Dear Body: What I Lost, What I Gained, and What I Learned Along the Way – An Inspiring Story of Healing Trauma and Overcoming Obesity

by Brittany Williams

The inspiring story of how one woman overcame her struggle with obesity by healing childhood trauma and confronting her innermost demons.

Raised in a turbulent home, Brittany Williams learned to use food as a coping mechanism to manage her feelings at a young age. When she was 14, a family member’s comment “no man will want you with a pudgy figure like that” forever changed the way she viewed her body and opened a door, new and alluring, into the world of self-loathing, self-punishment, and dieting.

Told with Brittany’s unflagging honesty and trademark vulnerability, Dear Body describes the tensions of growing up in a body that often felt more like a traitor than a friend. She details the slow but steady work that went into dismantling hard-wired behaviors as she learned to trust in herself, even as she faced setbacks like heartbreak, pregnancy loss, and marital infidelity. As we share in her deepest moments of joy and heartache, Brittany reveals that the path to healing requires much more than changing what you eat, and explains how she was finally able to take charge of the course of her health and her life.

Filled with poignant lessons and hard-won advice, Dear Body is the story of a woman’s relationship with her body, and herself. A story unique to Brittany, but familiar to all of us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Memoir, Biography Memoir

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2023

Reviews

[Brianna Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not give star ratings to memoirs, because no matter what I feel about a memoir, it's someone's life story, and I don't feel it's my place to "rate" it. So if you see a star rating attached to this review, it's only because it was required.

I found Dear Body to be a very raw, open, honest book, while also not being quite what I expected. I've followed Brittany Williams for several years on social media and know a fair amount of her story from what she shares there. This book delved much deeper into her story, giving the details behind some of the topics she's mentioned on social media, as well as sharing a lot more about her unique upbringing.

I think everything that she shared in the book absolutely had an impact on her body, and I love how she opened each chapter with a short letter to her body. I can see why all of the content that was included in the book was chosen. It was included with thought and intention. I was really blown away by her honesty, vulnerability, and openness with everything that she shared. I'm sure putting this book into the world involved a lot of difficult conversations with her family and loved ones, because it did not seem that Brittany held too much back.

Brittany has always come across on social media as someone filled with joy, but that joy did not come without a great deal of pain and trauma. Her resiliency is astounding.

That all being said, for some reason I expected this book to share more of her story regarding her weight loss. While the weight loss is just one small part of Brittany's life story, it is the part of her story that made so many of her followers aware of her. So, I fully expected the book to dive into the mental and internal changes she made in order to make such drastic life changes. I understand that her eating plan is brilliant in its simplicity and doesn't need multiple chapters to be explained. Many of us know the science behind weight loss, but struggle with the internal work, the mental side of it. As I read about Brittany's trauma, identified with some of her struggles, and began to feel that there's hope for me when I see the turnaround she made in her life, I became very eager to read about HOW she did just that. I was excited to gain insight into that and apply what I learned into my own life. But the part of the book that described the "how" felt so short, minor, and insignificant.

By no means do I mean to minimize her trauma and suffering, I just had different expectations regarding the content of the book. This does not mean that it was a bad book in any way. In fact, the fault could be my own, as no one ever said it was going to be a guide on how to lose weight. I have to remember that this is a memoir, not a self-help book, so I think perhaps my expectations were just wrong. I'm only bringing it up here for anyone else who might have the same expectations going in.

If you go into this book purely wanting to know more about Brittany Williams or to read the story of someone who triumphed over lots of adversity, pain, and trauma, I think this book will give you exactly what you are looking for. I would still absolutely recommend this book. Brittany is a good writer and I really have respect for everything she has survived and how she continues to find so much joy in life. But if you are reading it in the hopes of learning practical applications that you can use in your own life to change your own future, that is not what this book is intended for, so it's important to keep that in mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed the author on instagram for several years now. She’s honest about her journey to become healthy and she definitely accomplished it. This book is not necessarily about all she did just to lose weight. It’s a memoir of how she became the person she wanted to be. My favorite part of this book was in the epilogue. She wrote: “It really started to click for me when I started to treat my body like she’s a toddler. I make sure she drink’s enough water; I put her to bed at bedtime; I tell her she can’t have 12 cookies; I make sure she finishes her vegetable; I remind her how smart she is; I tell her how kind she is; I make sure she knows how important she is.” That’s what parents try to do help their toddlers grow to be healthy and happy children, teenagers, adults. As adults we should do that for ourselves too. Those few sentences really stuck we me. Thank you!

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I had this book recommended to me by a coworker. I had never heard of Brittany Williams until I started reading her book.

Brittany writes about her life story. It’s truthful, raw and pretty much unfiltered.

You go through the ups and downs with her childhood, her relationships and her family.

And most importantly her struggle with her weight and unhealthy eating.

Halfway through the book I was so intrigued with Brittany’s story that I had to search her on social media, and lo and behold she gained another follower (me).

Very inspiring!

Brittany, I would love to be your real life friend and help me with my unhealthy eating habits because I sure do need your help LOL.

[Leah Lamoureux · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were aspects of this book I had trouble relating to - like being a mother or religion. But overall it was a good memoir!

[Noelle Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following Brittany for a long time and I've felt like we were alike in our background but it wasn't until I read her book that I realized HOW VERY SIMILAR our upbringings were. I'm definitely inspired and see how we can self sabotage ourselves when we are not in the right mindset. We believe lies. Thank you Brittany for such a vulnerable story.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who deals with chronic illness and wants to form a better relationship with my body, this title caught my attention at the bookstore. Unfortunately, the book didn't work for me as it seemed incomplete and unrelatable.

It's undeniable that what you put into your body plays a large role in healing and your overall health, and the author has a firm grasp of this. I don't feel like this book touched enough on the mental aspect of healing. It's clear that her parents were abusive and she had PTSD from one of her pregnancies, but it felt brushed under the rug by the end.

The religious and pregnancy mentions were hard to relate to. This is not the author's fault, but I feel like the book cover doesn't really speak well to its contents.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't like to "rate" memoirs because they are someone's story and we may not all personally relate to it.

I didn't know who Brittany was until I received this book in a goodreads giveaway!

Brittany wrote this book in such an open and raw way so that you could really get to know her, her life and her struggles. Brittany not only writes about her successes but touches base on some of the struggles and the not so sunshine and rainbow parts of her journey.

I also liked her style of writing and that she likes to stay connected to those who are going through the same type of journey.

I will be looking in to more things from Brittany!

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an arc of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This memoir was amazing. It was beautifully written and extremely relatable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Emily Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would Definitely Recommend

I give this book five stars for her vulnerability, honesty and her willingness to be raw and forthcoming. I didn’t realize that the end would be so much about eating - I can appreciate that that is her journey, but I didn’t sign on to read a health self-help book. However, in saying that, I did learn a lot and was encouraged by her words.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! A must read if you struggle with any type of unhealthy relationship with food! Brittany is amazing and a true gem!

[Michelle Leighty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book! Brittany’s story really resonates with me. This has given me a lot of encouragement for my own self healing and body loving journey.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't the worst memoir I've read but also wasn't as great as I thought it would be. My favorite parts and the highlights was her vulnerability around child loss and birth, I'm also a c-section mom and her first c-section brought up a lot of relatable feelings for me. Outside of those chapters it felt like there was still a lot of work to be done. The writing seems a bit immature at times and the writer truly seems to love talking about how great they are in a way that's off putting rather than it being more around confidence. The author also advertised it as a tell all and then decided to say they were betrayed by their partner in an extramarital way but it wasn't an affair and we were just left hanging there. For someone who was truly so brave and bold to talk about her miscarriages and child loss it seemed odd to advertise there'd be details about an extramarital situation but then elaborate in absolutely no way. While it does feel like the author has made a lot of progress in their life it seems like there are still too many excuses being made for those that abused her and family that were her first bullies. You can love someone but hold them accountable and say "well they tried". As a parent now I've come to terms with my own families/parents short comings but I don't give them a pass saying they tried because while I was raised with yelling and aggression like the author I refuse to raise my child that way because I actually am trying. My parents were also young and poor etc, but after years of non-religious bound therapy I've come to realize I can let go of the trauma but realize I deserved better and not make excuses for their choices. While some parts are progressive there's still some fatphobic content/writing in here. While her health issues that caused her losses were absolutely serious and it's not ok the drs didn't take her seriously, I've known MANY 300+ lb people who've carried and delivered perfectly healthy babies. I wish she'd talked more about the clotting factors and such because that is something that a lot of drs overlook but many suffer loses because of those issues. Overall I wanted more from this book, while she went throttle pedal to the metal divulging beautiful details and insight into grief and loss she then cut that short about how that can truly affect a marriage. It was also a little *too* religious for my taste (coming from a Christian) because it just makes it incredibly niche. While I enjoyed the talk about how purity culture can taint our perception of our bodies and the more raw parts of religion the rest was just too preachy.

[CatherineA · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the author and creator of "Instant Loss" comes this testimonial of how a person changed her view of her body from one of self-loathing to self-love. Each chapter begins with a short letter written to her body that reflects how she thought about it. The author came from a background of "self-medicating" with food to hide the difficult things she was going through. After going through some difficult pregnancies (made more so by her weight and bad eating habits) and miscarriages, Brittany Williams was motivated to turn her life around.

She wrote online about what she was doing with her newly acquired Instant Pot. This led to the creation of "Instant Loss" - the idea of creating recipes using the Instant Pot to lose weight in a healthy manner.

This is a very motivational story, showing how even the greatest setbacks in life can be used to create something beautiful - a God-honoring life.

[Bev O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable. I feel really sad after reading the author’s trauma. I’m thinking that the book is supposed to be inspiring, but for me, it never moved from trauma to inspiring.

I received the book for free from a Goodreads giveaway.

[Katie G · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book taught me a valuable lesson: never buy a memoir without reading up on the author.

I had never heard of Instant Loss or the author. I just saw the description and figured this would be full of lessons about how she learned to let go of the past and lose weight. I didn't realize this book really belonged in the Christian section.

Maybe if I had gone into this wanting to know more about the author I would have liked it more, but I had no idea who she was. I just wanted a story about someone trying to lose weight, as normally those stories are inspiring to me.

This book was mostly just boring. I enjoyed the last few chapters, but that was about it.

Also, of your husband cheats on you as you're recovering from two miscarriages and a still birth, I really don't think you get to call him "one of the good ones" -- or at least you can't do that and expect me to care about your opinion on anything else.

The only part I liked was when she said that men should be allowed to stay home and raise the kids and women should be allowed to work, regardless of what gender stereotypes say. I fully agree with that.

[Linsey Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Brittany shortly after her first post in the Instant Pot group on FB about cooking at home every night and having lost weight. I quickly became one of her biggest supporters, bought her weekly meal plans that were around $3 each at the time. Her and I have so many similarities in our lives/pregnancies so I had already been aware of most her story but even reading this taught me things about her I didn’t already know. I didn’t realize the impact of her upbringing until I read her testimony. This book does have triggers and I was definitely in tears. I myself had similar csections to hers and birth trauma is real.

I truly believe that to know her is to love her. Her testimony is raw, real, uncomfortable at times if you have lived through similar experiences BUT this book is a beautiful written testimony to how weight gain and weight loss is so much more than just food. Brittany teaches us the importance of taking care of our bodies just like we do our children’s. We don’t let them eat 12 cookies so we shouldn’t let ourselves; simple yet makes a big impact.

All of this to say, read this book! Congratulations friend, a beautiful book by a beautiful person ❤️

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this little book took me by surprise!

I really didn’t know much about Brittany Williams, other than she was the creator of the Instant Loss cookbook series and she had lost over one hundred pounds using this method with the Instant Pot {side note, she wrote about said weight loss journey in her first book - Instant Loss Cookbook: the recipes & meal plans I used to lose over 100 pounds - check it out if you’d like to learn more}

When I started this book, I wasn’t sure it would be for me.
The beginning felt a little cheesy, like reading over someone’s diary, but I continued on.
Brittany’s story became relatable, like I could see portions of my own past experiences within hers, which I hadn’t expected. I felt as if I were spending time with a friend.
The Dear Body segments began to feel like love letters written to one’s self and feeling thankful how it’s carried you along.
I didn’t mind hearing more about her faith, but if you’re put off by the topic of religion.. you might want to skim over those areas.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable {& quick} read.
Something I would recommend to those familiar with the Instant Loss cookbooks or social media followers.
As someone who could always use a boost in the ways of healthier eating, I’m planning to check into the Instant Loss cookbooks, once again.

[Bridget Keeling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Body by Brittany Williams

The author was able to hold my attention throughout most of the book, which is unusual for me with non-fiction books. Her story is intense & my one big complaint is that I feel there should be trigger warnings for those of us who are trauma survivors & have C-PTSD or PTSD. I was triggered many times during her story, especially in regard to growing up in a family with parents who were horribly physically & emotionally abusive. I had to step away from the book for a day or so for self-care several times.

Brittany's story is tough & so is she. She seems to have found her way through it all to have a thriving life & business.

I have not read any of her other books but hope to try some of her recipes.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few years ago my mom gave me Brittany’s first cookbook after I bought myself an instant pot. I didn’t necessarily need/want the cookbook to lose weight, but I needed some quick and healthy gluten free & dairy free recipes. Well, I now have all three of her cookbooks, and they’re just about the only recipes I use for my instant pot.
I was really excited to dive into Brittany’s newest book, Dear Body, to simply learn more about her as a human.
I absolutely loved it. It is so beautifully written. Brittany is raw, honest, authentic, and pours every ounce of herself into the pages of this book. Her ability to self-reflect is inspiring.
I highlighted a lot, but here’s a favorite line of mine: “One of the hardest things about life is that everything changes. Ironically, it’s also one of the most beautiful things about it. We’ll reinvent ourselves a hundred times, chasing euphoria because we know it exists and trying to reconcile who we were with who we are becoming.”
Thank you for letting us gain a glimpse into your life through your words, Brittany. I was honored to read it

[Vinita Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the beautiful, raw, and totally real story of Brittany Williams, who I’ve been following since she burst on the Instant Pot scene back in 2017. Her book is insightful, honest, heart breaking and heart warming at the same time. The book will certainly resonate more with those of us who have been following Brittany for years, but it is sure to help anyone who has struggled with weight and/or low self esteem issues. It is a memoir but also a self help manual. And apart from all that, the writing and storytelling is just outstanding. Im not sure my review does it justice but it’s 5 stars from me!

[Melissa McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Brittany, Thank you for writing this book and making yourself so vulnerable. At some points I felt like you were so open and raw, like the molestation and Elias for example. A few other points like Brady’s cheating I felt like you could have just left it out with as vanilla and glossy you were. When you talked about your parents it is as though you were writing to them tip toeing around their feeling when it would have felt more relatable to say in truth “I love you, but y’all were a hot mess, so here’s the truth”.
All in all you’ve done amazing work, you help so many people and I hope you know you are truly appreciated.

[melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! (If I could give it more than 5 stars I would). I resonate with so much of it. I have never before written in a book, but this was my first. I circled quotes, I underlined sentences, whole paragraphs, and almost whole pages. I really feel like Brittany took my thoughts and wrote them down. I plan on referring back to this book many times. I can't recommend this book enough.
My favorite quote from the book:
Maya Angelou said, "Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn't know before you learned it."

[Mangy Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not recommend for those struggling with an eating disorder. Lots and lots of triggering language and topics.

3.75 stars - The first few chapters come across a bit like a charmed diva but that really isn’t who she seems to be. So give it some time. She’s sharing her story, her perspective, along with her hang ups and biases.

This book is not so much prescriptive as it is simply telling what happened with her and what works best for her and her family.

She has an inspiring life story to share. 💜

[Becky Gerhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn’t what I was expecting at all (which happens to me a good bit since I rarely fully read the synopsis). I was expecting an inspiring book about her weight loss journey. What I got was an open and honest book about her life - including some pretty rough/taboo topics. I wish that the book had been more like what I was expecting, but it kind of missed the mark for me. But I still appreciate the openness and honesty with which she shares her story.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won an advanced copy on Goodreads. I really liked her writing style and I could identify with much of her story. Believe it or not I have never heard of her before, so it was fascinating to watch that metamorphosis to someone that I should’ve heard of. I had trouble putting it down because she is so honest and writes so well. All in all well worth my time reading and I picked up a lot of insights about myself from the book.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I commend Brittany for writing with such accessibility and transparency as she shares basically her life story. Her wisdom and compassion for her younger self is apparent throughout this. Her story brought me to tears, sometimes in feeling so seen but other times just in being a witness in someone else’s powerful story. Even if you aren’t a close follower of Brittany online (instant loss) this is an incredible journey of challenge and introspection.

[Peggy King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an unbelievably good book. She is very transparent about her self and her life and how she not only overcomes poor eating habits but how she faces the things in her life that caused trauma. Being so transparent I feel is what helped her to be able to feel better about herself and take the steps she needed to loose weight and feel good in so many
Ways. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know who Brittany was until I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway - and I read her memoir all in one day!

The book was beautifully written and I enjoyed reading about Brittany's journey, including her successes and struggles in life. It was very honest, raw, and inspiring. I admired her openness and resilience, and could and would have read more about her and her journey to self-compassion and love.

[Cynthia Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very inspiring, hopeful, yet sometimes sad story

I couldn’t tell you why I bought this book. I think i came across an IG story on it. A week after i bought it, i’m writing this review.

I had no idea who the author was, and yet i was immediately sucked into her story. I love the beginning of each chapter with a short passage to her body (or sometimes husband).

Truthfully, my biggest fear after reading this book is that i try to change too much, too quick and it becomes unsustainable. But that is the exact opposite of what Brittany wants.

She shares her story in hopes of encouraging the reader to make small changes, build on that, nourish out bodies, and eventually that would lead to big changes.

I’m not sure we will ever go to her extremes (truthfully, i don’t want too 🫣) but i do want to live a healthier life. We shall see where God leads me.

[Kristin Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed Brittany's blog for quite a while and have all of her cookbooks. I often make her recipes and truly appreciate her raw and true view on life. While the book itself wasn't my favorite, I did find myself crying more often than not just because it felt so good to hear that there are others who have had life experiences like mine. Knowing we're not alone in some of our experiences makes this read almost supportive in a way.