Weight Loss without Worry

I have read many books about dieting, exercise and personal development; these 5 proved to be the most influential to me so I wanted to pass them along to you.

1. Self-Esteem for Women by Dr. Julie White — This is actually a recording of a live seminar. It is presented in a fun way and contains insightful information on how low self-esteem begins and how to overcome it. This was important to me in overcoming emotional eating because a lot of my destructive eating habits were linked to low self-esteem.

2. When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair by Geneen Roth — This book was so important to me because it showed me I could keep my sense of humor as I dealt with my issues with food. Geneen Roth is an entertaining author who has written many books, some of which get a bit too "new age" for me, but I highly recommend this book for those who feel stressed about their weight and dieting yet retain a good sense of humor.

3. Self Matters by Dr. Phil McGraw — Now most of us who are familiar with Dr. Phil know he wrote a book specifically on weight loss, to be honest, I never read it, or if I did I don’t remember it. This first book however, was life changing for me. Warning: don’t buy this book hoping for a light, easy afternoon read; this book took me about 3 weeks to work through but the positive results I took from the self-work exercises continue to benefit me to this day.

4. The Hunger Within by Marilyn Migliore — Like Self Matters, this book makes you work but the insights you gain are well worth the time invested. This book is presented in a very interesting way - you walk through the exercises along with three fictional classmates and get to "listen in" on their stories. A great book for discovering and moving past compulsive overeating and emotional eating.

5. The Sedona Method by Hale Dwoskin — As most of my readers know, I am willing to go outside the diet and exercise world to find weight loss solutions. This book is a self-help/self-improvement book that teaches you how to let go of feelings and emotions that lead to destructive behaviors. The techniques taught in the book take a little bit of practice but the results can be astounding.