Women in midlife face many changes, such as children growing up, returning to the workforce, or retiring from it. Then there are the physical changes: crow's-feet, saggy arms, an expanding waistline. The transformations within us and around us can leave us feeling anxious, ineffective, and out of control, especially in a culture that defines midlife as the beginning of a decline. It's easy to look at our lives and ourselves and wish we could turn back the clock, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Midlife is a time of opportunity to renew, grow strong, set new goals, and redefine who you are. Change Your Mind, Change Your Body: Feeling Good About Your Body and Self After 40 gives you the tools you need to utilize your wisdom and experiences to shape a new vision of who you are and what you want your life to look like -- right now.

Learn how to:

. Cope with the physical and mental changes that midlife brings

. Revamp ideas of what is sexy and desirable

. Turn fears of aging into tools for positive growth

. Develop a positive, realistic body image

. Embrace who you are and who you will become

. Set weight and exercise goals you can really achieve

. Help our daughters create a positive self-image

You have the power to renegotiate your relationship with your body, yourself, and the world around you, and Change Your Mind, Change Your Body will help you discover and use it.

Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., and Florence Isaacs

Introduction

Part One

Is Your Body Image Realistic?

1 Do You Have a Problem with Your Age?

2 Origins of Your Body Image

Part Two

Reconstruct a Healthy Body Image in Midlife

3 Set a Realistic Weight Goal

4 Beat Emotional Eating

5 Exercise for Strength and Power

6 Commit to Deliberate Self-Care

7 Assess Relationships

8 Learn from Other Cultures

9 Strut Your Stuff

10 Help Your Daughter Develop a Positive Body Image

Endnotes

Index