Book Description

“A heartrending memoir meets an empowering self-help guide” in this account of coming to terms with food, body image, and sexuality (Joshua Rosenthal, founder and director of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition). In this riveting, intimate book, Marissa LaRocca relates her own struggle living, for a time, in two closets: one to hide her eating disorder and one to hide her sexuality and very identity. As she unravels the emotional layers of her battle, she reveals the skills she learned that led her to find herself—and to eventually emerge as an outspoken advocate for gay rights and women’s health issues. She shares the hard-won wisdom she gained during her journey, to help you: Identify the root causes, symptoms, and triggers associated with an eating disorder Acknowledge the “life issues” that are being masked by “food issues” or other addictions Disempower compulsive behaviors like binging, purging, and obsessing about calories and exercise Heal your relationship with food through healing your relationship with yourself Escape the victim role, become empowered, and take responsibility for your own happiness Connect with your life’s purpose and authentic self, transforming your weaknesses into strengths Free your mind through tuning in to the body and witnessing emotions Improve your body image and self-esteem by aligning your lifestyle with your true values and desires, and with what is realistic Effectively communicate your needs with confidence Establish guilt-free lifestyle boundaries to reduce anxiety and maximize vitality Enhance peace of mind by developing a reliable support system Eliminate the need to be perfect by practicing forgiveness and compassion toward yourself