This blog was originally published on the 12th of March, 2018, while I was writing the first draft of Joyful Eating, which was published in July 2019.
I’m currently in Thailand, where I have been enthusiastically tapping away on my computer to complete the first draft of my book, Joyful Eating. It is exciting and satisfying to see the past decade of research, reflection and discovery, through my own and my client’s experiences, come together into a cohesive and (hopefully) inspiring book.
Overcoming self-doubt
This book has been many years in the making.
I would often start and then stop as self-doubt would creep in. Thoughts would arise: ‘who am I to write this book?’ ‘who’s going to read it, why bother?’
I realised I was looking for some sort of external validation to write. Yet this served me in no way to get on with the work that was required.
Committing to writing
I discovered that if I shifted my focus to the joy of writing rather than the end outcome, the words would flow. Conversely, when I focused on the book that would eventuate and whether it would be received well, I would feel unmotivated and find myself sabotaging my writing efforts by distracting myself with other tasks.
So, for the past year, I’ve committed to writing one hour a day and have drawn my awareness to how writing feels to me physically, mentally and emotionally; rather than to the eventual receptivity of my writing.
Committing 100%
Now in Thailand, I am working full-time to complete the book. Now at over 100,000 words, I am beginning to see my writing shaping into a book that I feel is valuable to share with others.
Up to this point, and to keep my focus on writing, I avoided thinking of agents, publishers, editors and so on so that I could discover whether I had a book within me before getting caught up in the logistics of publication—and I do!
I’m hoping to have the first draft completed over the next month and will then explore publication options.
Right now, my attention is on the feel of the keyboard under my fingers, witnessing the words as they appear on the screen and feeling greater clarity in the concepts that have been developing in my mind these past years. I look forward to sharing it with you.
Below is the book synopsis I shared in 2018. However, you can find out more about the published book on the Joyful Eating Book page. Alternatively, if you’re interested in pursuing a creative pursuit that requires ongoing commitment, you may enjoy the blog: How to write a book using the lessons of Joyful Eating.
Joyful Eating: How to Break Free of Diets and Make Peace with Your Body
“… practical tools to help people release their sabotaging thoughts, enabling them to eat more intuitively and find joy in the moment.”
— Michelle Stanton, author of The Timeless World.
Synopsis of Joyful Eating: The Book
This book focuses on debunking the body, diet and food myths that can keep you trapped in a cycle of diet after diet, searching for the next miracle food or diet, and preventing you from truly enjoying your body and the food you eat.
The plethora of contradictory information, eating rules and food labels in the mainstream media, and those imposed by health professionals and self-declared health gurus, can generate confusion, anxiety and stress about what and how to eat. The obsession with food facts, rules, statistics and subsequent diets can cause you to forget that food is more than merely fuel or nutrition—food and eating are, and should be, one of life’s delightful pleasures!
I don’t believe it is a lack of willpower, motivation, information or diet programs that keeps people trapped in an endless cycle of yo-yo dieting and persistent dissatisfaction with their bodies. Instead, it is the misguided belief that you can control your body and your eating, which reinforces distrust in your body and possibly yourself around food. You are not alone.
In many ways, Joyful Eating is about letting go.
Letting go of the struggle with your weight or dissatisfaction with your body. Letting go of dieting, calorie restriction, deprivation, preoccupation with food and gruelling exercise regimes. Letting go of diet mentality, beliefs, fears, doubts, guilt and shame around food and your body that may have prevented you from eating, moving and living in a way that nourishes and honours your body.
“This book is brilliant and is full of food myth busting facts but also gives great advice about how to eat with awareness and find joy instead of guilt. The information is in bite sized chunks and is literally a joy to read what I wish everyone to know so we can all be free of stress inducing diets and thoughts about our bodies not being good enough.”
Goodreads Reviewer
Drawing on scientific evidence, personal experience and observations, Joyful Eating shares insightful information and reflections on why diets that restrict and control your eating do not work. Instead of meal plans and food rules, you will be inspired to take practical steps to reconnect with your body and learn to listen to and trust your body’s internal cues. You will be guided through Self-Reflection Activities to reinforce the eight principles of Joyful Eating and to experience for yourself the power of this intuitive and enjoyable way to relate to food.
