Today’s Book:
A Course in Weight Loss
21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever
By Marianne Williamson
This review is late. We’re not even on a half moon right now. I missed that boat by a mile. The thing is, I had some REAL trouble with this book. HayHouse sent me this book for free, over a month ago, and I’d intended to sit down and just devour it. That was NOT, however, what happened.
I sat down and read the first lesson excitedly. Then I couldn’t pick it up again for almost two weeks during which I went completely out of control, eating anything and everything I could get my hands on.
I didn’t forget about the book. As a matter of fact, as I was stuffing my face, I kept thinking about how ironic it was to be “trying” to read a book about weight loss while failing so miserably in the self control department. That was when I knew for sure that I needed this book.
I didn’t need this book to tell me how to eat or what to eat or when to eat. I didn’t need it to tell me that I needed exercise.
I needed this book to begin overcoming the mindless compulsion to fill an ever expanding hole in myself with food.
I am a person who will sit down at dinner and eat until I’m full; Then continue eating until I’m stuffed; Then continue eating until I’m nearly sick. Completely out of control. Just a few more bites. It tastes so good!
Ugh.
I’ve tried controlling the impulse in the past, and frankly it’s a flat out miracle that I’m not much heavier than I am.
In this book, Marianne outlines a 21 lesson program for finding the root causes of your compulsion to overeat. She doesn’t encourage you to follow a regimen for fat burning or calorie decrease. She doesn’t preach at you all the facts and figures on heart disease or diabetes or any other weight related issue.
She encourages you to realize the beautiful, God given perfection you already possess. She lights the way for you to see your dysfunction in a new way so you may overcome it, and release your psychological need to carry your pain around in the form of excess fat on your body.
I realized, almost immediately, that my going out of control and on an eating binge was a subconscious resistance to seeing this dysfunction in myself. I have always had issues with my weight, and I can now easily see how dysfunctional my issues have been.
It occurred to me that my ego self must love this dysfunctional, fat ridden problem of mine because the ego is a fixer. Always managing to maintain a weight issue was a wonderful way for me to never feel quite good enough and keep my ego forever busy trying to “fix” this ridiculous body of mine.
This book reminded me of a 12 step program, and she even makes reference to such programs in her pages. Anyone out there who’s ever found peace while working with a 12 step will love this book.
The only thing about this book that I really didn’t like was the language. Marianne is very well known for her Christian way of speaking and relating, which generally I LOVE. I’ve always held Christian ways dear to my heart, having been raised in a Free Methodist church. If you asked me what my very favorite Spiritual book is, I would promptly tell you how I feel about the Bible.
This book was SO heavy with Christian language though, I found it to be quite a turn off.
That was it though. The message was there, and spot on! I really did enjoy the book because I was able to transcend the language. If you have a hard time with the word “God” or relating to Christian type language, this book will just be a disappointment I think.
If you are one who is able to see past language and get the message, this book is invaluable.
In closing, because weight is such a prominent issue for so many people, I would like to present you with a second opinion on this book via my very best friend, Miss Ash. She was also given a free copy of this book in exchange for her honest thoughts on it, and you can find out what she thought here.
