Book Review: A Waist Is a Terrible Thing to Mind

Book Title: A Waist Is a Terrible Thing to Mind

Author: Karen Scalf Linamen

Number of Pages: 194

Price: 11 USD (I got mine on sale for about 4 USD)

Soo straight to it! I won’t lie and say this book is not one of the most amazing I’ve read in a long time. If you want to turn your back on the lies that society has told you – that you’re not good enough, pretty enough, skinny enough, chubby enough. successful enough- then this is the book to read.

It is exactly what it says on the cover; it tells you why ‘a waist is a terrible thing to mind’ (‘a waist’ here being whatever it is that society tells you is not good enough about you). I’ve obviously read other books about accepting your body blah blah blah but for some reason this particular one has my heart. Karen’s writing is so interactive and borderline humourous. At some point I was totally convinced that she writes like me (Haha! Thank you, let me deceive myself please). However, despite how funny and warm the book is, it still lays down common-sense and practical tools to make changes in your life.

I wanted to title this review: NA FAT I FAT I NO KILL PERSON because it’s a realization I was able to come to after reading this book. On the cover it says: Loving Your Body, Accepting Yourself, and Living Without Regret and these are changes you would begin to make from the very moment you pick up this book.

If like me, you have struggled with body image or dieting to lose weight or add weight (or maybe even other radical ways to change the way you look) you would realize from the very first chapter that this book is more about making peace with your body first before going on your change journey. You need to be confident about yourself and your body in order to get it to work for you.

The book also talks extensively about getting started and gives excellent tips to make that happen. If you usually have trouble getting started with stuff, them you should read this book. I particularly like how she emphasized that it is small changes that lead to larger ones. I have always been the type to just jump into things expecting to change my whole life overnight. Of course, it almost always leads to a relapse. Basically, the book covers making peace with small changes, making peace with your opinion of yourself, making peace with habitual behaviours, making peace with food, your emotions, your idea of beautiful, your metabolism, your cravings, your story and your life in general. It covers making peace with YOURSELF!

What I love the most about this book is the activity page at the end of each chapter titled “GET A NEW BODITUDE”.

These pages are filled with questions I would never ask myself on a normal day. They really helped me to think deep and answer those questions as truthfully as possible. I also really like how informal the book is while still laying down steps to achieve your goals. I totally agree with the point of view of making peace with your body first before going ahead to make changes.

Personally, I think the book is almost everything you would want in a book like this. It has helpful and practical tips and not just utopic ideas that other books like this give you (as if everything is so easy).

If you think you’re not pretty enough or not thin enough or not fat enough or not busty enough or too flat, or not successful enough, then you absolutely need to read this book. Heck even if you don’t have any of these insecurities, you still should read this book. You would definitely embrace seeing yourself in the light of God’s eyes for a long long time.

I wish I could tell you every single thing inside the book but you’d need to read it to know it.

You can get a copy here https://www.amazon.com/Waist-Terrible-Thing-Mind-Accepting/dp/1400074010

Thanks for reading my review.

If you’ve read the book or any similar book, (or even if you’ve not) let’s share in the comments section. What do you think of Karen’s view that you must first love your body and yourself before you can work it to make changes for you? Waiting to hear from you.

Much love,

Your tiny eyed storyteller.