Hi everyone! I want to thank all of you who have visited, commented, tweeted me, especially for my post on Shedding my Shame. From listening to the podcasts I discussed on that post, I have really been enlightened on some body politics and self-esteem issues. I decided to order Kate Harding and Marianne Kirby’s book, Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere. I plowed through this book from the instant it was in my hands.

Here is the product description via Amazon.com:

From the leading bloggers in the fat-acceptance movement comes an empowering guide to body image– no matter what the scales say.

When it comes to body image, women can be their own worst enemies, aided and abetted by society and the media. But Harding and Kirby, the leading bloggers in the “fatosphere,” the online community of the fat acceptance movement, have written a book to help readers achieve admiration for-or at least a truce with-their bodies. The authors believe in “health at every size“-the idea that weight does not necessarily determine well-being and that exercise and eating healthfully are beneficial, regardless of whether they cause weight loss. They point to errors in the media, misunderstood and ignored research, as well as stories from real women around the world to underscore their message. In the up-front and honest style that has become the trademark of their blogs, they share with readers twenty-seven ways to reframe notions of dieting and weight, including: accepting that diets don’t work, practicing intuitive eating, finding body-positive doctors, not judging other women, and finding a hobby that has nothing to do with one’s weight.

This book was so inspiring to me, that I decided it HAD to be my first giveaway item.

Note: Both copies of the book were purchased by me, and will be shipped by myself.

Onto the giveaway!

I have two (2) copies of the book to giveaway to you lovely readers. The giveaway is open internationally. Below are the rules for entering:

You can get up to two entries for the giveaway and I will use random.org to select winners. The competition closes on Wednesday, January 12th at 11:59pm EST.

EDIT!!! Make sure you include an e-mail address that I can contact you at if you win! If you’ve already entered, I will contact you via twitter or your blog!

1. For one entry, comment on this blog one thing you have learned to love about yourself that you struggled with previously.

2. For a second entry, tweet the following tweet and comment separately with the twitter name you tweeted from (wow, that sounds twitter-obnoxious! LOL). ” I’ve entered @theplussideofme giveaway for a copy of Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere. Have you? http://tinyurl.com/2aajuk4 ”

I know this isn’t a cool top or fancy dress, but I have such a belief in this book that I think anyone could benefit from reading it. Good luck to all of you entering :).