Physican Heals Herself and Spreads The Word

I came across The Thin Woman's Brain by happy chance while searching for yet another title to help me deal with my toxic relationship with food.  From the moment I started reading, I knew this one was different. She speaks with compassion in an erudite, accessible style.  Clear descriptions of the latest neuroscience,  CBT and mindfulness are here, Dilia discusses the transition from compulsion to complete freedom in natural eating through laying down new neural nets. The  change happens in twenty one days, then through repetition the nets are strengthened. The science is beautifully described, but my main impression is of Dilia's humanity. She truly wants to make a difference to our lives.

The world seemed to shift as I continued to read.  I found her statement that we become addicted to the cycle of shame associated  with compulsive eating particularly powerful. I completed the book in  two days and started to change my life the following morning.  I'm a  

busy full time family physician and mother of three, but the changes were  so simple with immediate,  I had no problems at all in using them consistently. I found it easy to be compassionate with myself, allowing just a few extra minutes a day over the following three weeks to focus on my eating and short periods of meditation. I used the app from the second week; it was a great way to remind myself to slow down and focus initially, but I was enjoying myself so much I had no need to use it by day 21. The transition was effortless, because the  

results were immediate. I checked my results on the Yale food addiction scale on days one and twenty one; I moved from severely addicted to not addicted.

That was a month ago. I've just returned from vacation where I was able to experience bountiful delicious food every day. For the first time since childhood, there was no fear around eating. As Dilia promised, I'm now looking for nutritious sensuous food, rather than cruising around the kitchen like an anxious land shark! With no need to constantly think about food and my compulsion, my mind and body have reconnected. I have more 'headspace' - my creative energy has flourished, with an early impact on the rest of my life.. I don't believe in weighing myself but my clothes tell me I'm shedding my toxic blanket of fat. It's served its purpose in soaking up emotional distress, but I no longer have any need for it. I can feel my sleek, natural self emerging.

I've recommended the book and app to patients with promising results.  I truly believe this is the way forward out of the pain of compulsive emotional eating.

The same reader during the 21 day program:

Day 3 - Feels as though the world has shifted, that's for sure. I'm sure this is the answer to an increasingly frantic search for peace.  Your compassionate approach is making it much easier than I'd thought.

Day 7 - My hope is to approach food freely, like an animal in the wild (squirrel anyone?) Through the programme, it's been humbling to realise how much my poor old body has been trying to guide me but I realise now I've drowned out the messages for three decades.

Day 10 - Emotional undertow is lovely and poetic, I'll remember that one! Great to have your support!

Day 12 - Thanks for the reassurance.  I'm still at the stage of thinking, really I can eat what I most want?? I hope I'll get fed up and start cruising for the good stuff!  A feeling I've cracked it and the wish to start bending the rules.   You're absolutely right about the lag after the honeymoon, but I'm very happy to keep battling on... I'm watching myself as compassionately as possible, (with some moments of despair thrown in, old shadows) so I hope the rewiring can continue despite these blips.

Day 13 - Our chat was incredibly empowering. I felt ready for anything this morning.

Day 14 - I had a touch of brain hunger for mint ice cream tonight, after a long day with my icy colleague. So I waited till I was hungry then had some eating slowly and breathing carefully. A third of the way through I thought 'this is like eating toothpaste' and ditched the rest. The brain hunger wasn't too strong and easily resisted . The pep talk last night is still giving me a sense of empowerment and control.

After completing the 21-Day program:

I lack the words to properly convey my profound gratitude, this program has been transformational for me.  Your work is so important; I'm already helping patients with these amazing principles (not just with eating issues either.) They've responded really quickly, I'm looking forward to reporting some good results! I can just see the message spreading around the world like a neural net, countering all that ridiculous mindless rubbish. 

Connecting the small dots

I just finished reading the book and what an inspiration. I had several "Aha!" moments, which is rare for me when reading self help or diet books. I m currently on my final year of a science Ph.D. and I often struggle with the lack of scientific background in many books out there.

Then I read your book! It was a breath of fresh air seeing so many references and seeing a scientific explanation for my overeating. I didn't have a lack of willpower but my brain was wired in a suboptimal way. The biggest realization was just how mindlessly I was eating. A meal wasn't a meal unless my butt was firmly on the sofa and the TV was on. I paid no attention to what was going in, what it tasted like or whether I had had enough.

Another 'Aha!' moment was being able to pinpoint that I ate when I was bored. I had my first baby 9 months ago and whilst I love him with all my heart, body, and soul there were many stressful times and, unexpectedly, many boring times. I was often so tired during his naps that the only thing I thought was feasible was to lie in front of the TV with some treats.  I also realized that I had made not only big associations "like emotional eating and food" but little associations as well that led me to eating mindlessly. For example, it got to a point where I couldn't have a cup of tea without something sweet to accompany it. And I live in England so that was a lot of cups of tea!

One line that really stuck with me from the book was disappointment is when expectations don't meet reality . That simple quote changed my outlook on so many aspects of my life. I find myself repeating it daily. Since starting to read the book I have been trying to practice mindfulness every day. I also took up yoga again yesterday. But most importantly, my husband, son and I sit down together for lunch - which we have made our main meal as the baby goes to bed so early - everyday. Phones, TV and radio are all switched off. Things are far from perfect and, whilst there has been some progress, I m now ready to start the re-wiring process. I m very grateful I came across your book. I m also very grateful you wrote it.

Identify The Source

Having gone through a lot of the steps you talked about a few years ago, there was one major obstacle which I could not overcome, and subsequently ended up back in the binge/compulsive eating cycle. This was "not being able to identify the reason of my emotional imbalance."   Although I knew I had brain hunger not physical hunger...the inability to identify the source of the brain hunger was my downfall. After finally finding a book that resonates such truth and insight I am eager to obtain all the important information I need. Thank you for your time!

Refocus Your Negative Energy

I finished the book last week. I was so excited by the material that I read it really quickly. I started reading it again this week so I can really absorb all the information. I really enjoyed the book! I thought the scientific aspects of the book were fascinating but, at the same time, it made complete sense to me. I've always been overweight - even as a child.  As a result, I don t remember a time in my life in which I wasn t obsessed with food and dieting. I've lost a lot of weight over the years and have always gained it back. No matter how little I weighed, I was always miserable and anxious because I knew I was powerless over food, so I knew in my soul that any "success" would be short-lived.

I had resigned myself to the fact that I would be someone who would have to be on a diet for the rest of my life due to poor self control. I couldn t imagine a life without dieting! Your book gave me such a sense of relief. It was nice to hear that I could let my foot off the gas pedal, relax, and let my mind and body return to their natural state. I don t have to be overwhelmed, anxious and obsessed! I m excited to use the techniques (especially the meditation) to let go of my toxic relationship with dieting and food obsession. I'm even more excited to use all of that negative energy and find somewhere else to focus it that will make me a better person! Thank you so much for writing this book!! I know it will take effort, and that I have a lot to learn, but I 'm ready to embrace it!

I Love My Mindful Moments

First let me start my saying THANK YOU for writing this book. I have listened to the book as well as read it.  After I listened to the book I had to purchase the print copy so I can read it as well, as a reference. Every morning I listen to different parts to assist me with my progress. I love the book and tell everyone who will listen to me about it. Although I struggle and I am only on stage 2, I find it very logical and honestly feel this will work if I can just discipline myself long enough to make the change. I love my mindful moments. I have chosen to do the deep breathing and set a reminder every 30 minutes. I have struggled with weight all my life, jumping anywhere from a size 8 to 22. I want the lifelong solution without the daily calorie counting, restrictions and vegetable eating. I get burnt out on those various programs and ultimately give up. I was once told at Weight Watchers that your bad habits are in the freezer waiting to defrost. I want a solution to get rid of the bad habits once and for all and I am excited at the prospect with your book. I look forward to the app. Thank you for your time.

Recovering Bulimic

I'm a food addict and recovering bulimic. I just finished your book and it really helped me.

Using CBT To Address The Issues

I am 60 years old and have been trying to combat my issue with food since I was 12. I have always felt that I am a person of extremes. I am either supremely controlled with my eating and am sticking to a diet like glue or I am completely off the rails with daily binges.

Over the years I have tried many varieties of diets, weight loss clubs, and hypnosis but the pattern is as is recognized in a yo-yo dieter. I may lose weight but have never been successful at keeping it off. But I am acutely aware that my relationship with food is very much about my head, and if I don't get that part right then I m never going to succeed. I identified fully with your definition of brain hungry. I have always referred to it as mouth hungry (I was always curious as to whether this was related to the fact that I sucked my thumb until i was 20) rather than stomach hungry but know it is connected to my thought processes.

I almost felt relief with the realization whilst reading that this was not just weakness. The constant internal dialogue that goes alongside overeating and the angst that going out to eat causes - continually beating yourself up when you fail - has created a very negative relationship with food. It almost scares me I find it interesting, although sad, that as an overweight family we are divided by how we approach food. I was a secret eater when the children were young. They had healthy meals and positive approaches to treats. One daughter is like me. She has actually joined Overeaters Anonymous. She experiences the same anxieties about food and the same damning internal dialogue. Her sister is overweight but doesn't have those internal battles.

I think that I have recognized for a while that CBT is probably the way to address these issues, and your book begins to pull all this together for me. Your writing promotes what I had concluded myself, although I am without the scientific knowledge to back it up. I am not finished with the book yet but have been researching mindfulness a bit further as the book opens up for me. My aim: to be able to conquer this before I become too old to enjoy living the life of a thin woman!

Every Woman Should Read It!

Hello I listened to the book on Audible. I loved loved loved it!!! I'm a nail tech and I have told every woman that I've seen that they should read it! I believe every woman should read it! I listen to women every day about their weight struggles and I believe that this book could bring peace to many, many women.

Free & On My Way to Thin

Even though I am trained and certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy I was skeptical. Is it really possible to rewire my brain to behave like a thin woman? After years of dieting I was willing to give it a try and OMG, my life has changed in ways that I could have never imagined.
For the first time in years, I\'m allowing myself to enjoy mayonnaise, eating things like cheese sandwiches, feeling satisfied after four bites of my gooey chocolate birthday cake. I can\'t tell you how this amazing book has contributed to the quality of my life. I am actually enjoying cooking. My poor husband, who has lived through my many failed diets, is thrilled that he doesn\'t have to find out how more ways I can disguise Kale!

The Thin Woman\'s Brain is a unique and fresh combination of solid scientific data with lessons in mindful eating which equates to mindful living. I always blame myself for why I could not make any of the many diets that I tried over many years work in the long run. But this compelling work not only explains why diets fail, it teaches you to eat in a way which takes you on a journey of self-awareness. This little gem is packed full of solid scientific research combined with behavioral steps to ignite your transformation. Stop dieting and start living now!

ENLIGHTENING AND LIFE-ALTERING

Enlightening and life-altering are words that I use to describe this book.
This book is a must read for anyone who has dieted and failed or never achieved their weight goals long-term. My life has improved beyond my expressive ability as I have lots more energy and a much better outlook. This is truly a discovery of what is at the root of why the dieting approach did not work for me. I have denied myself so many foods and yet year after year I kept putting on more and more weight. I did not trust myself that I could eat mindfully. Once I accepted that I could trust myself and chose foods that truly feed me, I have been able to shed that part of my faulty wiring and along with 30 pounds, so far!

The book explains the difference in a Thin Women\'s Brain versus an overweight woman from bonefide, irrefutable, massive amount of scientific data. A good amount of research and evidence is also provided to support her proof that we can restore our brains to
our
pre-diet food obsessive, compulsive overeating days. You will never diet again and you will be much more fulfilled in many ways never anticipated while becoming the Thin Woman you always knew was possible.
I have reconnected with food in a more meaningful way and truly enjoy it again; especially since I no longer fear binging on any forbidden foods. I have learned to plan the food I want to prepare to keep my body healthy and adopting the mindful practices recommended in The Thin Woman\'s Brain has helped me to neurologically rewire my brain that much faster. I continue to lose weight as my goal is an additional 20 pounds but I am experiencing joy and self-nurturing that I have not experienced in a very long time.

This healing has been amazing and everyone is noticing the \"new\" me. It has been beautiful to accept a correction between my weight and my brain wiring to \"uncovering a whole new me.\" This is an exciting journey that allows me to have as much as I want; a place I was once uncomfortable is now where I am finally most comfortable. Thank you for an enlightening and life-altering gift; I am eternally grateful...

An Amazing Book!

Much to my dismay, at age 40 my weight began to creep up. I assumed it was because of my age, a slower metabolism and hormonal changes. But after reading the Thin Woman's Brain, I realized this was not so! I had tried EVERY diet program, Weight Watchers, Nutritionist, Atkins as well as medically supervised programs with hunger suppressing medications. Each was successful to varying degrees. However, I ALWAYS gained the weight back. How could this happen? How could I be so weak? I have been on a weight loss/weight gain roller coaster for the last 20 years. That is until I read the Thin Woman's Brain, and then my life changed.

I was beyond excitement as I read this book because there is actually real science, published credible studies on why people overeat. And there are tools to fix it at the root cause - your brain - permanently! Oh my - no more yoyo diet failures, and no more shame that goes along with those failures. When I first read the book, I was so excited, but somewhat skeptical. How could a person like me who could eat an entire pint of ice cream in one setting, feel satisfied with a small amount? But now I do! And I was certain that my afternoon sugar cravings were real hunger. They were not! Being able to recognize that some of these automatic behaviors, such as going to the vending machine at work for a candy bar, really meant I just needed to take a short break.

I did this program along with two friends. While the weight was falling off of them, mine remained the same. I was following the protocol faithfully, but my weight didn't budge. And then I revisited the Insulin Resistance section and thought could I be one of those 5% of the population that is Insulin Resistant? Once I realized that this might be the culprit to my weight loss challenges I consulted with my doctor and he confirmed that I was insulin resistant and I began to employ the tools outlined in Appendix B and lost five pounds in four days! Now I am well on my way to achieving my weight loss goals, but would never have done so if I hadn't read this book.

Tonight Was A Success!

First of all, thank you for being able to spend time talking to me today.  I have to say that it was extremely helpful in preparing for tonight, a family event, which is one of my biggest struggles.

 

Tonight was a SUCCESS.  I waited to eat until the main meal was served because I wanted to enjoy it completely.  At the start of the meal I told my family that I wanted to start a new tradition, and that I was going to start with telling everyone something that I admired or appreciated in my brother (birthday guy).  I went first and then we went around the table.  By the time we were finished everyone was crying.  My dad could hardly speak, he was pretty much sobbing.  We started the meal that way and it opened up the lines of communication for the rest of the meal.  I did a lot of talking and not very much eating.  I left feeling more connected to my family. 

And about the eating, it was sloooowwww.  I took my time and enjoyed small bites.  I ate half of my serving of chicken breast and took the rest of it home to eat tomorrow for lunch.  I had a small piece of cake.  I feel really good.  I am proud.

So Many ?Aha!? Moments

I am reading your book Ms. Dilia and indeed so many ?Aha!? moments! I ve just finished Chapter 3 and I ve identified myself so much to a food addict in this book! I m a practicing Family Physician and I really understood about neurotransmitters. But I ve never associated it to eating, it s a new concept for me. Haha! Also I find the concept of physical hunger and brain hunger was really helpful for me, I ve started to really take control, I found myself not binging after work today, and I was wonderful to understand what was triggering the old behavior.

After Lap-band Surgery

My first reading of your book helped me recognize I had all the ?symptoms? of a "Will-Powered Thin Woman? without being thin. For years, I tried to white-knuckle my way to losing weight and beat myself up emotionally every step of the way.

The most extreme example of my desperation was undergoing Lap-Band surgery in August of 2006. I did lose weight ? but became physically sick almost constantly and developed GERD to the point that I had to have the band completely emptied more than once. There were times I couldn t keep a swallow of water down. I had it emptied for the last time two years ago. I ve chosen to have it serve as a reminder to myself that enough is enough. Obviously gimmicks, counting calories, food deprivation, liquid protein meals, weighing food, torturous working-out, smaller plates, keeping so-called trigger foods out of my home, TOPPS, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Overeaters Anonymous, Medifast, Weigh-Down, extreme calorie restriction, food-combining, high protein, low-fat, no sugar, vegetable juicing, raw foods, Phen-Fen, and bariatric surgery don t work.

Before I found your book, I had just finished another one called Intuitive Eating. It felt like a good beginning ? a kind of bridge between the mindfulness training I had been doing to the dream of finally making peace with myself and food. But, I wanted to learn more about the science ? I wanted a more practical approach. Happily, I found your book. As I said, I read it completely through once but for the second reading, I am keeping my journal beside me as I read so that I can capture the ?Aha!? Moments. The most recent one is from Chapter 2 ? the 9th characteristic of a Naturally Thin woman. I was healthy, thin, active, and not food-obsessed as a child and teen. I didn t start gaining weight at all until I was around 15. At that time, my mom moved my older sister and I from Colorado to Texas. My sister was very vocal about her unhappiness and my mom was very stressed. I realized that was when I stopped expressing my emotions with words. I didn t want to add to my mom s and my sister s unhappiness. With the move, I lost the only home I had ever known, all my friends, my schoolmates, my activities, my sense of identity (from metropolitan Denver to a smallish town in the Panhandle of Texas.) Food was a way to comfort myself. I was lonely, heart-broken, isolated, and I wanted to protect my mom (and myself) from my feelings. That is when the virus began to infect my brain ? that s when the wiring began to change. Years upon years of repetition later and here I am.

I want to reclaim my healthy brain. And I want to do that now. I am doing it now, step-by-step ? one neuron at a time if need be. :-)

I apologize for the length of this email but after reading your book and now doing your 21 day program I can say with no reservations that you, your book, and your insights have profoundly changed my life in a permanent way. My future will be brighter and more fulfilling because I started on this path.

Why The Online App Is Worth It

Two words: WORTH IT!!

The TWB app is absolutely worth every penny! For those of you who are skeptical like I was before I used this online app, let me explain why I love it. I had tried many weight loss programs throughout my life. I would lose weight, maybe even keep it off, but I still had a terribly unhealthy relationship with food. It was all I thought about and was the driver for my every decision.

It was an incredibly exhausting and debilitating relationship. The app and the community support gave me the tools I needed to rewire my brain to no longer be food obsessed. I could immediately feel the difference when I began using the app. I was actually addressing the issues behind the food addiction/obsession that were never addressed with any other program. The app helped me to remember the proper way to think about my approach to food and actually practice that behavior at every meal. If I felt overwhelmed, I knew I had many options to bring me back to a calm state of mind that would allow me to overcome the desire to overeat. Along with the app, the key piece of the puzzle was definitely the community support. How many apps do you know of where you get to personally talk to the creator?! This interaction was vital in my ability to learn what my individual obstacles and challenges were.

Let?s think about it this way ladies? Weight watchers (WW) is about $25 per month. However with WW, you do not at all get to the root of the problem. You are paying this monthly fee and just not getting a real long term solution because it isn?t addressing the real issues. In fact, doing a program like WW most likely will contribute to the wiring in your brain that causes the food addiction. The TWB app is only the onetime fee of $18.75 which includes not only the app itself, but the crucial community support that makes the difference. This is absolutely what you need to succeed and like I said, the TWB app is worth every penny!! If you are ready to change your life for the better, buy this app!

Seeing Myself In Book Form

Your book was really life-changing, to be honest with you. I had never seen myself in book form before! I always assumed I just had terrible willpower and beat myself up about it constantly. My thinking has changed, but it is still a work in progress.

Today I Have Had A Great Day

The rewiring is going really well - I have used the online app for each of my three meals everyday. I ve made sure that I was mindful of eating, and I am definitely more aware when I have cravings or whether I am just mentally hungry, and I have then utilized the EMDR and the NLP. I ve found the NLP really useful, especially as I closed my eyes and allowed myself to concentrate on the words, I find that this way of learning/rewiring works well for me.

Today I have had a great day and I am feeling very positive about the whole experience!

Food Addiction and Substance Addiction

My biggest "Aha!" so far is the comparison between substance addiction and food addiction. I quit smoking cold turkey 12 years ago simply by learning about my addiction and how it had a hold of me, it was> amazing how big of a tool that knowledge was with quitting. I ve always wondered how I could apply those same rules to food because addiction is addiction, the big difference being that you can t NOT eat. So there had to be some other way.

I ve had great success with EMDR and CBT due to some personal trauma so I was happy to see you mention those. I feel that your book and certainly the online app should be helpful in helping me work through this. I do best when I have real and measurable goals or exercises so I think that this could really help me.