[.ca] When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair (ISBN 0786885084)

From Amazon.com:
Geneen Roth estimates that she's gained and lost more than 1,000 pounds during her life. That makes her uniquely qualified to write this, her sixth book, which delivers exactly what its subtitle indicates: 50 Ways to Feel Thin, Gorgeous, and Happy (When You Feel Anything But). It's sure to appeal to her considerable cult of readers who've bought her other feel-good, anti-diet books including the bestselling When Food Is Love: Exploring the Relationship Between Eating and Intimacy and Why Weight?: A Guide to Ending Compulsive Eating. It's for the estimated 25 million women in America alone who are on diets; for those who find that they're never happy because they delay gratification ("I'll be happy when I lose 10 pounds"), and those who punish themselves for eating one too many chocolate chip cookies. Roth's advice is simple, but often beyond the realm of thinking of someone obsessed with calorie counting. She recommends that you eat at least one hot meal every day, as a slice of hot pizza will make you feel more full than a cold and cardboardy one will; that you should do one "exquisitely kind" thing for yourself every day, be it buying new underwear or taking a sledgehammer to your scale; and that you should "separate the desire to be thin from the desire to be cherished." She also gives straight diet advice that can't be found in publications along the lines of Cosmo: "Too much fat makes you fat. But too little makes you fat, too, because you usually make up for eating nonfat foods by eating twice as much. I suggest you allow yourself to eat enough fat to feel full. Part of the reason that many of us feel as if we could start eating at one end of our kitchens and chomp our way clear across the United States is that we never give ourselves permission to feel full without feeling guilty, to eat enough fat when it's not on a binge." Amen. --Erica Jorgensen

a woman's must have:
geneen roth does a fabulous job discussing our relationships between food and love, then giving you ways to change that relationship. it is NOT a diet book. it is a book to make you think.

Good, but nothing new:
My dissertation at university is on eating disorders, so I've been reading quite widely on the subject. Geneen Roth's books had been recommended to me for ages, so I decided I should start with this one: maybe it was the wrong choice as an introduction to her work, maybe not. I guess I'll find out after reading the rest of her books. Mind you, this is NOT a disappointing book: Not at all. It contains good, very useful ideas, and it makes clear points. The basic, no-diet philosophy of Roth is valid & makes sense. And since this is a self-help book, it helps that the author uses examples, little stories, & catchy titles. From cover to cover, it can be read in a couple of hours, but I think it's better to read the ideas more slowly, savouring & trying to understand each one better. "When you eat at the refrigerator..." is NOT a bad book: it's just that these things have been said before, & (in my opinion) much better, for example, by Susie Orbach. Maybe Orbach concetrates more on the theoretical part & Roth tackles the more practical, self-help part. I don't know. And maybe Roth has covered more theory in her other books. But this book, for me, was lacking in theoretical explanation of the ideas presented, & so most of these ideas seemed like little gimmicks to me. But, as a beginnning book, a book of ideas that can lead to other similar books, it's not bad.

Funny and Enlightening Book on Food ...:
I would highly recommend this book by Geneen. It is funny, enlightening and really makes you think about food and your relationship with food. The chapters are an easy read and you will find it difficult to put the book down. Geneen looks at the many causes of why we do certain things and how to rethink why we do such things. Best of luck on your new journey!

For Me, a Gentle Introduction to a Productive New Approach:
I picked this book up because its title made me laugh - such an outrageous idea. It's quick, easy, scannable, and full of nuggets that helped me begin to approach my problems with dieting and self-care with love and humor. Helped me see that bashing myself, trying to FORCE myself to follow a diet (Atkins, Weight Watchers, whatever) wasn't working for a very good reason. Several excellent reasons. And it sparked a journey of gentle self-inquiry that's proven quite fruitful. But if it hadn't been a slender volume with a sense of humor, I would have resisted the messages it contains. This book helped me begin to find answers to these questions: Why can't I stick to a diet, since being thin is what I want most? Why do I always come last in my family hierarchy of need (that, incidentally, I'm in control of, hello)? Am I just doomed to remain fat because of my genes, or my unhappiness? Both? What's the relationship between self-esteem and my weight? What does being thin represent to me? On the strength of this book, I attended a Roth seminar, and that experience is speeding me along, with insights and growth coming thick and fast. So, if you're ready for something newer and deeper than the latest tips and tricks, or another set of rules, but not quite sold on your own ability to make *anything* work - give this a try. It might be just what you need now.

Excellent Book - just one very small criticism:
Geneen Roth is right on target, AGAIN. If you've never read Ms. Roth's books, then this is a great introduction to her philosophy. If you're familiar with her work, then you'll quickly discover that this IS a moveable feast - the portable Roth. My one criticism, and maybe Ms. Roth will correct this in future printings, is the Table of Contents. This book is supposed to be 'a take along' to be read in bits and pieces as time allows and mood suggests. But when you want to find a nugget, the Table of Contents is a hindrance, not a help. I'm just a reader, not a book editor but below is an excerpt from the current layout and a recommended, improved Table of Contents: Current: 4.Give Away Clothes that Cut Off Your Circulation/22 5.Consider Howard Stern and Live 'As If'/26 6. Learn to Recognize a Fat-and-Ugly Attack/29 7. Emergency . . . Suggested 4.Give Away Clothes that Cut Off Your Circulation___22 5.Consider Howard Stern and Live 'As If'__________26 6.Learn to Recognize a Fat-and-Ugly Attack________29 7.Emergency Interventions_____________________34