By Monica Freeman

Nothing is just the food. Nothing is just us.

I spent years believing weight was only about what was on the plate. It never was. This is the honest story of food, family and memory, and how I found my way back to loving myself, one small step at a time.

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A PERSONAL JOURNEY Believe
and Be Food, memory, and the long way back to loving yourself MONICA FREEMAN

My story

I know what it's like to be stuck.

I grew up in a family of foodies. Food was the answer to everything: a bad day, a good day, a celebration, a loss. It was how we showed love, and sometimes it was what we had in place of it.

I carried those memories, and those habits, into my own home. I raised my kids, lived through hard seasons, and kept starting over on plans that never felt like they fit me.

What changed was simple, and it wasn't a diet. I started seeing the patterns behind how I ate and why. I gave myself the same grace I had been given. I moved more, and I went back to eating only the few bites I needed to fuel the day.

I lost over 100 pounds that way, and I'm still learning. I wrote this book so you can start your own version of it.

"Just start. Get up every day. Before you know it, you started something and got through another day."

The idea

Think in building blocks.

Your life is made of blocks: food, family, home, work, how you talk to yourself. You can add them, rearrange them, and take them apart. The destination is the self.

Look at the why

Before changing what you eat, look at what is influencing your decisions. The memories you keep and the roles you carry shape more than you think.

Change a little at a time

Cut back one thing, take two fewer bites, walk a bit more. Small steps at your own pace add up without overwhelming you.

Give grace

You will have bad days. Ask why, let it go, and start again. It is all part of the journey.

The book

Believe and Be

Nine chapters on family, food, memory and self-love, written plainly by someone who has lived it. A short, honest read you can finish in an evening and come back to.

See what's inside

Say hello.

Questions about the book, or just want to share your own story? Send Monica a message.

A note on this book

Believe and Be shares Monica Freeman's personal experience with food, weight and self-image. It is not medical, nutritional or psychological advice, and it is not a substitute for care from a licensed professional. Results vary from person to person. Talk with your doctor before changing how you eat or exercise, especially if you have a health condition or take medication.