diet but also sick of diets. I also recommend it to people who lose weight on diets and then gain it back over and over again. It will take some "sink time" but I believe this book is much better than any diet book I ever read. It tackles the "why" not the result.

I received this book as a win from First Reads but that in no way influenced my review. My thoughts are 100 percent my own.

[Janine Brouillette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good work book with a follow up website with materials. This is not a diet manual but a way to examine the underlying reasons for weight gain. Dr. Ross helps you to examine why you have had trouble with your weight and ways to remove blocks and sustainable solutions to stop emotional eating, stress eating, and ways to get your body moving. The first part of the book addresses the Anchor's program of five levels of healing: stopping surface behaviors, emerging from emotional soup, wisdom of body sensations, challenging core beliefs, and finding soul satisfaction.
Part II of the workbook examines Healing Yourself and Soul Satisfaction. You learn how to practice a new way of living and thought process. Nourishing your spirit is an important step to forgiving yourself and others. The last chapter give you a seven week guide to soul satisfaction and to focus on the Anchor Program to heal from food, weight, and body images. A book I would definitely recommend.

[Pam Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into when you embark down the road of emotional eating you are trying to satisfy your soul but in the long run it dosent work. When you have food, body image issues which are all connected with past experiences you have had either as a child, adults long term it affects you emotions and beliefs. This book shows you how to remove the blocks and stop emotional eating, deals with stress and live to satisfy your soul by taking your focus off the number on the scales. Emotional eating is like an iceberg, you can see the ice on the surface but cant see the larger part underneath.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads Giveaways and New Harbinger. Thank you!

This is a good collection of strategies and techniques for exploring underlying issues of emotional eating. There are lots of cognitive behavioral exercises to help gain insight into our relationship with food and our inner selves. Coker Ross also includes imagery and mindfulness exercises to help with stress. The 7 week guide at the end of the book is a helpful outline to stay on track.