Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I was not familiar with the author but I enjoyed the book. I particularly enjoyed the discussion about finding movement you enjoy, listening to your bodyweight it needs movement or rest, and ditching the scale.

Body neutrality is not an entirely new concept, but it's getting more attention through books like this one. Briefly, it's the idea that our worth is not solely determined by our physical appearance -- and that we can move beyond the love/hate relationship with our bodies by treating ourselves with respect, no matter how we feel on any given day. Meyers offers a simple, straightforward introduction to the topic, with repeated acknowledgment that neutrality may not be enough in the face of external forces such as fatphobia, racism, and lack of disability accommodations. What the author wants readers to take from the book is a set of practices for acknowledging our feelings about our bodies, exploring why those feelings have come up, and reconnecting to our self-worth as human beings. And I really appreciated the reminder that body neutrality is not a one-time goal: like healing in general, it's a process that isn't always linear.

One point made in the book that I haven't seen addressed in quite the same way in other books on the topic is how we can replace exercise or "workouts" with the idea of neutral movement: learning how to move just for the sake of enjoying how it makes you feel. It's an idea that I've personally been trying to adopt for a couple of years, and this offered a really good reminder to me not to get bogged down in checking off exercise for the sake of exercise.

A really good introduction to the topic of body neutrality for those who are looking for new direction on their journey. 4 stars.

Thank you, G. P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Never before has a book resonated with me as much as this one did. For starters, I appreciated how the author chose to focus on body neutrality rather than body positivity. This shift in thinking is so powerful by itself, but when paired with all the other amazing ideas introduced and discussed throughout the book, it’s awe-inspiring. These ideas were also quite refreshing to read, as they were different from the ones we always hear in popular self-help books. The generous amount of strategies and tools that were shared by the author are some of the most helpful ones I have ever received. I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with self-love or body image.

Well-written and thought-provoking primer on body neutrality.

What a thoughtful and absorbing read this was. I have been aware of the tenants of body positivity, intuitive eating, and (to some degree) body neutrality previously, but this really brought the latter into clear focus. The author shares her personal and often painful experiences with body issues, as well as those of many others from diverse backgrounds to give a varied picture of how body neutrality could potentially manifest itself in the reader’s life. Her acknowledge/explore/reconnect framework is particularly useful, but there are many other actionable pieces of advice throughout, and Meyers even aggregates/distills them in a collection at the end of the text. The author describes the work as “the beginning of a journey” and although I’m not at the beginning of mine, I loved reading her take on these practices to support viewing our bodies with respect and dignity, regardless of the ups and downs of everyday life.

I really enjoyed this book! I have been in a self help slump lately but this took me out of it. I really enjoyed that this was a book to a body neutral journey. I am a big believer in body neutral and I enjoyed reading this authors perspective. If you are wanting to be more at peace with your body and acceptance, this is a great read.

As a woman that struggles with body acceptance I was eager to read Meyers’ new book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! It is a super helpful and insightful story all about the ways we can come to a neutrality where we can be at peace with our own body. Five stars!