The Writing Diet

Write Yourself Right-Size

By: Julia Cameron

Narrated by: Dina Pearlman

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, offers a revolutionary diet plan: Use writing to take off the pounds!

Over the course of the past twenty-five years, Julia Cameron has taught thousands of artists and aspiring artists how to unblock wellsprings of creativity. And time and again she has noticed an interesting thing: Often when her students uncover their creative selves they also undergo a surprising physical transformation - invigorated by their work, they slim down. In The Writing Diet, Cameron illuminates the relationship between creativity and eating to reveal a crucial equation: Creativity can block overeating.

This inspiring weight-loss program directs listeners to count words instead of calories, to substitute their writing’s “food for thought” for actual food. The Writing Diet presents a brilliant plan for using one of the soul’s deepest and most abiding appetites—the desire to be creative—to lose weight and keep it off forever.

©2007 Julia Cameron (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Save your credit unless you need advice like "eat salads"

This was a huge disappointment and I regret spending my credit. I think Julie Cameron should be embarrassed to have capitalized on the trust people have in her with a book containing nothing more eye opening than "steamed is better than fried" and "stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables and throw out the bad food". The book is also filled with accounts of people who struggled with weight, divorcees who wondered "Who would want me?" but THEN one day met a man who was into older, fatter women and went with him (moral: there's someone out there for everybody). Another insight "food is a substitute for sex" (really?! Who knew?!!)
Then there's the ludicrous suggestion for women to get comfortable being overweight by going to museums to see artwork from bygone eras featuring fat women. Mail postcards featuring this artwork, to themselves, saying they look fine.
I find most of this book insultingly patronizing and the rest ridiculously basic and repetitive.
Dina Perlman's reading also leaves a lot to be desired although she does fit the vibe of the book. It feels insincere and melodramatic. Bad acting.

Weight Watchers INFJ Friendly

I've been on Weight Watchers online about four months now. As I started to explore the feelings that I was no longer numbing through food, I began looking for a helpful adjunct to support the emotional part of the weight-loss journey. I incorporated this audible book into my morning walks in the neighborhood, and found the questions she posed, as well as the various topics, to be quite on point. A perfect self-reflective opportunity for a sensitive, and thoughtful Creative.

Not worth it

The point of this book is revealed in the first 5 minutes. Then later there is nothing more to it than just examples of ppl who wrote, discovered their problems and lost weight. The book is not worth your time or credit. I dont even know how it got published. A big waste of my time.

Writing what is eating us instead of eating

Practical advice that works! She addresses a variety of issues that may be the cause of our unwanted weight and gives immediate steps for improvement. love it!

Read the ‘Artist Way’ Skip the Diet

I loved the Artist Way- it was practical, beautifully written, and gave me practices that fed my soul. I regret reading the Writing Diet because it was punitive, and the narrator’s voice was harsh. And I felt beaten up, and judged.
The book simply advised you to take up the Morning pages, go out to eat once a week to someplace new and do the Twelve Step program.
Cameron admits she is no expert on diets.
She’s right.
The book might have worked if she’d done it as a memoir-about not being able to find your muse when you have a reputation for helping the world find theirs

Absolutely loved

Must read for anyone on a health journey! This book motivated me to eat clean, not just count calories.

Interesting Concept

The author makes a lot of good observational, common sense points. It is very refreshing reading a weight loss book *not* written by a skinny fitness/nutrition "guru" but from the perspective of a writer and creative person. I will definitely try some of her suggestions...if nothing else, my writing should greatly improve.

Useful

I was very apprehensive going into this book. Because, to be honest with you I hated "The Artist's Way" series by the same author and was dreading that this book will be as bad. But I was wrong. To my surprise I really liked this read. And am actively using it's recommendations. It is refreshing to have a diet advice from a person who is not a nutritionist that actually works in real life!
It's also surprisingly pumped me up about my writing too, and this month being the CampNaNoWriMo month for me, this "side effect" is so helpful to my word-count.
I probably won't read anything else by the same author, it's just my personal preferences at work here, but there is a high probability that I will be re-reading this particular book later.

Right on AND right off

I have read and listened to a few personal development books regarding weight, intuitive eating and including body positivity.
I feel Julia Cameron is Bang on when she discribes how using journaling can help you come to terms with why you maybe over eat and how to use certain questions to help realise whether you are hungry or if you are experiencing another issue, feeling or emotion. LOVED ALL OF THAT!
But what I absolutely did not want was to be told that certain foods are 'illegal' or that eating dessert is bad! The writer is not a dietitian or nutritional psychologist and in my opinion she should have just stuck to her experiences rather than telling people there is a right and a wrong way to eat. Because there isn't. There is also no description of what the morning pages actually are and how to do them.