Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out—and Never Say Diet Again

by Rebecca Scritchfield

Freedom from Diets!
Imagine a graph with two lines. One indicates happiness, the other tracks how you feel about your body. If you’re like millions of people, the lines do not intersect. But what if they did?
This practical, inspirational, and visually lively book shows you how to create a healthier and happier life by treating yourself with compassion rather than shame. It shows the way to a sense of well-being attained by understanding how to love, connect, and care for yourself—and that includes your mind as well as your body.
Body Kindness is based on four principles.
WHAT YOU DO: the choices you make about food, exercise, sleep, and more
HOW YOU FEEL: befriending your emotions and standing up to the unhelpful voice in your head
WHO YOU ARE: goal-setting based on your personal values
WHERE YOU BELONG: body-loving support from people and communities that help you create a meaningful life
With mind and body exercises to keep your energy spiraling up and prompts to help you identify what YOU really want and care about, Body Kindness helps you let go of things you can't control and embrace the things you can by finding the workable, daily steps that fit you best. Think of it as the anti-diet book that leads to a more joyful and meaningful life!

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Health, Psychology, Nutrition, Mental Health, Food

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

Rebecca Scritchfield is a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified exercise physiologist, author of the book Body Kindness, and host of the Body Kindness podcast. Through her weight-inclusive counseling practice, she helps people make peace with food, find the joy in exercise, and create a better life with workable goals that fit individual interests. Central to all her work, Rebecca aims to develop self-compassion in place of shame by rejecting the rules of diet culture and the pervasive myth that to achieve better health one must lose weight.

Using her Body Kindness philosophy, Rebecca mentors registered dietitians and supports women from around the world in collaborative, online learning spaces free from unhelpful diet chatter and negative body talk.

Rebecca has influenced millions through her writing, podcast, and appearances in over 100 media outlets including NBC Nightly News, CNN, the TODAY show, the Washington Post, O Magazine, Self, Real Simple, Health, Yoga Journal, and many others. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

[Tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll start by saying that I am a registered dietitian who works primarily with eating disorders/disordered eating and those looking to heal their relationship with food, and I would not recommend this book to any of my clients. I had high expectations for it and found myself disappointed. It was honestly hard for me to get through and I ended up just scanning through the last half just to get to the end. The tone of the whole book felt very diet-y and personally I didn't connect with her "just do it!" approach. It felt very ableist and coming from a place of white privilege. All the colors, different fonts and random graphics felt very distracting and hard to follow. There were also zero references to be found despite multiple mentions of psychology research, etc. I appreciate what she wa trying to achieve with the content and concepts, but it just wasn't for me. Some of her messages felt shaming to me and I would want to be very careful with who I recommended the book to since I would worry it would bring up the diet mentality for many of my clients. I could see how this could be a fun self-help book for someone who wants to get away from dieting, but I just wouldn't feel comfortable promoting this particular book to others. The book is also clearly gendered and doesn't feel applicable to many of my clients.

[Ani · Rating 1 out of 5]

This can be seriously triggering if you have any history with any form of eating disorder. This is not body posi, this is not HAES, this is actually a diet book.

NOTE: If it has portion sizes listed anywhere, IT IS A DIET BOOK.

[Barbara (The Bibliophage) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book because I strongly believe in the "never say diet again" mantra. It delivered that plus so much more.

We throw around terms like "nurturing" and "self-love" often, but do we really know what these mean in a practical sense of day-to-day steps? Rebecca Scritchfield, a registered dietician, breaks down her approach into manageable steps. She says to start with the question, "What is the least I can do?"

One of her precepts that I like the most is that food is nourishment, not a moral choice of good or bad. She talks about the downside of the "clean eating" movement - that anything not "clean" must be dirty or shameful. I appreciated this insight.

However, I'm uncomfortable with a dietician giving such detailed psychological advice. Many of her suggestions are based on positive psychology, which I struggle with and question especially since reading Bright Sided: How The Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich. But perhaps that's just me.

Scritchfield talks about resilience as if it were just as simple as "just bounce back, already?" It's not that simple, and I found that approach bordering on insensitive and hurtful.

At the point she says, "your mindset determines your authentic life" I wondered if I'd actually finish the book. It's a cliche that's been said by so many authors and speakers over the last decade.

And then things started to turn around. She moves back into eating, caring for yourself, and connecting with others in a way I could relate to.

I did enjoy Rebecca's friendly tone and funny insights like, "You can't hate yourself healthy." In discussing family dinners together - and studies about their benefits - she asks if it was the "magical roasted vegetables" that created those benefits. Of course not!

On the other hand, the continued references to Frozen got old. As my formerly Elsa obsessed granddaughter recently said, "That movie's over now!"

I would have preferred more stories of Rebecca's personal journey, in addition to the client vignettes. When she starts to tell some of her story, I found myself wishing for more detail and emotion. But alas, this is an instructional book not a memoir.

If you're looking for healthy living inspiration that's body positive, this is a great resource. It's full of actionable steps you can put in place for little to no financial investment. Instead, you're investing in yourself and that's the best return of all.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Workman Publishing Company for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scritchfield says body kindness is a self-care mindset based on the belief that health begins by being good to yourself. (2) This book is not a diet book. She says diets fail.

This book has a ton of information regarding personal health, including food, sleep, exercise, and relationships. The idea is to give us the information we need to make choices that improve our health without the goal of weight loss.

It took me a while to accept what Scritchfield writes. It goes against so much of what we have been told to believe about ourselves. For example, she writes, “Breaking news: You can be fit and fat. Inactivity, not fatness, is linked to mortality and heart disease.” (70) We have to let go of the idea that we are trying to manipulate our weight. In fact, she tells us to get rid of our scales.

Scritchfield has much information to help us make healthful choices. She covers just about everything, from food to stress to relationships to goal setting, and much more. She asks us to put self-care at the top of our list.

She recommends keeping a journal to help work through her book. There are many prompts she gives to help us think through what we do and why. She really advocates activity. She helps us get good and adequate sleep. Her section on emotions was great.

I recommend this book to people who are looking for how to develop a mindset that helps make choices based on goals developed from our values. Scritchfield helps us reveal our values and then walks us through creating the life we want. It's all in the book.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I appreciate her content, the formatting of this book drove me batty. It read like a 288-page blog post. Too many bulleted lists, pastel infographics, and sidebars.

[Jess]

Another recommendation from my nutritionist, so I bought it, but... *deep sigh*

"Not a diet book" seems to be the latest diet slogan? I don't have a history of dieting. I have had diabetes since childhood so do have some food issues... But food is a symptom, not a cause. I also have depression and am on Lexapro -- which is wonderful but the combination caused me to gain about 40 pounds in 2 years. So yes, I'm overweight, hence my GP sending me to the nutritionist. But focusing on food isn't going to fix that. And my nutritionist and I talked about that before she recommended this book to me, so now I'm a little annoyed with her. And some of the goal setting stuff includes suggestions my therapist advised against (for me), so I'm going to set this aside.

This book has the assumption its readers are neurotyptical and healthy. If that's you, and you have a history of dieting, you are the prime audience. Maybe it will help you. I really don't know.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 Stars
I appreciated the body positivity messages, but I wanted more depth from this book. Most of the content felt quite surface level. I hoped there would be more focus on intuitive eating, which was only ended up being a very small part. I would still recommend this book to fans of the author’s podcast.

[Kelly Lynn Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting and made a lot of good points (health isn't determined by weight; it's possible to be healthy without being skinny; it's possible to be very unhealthy while being skinny; you should be kind to yourself and your body, etc.), it's definitely a book aimed at middle class white moms. There are many moments where the author's privilege was showing, which kind of irked me.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want to eat what you want, when you want, however much you want, without someone or something telling you what you can and cannot eat? Then this book is for you! I cannot say enough about this book! Rebecca, a registered dietician, reveals applicable, common-sense ways to lead her readers into healthy lifestyles, free of dieting and calorie counting.
This book is quite informative in beginning and maintaining positive self-care habits of eating balanced meals, regular exercise, sleep, finding one’s value in life, and caring for others.
My favorite parts of the book were the first few chapters on eating, exercise, and sleep. I recommend a journal for the many points you’re going to want to jot down.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a great book! This is one of those that I will have to read again to truly digest everything.

I am currently on a self-compassion journey and have struggled with body image issues for most of my life. This book addresses many of those components, in particular the perfectionism that I have wrestled with my whole life.

This book deals with so much more than the body, but really addresses the body as connected to many aspects of wellness: spirituality, gratitude, self-compassion, as well as eating and exercise. I appreciate that the author addresses eating and exercise as ways to love and not punish your body, to nurture yourself.

If anyone has struggled with any of these things, I would highly recommend this book!

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note: I am an eating disorder therapist. If I could give this book 0 stars, I would. This book is a diet book in disguise. I would never recommend this book to any of my clients as it contains several problematic themes hidden within an “intuitive eating” and “anti-diet” style. This book could certainly be triggering and problematic to people who pick it up hoping to find support in adopting an anti-diet and HAES approach in their lives. Several points in the book contradict what I teach to clients as part of evidence based treatment. I typically do not write reviews, however, I felt compelled to as I hope people may see this and know to avoid it and it’s problematic messaging.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of encouragement and practical advice, sorely needed in our fat shaming culture where women are taught they are never good enough. Recommended for every woman with body image issues.

[Meagan Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating System:

5 Stars: Book accomplished the goals of its genre and was well-written.

4 Stars: Book accomplished most goals of genre and didn’t alarm my inner critic.

3 Stars: Inner critic is alarmed and ruminating on how author could have done better.

2 Stars: Book is so bad it’s good.

1 Star: Would not recommend to a soul. Did not accomplish the goals of genre in any way and was poorly written.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to read a book by a registered dietitian, but this felt like it was coming from some sort of life coach. There were ideas and thoughts I enjoyed, but honestly all of her recommendations and findings fell flat because she didn’t cite a single research study or article to back any of her claims, which really just felt lazy to me. When she did talk about food more specifically, it came across as still being filtered through some sort of “good” food, “bad” food mentality (which is not in line with schools of thought she claims to adopt, i.e. Intuitive Eating). It also felt that exercise was her solution to everything. Will not be recommending to my patients or my colleagues as an eating disorder registered dietitian myself.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I "picked" up this audiobook in response to some weird self-isolation body feelings. I don't think this book is for me. I'm not a big fan of self help and I just don't think I'm the target audience. The only thing I found actually objectionable was the title of the last chapter (your group of friends and loved ones is not a "tribe").

[Rain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The first two chapters left me excited and believing this book would be about body positivity or HAES. But as the book went on it became worse and worse. It was shallow and diet culture was sprinkled in, though disguised. It was disappointing. I'm sure this book is for someone but it definitely wasn't for me.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would be a good first resource for someone JUST beginning their self-love/ acceptance journey. Like having read nothing else on the subject first. It’s fine and all, but the ideas aren’t new nor is there anything earthshaking here.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciated the overall message of the book, I found that many parts contradicted one another and that became a bit of a nuisance for me. The thought behind the body kindness movement is great and truly inspiring but I feel this book jumps around a lot in a way that is too distracting.

[Chantelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

For “not a diet book,” this sure seemed to focus on food and food rules...

[Michelle Pasos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a really great starting point for people who haven’t read a lot of health, holistic wellness, or self-help books. Rebecca Stritchfield does a great job offering general research, helping readers think about all that influences the choices we make… emotions, community, values, etc from folks like: Kelly McGonigal and Martin Seligman. I also appreciated that she pulls in wisdom from people like Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chödrön, Brené Brown, and Glennon Doyle.… it really broadened the conversation beyond just “eat this, not that.”

That said, I really wish she had started the book the way she ended it… with her personal story of moving from nonprofit management to becoming a dietitian, and how her mom’s diagnosis shifted her philosophy with her clients away from calorie-counting toward mindful eating. That part felt more vulnerable, and I think it would’ve grounded the whole book if she led with it.

As a visual learner, I love graphics and illustrations but they were a bit overwhelming even for me. I wish they were all pushed to the end of the chapters or even put into a separate workbook with the journaling prompts she provides.

Most of all, I wish she had included or engaged with Sonia Renee Taylor’s The Body Is Not an Apology. That work goes deeper into the roots of why our culture struggles so much with body kindness, especially for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Including that lens would’ve made this book more inclusive. meaningful and impactful.

With that being said, I needed this refresher because I found myself falling back into old patterns so I’m grateful for my friend who gifted this book for me.

[nils · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña por Nilsa López

"Body Kindness" de Rebecca Scritchfield es una lectura para  cualquiera que haya luchado (o lo esté) con la autoaceptación y la imagen corporal. En el sentido de que está escrito de una manera sencilla y tiene visuales que hacen que la lectura sea menos pesada para un tema tan complejo.

En un mundo saturado de dietas y estándares de belleza inalcanzables, Scritchfield ofrece una perspectiva que va más allá del peso y las calorías.

Como dietista y especialista en salud, aporta una mezcla de conocimientos científicos y experiencias personales que hacen que su mensaje sea accesible y creíble. Su enfoque se centra en la idea de que merecemos tratarnos con amabilidad y respeto, independientemente de nuestro tamaño o forma corporal.

El libro está estructurado en torno a un enfoque de pilares: Amor, Conexión y Cuidado. Cada sección ofrece estrategias prácticas, ejercicios de reflexión y anécdotas que invitan a los lectores a reconsiderar su relación con la comida, el ejercicio y, lo más importante, consigo mismos. 

Uno de los aspectos más destacados de "Body Kindness" es su rechazo a las soluciones rápidas y las promesas vacías. En lugar de ello,  promueve  un cambio gradual y sostenible que honre nuestras necesidades físicas y emocionales. 

Si quieres comenzar tu camino a  transformar tu enfoque sobre  el bienestar y la autoaceptación, este libro es un buen lugar de partida en el tema de la relación con la comida.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit preachy at times, but one of those books where you use what you need and leave the rest. I personally benefited from the bridge between spiraling up Scritchfield wrote about, and how that relates to our body positivity. For instance, intuitive eating and mindful movement leading to a healthy mind and body regardless of weight loss, a body may or may not lose weight, but you are working with your body regardless, not fighting against it and trying to mold it into a shape it might not be meant to be. I may purchase the journal that accompanies this book as well, because there are a lot of writing prompts that seem interesting.

[Gala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Дуже твереза книга про доброзичливе й помірковане ставлення до свого тіла. Авторка не психотерапевт, але пропонує багато вправ та рекомендацій в КПТ-стилі і вони досить влучні. Загалом це хороший посібник для внесення змін в свій звияайний розпорядок(чи його відсутність).

[Masha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un livre sympa si l'on est perdu dans le chemin du bien-être, le VRAI. Pas l'image faussée des corps parfaits et de la sur-productivité. Beaucoup d'exercices à faire soi-même, il faut prendre le temps et c'est ce qu'il m'a manqué pour appliquer chacun des exos.

[Emily Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

All women should read this book! For me it was life-changing in knowing there was a path away from diet culture that lead to a healthy, happy, fulfilling life. Easy to read and powerful.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great how to for life.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beat book on a healthy lifestyle I’ve EVER READ

[Sarah Elmore]

I stopped reading after a couple of weeks of trying so hard to get through the first chapter. As others have said, it felt conflicting even within the first few pages.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

There was nothing really wrong about this book, it was just more introductory-level than I was hoping for.

I would recommend it to anyone looking into this topic for the first time.

[Cora Paradiso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute game changer. I don't often do this, but I have bought this book for other friends, that's how much of an impact it had on me.