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Letting Go of Leo: How I Broke up with Perfection
People think you have it all together. What these people don’t understand is how exhausting it feels to make it look that way. The pressure to keep it all going is intense. You feel unfulfilled and don’t believe you measure up to others. You’re constantly searching for the secret to experience confidence in your own skin.
Despite your have-it-all-together life, you can’t figure out how to accept or perfect yourself. You’ve tried diets, intense exercise, shopping, and stuffing brownies in your face. Yet nothing fills the hole deep inside, and you worry, Will I ever be enough?
You’ve come to the right place.
In Letting Go of Leo, Simi Botic gets personal about what she’s experienced and learned. She shares stories about eating a jar of peanut butter without choking to death. Stories about her thighs rubbing together. Stories of living a fantasy where she would marry Leo DiCaprio and win an Oscar. Stories of realizing that real life can be better than any fantasy, that she could show up for the good stuff and the hard stuff and, most importantly, for herself.
Simi used to freak out about food, her body, and not being perfect enough. She freaks out a lot less now. In Letting Go of Leo, she shares how she broke up with perfection—and how you can too.
Despite your have-it-all-together life, you can’t figure out how to accept or perfect yourself. You’ve tried diets, intense exercise, shopping, and stuffing brownies in your face. Yet nothing fills the hole deep inside, and you worry, Will I ever be enough?
You’ve come to the right place.
In Letting Go of Leo, Simi Botic gets personal about what she’s experienced and learned. She shares stories about eating a jar of peanut butter without choking to death. Stories about her thighs rubbing together. Stories of living a fantasy where she would marry Leo DiCaprio and win an Oscar. Stories of realizing that real life can be better than any fantasy, that she could show up for the good stuff and the hard stuff and, most importantly, for herself.
Simi used to freak out about food, her body, and not being perfect enough. She freaks out a lot less now. In Letting Go of Leo, she shares how she broke up with perfection—and how you can too.
149 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 8, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 11, 2018
I feel that not everyone gets me. Simi gets me. I quite literally am not sure if she’s me in another human form but I relate to so much of this book even down to conversations had with my husband. I finished this in one sitting. Thankful she shared her heart with us all💛
November 13, 2018
I read this book in less than three days. I laughed out loud, cried, and loved every minute of it. Simi’s experienced is extremely unique, yet so incredibly familiar. Simi, thank you for the stories and all the lessons along the way ❤️
February 25, 2021
Started this one a while ago and finally picked it up again and finished. Simi is very relatable and I saw a lot of myself in her stories.
April 4, 2019
Beautifully insightful and compelling. I want to read it all over again.
Simi is infectious with her anecdotes and her deep insights- refreshing. I have read A LOT of memoirs especially in the self-help genre. I initially thought I knew what to expect and to cue my eye-roll with every flimsy self-help-new-agey advice so I definitely had my guard up. I was pleasantly surprised, my defenses came crashing down. Her insights and stories were vulnerable, genuine and hilariously relatable. I felt like I was talking to a girlfriend who understood the painful cycle of disordered eating that consumes so many of our lives under the guise of “healthy living.”
A definite recommendation for any or all women who have experienced disordered eating. Even if you haven’t, read it, share it with others! Hoping for a sequel!
Simi is infectious with her anecdotes and her deep insights- refreshing. I have read A LOT of memoirs especially in the self-help genre. I initially thought I knew what to expect and to cue my eye-roll with every flimsy self-help-new-agey advice so I definitely had my guard up. I was pleasantly surprised, my defenses came crashing down. Her insights and stories were vulnerable, genuine and hilariously relatable. I felt like I was talking to a girlfriend who understood the painful cycle of disordered eating that consumes so many of our lives under the guise of “healthy living.”
A definite recommendation for any or all women who have experienced disordered eating. Even if you haven’t, read it, share it with others! Hoping for a sequel!
August 13, 2021
I struggled with the first half of the book as I didn't feel a connection (but really enjoyed the voice/writing style), but about 45% in, suddenly, Simi's story and I connected. It was as if she took my thoughts of perfectionism and not being fair to myself and put it into a book. I cried during some sections (her daily reminder to herself, being one). And although I am not a mother, as someone who struggles with perfectionist tendencies, I saw the way I *could* feel like that.
October 17, 2019
Light, but impactful read! Definitely not an academic book, and it's written in a very conversational/pop-culture kind of tone which, now that I think about it, is the perfect way to write a book for perfectionists about breaking up with perfectionism, ha! I've enjoyed hearing the author on podcast interviews, and really enjoyed her book. Fellow perfectionists- put this on your list!
August 13, 2018
Freeing
After 30+ years of dealing with crippling eating disorders, this book helped open my eyes to why I act and feel the way I do. It also helped me realize that I'm not alone and going through the process of healing is not shameful.
After 30+ years of dealing with crippling eating disorders, this book helped open my eyes to why I act and feel the way I do. It also helped me realize that I'm not alone and going through the process of healing is not shameful.
August 9, 2018
Completely relatable and something I’m glad I read. But really not sure why it has raving reviews. Not that well written. Kinda like a long buzzfeed article that was published in book form.
December 28, 2018
A quick read but I got some good take-aways from it. Her writing style is easy to connect with and the stories were very relatable.
October 30, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ I’m a big fan of Simi. I’ve been a member of her online barre fitness class for years. In class she is down-to-earth, kind, and funny and you can find all of those things in her book. She had a lot of thoughts that had me nodding my head continuously. So the content was great, the format was tough. It was hard to know chronically what was going on and each chapter felt chopping without really flowing well together.
“It was an unnatural and unhealthy weight for my body, and what I’ve learned over time is that my body’s healthiest size will NEVER require me to do unhealthy things to live there.”
“And then one day I heard someone share a story about a man who had been blind since birth. This man could not see the number on the scale. This person could not see how his body compared to others. This person could not see his own reflection. He was totally fine. He was happy. He was confident. He didn’t need a number to reassure himself it was OK to live his life, to wear weather-appropriate clothing, or to smile.“
“I can now see that one of the single most life-changing moments of my life was deciding that I was no longer going to make all my problems — all my worth, all my lovable-ness, all my identity, all my success, all my everything — about my body.”
“Before I could learn to trust myself, I had to have a good cry. I had to mourn! To mourn the loss of hope that I would one day look like an Olsen twin. I had to mourn the loss of hope that came when I decided that weight loss was no longer my goal. I had to mourn the loss of everything I had done, thought about, read, and invested my time in for years in an attempt to make my body perfect. On a deeper level, I had to mourn the loss of my perceived purpose and who I had come to believe I was.”
As Sarah Silverman says, “Mother Teresa didn’t walk around complaining about her thighs – she had shit to do.”
Brené Brown says, “You can’t numb those hard feelings without numbing the other affects, our emotions. You cannot selectively numb. So when we numb those [hard feelings], we numb joy, we numb gratitude, we numb happiness.”
“It was an unnatural and unhealthy weight for my body, and what I’ve learned over time is that my body’s healthiest size will NEVER require me to do unhealthy things to live there.”
“And then one day I heard someone share a story about a man who had been blind since birth. This man could not see the number on the scale. This person could not see how his body compared to others. This person could not see his own reflection. He was totally fine. He was happy. He was confident. He didn’t need a number to reassure himself it was OK to live his life, to wear weather-appropriate clothing, or to smile.“
“I can now see that one of the single most life-changing moments of my life was deciding that I was no longer going to make all my problems — all my worth, all my lovable-ness, all my identity, all my success, all my everything — about my body.”
“Before I could learn to trust myself, I had to have a good cry. I had to mourn! To mourn the loss of hope that I would one day look like an Olsen twin. I had to mourn the loss of hope that came when I decided that weight loss was no longer my goal. I had to mourn the loss of everything I had done, thought about, read, and invested my time in for years in an attempt to make my body perfect. On a deeper level, I had to mourn the loss of my perceived purpose and who I had come to believe I was.”
As Sarah Silverman says, “Mother Teresa didn’t walk around complaining about her thighs – she had shit to do.”
Brené Brown says, “You can’t numb those hard feelings without numbing the other affects, our emotions. You cannot selectively numb. So when we numb those [hard feelings], we numb joy, we numb gratitude, we numb happiness.”
June 16, 2021
As an anxious person and a recovering perfectionist, I related SO much to Simi's stories. She writes in a super conversational tone, which may not be for everyone, but it felt like talking to a friend. She does reference disordered eating, including some specific habits, so that may be something to watch out for if that's not something you want to engage with. This book functions a lot like a memoir, so if you're looking for more direct instruction on how to be less of a perfectionist, this may not quite be enough for you. But for me, this was a delightful, inspiring read where I felt seen and understood.
April 29, 2019
So much great stuff!
I feel like Simi is my best friend now. I'm sure she feel is the same. ;) Reading this book made me feel that I'm not alone. It was the gentle push I needed to fined the strength to give my self more grace. I loved it and didn't want it to end. Waiting for a second book.
I feel like Simi is my best friend now. I'm sure she feel is the same. ;) Reading this book made me feel that I'm not alone. It was the gentle push I needed to fined the strength to give my self more grace. I loved it and didn't want it to end. Waiting for a second book.
August 1, 2020
Simi is an authentic, kind hearted, amazing human being and this book reflected everything I was thinking, needed to hear, and more. Highlighted and read over and over and over again this book has gotten me through some of the worst times when it comes to my own body image. Every woman should read this book.
March 4, 2018
So good! Simi's book was touching, funny, so relatable, happy, sad all rolled into 1 amazing book. Once I started, I couldn't put down, finished within 3 days. Highly recommend this book to everyone. Loved, loved, loved.
March 19, 2018
Raw, Funny and real.
I loved this book. Although I haven’t had the same experience I’ve told myself the same words. Simi just tells it like it is and it sounds like you’re hearing stories and advice from your best friend.
I loved this book. Although I haven’t had the same experience I’ve told myself the same words. Simi just tells it like it is and it sounds like you’re hearing stories and advice from your best friend.
July 29, 2018
Never before have I read a book that nails how I have let myself become with my health and fitness. Expecting perfection from myself and then feeling intense guilt when I don’t achieve it. Reading this was a step in my work to undo that mindset.
June 14, 2019
Love the author’s writing style- she’s very funny and interesting. I just wish the book flowed better. It didn’t seem to have a cohesive storyline and was, rather, random little stories of her life getting her to where she is now.
June 29, 2019
Simi is wonderful, so of course, this book was wonderful. It was hilarious and emotional, and somehow... kinda perfect. Irony! I also 100% thought that the title had something to do with being a Leo but NOPE it's about Leonardo DiCaprio which honestly also makes sense.
February 2, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. Simi did an amazing job of telling her story, and it left me with tangible, practical tools and mindset shifts to bring into my own life. For anyone struggling with perfection, control or the like, this is an amazing read.
June 1, 2021
A beautiful journey of self-reflection
It was wonderful to go through Simi's journey of growth. Reading this book gives us many opportunities to relate and consider our own lives and opportunities for personal growth. It's a fun and pleasurable read!
It was wonderful to go through Simi's journey of growth. Reading this book gives us many opportunities to relate and consider our own lives and opportunities for personal growth. It's a fun and pleasurable read!
February 5, 2018
This is a wonderful, honest, and above all — relatable — story about learning to be okay with yourself.
February 7, 2018
Reading this book is like chatting with a dear friend. Through her own personal journey Simi reminds us that our worthiness to be loved has nothing to do with being perfect.
July 23, 2018
AMAZING!! Everyone should read this book
July 12, 2022
"Perfectionism is its own form of torture that makes even life's most awesome experiences feel like failures."
January 17, 2025
Tender-hearted and hilarious and so wise! This book feels like a warm hug!
May 29, 2020
I genuinely felt like I was reading my own thoughts while reading this book. I love memoirs about self development that get personal and this was exactly that! I feel really inspired that if this author could work through her perfectionist tendencies and live more freely, I can too!!
August 9, 2018
I follow Simi Botic on Instagram and am always annoying my husband and all my friends by offering tidbits of advice from "my" intuitive eating coach. I wasn't sure if her IG story advice would translate into good writing or not but I was really happy to see that it did. I love memoir and I love self help and this was a great example of the two genres coming together in perfect harmony. In order to write well about yourself you have to be honest with yourself, and that's what the book is all about anyway—being honest, and also, not taking yourself too seriously. Part of not taking yourself seriously is also laughing at yourself, and the good news is that this book was hilarious. I saw other reviews that said how great and funny the book was and I rolled my eyes because after all, ONLY I KNOW WHAT IS TRULY FUNNY. Well, it was. Like, had to read large sections aloud to said husband after he yelled from the other room "what's so funny?" If you need a little pick me up, something that will make you feel better about all the things that make life as a woman difficult... perfectionism, body image, control, food, feelings, etc. then I highly recommend this warm and absorbing book.
February 1, 2020
Simi’s voice rings true throughout this entire novel and it was a pleasure reading her story. I read this at the recommendation of another person very close to my heart who is also struggling with body image issues and I felt like I was reading directly about her. Simi’s genuine humility allowed everyone to see that we all search for perfection, but for some it is a voice that is impossible to silence without an absolutely about-face in lifestyle and mindset. I always like reading about personal development, even if it means understanding someone else’s development instead of my own. We live in an age of incredible social interaction and like never before we are able to keep tabs on a billion people. With that came an ever heightening awareness of our own “imperfections”. We’ve all seen the posts of “gym porn” or people laying out on the beach with a physique that most of us would sell our mothers for, an as a result many people chose to look inward and say “what’s wrong with me” instead of looking outward and saying “that’s how they live, but that’s not how I need to live.” For some, like Simi, it was and is never that easy to just ignore it and move on. I think anyone who is struggling with body image issues should continue reading books like Simi’s so that, at a bare minimum, they know that they’re not alone and that there are places in this world for them.
October 4, 2019
Simi’s voice rings true throughout this entire novel and it was a pleasure reading her story. I read this at the recommendation of another person very close to my heart who is also struggling with body image issues and I felt like I was reading directly about her. Simi’s genuine humility allowed everyone to see that we all search for perfection, but for some it is a voice that is impossible to silence without an absolutely about-face in lifestyle and mindset. I always like reading about personal development, even if it means understanding someone else’s development instead of my own. We live in an age of incredible social interaction and like never before we are able to keep tabs on a billion people. With that came an ever heightening awareness of our own “imperfections”. We’ve all seen the posts of “gym porn” or people laying out on the beach with a physique that most of us would sell our mothers for, an as a result many people chose to look inward and say “what’s wrong with me” instead of looking outward and saying “that’s how they live, but that’s not how I need to live.” For some, like Simi, it was and is never that easy to just ignore it and move on. I think anyone who is struggling with body image issues should continue reading books like Simi’s so that, at a bare minimum, they know that they’re not alone and that there are places in this world for them.
July 29, 2019
Quick little book about Simi’s story with letting go of control around food/life in general. I loved her sense of humor and related to so much of it! Highly recommend if you are a control freak (hi) and tend to lean towards obsessiveness with food/dieting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews