Freedom from Dieting

High praise for Michelle May's book Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don't Work. I have been on various diets for most of my life always struggling. Am I Hungry? is the most logical approach to weight management that I have ever seen. The book is very informative on many levels. It addresses the root causes of overeating, gives practical strategies and tools to overcome eating for reasons other than true hunger.
I am now liberated from the cycle of dieting and overeating. I will continue to use this book as a very important resource to continue living a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.

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Valuable Information For Overeaters

This may be the best "diet" book I've ever read. I was naturally thin until I hit my mid-fifties, when I started to put on weight for no apparent reason. This book identifies three types of eating: Overeating, Restrictive Eating, and Instinctive Eating (with Instinctive Eating being the elusive goal). I'm now a Restrictive Eater (meaning I only allow myself small amounts of certain foods at particular times). But after the initial explanation, the authors seem to let the problems of Restrictive Eaters fall by the wayside and focus the rest of the book on Overeaters. (Thus the three stars.)

This book is freeing. It honestly explains why diets don't work, and what to do about overeating. So if overeating is your main problem, by all means, buy this book!

The women who wrote "Am I Hungry?" also have a website. The two e-books offered are worth buying and downloading. They give information not included in the original book, and are helpful to anyone trying to lose weight, improve self-awareness, or deal with any sorts of problems concerning food.

Regardless of your food and/or diet issues, this book will give you insight and sound advice.

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Excellent Book

I never really had any serious weight issues. But at one point in my life, as a short 5'4" guy, I hit the scale at 155 lbs. and thought that I was slowly digging my own grave with a spoon and fork. So, I started to read books about diets and nutrition; but with the plethora of diet programs and the apparent high incidence of failed dieters, I just decided to go on my own and follow a very simple rule: when eating, just listen to your stomach. Basically the rule translated to: eat when you are hungry, stop when you think you have consumed enough to last you for the next scheduled meal, eat only to the point that the stomach "does not stretch" so that it gets used to only being filled with less, and enjoy every bite like it's the last. There were times I broke my rules, and learned valuable lessons in the process, but in less than 4 months I dropped to 115 lbs. Not only that, I was shocked to find out how little food our body actually needs if we just consume food based on our physiological needs. Lots of my acquaintances have always asked me how I did it and how I have been able to maintain my weight for years. And to my increasing annoyance, until I found "Am I Hungry?" at Amazon, I have to lengthily explain and "defend" my eating habits.

This book has really made everything easy for me. Now, every time people ask me about tips on weight loss or dieting, I point them to this book. Everything, and a lot more, is explained in "Am I Hungry?"

This book is a real treasure. It is light reading but heavily loaded with wisdom. No smoke and mirrors. No cheering. Just lots of plain common sense. Basically, it teaches about total eating awareness. From the book's lessons, one re-learns the basic principle that eating correctly is about feeding the body in the most mindful way. And the right way to eat is to be satisfied for the right reasons. One realizes that the most reliable cues of when to eat this and/or that kind of food are not found in the bookstore or the popular opinions of a bestselling diet guru. It is within each of us. Eating right is about having the clearest communication with our body. It is about enjoying food, and not about being constrained by some diet prescriptions. Sensible eating requires no willpower at all, just plain consciousness. Above all, this book teaches eating skills. And from the skills, the student reigns supreme again in making a decision of what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, ... based on the right reasons why one has to eat in the first place. This book is highly recommended.


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