End Emotional Eating: Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Cope with Difficult Emotions and Develop a Healthy Relationship to Food

The first two weeks of January around Cub Run Recenter, where I swim, are busy each year with New Year’s resolutions athletes. After that, the new faces mostly disappear and the regulars return to their usual routine. Raw will-power is normally good for about two weeks.In her book, End Emotional Eating, Jennifer Taitz starts with a bold statement:“Willpower, as it turns out, is less about will then it is about skill. Mischel [author of a study about the marshmallow test] explains that willpower relates to the ability to strategically direct attention. For example, teaching children [age 4] to pretend the marshmallow is just a picture transforms low delayers [kids unable to delay gratification] to high delays. Obsessing and focusing on the marshmallow creates intense temptation … In this book, you will learn to sit with temptation by paying attention in a particular way … you will practice living in full contact with the present moment, learning from your feelings, copying with distress skillfully, and developing self-compassion.” (1-2)A key component in her Zen-influenced approach is developing mindfulness which she defines as: “present-focused, flexible, nonjudgmental awareness.” (3) Another key component is the idea of acceptance which she defines as:“a willingness to experience thoughts and feelings, even uncomfortable ones. It doesn’t mean endorse things we don’t want to experience or running headlong into unpleasantness.” (3-4)While Taiz’s approach targets patients with eating disorders, like binging, bulimia, and anorexia, much of the book reads equally well for people (like me) who struggle with maintaining a balanced, healthy relationship with food.Some of you may be like me and be suspicious of ideas, like mindfulness, which arise out of Eastern religions, like Zen Buddhism. It is good to be vigilant. In this context, I would make several observations.• God, as creator of heaven and earth, is also the origin of all knowledge, including knowledge of ourselves. In Proverbs, for example, we read: “The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.” (Prov 15:7 ESV) We should not fear knowledge, but instead focus on making sure it is used faithfully.• Mindfulness is being aware of our thoughts, emotions, and responses, which is a skill that comes also with continuous prayer and meditation.• Mindfulness comes close to meditation as when a Zen author might encourage meditation on physical things, like a raisin. The Christian focus in mediation is more typically on Christ (as in the Jesus prayer) or on scripture (as in Lecto Divina). Recognizing that we worship the creator, not the creation, mediation on physical things may be helpful as spiritual exercise, but would not be otherwise encouraged.As Christians, it is our responsibility to understand the uses and abuses of any kind of knowledge, but especially knowledge in the spiritual realm. As such, Taitz’s work is helpful as a tool for dealing with the special problem posed by the sin of gluttony, sometimes referred to by its Latin name, gula, which has historically been called one of the seven deadly sins.Dr. Jennifer L. Taitz is psychologist specializing in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) with degrees from New York University and Yeshiva University, also in New York. She writes in ten chapters, including:1. Understanding Emotions and Eating2. Accepting the Idea of Acceptance3. Mindful Moments4. Emotional Intelligence5. Surfing Urges and Developing Realistic Confidence6. Minding Your Mind7. Coping with Difficult Emotions with a Second Helping8. Cultivating Self-Compassion9. Tasting Values10. Ending Well and Beginning Again.The book begins with acknowledgments, a foreword, and introduction; and ends with a list of references (iii-iv). Because Taitz offers wonderful reviews of pertinent literature embedded in her discussions, you may find the list of references especially helpful.Jennifer L. Taitz’s book, End Emotional Eating, is accessible and interesting to a wide lay and professional audience both because of the topic and because the approaches suggested may be helpful in copy with a range of obsessive and addictive behaviors. Sprinkled throughout the chapters are helpful exercises to promote application of the concepts being discussed. I read the book to help me succeed in ramping down my weight and ramping up my exercise routine in the New Year and was pleased with what I learned.In part 1 of this review, I have given an overview of Taitz’s work. In Part 2, I will look in more detail at some of her concepts and teaching. (T2Pneuma.net)ReferencesFairlie, Henry. 2006. The Seven Deadly Sins Today. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press.Kelly Koerner. 2012. Doing Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Practical Guide. New York: Guilford Press. (Review: Koerner Explains DBT and Supporting Skills; http://wp.me/p3Xeut-1uP).

wow, this book may have some good ideas in it. not alot original since the author cites other papers or authors 4 to 5 times per page. it is like reading a college paper with all the references. very hard to just read through, all the references are very, very distracting. the book has no flow to it. she cites lines that I have heard many times just not from the source she puts so wouldn't it have been better to just read everything then write with your own words?I am very sorry I purchased this book. I will try to read it since I am sure it must have some valuable information. It just is so difficult since the way its written is so choppy.update, it is better then I originally thought. still difficult with all the references she does have good information and it is worth reading.

The best book I have ever read on this topic. Extremely interesting and helpful

I found this book in my own CBT project, as I understand trough my history that I get more in tune with weight loss when I'm reading about it.Weight loss is barely mentioned and emotional eating is approached in the context of emotional regulation and awareness. I am eating somewhat less after reading this book (which I'm reading again, something I NEVER do) but I'm not dieting. It makes sense and feels right.I'm a CBT therapist and got really interested in this approach and techniques. I already see myself teaching some of them to my clients.

A WAY OF LIFEAll my life I have struggled with the issue of proper diet. The principleset forth in the book End Emotional Eating has become the beacon light of mybehavior at the dining table.The author has set forth not a culinary guide but a new andrevolutionary perspective on the topic of diet, of thought and of lifeitself before which everything else I have read on the subject is sweptaway.Thought is indeed the key to behavior. The ideas compellingly set forth byDr. Taitz have now become my own thought, my own practice, my own way oflife. Compulsion no longer controls my diet. The master I follow is reasonitself. I could not be more grateful.James J. Fine

I actually only read 35% of this book and haven't picked it up since... I just haven't needed to. I feel so much calmer about my eating choices. I don't try and eat to suppress uncomfortable feelings. This must be what it feels like to be a normal person! I am so happy I stumbled upon this book.

The principles outlined in Dr. Taitz's book are invaluable for anyone trying cope with feelings about body image and curb urges to over eat. I was recently at a sporting event and was craving and contemplating purchasing snack food (pizza, french fries) I knew was unhealthy. I drew upon the urge surfing and mindfulness techniques outlined in this book to overcome these emotions and instead got a protein-rich bag of peanuts. Other techniques such as waiting 20 minutes after eating before determining if hunger still exist have helped me shed pounds for my post new yrs resolution. A must read for a 2013 resolution!

I have read this book twice in the last few months. No! It will not solve your problems. Yes! This book is great. This is a great addition to anyone receiving professional help or if doing it on your own, it is a must read in your personal library of self-help books. Emotional eating broken down into layman's terms and every page is chock full of insight and knowledge.

This is the best book I’ve ever read on eating. It has helped me understand, for the first time, not only why I eat as I do, but also how to help myself feel more confident in handling the feelings which had led to emotional eating. Highly recommended!

I found this book to be full of concepts I was already familiar with but pitched at the right level for me. I read it in small chunks so o could digest it and refer back to the highlights I made when I need a refresher. This is exactly the right book at the right time for me. Glad I picked it up.

Didnt arrive got to re buy

good book , as described

This book is littered with spelling and grammar mistakes and it makes it very hard to read/follow. It seems very unprofessional and it's hard to take it seriously. The exercises seem like common sense. I stopped taking it seriously when it started talking about tapping. That's right, tapping. You tap your body with your hands on various places on your body and for some stupid reason it's supposed to help me with emotional eating. What a load of...well you know what. Not impressed and it's very hard to take seriously at all. Just a hunk of junk. The book came in perfectly new condition and the description was accurate. That's the only reason I gave it 2 stars. I did get what I ordered. Just not very impressed.