Slim for Life: My Insider Secrets to Simple, Fast, and Lasting Weight Loss

by Jillian Michaels

Stop battling your weight and slim down for life with this no-nonsense, insider’s plan from America’s health, wellness, and weight-loss guru: Jillian Michaels. She has helped millions lose weight and feel great, and now she can help you, too.
 
Bestselling author and Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels swore she’d never write another diet book. But she realized that with all of the conflicting, overly complicated information being thrown at you each day, what you need is a clear, simple plan that cuts through all the confusion to deliver amazing results, fast. This book distills all she’s learned about diet, fitness, and a healthy lifestyle to provide anyone seeking to be slim, strong, and healthy with an easier path to achieving dramatic body transformation.
 
You’ll learn to:
* Utilize Jillian’s insider secrets for optimizing your fat-burning potential
* Dispel myths and avoid diet trends that will damage your metabolism and make it harder for you to lose weight
* Banish self-sabotage, build support, and cultivate lasting motivation
* Navigate and circumvent every possible pitfall presented by any situation or circumstance you could come up against—from weight-loss plateaus to travel, budget, and time constraints
* Eat, move, and live in manageable, and even enjoyable, ways that facilitate a slim, sexy physique
* Supplement strategically, manage stress, and even purchase the proper home and beauty products—all to help ignite your metabolism
No nonsense, no gimmicks, just actionable advice that gets incredible results fast!

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Fitness, Audiobook, Nutrition, Food

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Jillian Michaels is an American fitness trainer, nutritionist, businesswoman, media personality, and author known for her influential role in mainstream health and wellness. She rose to prominence as a trainer on the NBC reality series The Biggest Loser, where her direct, motivational style became a defining feature of the program. Before entering television, she developed her expertise across multiple training disciplines including kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and weight training, later becoming a certified nutrition and wellness consultant. Michaels built a broader platform through bestselling books, fitness programs, and digital media, including the award-winning Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App and her long-running podcast Keeping It Real. She launched her company Empowered Media and the streaming fitness service FitFusion, expanding her reach across broadcast, online, and on-demand platforms globally. Her work emphasizes sustainable health, mental resilience, and accessible fitness education. Michaels also supports a number of charitable causes focused on health, children, and humanitarian relief, and continues to serve as a prominent public advocate for personal well-being and empowerment.

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am only starting chapter 2. So far I have to say this is the best book I have read to date of this topic. I do not believe in "Diets". In this book (so). She is talking about healthy eating about what really is in food. It is proving to be realistic and I am liking it a lot!!!!

[Luanne Ollivier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know, I rarely review non fiction, but Jillian Michael's latest book Slim for Life: My Insider Secrets to Simple, Fast, and Lasting Weight Loss, is one I definitely wanted to read. I have struggled with my weight for many years - up and down, up and down. I've reached the point where I am making the commitment to yes, watch my weight, but more importantly to be healthy.


There are soooo many diet, weight loss and health books on the market today and it's really difficult to know who or what information you can trust. And, I guess that's why I wanted to read Michaels' book - because in my eyes, she is trustworthy, she has a proven track record and although I don't know her and will never meet her, I just, well, like her. So I wanted to hear what she had to say.


"Bottom line, over the last several years, I've come to recognize that the more simple and straightforward I can make the information, the easier it is for you to cut through all the crap, apply the advice, and get the results you want."


I've had this book for a few weeks now, but found it was easier to take a piece of information or an idea, try to apply it to my life and only then go back for more, rather than trying to do it all at once (and expecting results in seven days or less ;) ) And Michaels herself says you don't have to follow all the strategies - pick and choose what works for you. Each chapter ends with a checklist that you can use to decide what tips will work for you. It's also a great reminder.


The first chapter was a great refresher on the basics.

-Clean out the cupboards. If it's not there, you can't eat it.

-Write down what you eat - it's there in black and white. Of course I've heard of this, but have I ever followed through before? This time - yes - accountability is hard to ignore. (and you won't have to do it 'forever'.

-Don't eat chemicals "If it didn't come from the ground or the ocean of have a mother - don't eat it."

-Sit down to eat. (and many, many more!)


Chapter 2 - get moving! Again, short sweet and to the point. (And did you know that simply increasing the incline on your treadmill will result in a significant calorie burn without increasing your speed?) Chapter 3 - hitting the grocery store,additives, smart choices and more. I was surprised to find cleaning and personal care products discussed as well. Chapter 4 - parties, work, restaurants, travelling etc.


Chapter 5 - Now here's the chapter I spent the most time on - reading and re reading. Because this is where I fall down. Staying motivated. This was one of the best chapters of the book for me. The last few chapters deal with hints, tips and more ideas. Scattered throughout the book are 'slim myth boxes' that dispel notions such as 'lifting weights will make you bulky'. There's also EZ calorie cut boxes scattered throughout suggesting alternatives that will save you calories.


I'm glad I took time to read Slim for Life slowly and think about what changes I want to incorporate in my life. Slim for Life will be a resource that I refer back to for sure. I like the fact that Michaels does not dictate, instead she provides a wealth of suggestions for you to choose from and tailor to your life. Her no nonsense, straight shooter approach appeals to me. I would have liked to have seen some photos of the exercises she mentions though.


"I don't want this book to be a once-read, I want you to reread it and use it over and over as often as you need to for its information and or reassurance. With it you can keep the special combination that belongs only to you, one that cracks the code of how to get and stay slim for life."

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Stuff

OMG, I totally have a girl crush on her. She's my kind of women. A practical, no BS kinda women
Self deprecating and funny
Doesn't bore you with the science behind everything, but does give you a little background so you understand
Very little self promotion and if you have read any of these types of books before you will know that is pretty rare
Fabulous index (yes I think we all know by now, that this is important to me) and plenty of references to back up her information
The fast fact asides are interesting and useful
This is a must have for everyone - she is all about moderation (btw Jillian sweetie I have kids can we agree that it is okay to have 4-5 glasses of wine a week instead of two -- I know I know but hell if you meet my kids you will understand)
Everything is practical and affordable
She goes into living a more healthy lifestyle as well - not just being slim. Recommends some healthy home and beauty changes you can make to live a healthier and longer life
The first lifestyle book that I didn't want to put down
She's a firm believer in everything in moderation - and I truly believe that is the key to being happy
Yes totally agree with her about reading nutrition labels properly. You won't believe some of the shit companies try to get away with. We noticed some of the Blue Label products were labeled fat-free but the amount of sodium was off the charts\
Great practical recipes for ways of spicing up meals without adding calories and salt (sorry my DH had a heart attack and we are extremely vigilant about added salt in products and recipes)

The Not So Good Stuff

Ok loved her so much I went out and purchased a couple of her workout tapes and OWWW! In all seriousness she gets results - I can even see the beginning of muscles already and I am more a go for a long walk and consider that exercise kinda girl
Would have liked a few less mentions of slim and more uses of word healthy but hey lets face the facts most of us women want to be told we look slim
I now feel slightly bad that I have never watched The Biggest Loser (sorry kids I am not much of a reality TV kinda gal)

Favorite Quotes

"If it didn't come from the ground or the ocean or have a mother - don't eat it. Think about it. Twinkies and Cheestos - what the hell are these? There's no Twinkie tree, and I'm pretty positive that nothing ever gave birth to a Cheeto."

"Kids are kids; we are the adults. It's our job to protect them and make healthy decisions for the whole family."

"The obvious way to lose weight, despite whatever load of crap the diet charlatans tell you, is to eat less and move more.'


Who Should/Shouldn't Read

There is something in this for everyone
If you want to get healthier and lose weight, get thee to a bookstore and buy immediately (Also recommend Jillian Michaels for Beginners to get the exercise regime started)

4.95 Dewey's


I received this from Random House in exchange for an honest review

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jakkoliv mi Jillian Michaels a její BODY SHRED videa na youtube pomohla ke zhubnutí (od června cvičím minimálně obden a zhubla jsem 12 kilo), tahle knížka byla vlastně spíš ztráta času. Jillian mi neřekla nic moc nového, což není asi její chyba, protože o zásadách zdravého životního stylu toho vím hodně už několik let, jen jsem si na to prostě zvykla až v posledním půlroce. Ale to by nevadilo, chápu, že spoustě lidem mohly ty informace pomoci. Ale štve mě Jillianino peskování, její honba za kaloriemi, příjmem a výdejem, za shazováním kil a bytím sexy. To je fakt hloupost a špatný přístup. Slibuje vám, že bez bolesti a přemáhání zhubnete klidně i kilo týdně. Jo, možná na začátku. Ale pak už to není o kilech. Ani o centimetrech. Je to o tom, jak se cítíte. A nejdřív se možná budete cítit mizerně, že si nemůžete (respektive nechcete) dát ten chlebíček, dortíček, já nevím co. Ale je to o tom, přijmout ty zásady, udělat si z nich radosti. Je to o tom, vybrat si, jestli si dám mísu salátu nebo řádek čokolády. Rozhodně nemusíte jíst jenom celozrnné a bio věci a já nevím co všechno speciálního, abyste zhubli. A rozhodně byste se neměli motivovat jen tím pitomým číslem na váze, která navíc může být rozbitá. A proboha, být hubený neznamená být sexy. Sexy a přitažliví budete, když budete sebevědomí a budete si vážit sebe sama. To jsem už stihla pochopit. Jo a taky by to chtělo zapracovat na úpravě pro českého čtenáře, protože tohle je fakt knížka pro typického Američana - Češi mají zase jiné potíže, nemáme ani tak fastfoody a XXL porce, ale zase tradiční tučnou kuchyni a spoustu piva a jiného alkoholu (což není můj problém, ale měla jsem jiné závislosti). A fakt je mi k ničemu, že vím, jaké značky si můžu koupit v USA, kam chodit do restaurace v New Yorku a jaká fitka mají v LA. Jo a uvádění cen v dolarech je taky vtipný.
No nevadí, aspoň jsem konečně přesvědčená o tom, že tuhle knížku doma nepotřebuji a že ji mohu poslat dál, třeba někomu něco dá a pomůže mu nastartovat cestu za lepším já.

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not think I would ever buy another weight loss book, and definitely didn't expect to learn anything from it. The first couple pages had me interested enough to buy it. I have gained weight over the years as many of us have, however, I have lost 40 lbs as recently as 2 yrs ago - unfortunately, I did not have an easy time keeping off the weight, as I slowly abandoned my healthy habits and routines. I gained more than half of that weight back. Jillian does one thing in this book that many other books could not - tell you the gritty truth you do not want to hear.

She explains to you what you are (probably) doing wrong and how to fix it more like a close friend that has known you a long time, as opposed to some fitness expert you are paying to give you advice. This book is mostly tips and myth-busting facts. She has her own point system that you can choose to follow, but it is not like the point system that "big weight loss company" uses by any means - these are tips that are assigned a point value. There will be a hardcore tip, a medium difficulty tip and an easier tip. 3,2,1. If you follow all the 3's you're going to lose weight the fastest. If you want to take your time, make a combo of 2s and 1s and make the tips a part of your routine the best you can. This book is a quick read, including lots of easy tips you already know if you are in this dieting situation often ;), but many you haven't heard before.

The book is good for inspiration. I have found that while I do not plan to use her point system, I will definitely re-read the tips when I am feeling off track. I have done phenomenally well at staying on track in my choices since completing this book :)

PS: There is a fair share of medical research "mumbo-jumbo"... she usually will warn you when you're about to enter mumbo-jumbo land, but it was still irritating at times.

[Alexia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening/reading this book. I usually wouldn't waste my time reading a diet book. I've actually never have read one before ecept Thin Within, which I still follow and agree with. I read Jillian's book because she is an advocate for clean eating. If I am (which I currently am) to totally change my ways of eating and exercising, it will be following a lifestyle of 80% clean eating and 20% non-clean eating or special things. Pretty much. Please read this book if you want legit information and help on permanently lasting weight loss without all the ridiculous advice on only specific things to eat etc. She si intense because eating right and exercise are pretty much her life, which I don't agree with (reason for 4 stars). Jesus always comes before anything else including eating and exercise. I don't have time to obsess with ahving a perfect, healthy lifestyle. However, I totally agree with clean eating. Read the book! You won't regret it!

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

there were a lot of good tips in this book but i dont like the fact that she says organic or nothing, most people are on a budget and cannot afford everything organic.
at one point she mentions that people think they cannot afford organic but its only an extra 20 bucks a week, that is not true and i found it quite insulting.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jillian offers a lot of helpful tips and advice for eating healthy in the real world. She’s a little more obsessed than I’m ever going to be, but there is good stuff in here to help the reader make better choices about the food landmines we face every day.

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This should never have been made into an audiobook. I have no idea why anyone thought it would work in this medium. It's literally hours of Jillian reading lists, URLs, and point values out loud. Unlistenable.

Now, for the book itself:
Still awful. For every piece of seemingly good advice, Jillian has some batshit crazy thing to preach about. The evils of 'chemicals' and GMOs, promoting essential oils and other really questionable pseudoscience with little to no backing. And the small amount of backing for these ideas is so incredibly shady. One or two studies with poor controls do not equal significant and reliable science. I can't believe some of the stuff she was spouting. It really made me question the validity of anything she had to say.
Overall, this book just had TOO much, on top of a lot of crazy. If I were trying to jumpstart my weight loss, even with her 'points' system in place and getting to choose what tips you use, this would be so daunting.

IF you want to get started on your weight loss and you need a good guide, please read either The Skinny Rules: The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to Thin or Skinny Habits: The Six Secrets of Thin People both by Bob Harper.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

She has some good tips and there’s a lot in this book but I feel like she kind of fat shames sometimes or maybe is fat phobic? I remember her from the biggest loser and I remember she is intense (I watched this show like years and years ago). She is very intense. Like I think you could still be fit and healthy and not have to go any where near her level.

And sorry Jillian but exercising makes me incredibly hungry and that’s why I was reading your book in the first place. She claims exercise will not make you hungry. Idk lady.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the Introduction -

"Bottom line, over the last several years, I've come to recognize that the more simple and straightforward I can make the information, the easier it is for you to cut through all the crap, apply the advice, and get the results you want. So this is Slim for Life - a simplier, easier path."

Now that she's told us how easy it will be, she spends the next 3 pages explaining how to use the book. WTF?

Then in Chapter 1 she cuts right through all the crap and jumps into calculating your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). I don't know what my BMR is and don't care. Why would you tell someone the diet is easy and then launch into mathematics? I almost closed up the book at this point.

Speaking of points, for the next 230 odd pages you need to keep track of how many 'points' you earn through her ingenious system of good things to do (3 points) and mediocre things to do (1 point). At the end of the book, you add up all your points and see where you stand. She breaks down the point totals and gives you some advice. I love this system, it's sooo easy!

Anyway, I did pick out a few pieces of decent advice.

P6 Clear out the kitchen cabinets. ...dump out the fattening junk foods. You can't eat what's not there.

P10 Myth: High-protein/low carb diets are healthy

P12 Chemicals in our food disrupt the body's biochemistry and throw off metabolic function. They literally incite a war in the body, activating it to make more fat cells, store more fat, and create cancer, heart disease, autoimmune problems, and a host of other issues of which we are just starting to become aware.

P47 You can't spot reduce fat.

P73 Fasting is a sure-fire way to destroy your metabolism. Fasting thows your body into starvation mode. Your body responds by releasing hormones to slow metabolism, cannabalize muscle, and store fat. Fat is needed for survival, while muscle is not.

P102 It's ironic that people pay hundreds of dollars on beauty products loaded with chemicals that will age them, disrupt their metabolic function, and possibly induce disease in their bodies.

P106 About 70 percent of people in the US are overweight, and in a cruel catch-22, many of the drugs used to treat obesity-linked conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression can themselves cause weight gain.

P139 setting goals: set your goals in the form of a pyramid with your ultimate goal at the top and each successive monthly, weekly, daily step below.


www.veggierunner.com

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

**REVIEW TRIGGER WARNING: eating disorders**


I originally wrote a super positive review years ago and thought JM was the end all be all in fitness and losing weight. I now know that her advice on losing weight can actually promote disordered eating. 1200 calories a day, while I did lose a ton of weight following her advice, is the minimum your body needs to keep your organs from shutting down. Now I know I’m an adult. I made my own choices. But what I was doing by following the advice in this book was super unhealthy and just continued my pattern of disordered eating. Yes, there is some good advice in the book for snacks and how to deal with cravings, but may I suggest just listening to your body and maybe looking into intuitive eating especially if you’ve had some form of an ED. But don’t follow 90% of her advice. I learned the hard way. But I can’t tell you what to do, I can just share my experience based off of following everything JM says you should do. This book basically teaches you how to lose weight fast but it is incredibly hard to sustain (I was unable to keep eating only 1200 calories a day and ended up gaining all the weight back). Again, this is just my experience and it would be irresponsible of me to praise this book when in reality all following JM did was mess with my metabolism and extend my poor relationship with food. There are better ways and better people to follow. In my opinion.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

After watching The Biggest Loser (semi-regularly, for the first time!) this past season and loving Danni and cheering for her the whole way, I picked up Jillian Michaels's book for fun. This is probably the last time I will ever read a "diet" book.

Jillian does have some good tips, and debunk myths that I was surprised to learn were untrue. I like her 80-20 rule (eat well 80% of the time, and let yourself indulge for the remaining 20%, within reason), or its variant, eat 5 meals well and allow yourself a little leeway on the sixth meal of that cycle. Apparently it's totally false that eating many small meals over the course of the day aids weight loss. Who knew?

The rest (read: the majority) of this book is utter crap, though. Jillian's writing is TERRIBLE. Nearly every other sentence is "CUT THE CRAP" or "IF YOU DO THIS YOUR BODY WILL BE INSANE." What does that even mean? Furthermore, some of her tips are just plain idiotic. This woman recommends that you FREEZE YOUR CREDIT CARDS IN A BOWL OF WATER so you will not be tempted to overspend. She also advises that you SPILL SHAMPOO, SALT, OR SODA all over caloric food items (like cookies) so you're not tempted to eat them. Additionally, she suggests doing tricep dips and bicep curls in your seat on a long flight, as well as pushups against the wall next to the bathroom in back of the plane. She is crazy.

The woman also claims that drinking chocolate milk after a workout is NOT good for you. She is probably the devil.

[Heather Fryling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have earned 4 stars from me if Jillian had used different language. I'm not complaining about her informality or her punchiness--that's her style. But IMO the tone of this book crosses the line from health promoting to fat phobic. Jillian's cringing toward even tiny amounts of weight gain could trigger an eating disorder in a vulnerable person.

As a naturopathic physician, I would like to comment on her tips on herbs. She stated that dandelion tea was good for the liver and kidneys. While that's true, it's important to know that the mineral-rich leaves of dandelion are diuretic for the kidneys, while the bitter root stimulates cholecystokinin from the liver. Her section on "Siberian ginseng" is very confusing. She switches back and forth between "Siberian ginseng" and "ginseng," and I can't tell which one she's talking about. They are completely different plants. Because they are completely different plants, the FDA no longer allows the word "Siberian ginseng" on packaging. It's now called eleuthero. Both eleuthero and ginseng have blood sugar lowering and energy improving properties, but I thought it was important to mention that they are different plants. Ginseng is a bit stronger and more expensive. Eleuthero gives more general endurance than an energy boost, and it's cheaper.

[Heather McCrocklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has tried pretty much everything, I didn't find anything in here that I didn't already know (which may be why I'm slightly disappointed?) However, Jillian is an excellent motivator and emphasizes clean, healthy eating rather than fads or crash diets. Her exercise tips are also helpful, as sometimes I think we all need a reminder that the quality of our workouts is definitely more effective than half-assing it on the treadmill for hours on end. I was a little disappointed that there were several plugs for products she's paid to endorse, so it did get a little infomercial-like for my taste.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to get healthy and gain a basic knowledge of good food and exercise regimens, but take the self-promoting product advertisements with a grain of salt :)

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give her credit for focusing on sustainable strategies for living a healthy lifestyle as opposed to an extreme restrictive diet, but I didn't like the format of the book. After telling us she wanted to keep it simple and not get into science lessons, she includes in every tip the scientific reason we should do it and cites a study that supports it. You can find a study to support or contradict just about any weight loss principle. There are also so many tips that I found it hard to even remember what she'd referenced in the previous chapter. It was just okay.

[B.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but I will say that if you aren't into the facts of weight loss (the numbers of the process), you may get a little frustrated with the formulas provided. But luckily there is link to a website that will do the calculations for you.
All of the information is direct and to the point.
I would recommend this to people that do better work as a lone wolf. This is an excellent guide for self-starters.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off good, but then she got way to complicated for the average person. She says in the beginning that she wants to keep it simple for everyone, but then she gets way too technical and expects too much of the average person. Some of what she says is really good, but nothing I haven't heard before. I prefer Bob Harper or Chris Powell for tips.

[Ajla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jillian truly is the health and fitness queen! This book blew my mind and I'm planning to go back to it many times in the future. It's not a book just about weight loss, but a book jam-packed with information on healthy living and improving your life, tackling numerous topics. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting and I did get some great tips but some of the information was dated. I love the tip about eating every four hours and only one snack but with my schedule it isn’t doable unfortunately.

[Ree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love her no BS attitude.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I listened to it and I am planning to purchase it for my library. Although I'm not horribly out of shape it was great to get a book about lifestyle changes and just diets.

[Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best "diet" books I've read, it's not about a particular food or exercise plan, instead it's full of practical tips designed to help you live a healthier life.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lays it all out. Simple, easy to follow steps to get to where you want to be. Highly recommended for those who want to lose and are willing to do what it takes to get there!!

[Lavena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back when this book first came out (2013), I was a huge Jillian fan and this book essentially became my Bible. Coming back to it almost a decade later has shown me how much I have changed since then (in a good way). The book is filled with tips that have points assigned to them - you decide which tips you are going to incorporate into your life, add up the points, and if you hit a certain number of points at the end then apparently you will be SLIM FOR LIFE (also note that I love an activity - points, quizzes, etc. - so that's another reason I loved this book back then). I was shocked to see that the last time I read it I had marked that I would do almost every single tip in the entire book. What??? First of all, that definitely didn't happen. And second of all, what an incredibly unsustainable thing to expect from myself. To give Jillian credit, even she says that's too many points and that if the reader ends up with that result they are expecting too much of themselves. Apparently I didn't pay attention to that part. I know that I tend to have an all-or-nothing mindset, and that I have to work hard to find the middle ground in almost all areas of my life. So I found it reassuring to reread this and think more realistically about which tips I can and cannot do (or refuse to do, in the case of calorie counting), and find myself at this later stage of my life ending up in the healthier point range at the end of the book.

Some quick pros and cons:
Pros: the best part of the book for me was the Motivation chapter. Some of those tips are ones I still use to this day, and it was great to get a refresher. It was the chapter I felt had aged the best and actually had good advice applicable to things outside of weight loss or trying to be SLIM FOR LIFE.

Cons: omg, the fat shaming and fatphobia!!!! And the amount of times she specifically refers to asses is too much. Saying things like, "painting that donut on the back of your ass." WTF??? I am not exaggerating - any time she wants to talk about a specific place you will gain weight (which is, of course, BAD because if you gain weight you will never be SLIM FOR LIFE), most of the time she talks about asses. Your ass, her ass, it doesn't matter. The point is, she needs you to know that having a fat ass is bad. First of all, not only do I not agree with this idea personally, but the culture has shifted so much in this regard that it is almost funny to me how badly this has aged. Second, even back when I read this the first time and loved it, I felt like it was weird how much she brought up asses. So it was weird then and it's weird now.

[Danielle Woolard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is truly a treasure tribe and tips and tricks and necessary information to keep us humans at our healthiest. Our author does a good job balancing how much science to lay on us, and when to pull back and explain how our bodies work in layman's terms. And she does a really good job thinking through all different kinds of scenarios that could sabotage our weight and health. It's definitely not a diet book, it's very much a health book sure, but I'd also consider it a "self-provement" book.

I read this book in my early 20s when it first came out and I remember it made a huge difference in my every day life. How I think about food, about movement, about time management, about how I view and prioritize myself. Honestly I absolutely recommend any young adult to read this book when learning how to function independently.

Well, it's been 10ish years since I've read the book, and I did pretty well in that time keeping myself healthy, slim, and active. And then recently I switched to a desk job, gained some weight, and figured it was time for a re-read to see what I've forgotten and what I've let slip. With this book in my back-pocket, I have no doubts I'll be able to lose these 10-15 "vanity pounds.

[El · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for people looking to lose weight. You'll get the most out of it if you're a complete beginner, but there are some worthwhile tips for the more knowledgeable reader. My favourite tip is to eat 8 almonds before a meal, as it delays the stomach from emptying food for longer, thus keeping you fuller for longer. My least favourite tip is to tie a ribbon around your waist so you can feel your stomach expanding when you're eating out, which sounds uncomfortable and depressing. I did notice that some information was a little bit outdated, but the tips are mostly timeless good advice. There are about 600 tip "points" in total, and you're expected to follow about 55-65% of them for success, not too bad. You will definitely need a companion book to have a better idea on what you should actually eat - the Master Your Metabolism guide is a great example and it goes into a lot of detail.

[April Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! Jillian Michaels may not be everyone's cup of tea, but she knows what she's talking about when it comes to attaining and maintaining weight loss, and she never sugar-coats the truth. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to shed any amount of weight. I first listened to the audiobook (read by the author) and then ordered a paper copy so I could highlight. All of Jillian's books that I've read have been excellent, but this one is incredibly practical and is a book I will likely read multiple times.

[Krisanne Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. I listened to the audiobook borrowed from my library and I am definitely picking up a hard copy. There is so much useful information in this book with practical advice. Jillian Michaels cites her sources, insists on very little but encourages you to do as much as you can within reason. Nothing extreme, very practical and science based. This will be a great resource to reach for again and again.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book. Jillian Michaels is hilarious. I love how real she is.

This is a great book. It is one that I should buy a copy of because it is one to read every six months and to get a plan for new habits to add to healthy living. This book is full of great ideas. I like that she doesn't expect you to wipe out any food groups or take any weird pills or starve. Bonus!