Self-Love Diet by Michelle E. Minero

I’ve been reading a lot of books about weight loss surgery, and one book that was recommended to me was Self-Love Diet by Michelle E. Minero.  I’m usually on the fence about self-help books.  I think they can be really helpful, but I’m also pretty skeptical about them too.  Ultimately, just like anything else they are tools that some people may find helpful.  I don’t believe that my salvation lies in any book.  But, I may be able to find some tools that really speak to me in a particular moment.

I am still reading Self-Love Diet, so I don’t feel that I can give an honest review yet.  So far I’m really enjoying it and it is really speaking to me.  I’m taking it slow (as a reviewer on Amazon suggested) and limiting myself to a chapter a day.  There are a lot of chapters, so it may take me many weeks to actually finish.  I figured that’s fine because I may be better about implementing some of what she is talking about.

One thing so far that has really stood out for me is the author’s suggestion to “Act as if” I love myself.  What kinds of things would I be doing for myself if I truly loved myself?  I really like the author’s approach to this.  The Self-Love Diet is not a traditional food diet; it’s about feeding yourself love regularly.  I love that idea.  I am trying to love myself--flaws and all!

To get things rolling, I am starting with a few tools that have helped me in the past:

• Starting the day off with an affirmation - these can be difficult, but the more you do it, the more you begin to believe!

• Catching my negative thoughts and changing them to the positive - also very hard, but very worth it.

• Celebrating my little (and big!) victories

My affirmation today is…

I am a beautiful woman full of vitality!

(This was actually one I struggled with just a tiny bit.  I’m usually loathe to say that I’m beautiful because I don’t always believe that I am.  In the past, I would have not used the word because I would feel like a fraud using it.  As I was writing my affirmation though, the word beautiful came out and when I hesitated I realized that I needed to go ahead and use it.  There was some part of me that wanted to use it because it was a gut feeling of what I should say to myself.  And that is truly something to be celebrated!  Somewhere inside myself I do believe I am beautiful.  So… I am a beautiful woman full of vitality!)