[.ca] Thin Within: A Grace-Oriented Approach to Lasting Weight ... (ISBN 0849908469)

Grace at Last!:
At first I had a hard time with this book because it reminded me of my failures about 5 years ago with Gwen Shamblin's Weigh Down program. I left the book on my coffee table and picked it up about six weeks later with a more open heart and mind. Wow, am I glad I did. Now I see that before, the focus was on obedience, but I could never quite make the connection and understand how eating when I wasn't hungry was "disobedient". It seemed to be all or nothing in that program. This book gives me the freedom to change the way I eat in gradual steps. Right now I am waiting until I am hungry to eat, sitting down and eating in a relaxed way, etc. I have not fully learned to stop when satisfied but I am getting there. I feel great about the progress I have made and know the rest will come as I continue. The best part is that almost immediately, I stopped thinking constantly about food at felt at peace with myself and with God in this area. Rethinking years of wrong habits and ideas does not come overnight by "being obedient". It comes with understanding of ourselves, how our bodies are made and with the loving, step-by-step, grace filled approach this book offers. I highly recommend it!

The only thing that's worked for me!:
I've tried numerous programs to lose weight over the last 7 years (Weight Watchers, Dr. Phil, Oprah/Bob Greene, First Place, the GI Diet, etc), and nothing worked because they were too complicated, or restricting, or whatever. Without exercise, I released 12 pounds in 8 weeks thanks to Thin Within! Then, I added in Leslie Sansone's "Walk Away the Pounds" walking program, and lost weight a little faster! I plateaued (sp?) at a release of 25 lbs in 2005, and am soooo thrilled to report having gone from a size 12/14 to a size 8 with relative ease! I can't recommend this book/program enough! :D

Christianity, the best diet ever.:
The original edition of this book was an interesting and inspiring approach to weight management written in a direct and reader-friendly manner. This edition is an uneasy hybrid of religious proselytizing and weight loss advice based on the notion Christianity is the best diet ever. The theory and tips that made Thin Within so useful in its first incarnation are buried under an avalanche of quotes from the Christian Bible, and digging your way through is an exhausting task. The implication that Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Pagans, atheists and everyone other than born-again Christians are excluded from the Hallidays' weight management paradise because they lack the requisite theology is simply offensive.

What happened to the original version of this book?:
I read the original version of this book when it was first published in 1987. If you want to avoid the religious rhetoric, check out that version instead. The old version is excellent. I give the new version only two stars because the pervasiveness of born again Christian thinking is a dissapointment and a distraction from the principles that can help anyone (not just Christians) struggling with their weight or body image. I am happy for Judy that she has found her spiritual path, but it is really a shame to alienate people who do not share her beliefs. That said, the concepts of this non-diet lifestyle are excellent. It teaches you to listen to your body and take value judgements out of evaluating food. No food is forbidden, but you commit to eating only when you are truly hungry. As simple as it sounds, it takes tremendous commitment, time and compassion toward yourself to make this change - but if you do you wont regret it! Good luck.

Life Saver:
I love the book and I'm using it to change my way of thinking about food. I love the spiritual aspect, its messages and short prayers give me something to focus on instead of my obessive food thoughts. The book is divided into short 30 daily readings. You only read a little each day, and focus on that days message. It's non diet approach and useful information, I use every day. I have gone from this food obessive person to one who has control over food. Yes, I have lost weight and I'm so thrilled with how I now look at life. From the start, this book gave me hope that I could lose weight and keep it off.