Book Review: Beautiful Bodies

Beautiful Bodies

by: Kimberly Rae Miller

Publication Date: July 25, 2017
Finished on:
Publisher: Little A (Amazon)

Note: I received a free SIGNED copy of this book as a Goodreads Giveaway!  All opinions expressed below are my own!

Synopsis:
Beautiful Bodies is a memoir by Kimberly Rae Miller that deals with her lifelong struggles with her weight.  But Beautiful Bodies doesn't just look into Kimberly Rae Miller's weight loss journey, but rather cites scientific evidence regarding the history of diet, exercise and weight loss.  For me, this book read as part memoir and part self help and I really enjoyed the ride.

"We were the best of the best of the best millions of years of evolution had to offer.  So why did I feel so inferior?"

My review:
This is the first I've read by Miller, having never actually knowingly read anything of hers.  I didn't know what to expect when I started, but new it had to do with dieting and I adored the cover.  Since this was a slim volume, I quickly picked it up.  Don't judge this book by its size - it pack a big punch for such a small and cute package.  Kimberly Rae makes even the most scientific evidence easily approachable while sharing anecdotes from her life.

"I hadn't had any connection to my body since I was seven years old.  I'd made it the villain of my life story - I blamed everything on it.  If I didn't get the part, I blamed my body.  If I didn't get the guy, I blamed my body.  If I didn't like who I was, I blamed my body.  But I didn't want to blame it anymore.  I wanted a truce.  I wasn't ready to love it, but I didn't want to hate it anymore."

What woman hasn't had body image issues at some point in their life?  This book was a motivating read for me, reminding me not to hate on my body, but rather love my body and be appreciative of what it does for me.  I have never been a big dieter - I do not have anywhere near the willpower that Kimberly has.  That being said, I still remember first paying attention to my body and comparing it to others in middle school.  I was lucky to be one of the high metabolism children, but that didn't stop me from seriously restricting my caloric intake for a large majority of high school nor did it stop me from gaining weight and being unhappy with my body during college.  I am happy to lead a pretty active lifestyle and my non-diet weight is comfortably in the average range, but I still deal with body image issues and think about calories and exercise more than I should.

Part Four of this novel was my favorite part.  I actually started tearing up (and I'm a pretty cold person in regards to crying during books) at two different parts.  Kimberly's transition into looking at her body as a vessel for her unborn baby really seemed to help heal her.  Instead of feeling uncomfortable, I left this book feeling hopeful.  What more can I want in a memoir?

"There are seven billion bodies in the world, and I got this one.  It may not be the best one, but it's far from being the worst.  It comes from a long line of people who have survived things much more harrowing than social-media bullying or miscarriages.  I've gotten the best they had to offer.  It's a strong body and a soft body, and while it's not as beautiful as I'd have liked, its the only one I will ever have, so I'm working on being thankful for it."

I loved this book.  It is informative and really opened my eyes to the relationship I have with food and with my body.  This is an important book that I will keep on my bookshelf and pick up every few years as a gentle reminder to love myself and my body and all that it can do.  I highly recommend this to every woman in my life - especially those I've traded diet and exercise tips with!