“If your ‘weighty thinking’ does not change, then even if you lose weight you’ll retain an overwhelming subconscious urge to gain it back. It’s less important how quickly you lose weight, and more important how holistically you lose weight; you want your mind, your emotions, and your body to all ‘lose weight.’ Weight that disappears from your body but not from your soul is simply recycling outward for a while
but is almost certain to return. It’s self-defeating, therefore, to struggle to drop excess weight unless
you are also willing to drop the thought-forms that initially produced it and now hold it in place.”
— Marianne Williamson
What is the connection between spirituality and weight loss? Best-selling author Marianne Williamson is about to answer that question for you in her groundbreaking new audiobook, bringing you 21 spiritual lessons to help you surrender your weight forever. These lessons form a holistic paradigm for weight loss, addressing the spiritual, emotional, and psychological elements involved in what Williamson refers to as “conscious weight loss.” If you are a food addict, a compulsive eater, or someone who for any reason sees food as the enemy, this book is for you.
A Course in Weight Loss addresses the true causal root of your weight-loss issues: a place within you where you have forgotten your divine perfection. This forgetfulness has confused not only your mind but also your body, making you reach for that which cannot sustain you . . . and reject that which does. As your mind reclaims its spiritual intelligence, your body will reclaim its natural intelligence as well.
The 21 lessons in this audiobook will take you on a deep, sacred journey. One step at a time, you will learn to shift your relationship with yourself—and your body—from one of fear to one of love. And you will begin to integrate the various parts of yourself—mind, body, and spirit—to become, once again, and in all ways, the beautiful and peaceful person you were created to be.
As Williamson states: “When it comes to your enjoyment of eating, your best days are not behind you but ahead of you!” So get ready to begin a new relationship with food . . . and with yourself.
Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed lecturer, activist, and author with six New York Times bestsellers. Her books include Tears to Triumph, A Return to Love, A Year of Miracles, The Law of Divine Compensation, The Gift of Change, The Age of Miracles, Everyday Grace, A Woman's Worth, Illuminata, and A Course in Weight Loss. She has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah and Good Morning America.
ugh you guys. i'm sorry. i know you are like, "joanna. why did you read this?" i don't even know. i am an agnostic! i don't know what i was thinking. i read part of it in o magazine (i know!) and it was nice! it was about reclaiming the healthy aspects of yourself and letting go of the self-sabotaging part of yourself that thinks an appropriate way to fix a bad mood might be a cookie and a hot toddy, and i was like, "oh hey this is nice. and is stimulating some thoughts," and i never imagined that this would be a book which would involve a lesson where you (i am not even kidding here) BUILD AN ALTAR and place said book on the altar with candles and flowers and some shit and PRAY TO GOD for him to heal you and your fucked up relationship with food. at that point, i said outloud, "oh you have got to be kidding," and then i read the rest of the book for laughs. FOR LAUGHS.
so if you want to read a book for laughs, i give this five stars, actually. A+++ highly recommend.
I am almost done reading this book. It is very interesting and inspiring so far. I recommend this book to anyone who believes in Spirituality, not necessarily organized religion but believes in God. The book reminds you how mind and body are connected and how much God and connecting to him could help you in your weight loss journey. The book also awakes your subconscious mind inviting you to heal your inner fears that may hold you back from being dedicated to losing weight.
What I enjoy the most from reading this book is the style that Marianne Williamson (the author) uses to explain her point and the significance of it. Even though she does a lot of encouragements to try the healing methods that she is explaining for weight loss, her tone is not pushy in any way. She makes you want to follow her guidance without giving you any feelings of guilt even if you are not fully successful in the process.
I didn't want to like this book, actually I'm not sure I like it at all. I am reading it because my over eating is making me uncomfortable and unhappy. What I am doing is fighting to keep an open mind and making an effort to do the exercises and as a result, I'm making better choices and I haven't been bingeing. I have been surprised that thus far it hasn't been a struggle. I know there are those who dislike the book because of the focus on God--some might appreciate the approach used in many 12 step programs where one is encouraged to choose their own conception of a Higher Power.
An amazing self-help book for women who find it difficult to lose weight due to emotional issues. Don't read this until you're ready to do the work though.
Love it! Totally amazing! I hv been dealing with my weight since I have been a teen. I have been dealing with finding myself since I was 30. Now at the sweet age of 49 I am doing the fun stuff aka the really hard stuff of removing the carpet and clean up years and years of unneeded unwanted dust ;) and thinking its time to go with the natural floor look. Heck! Let's get rid of the floor too ;D
If you are curious...get this book. It may not be what you can handle today but one day, if you are ready you will find it at the bottom of a shelf and say HEY! I need it. Or you will through out and some one falls over it and says Thank you God! Honestly if I would hv had this book as a teen, I would of said 'what's this crap'...what can I say...sweet teens :p If I would of found it in my thirties while finding myself...well I was just trying to like me...gratefully I did find me and I really like me :D in my 40's I ripped off the bandaid (my poor husband) ouch! Put it back on! Then I found prayers by Ms Williamson and started up my meditating and prayed every day and night. A mth later I found this book....talk about the Miracle of healing! For the first time in my entire I am healing...My hubby is seeing another side of me that I lost back in my early girlhood...
Oh! Btw, have a note book ready to take, make and keep thoughts for this book. Or by the hard copy like I did. And mark up the pages :D
Subtitle says it all: 21Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering your Weight Forever. Teaches taking care of our bodies as the holy temples that they are. Will change the way you think of what, how, & why you eat. High recommendation.
I have loved reading many things by Marianne Williamson in the past. So I looked forward to reading through this to see how I can better help myself as I attempt yet again to lose weight.
What I wasn’t expecting was how emotional this book would actually be. One of the core concepts behind this book is to get in touch your spirituality and healing your inner self. And you do this through exercises and journaling. If you are completely honest with the exercises and the journaling you can start to break through to the deep seated fears that may be keeping you fat.
I know that there were many things that I started looking at during these exercises. I know that I still have quite a long way to go on my journey, but at least I decided to take the first step.
This book may not be for everyone. You really have to be open to working through your issues. This isn’t a book that will give you instant solutions to your problems. It does provide you the tools to help you fix yourself.
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
I knew the book was a spiritual journey to weight loss, however, I didn't know it was going to be such a prayerful book. Some points are very valid, loving yourself enough to fuel your body with good foods and exercising and not being so ashamed of yourself that you pack on the pounds to become invisible. Just a little too much of the Diving Mind for my taste. Not what I expected.
Excelente. Este es un libro para mirar dentro de nosotras y recordar quiénes somos: seres radiantes. Gracias, Dios, por poner este libro en mis manos.
"La grasa es algo más que tejido celular inerte. Constituye el depósito de pensamientos y sentimientos distorsionados que no tenían otro sitio a donde ir".
Y esa es la gran verdad. Gracias, Marianne Williamson por escribir tan brillante obra que me hace alumbrar mi yo delgado.
Pretty interesting overview of how to change your view about yourself, your health, and your relationship to food and exercise. It's based off of A Course in Miracles.
I started this book a few years back, but never finished. So recently while on vacation, I restarted it. Let me tell you, the best way to immerse yourself in these lessons is to do them while undistracted on vacation. I felt completely inspired as I read each chapter, and could feel love pouring out of every cell of my body.
And then I re-entered the real world, and I suddenly realized that loving myself and loving others is not so easy when you have a house full of teens, a stressful job, a neurotic high energy dog, a sink full of dishes, a pile of bills..... more than ever, I wanted to turn to food to ease the discomfort I'd left behind while on vacation.
This is exactly why this book became necessary. Every time I picked it up again, it reminded me to turn to God instead of food to bring me out of my misery. It taught me to be loving and gentle with myself, treating myself as a good friend instead of an enemy. It taught me that love is the answer for everything, even in weight loss.
I read this book quickly. I did many of the practices in the beginning of the book, particularly with journaling and reflection. But I skipped some of the more uncomfortable (or hokey) exercises. I think I'll probably work through this book again to dig deeper, and maybe do many of the exercises I skipped (even some of the hokey ones).
Marianne Williamson has a gentle loving voice in this book. Her writing style is easy to read, and it feels like she's a friend sitting with me as I worked through my weight issues. I definitely recommend this book to those who wish to turn around the weight battle, and who consider themselves spiritual. Those who don't believe in God or any divine being will not enjoy this book. But those who have even a little spirituality will find inspiration within these pages.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting from a book with '21 Spiritual Lessons' as part of the sub-title. I primarily picked up the book because it touted combating compulsive overeating and a holistic approach to such. However, very little of it is of any use to someone who suffers from COE.
If you are one of those people who believe that God has the potential to cure you of anything that ails you, you'll probably get a lot from this book. (I am not one of these people but have all respect for those who do.)
If you are one who realizes that COE is a serious matter as is weight loss and is aware that combating such takes a great deal of mental/physical/emotional effort, you may find yourself wondering 'Why am I reading this book?'
While it did have some useful tidbits for helping with the emotional & mental effort aspects, it is generally worthless.
An excellent book with some very good lessons which really do aid in re-thinking a view of weight and food. A few of her suggestions I found slightly unhelpful, but only a few, the majority of her insights are very good and the course of actions she recommends are truly helpful and worthwhile. I'm starting over reading it again because there is a lot to digest even though it's not a very big book. Really processing the information takes time. But is worth it. I wouldn't let the title "spiritual" lessons throw you - I mean, maybe there are some people who have no belief in a spiritual side and maybe the book wouldn't be helpful for them, but I think most people could utilize the lessons here without having to embrace any particular belief system. It's really more about believing in yourself, regardless of any other spiritual or religious belief system you might have.
I think this is a fantastic approach to weight loss from a holistic perspective. My three star rating is not so much about content as it was that I listened to this book on audio while driving. I am glad I did, though, because I know I want to revisit the book at some point. There are guided meditations that would be nice to listen to on audio, as opposed to being read, but not while driving! I love Marianne Williamson's approach and style and feel she has a lot to teach me/us. I will re-visit this book at some future point.
PS: I should also note that she speaks of compulsive eating frequently and while I don't consider myself in this category a lot of her material applies broadly.
According to this book, obviously I am not living completely up to A Course in Miracles or I wouldn't have added this extra poundage. But this book gives me hope that as I rededicate myself to connecting to the divine perfection in all people, offering only love and keeping vigilance for thoughts only of the divine, which is my truest deepest longing, my physical body will return to its true and original size. How wonderful that I *don't* have to try to think of these (spiritual growth and physical shrinkage) as distinct issues! I listened to the audio version (one 6hr49min track!). Probably want to borrow the print version from the library to take some notes.
Before you judge me, know that I bought this book about 8 years ago. With quarantine life, I decided to finish all the books I started and this was one of them.
This weight loss method is not one that resonates with me per say, but Marianne has a knack for creating prayers that ring like divine worship. Cue the harps and watch the golden light stream in. That is where the impact lies for me.
I have “Illuminata,” her book of prayers, and I really do enjoy how they are written.
There are two parts in every chapter. The first part is written like some random rantings of a beginner life coach. The second part consists exercises. A few exercises were remarkable, but those specific exercises (talk to that part of yourself etc.) are typical exercises done by coaches and therapists since the beginning of time
I found this book to be interesting with several good ideas but not exactly what I need. It suggests that you do one lesson a day and includes assignments or activities with each lesson. I did not do that. I can see how that could be effective, but it was not something I wanted to do. I especially liked the prayers in the book.
She made me really think of why I eat and what I am actually achieving by overeating This spiritual therapy can be applied to any addiction. She make you speak to you fat self and skinny self and give them a voice back. So many times we do things that actually hurt ourselves for a temporarily fix. I have more insight of my actions and can examine my true feelings
This book is not about nutrition for weight loss. It is about changing your thoughts to bring on physical change. There is a theme of connecting with a higher power to have a spiritual experience in order to bring on this new way of thinking.
I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this book but I am so glad I picked it up. I will preface this by saying that, if you want to enjoy it, you have to decipher the message according to your values and not judging it for it's title or the semi-religious content within. As to why I picked up the book, I have struggled with a binge eating disorder for a large portion of my life and I am also someone who considers themselves to be very spiritual (not devoutly religious). I had found this book because I was fascinated by Marianne Williamson as a 2024 US presidential candidate and hadn't realized that she was once a spiritual teacher for the likes of Oprah Winfrey.
The last time I had the healthiest relationship with my body I was meditating every day, eating whole-foods/plant-based and finding myself on a spiritual level. I wondered if this book could help revitalize this side of me that had been laying dormant during the last four years of my life where I had come up against a lot of personal struggle. This book now has hundreds of highlighted passages for my continued reflection. It covers the deep emotional trauma a person has when they are battling with food addiction and binge eating and leans on spiritualism to reaffirm a disposition of openness and acceptance.
This book gives you practical guidance on how to confront these feelings of discontent and fear, with compassion and love. Not only can it help with shaping your physical and emotional being, it can help with spiritual understanding at large. Why I prefaced this review as I did is because some of the content and practices weren't for me. I found writing a letter to my 'fat' self with hateful verbiage with the purpose of 'getting it out of you' was unproductive. I've done that for too long to regress back to those behaviors while I am trying to reform healthier neural pathways. With that said, other perspectives Marianne brings to this book really helped me lean into some of the emotional responses that have been keeping me from treating my body and mind right. To further express this, I want to share a few of my favorite passages:
"You are not weaker or more wounded, better or worse, than others; each of us is home to a great contest between the forces of fear and the forces of love."
"Every overeater has head them a million times: the admonishments of weight loss. You've got to stick to your diet, commit to the process, stay with it no matter what, discipline yourself to "just do it", and so forth. Yet such admonishments only add to your anxiety; if you were able to consistently be there for yourself, you wouldn't be an overeater to begin with. While over eating would be seen as some as an indulgence of self, it is in fact, a profound rejection of self."
"Looking back into your childhood isn't about figuring out whom you can blame, or building a case to justify feelings of victimization. It's simply about identifying your wound so the medicine of love can be applied correctly."
I will end this, already lengthy, review with one final thought: if your interest is being piqued by this book in whatever way. Give it a chance. I believe in your ability to distinguish the useful information from the less useful information without someone else interfering. When it comes to eating disorders, spirituality, childhood trauma, generalized trauma, fear and love; there are a lot of positive takeaways from this book and I would recommend it to a friend if they were struggling the same way I have been.
I love Marianne Williamson but this was not it. While the philosophy of the course in miracles can be and should be applied to many aspects of life, Marianne Williamson is severely misguided in thinking that weight gain is simply a matter of eating too much, or eating too much of the wrong things, instead of the truth which is a complicated web of overlapping issues. I gained the most amount of weight in my life when I was eating the least. For her to encourage to use this thinking to eat less, instead of applying it to soothing a nervous system, to encouraging healing, to dealing with the added anxiety and stress of health complications, injuries or everyday stress that is often the real factors behind many peoples weight gain is a massive loss overall. It adds to the significant growing mountain of misinformation about weight gain, by applying it as the result of bad habits through bad eating, which again sends a large majority of us seeking help from the wrong direction.
Although, for many who might be turned off with all the God talk, if you are willing to wade through it, there are some really great tips on the psychology of weight-loss, many others have leaned into including The Gabriel Method, where what you think and feel have a great deal to do with not only how you lose weight but also how you got there and how to keep it off. The idea that fear and trauma are the underlying causes and only getting through it, confronting it, will help with the weight-loss. For those who are religious, the prayers and asking for hope from the divine, will also be of aid. The 21 lessons are about acceptance to understanding rather than an actual physical diet, where emotions and the mind are what are holding you back from losing those pounds and keeping them off. Some great insightful ideas, just got to get through the waffle to find it.