Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out--and Never Say Diet Again

by Rebecca Scritchfield

Overview

Create a healthier and happier life by treating yourself with compassion rather than shame.

Imagine a graph with two lines. One indicates happiness, the other tracks how you feel about your body. If you’re like millions of people, the lines do not intersect. But what if they did?

This practical, inspirational, and visually lively book shows you the way to a sense of well-being attained by understanding how to love, connect, and care for yourself—and that includes your mind as well as your body.

Body Kindness is based on four principles.
WHAT YOU DO: the choices you make about food, exercise, sleep, and more
HOW YOU FEEL: befriending your emotions and standing up to the unhelpful voice in your head
WHO YOU ARE: goal-setting based on your personal values
WHERE YOU BELONG: body-loving support from people and communities that help you create a meaningful life

With mind and body exercises to keep your energy spiraling up and prompts to help you identify what YOU really want and care about, Body Kindness helps you let go of things you can't control and embrace the things you can by finding the workable, daily steps that fit you best. It's the anti-diet book that leads to a more joyful and meaningful life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761187295
Publisher:	Workman Publishing Company
Publication date:	12/27/2016
Pages:	296
Sales rank:	346,202
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rebecca Scritchfield is a well-being coach, registered dietitian nutritionist, and certified health and fitness specialist. Through her weight-neutral Body Kindness practice, she helps people create a better life with workable, interesting self-care goals. She has influenced millions through her writing, podcast, and appearances in over 100 media outlets including NBC Nightly News, CNN, the Today show, the Washington Post, O Magazine, Health, Shape, and many others. She lives in Washington, DC.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Philosophy of Body Kindness 1

Part 1 What You Do 15

1 Choosing Body Kindness-The Path to Transforming Your Health 16

2 Eating with Body Kindness-Free Yourself from Food Rules 40

3 Fitness for Your Life-Choose What Works for You 66

4 Sleep-The Secret Superpower for Spiraling Up 86

Part 2 How You Feel 109

5 All Feelings Matter-How Bad Feelings Are Good for You 110

6 Make Room for More Fun-Feel Better, Do Better 130

7 Bouncing Back and Growing Stronger-Body Kindness Enhances Resilience 148

Part 3 Who You Are 165

8 Decide What You Stand for-Set Values-Driven Goals for Success 166

9 Transform Your Health with Action-Planning and Time Management for Success 180

10 Befriend Yourself-The Beautiful Power of Self-Compassion 202

Part 4 Where You Belong 229

11 Nurture Your Closest Connections-Spiral Up with Those Who Matter Most 230

12 Build Your Body Kindness Tribe-Your "People" Will Inspire You 256

What I've Learned 283

Acknowledgments 287

About the Author 289

Editorial Reviews

The idea behind Rebecca Scritchfield's Body Kindness…is simple and true: For a vast majority of us, big dietary changes don't work, particularly if approached with kamikaze enthusiasm. Incremental change is the way to go. Scritchfield, a nutritionist, proposes ignoring the numbers on the scale and focusing instead on health.

The New York Times Book Review - Judith Newman

10/03/2016
“Take a hammer to your scale,” orders Scritchfield in her rousing guide to better health. She seeks a transformation of mindset, valuing self-acceptance over physical perfection. Her approach skirts traditional strict dieting rules and widens the scope and breadth of the concepts used in health improvement. Instead of pounds lost, Scritchfield’s plan measures success by happiness gained. She preaches for an end to the “war” on food and sanctions mindfully eating comfort foods and desserts. In fitness, she urges a flexible approach based on finding enjoyable ways to incorporate movement into daily life. Beyond connecting with oneself, Scritchfield touts connecting with others and building healthy relationships in the name of personal health. At times, Scritchfield’s ideas sound high-minded, even nebulous; however, her approach is practical and down-to-earth. Dotted with acronyms, easy-to-read diagrams, quick self-assessments, and action plans, Scritchfield’s work boils down complex behavioral science ideas into accessible self-improvement strategies. Her guide is comprehensive, but Scritchfield doesn’t see the need to change all things at once, instead recommending getting a toehold in a few aspects of health and fitness that can begin a “spiral up” effect toward achieving body kindness. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

simple and true" —New York Times Book Review

“[Scritchfield] provides fantastic tips for transforming your mental and physical health… a must-read."—TheHuffington Post

“[A] rousing guide to better health… Scritchfield’s work boils down complex behavioral science ideas into accessible self-improvement strategies.” —Publishers Weekly

“If you are ready to stop torturing yourself with diets and self-criticism and start nourishing your body and mind with healthy choices that help you reach your true potential, consider this wonderful book your road map. Scritchfield provides inspiration and real-life strategies in a fun and friendly style, with lots of helpful graphic tools."
—Ellie Krieger, MS, RD, host of Ellie’s Real Good Food on public television and award-winning cookbook author

“For all of us who’ve been caught up in punishing cycles of busyness, perfectionism, crazy cleanses, deprivation, too much work, joyless to-do lists, and too little sleep, Rebecca Scritchfield’s Body Kindness offers a refreshing antidote. In this common-sense, warm, and eminently practical guide backed by science and story, Scritchfield shows how taking time to pause and set our own internal compasses is the first step toward overcoming deeply held cultural expectations and transforming our lives.”
—Brigid Schulte, award-winning journalist and author of the New York Times bestselling Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time

"As a firm believer in the power of body positivity, I'm thrilled and impressed by Rebecca Scritchfield's amazing tips for manifesting a joyful, healthy outlook on life, and for honoring the body you have right now."
—Jessamyn Stanley, instructor, blogger, author of Every Body Yoga

“If you want to change, start by acknowledging your strength. And then read this book to walk your way into a life that feels as good inside as it does outside.”
—Julie Smolyansky, CEO, Lifeway Foods, and documentary film producer

“With clarity and compassion, Scritchfield tells us what we desperately need to know: Diet culture pretends to be about health, but actually makes us sick. We end up obsessing over our bodies and forget about our souls. Eating and exercise turn into chores, and self-worth gets dictated by the number on a scale. For anyone who’s been poisoned by superficial diet plans and strict food rules, this book is the perfect antidote. Read it if you’re ready to stop dieting and start loving yourself and your life!”
—Alan Levinovitz, PhD, author of The Gluten Lie
 
“What a pleasure to read such a sensible, self-loving book about improving one’s health. Rebecca Scritchfield’s Body Kindness method honors body diversity—for real! She’s not scamming her readers with bogus weight-loss promises. Her weight-neutral, compassionate, and practical approach to health allows people to make joyful, long-lasting changes in their self-care practices.”
—Connie Sobczak, author of Embody: Learning to Love Your Unique Body (and Quiet That Critical Voice!) and cofounder, The Body Positive
 
“Say good-bye to body-shaming and dieting. Body Kindness is a refreshing and timely book, which describes how health begins by being kind with self-care actions. Written in a friendly tone (as if you are talking to one of your best girlfriends), by a dietitian, who has overcome her own war with her body. Readers will enjoy the stories, infographics, and the many helpful action steps to make peace with food, body, and mind—once and for all!”
—Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD, coauthor of Intuitive Eating and The Intuitive Eating Workbook
 
“It is just not possible to hate yourself to health. Body Kindness is a comprehensive, compassionate, and honest user’s manual that guides you to nourish, move, care for, and yes, accept your body now.”
—Michelle May, MD, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat
 
“Put down that diet book and smash your scale—they don’t help you get healthy! Rebecca has taught me that the best thing I could do for my health is to take care of my body and stop fighting it.”
—Bernie Salazar, MEd, At-Home Winner, The Biggest Loser, season 5

From the Publisher