You Are Not a Before Picture: 2022’s bestselling inspirational new guide to help you tackle diet culture, finding self acceptance, and making peace with your body

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It sounds ridiculous to say it out loud, but a part of me truly thinks that my loved ones will regard me higher if I had a smaller waist, toned legs or abs. I finished this last night but wasn’t overcome by it so I didn’t want it to be my 100th book of the year so I just waited until I finished Gideon to log it, lol. Spread it far and wide, follow her immediately, make it part of the curriculum, live and breathe it. Light also makes aware of her privilege as a white, straight-sized woman with access to mental health care and brings in diverse voices.

Alex does a fantastic job at talking through all the nonsense we prescribe to from the dieting world, society, social media, even the health industry, and how you can find your own way to being your true authentic self at the size you are now, with your body exactly as it is right now. Some of it was a bit too deep for me but overall it’s definitely one that I will be mulling over for a while and if “the diet starts tomorrow” has been your mantra at any point put this on your to read list.

This book delves into both the facets of body image and intuitive eating, highlighting how diet culture developed, sustains, and wreaks havoc on our well being.

Mode: 📱thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for allowing me to review and advanced copy e book in exchange for this review. The book starts with an introduction to the concept of diet culture, which is, in Light’s words “a set of beliefs that puts thinness, shape, and size above all else and equates it with health, success, happiness, and moral virtue. I was a true chronic dieter, riding the fleeting highs and persistent lows and living off the hope I felt buoyed by when I discovered a new diet. so though a few points in this book overall really don't apply to me, the majority of it does and brings up some amazing points.I always say that the most feminist thing about me is my undying love of romance novels but I’d really prefer it to be that I don’t care about my weight or appearance because NONE OF IT MATTERS ANYWAY. Step-by-step, You Are Not A Before Picture provides a framework for changing the way we view ourselves and the world around us.

This seemed too far fetched but once I started looking and listening I found that there are examples all around.

The latter part of the book is an advice guide on liberating yourself from this insidious diet culture. I knew some of this (like the fact that BMI is *incredibly* racist and built on white male's body weights) but I didn't know so much of the other racism that is ingrained into diet culture that is mentioned. We are living, breathing, multi-faceted, talented human beings whose true beauty cannot be captured in a picture. There’s also input by Dr Wolrich, advising you on how to handle doctors that focus solely on your weight or ask to weigh you. I hope so, but in truth I have been brainwashed for over 50 years and it will take me so long to shake off the messaging, I have been fat shamed, I have judged happiness by my size.