How to Get the Most Out of the "Overcoming Overeating" Approach

This article is meant as support for those who decide to embark on the non-diet approach explained in the book “Overcoming Overeating” by Carol Munter and Jane Hirschmann.

I started the OO process in 2003, and have had great success with it. Food is no longer nothing but a source of pleasure, and I feel no guilt about eating, or shame about my body, and I can credit all of that to the overcoming overeating approach. I would recommend starting OO to anyone who struggles with self-acceptance and weight-related issues, bar maybe the most clinically obese.

Here are my tips on getting the most out of the process and learning fast:

• Really delve into the process, and accept what the writers have a lot of valuable information, read also the When Women Stop Hating Their bodies book, and accept that it will take time to learn to eat on demand.


• Learn the difference between the 3 phases of OO, namely do not try to do too much too fast since it will only slow you down. Concentrate on stocking up and carrying a food bag in the beginning, you will learn the difference between stomach hunger and mouth hunger later on.


• Do not agonize too much over the weight you gain initially, but buy beautiful, new clothes to soothe yourself – also do your mirror work diligently – it will support you in learning to accept yourself fully.


• You can really affect how quickly you learn to let go of the diet mentality by truly reflecting on your success (or most likely, lack thereof) with dieting and how it made you feel – the goal of OO is not weight loss but peace with food and our bodies.


• If you are a woman, join the support email group that you can find at /


• If you hold any doubt about your commitment, it might be better to wait a while until you are really fed up with dieting and with feeling guilty or stuffed all the time; OO won’t work unless you embrace it wholeheartedly, since learning to trust oneself to provide one with all the food one needs is a slow process.


• – Really stock up your pantry! It takes money but it is all part of the price of freedom and peace with food – you will learn to avoid waste later, but please give yourself the opportunity to really match your hunger with the right food

How to Get the Most Out of the "Overcoming Overeating" Approach