embody: Learning to Love Your Unique Body (and quiet that critical voice!)

I wish I had found this book earlier.I have struggled with my body image for as long as I can remember. As I sit here typing this now, I am still struggling. I am exhausted from this. It is crippling at times. And I feel like it's so stupid because the world is so full of problems and so many people have it so much worse. But this is my reality - I am an adult woman who is very well accomplished in life. I am someone that other people look up to. And I can't get out of my own head with this whole body image thing.I'm happy to have found this book. I am someone who has dieted and exercised for years. I have lost 40 pounds and gained it back. I have run half marathons and had to have surgery on both feet and actually was PROUD of myself that I HURT my own body so badly by running even when I felt physical pain. Because, after all, isn't that what we are supposed to do? Suffer to be skinny? The problem is, I'm still not skinny. The moment I stop treating myself as though I'm a terrible person who deserves punishment, I gain my weight back.I found this book in a moment of sheer frustration and sadness. I started to read it. And for the past month, I have not been to the gym. I'm not saying you should never work out again if you beginning learning the body positive way of life. I'm saying that FOR ME, I had to take a break. I was always tormenting myself with the daily mantra of "Gotta get to the gym, gotta get to the gym, gotta get to the gym" nonstop. Like a broken record in my head. I'm exhausted from it.I've been reading this book slowly. I read and when something really strikes me, I dog-ear the page (there are a lot of dog-eared pages in this book for me) and I take a break. Sometimes I don't pick it back up for a day, maybe two. I am really trying to understand what the words are telling me. I'm trying to incorporate it into my daily life so that I can stop this cycle of abusing and punishing myself when I dare to eat "too many" slices of pizza or have the audacity to enjoy a cookie.I'm a work in progress, and I have a long way to go. But this book, without a doubt, is helping me. I am so thankful to have found it. I highly recommend it to anyone who is struggling with these voices inside their head telling them that they are not good enough.

I really enjoyed this book. It was eye opening & full of compassion. As someone who struggles with the concept of Self-Love, I truly appreciated how they broke the competencies down & made it understandable for all. I really appreciated the compassion they offered as this is a new concept for many. I'm looking forward to learning more about being a more active voice in The Body Positive community now after reading this book.

This is a beautiful book, woven with heart-wrenching stories and inspiring quotes that teach readers how to love their unique bodies (and quiet that critical inner voice). The author is a co-founder of wonderful The Body Positive organization. I loved this book. In my experience, the ability to appreciate your body is often a rate-limiting step to rejecting the diet mentality and committing to a Health at Every Size® approach. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a body!

This is an interesting book. I am trying to change my relationship with food and my body. This is just one of many tools I am using.

We are bombarded every day by messages telling us we are not enough unless we buy what ever the advertisement is selling. This book reminds us that, as Jane Austen famously said, "We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be."

Overall, this is a good book. The Five Competencies of the Be Body Positive Model should definitely be more widely known and practiced. But while there are activities listed at the end of each chapter, the chapters themselves are short on specific "how-tos." The author gives some vague examples of her own practices in the areas of quieting negative inner voices or relying on inner strength, and then she suggests that the readers do the same. Without specific, detailed instructions, though, I'm left thinking, "Yeah, I'd love to. But how?" Even the instructions at the ends of the chapters can be vague, along the lines of, "Do this practice however it feels best." Okay, but if I don't have a plan to try first, how can I tell how it feels, or what needs to change? It's very however-you-like-it, but if I already knew how I liked things and what felt best in terms of accepting my body as-is, I probably wouldn't be reading books like this one in the first place. So this book is better for theoretical knowledge. Look elsewhere for practical steps. Body Kindness by Rebecca Stritchfield has lots of detailed, specific steps to take, things to try, and prompts to journal. If you're more into art therapy, Dr. Deah's Calmanac has good, detailed instructions for projects exploring body acceptance.

In spring 2015 I was encouraged by a friend to read a book called “Embody” by Connie Sobczak. Little did I know how much my outlook on life and myself would change from reading what I now call my “Bible.” I learned about how five simple competencies can truly have a significant impact on how we view ourselves. I was so inspired from reading the book and decided to look into the Body Positive program and what it entailed. I attended an all day workshop in Berkeley in July 2015 and needless to say, I was personally transformed. I learned that acknowledging and embracing my critical voice was the change that was needed within me to trust my inner truth. I now know that everything I need to know is inside me. -Angela Girard

I had been looking for a book to help me recognize my personal feelings about my body, and I found it! This book is an easy read that will have you read onside ring all the negative things you have been listening to, and help you find a path of freedom, and trust in who you are and what you need, not what the world is telling you. I am looking forward to moving forward in my journey!

This book is wonderful and full of personal stories that each reader can relate to. It's an easy read and fascinating how the diet industry works to make money. The book is well laid out and easy to follow the competencies. I LOVE the activities suggested to reinforce the teachings of the book.

livre incontournable, je recommande vivement pour apprendre à s'accepter et s'aimer.

It's easily the best book I have read about body image, diets, eating disorders, food and self-love!I highly, highly recommend it if you are struggling with any of the above as it will totslly turn your thinking around.It's beautifully written, with lots of wonderful guidance, intuitive practices, empowerment stories and advice on how to cultivated self-love in yourself and those around you and to embrace your authentic beauty!I love it, love it, love it!

Eat intuitively. Exercise intuitively. Love yourself. Surround yourself by like minded people. Change your life

Very sensitive and helpful book if you're dealing with challenges around body image. Many great insights and practices that start to shift your mind-set and get you thinking about yourself and your body in a whole new way. This is definitely a book I will use with, and recommend to, clients.