<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Living Life and Lovin' It
Review: Carol Johnson shares well documented factual information as well as terrific practical advice and encouraging tidbits, in this educational, inspirational, and easy to read text. As the recent owner of a women's health club and an active fitness instructor, I see women's lives change for the better physically, mentally and emotionally when they learn to respect and care for themselves in the bodies they have, whether they are small or large. This book is a great resource in helping large women to enjoy health and life quality, and one that I regularly recommend to both my students and my friends!
Rating: 
Summary: Healthy Attitudes Mean Healthy People
Review: I first read Carol Johnson's book several years ago after approximately my zillionth diet, a *physician-supervised* supplemented fast much like Optifast- - three 200-calorie powdered "shakes" a day. I lost about 90 pounds in 7 months. I gained gallstones, chilblains, and a permanently messed-up metabolism. I wasn't the type of person to cheat on a diet or a "re-feeding" plan and was horrified to have the weight I took such pains to lose come back when it wasn't supposed to. This made me think that all the things I had been waiting to do- - - dressing beautifully, roller-blading, lap swimming, kayaking, t'ai-chi, yoga, public performing- - - might pass me by, if thinness wasn't permanently achievable for me. My doctor of the last few years has had me focus on eating unprocessed foods, lots of fish and vegetables and fruit and complex carbs, and upon exercise. I haven't lost weight, and I am a fat woman. BUT I now swim laps, tried roller-blading (hated it!), am a water aerobics addict, a yoga enthusiast, a public speaker and performer, have great blood pressure, good blood sugar & cholesterol, etc. Carol's book was a "how-to" book for me. If I lose weight, great! But if I don't, I learned from her how to go forward confidently, that I am SO MUCH MORE than my outward appearance, and that I CAN make that appearance fantastic and my confidence even more so. "Self-esteem Comes In All Sizes" was a building block for that confidence. I hope it does the same for you.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic book for seekers of self acceptance
Review: I had long been on the road to self acceptance when I came across this book. I had been a yo-yo dieter for years, hating myself and my body. If this book had been written earlier, I would have not spent so many years hating myself. I highly recommend this book to those folk who are just starting or are already well on the road to self acceptance as it shows you can be happy and healthy no matter what your size.
Rating:
Summary: A vital and important book
Review: I liked this book very much. Having a large body, being fat is not reason to be ashamed. Some of the comments here surprise me. What is so frightening about fat people living their lives to the fullest? Its seems as though this would be a threat to the negative posters here. Why is that? What would happen if fat people stopped putting up with the insults, barbs, death warnings? One less target for the insecure people of the world?Saying that it comes down to eating huge meals is very simplistic. Plenty of thin people eat huge meals as well, but their bodies react differently. Also, society blames fat people for being fat, tells them it's all their fault, and feels that it's ok to treat fat people differently or to discriminate against them. Compare that to how almost anyone else who "caused" their own condition is treated. The paraplegic who got that way because he drove drunk is not berated, belittled, made fun of,and he has laws to protect him from discrimination. This is true of the mountain climber who falls and hurts herself as well. Why is it that it's the fat people who get the bad treatment and not the others? I think people are afraid that if fat people believe in themselves and live full lives, their life long obsession with being thin will somehow be less valued - and well it should be. More power to fat people who go and live thier lives - exercise, dine out, have relationships, etc.
Rating:
Summary: A life changing book!
Review: I put off buying this book for a long time for whatever reason, but am so glad i finally did! This is a life-changing book. For those of us who struggle with weight and everything that goes with it, this book is for us. It reminds us that there is more to life than what size we are and has some really good resources of where to find clothing, shoes, etc. I highly recommend this book. It is right up there with Hirschman and Munter's book, Overcoming Overeating and When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies. This is a keeper!
Rating:
Summary: Self Esteem DOES come in all sizes
Review: I read Carol Johnson's book a long time ago, before it's revision and it truly changed my mind about myself. While I am not obese, I have weight issues that I have dealt with since my first diet at age 12. I think that some of the other customer reviewers have missed the point of the book. I don't believe that Carol Johnson ever denied that healthy eating and exercise are a very big part of being healthy. What she does emphasize is that even those who eat healthy foods in reasonable portions and who exercise to their best ability may not fit into what one reviewer called "normal" status. "Normal" is one of those words that some people use to keep prejudice going. What is normal anyway? There certainly isn't one definition for that word, because what you feel is normal is different from what I feel. That's because we are viewing it with a subjective rather than objective eye. Self esteem is vital to success; whether it be in school, business or your personal life. I believe that Carol Johnsons' book supports self esteem for all people, regardless of their size. And that is the point, my friends. Thin people are not necessarily better or smarter than heavy people; the so-called "experts" out there would just like us to believe that it is so.
Rating: 
Summary: A reason not an excuse...
Review: I think than many of us are bigger than we ought to be. Yes, maybe we should all diet down, but what are you supposed to do right now? Feel bad and hate yourself? Ms Johnson's answer to that is No, No NO! I think it is time that people stop treating obesity as the unpardonable sin. There are worst characteristics in the world than being fat. Some people blame everything bad in their life on whatever weight they happen to be at the moment, and this is not right. Not everyone is meant to be skinny, and they should not be ostracized nor discriminated against because of size. You should be able to have a happy life filled with love whether you are a size 2 or a size 22. This is all that Ms Johnson's book is trying to assert. Which I why I like this book.
Rating:
Summary: A life changing book!
Review: The main message I took away from this book was that being fat is nothing to be ashamed of, and no reason to put off enjoying life and doing what you want to do. Given that millions of women of all sizes are miserable about their weight, hide themselves away because of shame about their weight, and think "I have to be thin before I can participate in public life or enjoy myself," I think Johnson's book sends a very important countermessage. Given the daily media bombardments reinforcing the notion that fat people don't deserve to be part of public life, I think her message needs wide distribution. The tips on creating your own support group are invaluable.
Rating:
Summary: Uplifting and Essential For Your Size Positive Library
Review: The premise that we should not measure our self esteem by numbers on a scale is not new but still needs to be echoed to the public. Regardless of how or why we are fat is less relative than how we are perceived by today's society and our own selves. We are constantly bombarded with negative images and ideals that because we are fat we are less than deserving. This book explores the unpopular idea that never mind that your fat, learn to accept who you are and celebrate life regardless of your waist size. As some of the negative comments have eluded this book does not tell us to go out and super size your burger combination every chance you get. It merely states to stop the fixation of counting every calorie or bite we take. Stop feeling guilty for taking up space. Stop the obsession to fit into an unrealistic body type that may not be for you. How can bolstering a person's self worth be so objectionable? Because the author refuses to beat herself and others up for her choice to be happy and live life in the bountiful body she has. To some not to conform is a sin punishable by exclusion. Bad eating habits are not exclusive to fat people. Plenty of thin people have poor eating habits and unhealthful lifestyles but only fat people are called to task for it. Society tells us it's our fault we're fat. We just lack willpower. That statement is an easy way out when they examine us and we can't be pigeonholed into some kind of medical disorder. When all else fails we must be at fault. When low calorie restrictive diets only cause a yo-yo pattern of weight loss and weight gain...It again must be OUR fault. The author dares to suggest that perhaps the pattern itself is to blame. That if we broke the cycle and stopped putting our lives on hold until we are that magic number on the scale we might be healthy and happier. Research supports that idea but because the diet industry has such a choke hold on the information that trickles down to us, we never hear this message. This book Self Esteem Comes In All Sizes is a must have for any woman trying to shed the cloak of self hate and destain because of their size. I have given the previous version as gifts and look forward to passing on this one as well.
Rating:
Summary: Being happy is an important part of being healthy
Review: _Self-Esteem Comes In All Sizes_ is one of my favorite self-help books of all time. In fact, I've gone back and read it more than once. For those who think this might be a book about "giving up on yourself," be aware that there's nothing here that says we shouldn't take care of our health, enhance our looks, or be aware of what we eat; quite the contrary, it's all about how to have a healthy--and happy--lifestyle, including normal eating and exercise. The author reminds us, however, that in our current culture, being fat isn't regarded simply as a health or even an aesthetic problem, it's viewed as "sin." To compare weight with other health issues, she asks, "Would I have let the number that represents my blood pressure dictate my worthiness as a person?" In response to the way women beat ourselves up about our appearance and use our feelings about how we look as a reason for self-hatred and emotional paralysis, Johnson urges us to remember that "your beauty also comes from your zest for life, your fun-loving spirit, a smile that lights up your face, your compassion for others..." Many women's lives are so consumed by their obession with weight that they put their lives on hold. "The anxiety it breeds fills the mind to overflowing and washes away any ambition that is not related to losing weight." She points out that one of the foremost authorities on eating disorders, Hilde Bruch, said, "There is a great deal of talk about the weakness and self-indulgence of overweight people who eat 'too much.' Very little is said about the selfishness and self-indulgence involved in a life which makes one's appareance the center of all values." _Self-Esteem Comes In All Sizes_ emphasizes that we need to be proud of our differences. She wonders "why should a tulip aspire to be a rose?" and one of the members of her Largely Positive support groups reminds us: "God made both St. Bernards and Chihuahas." This is a book that encourages its readers to commend themselves for their good health decisions every day, and think of each positive step as a "bonus" rather than focusing on our deficits.
<< 1 >>
|
