In this selection of the RWR book club Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating , Christy Harrison breaks down the toxic lies of diet culture and offers a liberating alternative rooted in intuitive eating, fat acceptance, and true well-being.
She calls out the $60 billion industry that profits from body shame and gives you the tools to step off the hamster wheel for good.
Table of Contents
Summary
In this selection for the RWR Book Club Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison is a deep dive into the toxic influence of diet culture — how it harms our health, distorts our self-worth, and distracts us from living full, present lives. With a background in nutrition and journalism, Harrison dismantles common myths about weight, health, and willpower while exposing the industries that profit from our insecurities.
This is not a how-to diet book. It’s a cultural and historical investigation into where our obsession with thinness came from and why it’s still thriving, despite mounting evidence that diets don’t work long term. Harrison clearly outlines how anti-fat bias shows up in medicine, media, and daily life, and offers intuitive eating as a radical alternative grounded in self-trust and body respect.
Whether you’re new to the concept of intuitive eating or years into your anti-diet journey, this book is a validating and energizing resource that replaces shame with compassion — and restriction with freedom.
This Book Is Great If You…
Are done counting calories and obsessing over food
Want to understand the roots and harms of diet culture
Are curious about intuitive eating and sustainable self-care
Many of us in the RWR community have “done it all” when it comes to dieting. This book validated everything I felt but couldn’t name. It helped me break the cycle and start choosing care over control. I hope it does the same for you.
RWR Book Club Anti-diet Suggested 4-Week Reading Plan
Week 1: Introduction + Chapters 1–3
Week 2: Chapters 4–6
Week 3: Chapters 7–9
Week 4: Chapters 10–Conclusion
Journal Prompts
What beliefs about food or weight did this book challenge?
What would it feel like to trust your body again?
How have you been harmed by diet culture’s false promises?
What would enough look like in your eating, movement, or self-care?
FAQ
Q: Is this the same as the original Intuitive Eating book?
A: No — it draws on that framework but goes deeper into the history, money, and systems of oppression that uphold diet culture.
Q: Do I need to be familiar with intuitive eating before reading this book?
A: Not at all. Anti-Diet is an excellent starting point. Christy Harrison walks readers through the core concepts of intuitive eating while simultaneously breaking down why traditional diet culture is so harmful. Whether you’re brand new to this or already familiar, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding.
Q: Is this book just about food and weight?
A: No—Anti-Diet connects the dots between wellness, capitalism, racism, and fatphobia. It’s about reclaiming your time, energy, and peace of mind from the grip of diet culture, and understanding how this system affects nearly every area of life.
Q: Will this book help me stop dieting?
A: Yes, if you’re open to shifting your mindset. This book offers both a cultural critique and a personal roadmap for moving away from restrictive eating and toward a more compassionate, intuitive relationship with food and your body.
Q: Is this book suitable for someone recovering from disordered eating?
A:Anti-Diet may be incredibly validating, but it also includes discussion of diet culture’s connection to eating disorders. Some readers in active recovery may want to proceed with care. That said, many find it helpful and healing when used alongside professional support.
Q: What makes this book different from other intuitive eating books?
A: Christy Harrison doesn’t just teach intuitive eating—she critically examines the historical, political, and economic systems that fuel diet culture. If you’re looking for both personal guidance and a wider lens on systemic harm, this book delivers both.
Q: Will this book challenge my beliefs about health and weight?
A: Probably. And that’s part of what makes it so impactful. Harrison tackles common myths about BMI, weight loss, and “health” head-on with evidence-based research—and invites you to reflect on how those beliefs were formed.
RWR Selection Book Club Anti-Diet Keywords
intuitive eating, anti-diet, breaking up with diet culture, food freedom, diet-free, Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating
This post contains affiliate links. This month’s selection for RWR Book Club –Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approachby RDN Evelyn Tribole, MS and RDN Elyse Resch, MS
What’s ahead
Summary
Intuitive Eating is a foundational book in the anti-diet and body liberation movement. Written by two registered dietitians, it introduces a flexible, compassionate framework for reconnecting with hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and self-trust. The book outlines 10 principles that guide readers toward a more peaceful, body-respecting relationship with food — one that isn’t rooted in shame or restriction.
Why Intuitive Eating Is Book #1 in the RWR Book Club
Intuitive Eating is our starting point because it helps unravel the very foundation of diet culture that so many of us have internalized without even realizing it. It’s not just about food, it’s about rebuilding body trust, learning to honor hunger and fullness, and healing the mental and emotional weight we’ve been carrying around how we eat.
This book gives language to the thoughts so many of us have had in secret:
Why do I feel out of control around food?
Why does eating “right” feel so hard?
Why does my body always feel like a problem I have to fix?
It offers a way forward that’s compassionate, empowering, and sustainable — and it lays the groundwork for every other book on the RWR list.
Before we dive into movement, habits, or self-care, we have to address the mindset that says:
“I have to earn rest.” “My worth is tied to what I eat.” “Healthy means smaller.” “Restriction equals discipline.”
Intuitive Eating gently dismantles those ideas and replaces them with permission, connection, and autonomy. It invites you to let go of shame and step into curiosity — which is the heart of everything we do inside Results Without Restriction.
That’s why this isn’t just the first book. It’s the foundation.
This Book Is Great If You…
Are curious about healing your relationship with food without counting anything
Feel stuck in the cycle of dieting and want a new way to relate to food
Struggle with guilt around eating or your body
Want to rebuild body trust and learn to eat in a way that feels good, not punishing
This book is part of the RWR Book Club because it speaks directly to two core pillars: Gentle Nutrition and Body Respect. It helps readers identify and challenge internalized diet culture, explore eating without guilt, and develop an internal compass for food and movement choices.
Suggested 4-Week Reading Plan
This book is dense but structured, so we’ll divide it into manageable weekly chunks (approx. 60–70 pages/week):
Week 1:
Introduction
Principles 1–2:
Reject the Diet Mentality, Honor Your Hunger
Week 2:
Principles 3–6: Make Peace with Food Challenge the Food Police Discover the Satisfaction Factor Feel Your Fullness
Week 3:
Principles 7–10: Cope with Emotions with Kindness Respect Your Body Movement – Feel the Difference Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition
Week 4:
Application Chapters
Personal Reflection
Revisit any chapters that hit home
Make it yours: You don’t need to follow this plan perfectly. Read at your own pace and take breaks when you need to reflect or process.
Journal Prompts
Use these questions to deepen your reading experience. There are no right answers — only what’s true for you.
What food rules are you realizing you’ve internalized (even subtly)?
How has diet culture shown up in your life without you realizing it?
Which of the 10 principles feels most aligned with you right now? Which feels hardest?
In what ways have you been taught to disconnect from hunger or satisfaction?
How do you define success when it comes to your relationship with food — and how do you want to redefine it?
How does it feel to consider trusting your body — or treating it with respect, even when you don’t love it?
This book also has a companion workbook if you’d like guidance in putting these principles into action
The Intuitive Eating Workbook: Ten Principles for Nourishing a Healthy Relationship with Food
Intuitive eating is a flexible, weight-neutral approach to eating that helps you reconnect with your body’s natural hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues. Instead of following external rules (like calorie counts or food plans), intuitive eating encourages you to trust your body and honor your physical and emotional needs. It’s rooted in self-compassion, not restriction.
Is intuitive eating just “eating whatever you want”?
Not exactly. While it does mean giving yourself unconditional permission to eat, it also involves learning how different foods make you feel physically and emotionally. The goal is to strike a balance between satisfaction and gentle nutrition — eating in ways that support your well-being, not sabotage it. Over time, you begin to choose foods that feel good and energizing because you want to, not because you “should.”
What is “gentle nutrition”?
Gentle nutrition is the final principle of intuitive eating. It means making food choices that both honor your health and your taste buds — without punishing or obsessing over what you eat. It’s about progress, not perfection. If focusing on nutrition feels stressful or triggering, you’re encouraged to wait until the earlier principles (like hunger and fullness) feel more grounded before diving into this one.
How does intuitive eating help heal my relationship with food?
Intuitive eating helps you rebuild trust with your body by removing shame, guilt, and external rules from your eating choices. Instead of following a rigid plan, you learn to listen to internal cues like hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and emotion. By letting go of diet culture and tuning in to what your body actually needs, you stop obsessing over what, when, and how much to eat — and start building a peaceful, sustainable relationship with food.
It’s a process of unlearning the messages that told you your body couldn’t be trusted — and replacing them with self-awareness, compassion, and body respect.
What are the 10 principles of intuitive eating?
The 10 principles of intuitive eating, developed by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, serve as a flexible framework — not rules — to help you reconnect with your body and break free from chronic dieting:
Reject the Diet Mentality
Honor Your Hunger
Make Peace with Food
Challenge the Food Police
Discover the Satisfaction Factor
Feel Your Fullness
Cope with Emotions with Kindness
Respect Your Body
Movement – Feel the Difference
Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition
These principles are designed to work together gradually to help you shift your mindset, rebuild body trust, and approach health without restriction or obsession.
Is intuitive eating supposed to be a tool for weight management?
No. Intuitive eating is not a weight loss or weight management tool. In fact, one of its core values is that you let go of intentional weight control so you can focus on your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This book is part of the anti-diet movement, which means it does not promote intentional weight loss, calorie counting, or before/after transformations.
Instead, it’s centered on body neutrality, food freedom, and long-term health behaviors. If you’re looking for a way to heal your relationship with food and your body.
Will I lose weight if I start following the principles of Intuitive Eating?
Some people may gain weight, lose weight, or stay the same, but the goal is to stop tying your self-worth or health to a number on the scale. Instead of manipulating your body, you learn to nourish and care for it with respect, regardless of size.
How do I know if intuitive eating is right for me?
Intuitive eating might be right for you if:
You’re tired of yo-yo dieting, binge-restrict cycles, or obsessing over food
You want to stop labeling foods as “good” or “bad”
You’re ready to explore what it feels like to eat without guilt
You crave a more peaceful relationship with food and your body
You want to trust your own body’s signals rather than external rules
If you’ve spent years battling with food, your body image, or trying to “fix” yourself through diets — intuitive eating offers a way forward rooted in freedom, flexibility, and self-trust.
Can I practice intuitive eating with health conditions like diabetes?
Yes — intuitive eating can absolutely be practiced alongside health conditions like diabetes, but it may look a bit different. You can still reject diet culture, listen to your body’s cues, and approach food with curiosity and care — while also incorporating medical nutrition therapy and guidance from your care team.
In fact, the 10th principle, Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition, supports integrating health considerations into your eating patterns without fear, restriction, or rigidity. Many intuitive eating-aligned dietitians specialize in helping people with diabetes, PCOS, and other chronic conditions eat in ways that are both supportive and liberating.
Note: It’s helpful to work with a weight-neutral, intuitive eating-informed MD/RD if you’re managing a specific diagnosis.
This selection of the RWR Book ClubThe (Other) F Word, by Angie Manfredi, is a joyful, creative celebration of fat bodies — especially for teens. Featuring essays, poems, illustrations, and stories from a diverse group of contributors, this book breaks down the shame and silence that surrounds growing up fat. It’s empowering, funny, thoughtful, and exactly what we wish we’d had when we were younger.
So much of diet culture takes root when we’re young. This book is about interrupting that cycle and giving the next generation a radically affirming message: your body is worthy of love and celebration, no matter what. It’s a breath of fresh air and a reminder that joy is revolutionary.
Suggested 4-Week Reading Plan
Week 1: Read the Intro + first 4 essays Week 2: Next 4–5 essays Week 3: Final 4–5 essays Week 4: Reflect + revisit your favorite pieces
Journal Prompts
What stories stood out or felt personal?
Did you hear your younger self in these pages?
What would you want your teenage self to know?
What would it look like to make joy part of your body story?
FAQ
Q: Is this book just for teens? A: Not at all! It’s written for teens, but adults will find so much healing and affirmation here too.
Q: Is it fiction or nonfiction? A: Nonfiction — but told through a mix of creative formats.
Keywords: fat positivity, joyful body liberation, fat teens and self-esteem
This academic yet accessible book lays bare the racist origins of fatphobia. Sabrina Strings takes readers through centuries of art, religion, science, and culture to expose how anti-fatness was used to reinforce anti-Blackness, long before modern diet culture.
It’s essential reading for anyone serious about dismantling systemic body oppression.
This Book Is Great If You…
Want to understand the racial history behind fatphobia
Are looking for a well-researched, challenging read
Believe that liberation requires unlearning deep societal myths
Understanding where fatphobia comes from changes everything. This book doesn’t just talk about beauty standards, it talks about white supremacy, power, and control. It’s a critical perspective in our book club, especially if you’re doing deeper anti-racism work alongside body liberation.
This month’s selection for the RWR Book Club Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay — a powerful memoir that dives deep into the complexities of body image, trauma, and self-acceptance.
Table of Contents
Summary
In this selection for the RWR Book Club Hunger, Roxane Gay shares an unflinching and deeply personal narrative about her relationship with her body, food, trauma, and identity. Through brutal honesty and sharp reflection, she explores how her experiences shaped her physical and emotional self. It’s not a book about “overcoming” — it’s a book about living and navigating a world that wasn’t built to accept bodies like hers.
This Book Is Great If You…
Want a raw, emotional memoir from a queer woman of color
Are interested in the intersection of trauma and body image
Are seeking truth-telling around the lived reality of being in a fat body
Roxane Gay’s words are unforgettable. This book doesn’t offer easy answers or tidy resolutions. Instead, it offers something more powerful — honesty. Hunger helps us reflect on our own body stories, trauma, and the pressure to shrink ourselves emotionally and physically. It felt important to include it in this club because it opens up space for conversations we often keep buried.
What parts of Roxane’s story felt familiar to you?
How has your body image been shaped by your experiences with trauma or rejection?
Where do you feel pressure to make yourself smaller?
What does self-care look like in the absence of diet culture?
FAQ
Q: Is this book only for people who identify as fat?
A: No. While Roxane’s experiences are deeply rooted in her identity, this book offers insight, empathy, and connection for anyone who’s struggled with their body.
Q: Is this a hard read emotionally?
A: Yes — and it’s worth it. Go at your own pace and take breaks when you need to.
Q: How does this book connect to the RWR philosophy?
A: At Results Without Restriction, we value nuance, body trust, and honoring lived experience. Hunger embodies all of that — it’s not a “how-to” book, but a reminder that your body tells a story worth listening to, no matter what it looks like.
Q: What makes this book different from other memoirs about weight?
A: Gay’s work centers emotional complexity, not oversimplified solutions. It’s literary, vulnerable, and unwilling to reduce the fat experience to cliché. She explores hunger as a metaphor — for safety, love, autonomy, and control — not just appetite.
Q: Is this a weight loss or transformation story?
A: No. In fact, Hunger challenges those tropes. Roxane Gay does not offer a resolution or redemption arc based on body change. Instead, she offers truth — about living in her body, experiencing trauma, and navigating a world that polices size and survival.
Keywords: body acceptance memoir, trauma and body image, fat representation in literature
