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The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight and Discovered a Happier Life
This inspiring #1 bestseller is a gutsy look at what it takes to undo a lifetime of self-sabotaging habits and feel great about the change and yourself.
Good Morning America contributor Tory Johnson is all about helping women make great things happen. And after a lifetime of obesity, of failing at fad diets and sporadic health programs, Tory was ready to make great things happen for herself -- making the shift by recognizing that it was time to lose weight once and for all, and do it her way. In twelve months, she lost more than 60 pounds, and for the first time shares what she learned, what she ate and how she changed in The Shift : How I Finally Lost Weight and Discovered a Happier Life , her most personal book yet.
In this updated trade paperback edition, Tory Johnson adds a look back at the amazing response her Shift has brought from thousands of people across the country, shares additional lessons learned in the year following the book's publication, and includes the stories of "Shifters" -- readers so inspired by her book they have made their own life-changing Shifts.
Good Morning America contributor Tory Johnson is all about helping women make great things happen. And after a lifetime of obesity, of failing at fad diets and sporadic health programs, Tory was ready to make great things happen for herself -- making the shift by recognizing that it was time to lose weight once and for all, and do it her way. In twelve months, she lost more than 60 pounds, and for the first time shares what she learned, what she ate and how she changed in The Shift : How I Finally Lost Weight and Discovered a Happier Life , her most personal book yet.
In this updated trade paperback edition, Tory Johnson adds a look back at the amazing response her Shift has brought from thousands of people across the country, shares additional lessons learned in the year following the book's publication, and includes the stories of "Shifters" -- readers so inspired by her book they have made their own life-changing Shifts.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
125 people are currently reading
570 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
January 9, 2014
The Good: The writer is honest, and I could relate to her complex struggle with food addiction. I could also relate to her deciding to make a lifestyle change and making it happen. The more I read, the more I started to root for her. Her tone is likeable, and it was a quick, easy read. I finished it in 2 days.
The Bad: Her advice is simple: Whatever you do, don’t eat. She’s right to some extent. Eating healthy portion sizes of whole, unprocessed foods is a huge part of weight loss. To do that, you have to eat less junk food, high fat and sugar foods, etc. However, more focus was put on skipping meals, cutting out healthy foods that can be good for your body in moderation like whole grains and fruit, and how to pick at food and pretend to eat to look like you’re eating to others – while actually not eating. I hung in there and I kept waiting for her shift to happen. I was looking for healthy guidance, refreshing advice, and some education about food, exercise, and psychology, perhaps self-acceptance for herself. Exercise was mentioned at the end, but mostly it talked about how unenjoyable and what a chore it was, instead of something fun, healthy, and worthwhile. While I got a good story about how you can reach a goal when you put your mind to it, I didn’t get much advice past: Don’t eat.
The Ugly: She seemed to put a lot of focus on what her peers and audience thought of her, seeking praise/acceptance from others as a barometer for how she was doing. I kept waiting for the writer to accept herself, her whole self. The fat girl she was before and the skinny girl she is now. Mostly though, she made digs and hateful remarks about her old self and put her ‘fat self’ down, only feeling she was valuable and worthy of praise as her skinny self. This made me sad. She was a full person before, and she is a full person now.
I’ve read a lot of reviews saying that she has an eating disorder and other ugly things like that. I don’t know that anything like that can be gleaned from the book. However, if you’re a fan of the writer and/or you like reading about people overcoming odds and working hard to reach their goals, this could be the book for you. If you’re looking for a healthy, realistic approach to weight loss, I’d try other books instead such as:
Obsessed: America's Food Addiction--and My Own
by Mika Brzezinski
My Foot Is Too Big for the Glass Slipper: A Guide to the Less Than Perfect Life
by Gabrielle Reece
The Bad: Her advice is simple: Whatever you do, don’t eat. She’s right to some extent. Eating healthy portion sizes of whole, unprocessed foods is a huge part of weight loss. To do that, you have to eat less junk food, high fat and sugar foods, etc. However, more focus was put on skipping meals, cutting out healthy foods that can be good for your body in moderation like whole grains and fruit, and how to pick at food and pretend to eat to look like you’re eating to others – while actually not eating. I hung in there and I kept waiting for her shift to happen. I was looking for healthy guidance, refreshing advice, and some education about food, exercise, and psychology, perhaps self-acceptance for herself. Exercise was mentioned at the end, but mostly it talked about how unenjoyable and what a chore it was, instead of something fun, healthy, and worthwhile. While I got a good story about how you can reach a goal when you put your mind to it, I didn’t get much advice past: Don’t eat.
The Ugly: She seemed to put a lot of focus on what her peers and audience thought of her, seeking praise/acceptance from others as a barometer for how she was doing. I kept waiting for the writer to accept herself, her whole self. The fat girl she was before and the skinny girl she is now. Mostly though, she made digs and hateful remarks about her old self and put her ‘fat self’ down, only feeling she was valuable and worthy of praise as her skinny self. This made me sad. She was a full person before, and she is a full person now.
I’ve read a lot of reviews saying that she has an eating disorder and other ugly things like that. I don’t know that anything like that can be gleaned from the book. However, if you’re a fan of the writer and/or you like reading about people overcoming odds and working hard to reach their goals, this could be the book for you. If you’re looking for a healthy, realistic approach to weight loss, I’d try other books instead such as:
Obsessed: America's Food Addiction--and My Own
by Mika Brzezinski
My Foot Is Too Big for the Glass Slipper: A Guide to the Less Than Perfect Life
by Gabrielle Reece
October 8, 2013
I first saw Tory Johnson on my local ABC News station, WABC in New York City, where she did a segment called 'Steals and Deals'. She would have four or five products that people could get for 50% off. I liked her friendly personality and her professional demeanor, as well as her rapport with the news anchors.
Johnson brought her 'Steals and Deals' to Good Morning America and now she had a national audience. But I noticed that she began to lose weight; not drastic, but over the course of one year, she lost 60 pounds. That is a huge accomplishment, but as she states in her book, The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight and Discovered a Happier Life, that is just barely one pound a week.
When the head of ABC Talent asked Johnson to lunch, she dreaded it because she knew what the topic would be: her weight. Barbara Ferdida told Johnson that her clothes weren't doing her justice and gave Johnson the name of a stylist. But Johnson got the message: she had to lose weight.
Although she felt humiliated, and Ferdida handled the matter with kindness and never threatened her job, this was the catalyst that Johnson needed to do what she had tried many times before: lose weight and get healthy. She drastically cut her carbs, completely gave up her favorite drink, Diet Pepsi, and got serious. She was the main breadwinner in her family and she needed this job.
I liked that Johnson didn't whitewash this; completely changing her lifestyle was not easy, it was downright difficult. Over the objections of her husband and twin teenagers, she emptied her cupboards of any food that would tempt her.
When she went to parties, she would watch what and how thin people ate: grazing, taking a few bites of things and eating slowly. She incorporated all these into her eating habits, and slowly, one or two pounds a week, she lost the weight.
Johnson tells the reader that until you are serious about this, you cannot lose weight. She references what she calls "preference versus priority." Losing weight became her priority and every decision she made had to reflect that priority. Although she may prefer to have chocolate, her priority to lose weight beat her preference.
The book is mostly about her struggle, though there is a page that lists her "tried-and-true guidelines" that include about a dozen specific rules that helped her, including:
Limiting carbs to under 25 per day
Avoiding fruit, juices and smoothies
Replacing food rewards with inedible ones, like a manicure
Weighing herself daily
She recounts a trip she took with her daughter to Los Angeles, and the challenges she faced. She wanted it to be fun for her daughter, but she feared if she fell off the wagon, she would lose all the progress she had made. It is an honest portrait that most of us can relate to.
I really liked this book; it's not so much a diet book, but more of a memoir of a year where Tory Johnson overcame a lifelong struggle. In telling her story, she reminds us that to make significant life changes, you have to be serious, but once you do that, the rewards can be great.
Johnson brought her 'Steals and Deals' to Good Morning America and now she had a national audience. But I noticed that she began to lose weight; not drastic, but over the course of one year, she lost 60 pounds. That is a huge accomplishment, but as she states in her book, The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight and Discovered a Happier Life, that is just barely one pound a week.
When the head of ABC Talent asked Johnson to lunch, she dreaded it because she knew what the topic would be: her weight. Barbara Ferdida told Johnson that her clothes weren't doing her justice and gave Johnson the name of a stylist. But Johnson got the message: she had to lose weight.
Although she felt humiliated, and Ferdida handled the matter with kindness and never threatened her job, this was the catalyst that Johnson needed to do what she had tried many times before: lose weight and get healthy. She drastically cut her carbs, completely gave up her favorite drink, Diet Pepsi, and got serious. She was the main breadwinner in her family and she needed this job.
I liked that Johnson didn't whitewash this; completely changing her lifestyle was not easy, it was downright difficult. Over the objections of her husband and twin teenagers, she emptied her cupboards of any food that would tempt her.
When she went to parties, she would watch what and how thin people ate: grazing, taking a few bites of things and eating slowly. She incorporated all these into her eating habits, and slowly, one or two pounds a week, she lost the weight.
Johnson tells the reader that until you are serious about this, you cannot lose weight. She references what she calls "preference versus priority." Losing weight became her priority and every decision she made had to reflect that priority. Although she may prefer to have chocolate, her priority to lose weight beat her preference.
The book is mostly about her struggle, though there is a page that lists her "tried-and-true guidelines" that include about a dozen specific rules that helped her, including:
Limiting carbs to under 25 per day
Avoiding fruit, juices and smoothies
Replacing food rewards with inedible ones, like a manicure
Weighing herself daily
She recounts a trip she took with her daughter to Los Angeles, and the challenges she faced. She wanted it to be fun for her daughter, but she feared if she fell off the wagon, she would lose all the progress she had made. It is an honest portrait that most of us can relate to.
I really liked this book; it's not so much a diet book, but more of a memoir of a year where Tory Johnson overcame a lifelong struggle. In telling her story, she reminds us that to make significant life changes, you have to be serious, but once you do that, the rewards can be great.
January 2, 2014
Best idea from book: Paint your fingernails when having a bad craving.
She seems to have starved herself and lived off salad to lose the weight. I admire that dedication. She seems to be well off so it's a shame she had to be hardcore. It seemed she was very unhappy while losing the weight and felt deprived. Losing weight can be fun.
If I had the money, I would be organic, grassfed Paleo Crossfitting Yogi and I would not be hungry or feel deprived!
I do like that this book stresses that it will take time. Weight loss is a VERY SLOW process. This chick lost a little more than a pound a week. Roughly, five pounds a month. She stuck to keeping track of her bad carbs and lost 62 pounds but it took a year.
Her Guidelines:
Keep carbs under 25 a day
Cut portions in half or less
Lean Meats, eggs and limited cheese
Low Carb Veggies (lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, asparagus, artichokes, celery Y tomatoes)
Skip starchy veggies (carrots, corn and beans)
Avoid all fruit, juices and smoothies
No soda (even diet)
Nothing white (bread, rice, flour, sugar)
Cook at home (eating out an exception)
Weight daily
If slip, start over instantly
Other advice:
It's a marathon, not a sprint.
"Change happens in small increments."
1) Plan
2) Daily Accountability
3) Patience
Amy Freeze "One of the great lessons of life is using your mind to alter your body and then having that physical transition alter your philosophy on your individual potential"
No more excuses. The perfect moment is, and will always be, right now.
Slow and steady wins this race!
I like: "rewarding myself, a recovering food addict, with food is akin to an alcoholic celebrating a month of sobriety with a beer of two. It doesn't work."
She seems to have starved herself and lived off salad to lose the weight. I admire that dedication. She seems to be well off so it's a shame she had to be hardcore. It seemed she was very unhappy while losing the weight and felt deprived. Losing weight can be fun.
If I had the money, I would be organic, grassfed Paleo Crossfitting Yogi and I would not be hungry or feel deprived!
I do like that this book stresses that it will take time. Weight loss is a VERY SLOW process. This chick lost a little more than a pound a week. Roughly, five pounds a month. She stuck to keeping track of her bad carbs and lost 62 pounds but it took a year.
Her Guidelines:
Keep carbs under 25 a day
Cut portions in half or less
Lean Meats, eggs and limited cheese
Low Carb Veggies (lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, asparagus, artichokes, celery Y tomatoes)
Skip starchy veggies (carrots, corn and beans)
Avoid all fruit, juices and smoothies
No soda (even diet)
Nothing white (bread, rice, flour, sugar)
Cook at home (eating out an exception)
Weight daily
If slip, start over instantly
Other advice:
It's a marathon, not a sprint.
"Change happens in small increments."
1) Plan
2) Daily Accountability
3) Patience
Amy Freeze "One of the great lessons of life is using your mind to alter your body and then having that physical transition alter your philosophy on your individual potential"
No more excuses. The perfect moment is, and will always be, right now.
Slow and steady wins this race!
I like: "rewarding myself, a recovering food addict, with food is akin to an alcoholic celebrating a month of sobriety with a beer of two. It doesn't work."
March 10, 2017
This was an easy and fast read. I liked that Tory was very honest about the process and what it took. There is this idea that if you just "eat less and move more" that you can be thin. Obviously this works for some people but for the vast majority of overweight people, especially women of a certain age, it takes extreme deprivation. Also, when you are trying to lose weight, your body will fight it and put out hormones that make you obsessed with food (not everyone, but in general) and you will be thinking about food and having to fight your biological urges to eat constantly. I get so very sick of the "lose weight easily and without cravings" crap that you see and hear everywhere. I loved that she showed the truth about the process. I could also relate to the difficulties of dealing with those who try to sabotage, the people who nag "just one bite". Why? WHY do people do that when they could be being supportive instead? Some of us can't do "just one bite" as she explained. For some of us, certain foods do trigger an addictive response and to say "one bite won't hurt you" is wrong and extremely insensitive. It is like telling an alcoholic to have "just" one drink.
I did NOT however like that she told her daughter to lose 5 pounds!! Her daughter was 'not stick thin'. That doesn't mean she was overweight and she was still a growing girl. Her focus should be on healthful eating and physical activity, not trying to lose a few pounds! I disagree with her mother that losing 5 pounds would make her daughter feel more confident because research and real life has shown us that it is more likely to lead to a life long battle with her body and self confidence issues.
I did NOT however like that she told her daughter to lose 5 pounds!! Her daughter was 'not stick thin'. That doesn't mean she was overweight and she was still a growing girl. Her focus should be on healthful eating and physical activity, not trying to lose a few pounds! I disagree with her mother that losing 5 pounds would make her daughter feel more confident because research and real life has shown us that it is more likely to lead to a life long battle with her body and self confidence issues.
July 15, 2014
This is one of those books that was on a special daily deal on Amazon. It seemed like it might be interesting. As it turns out, that was a false assumption.
I don't really watch TV so I didn't realize that Johnson is a regular on GMA. Obviously, I didn't really know who she was either. The main gist, she was an extremely obese woman who lost 62 pounds in a year. How? Lots of self deprivation. "What's your problem with that?" you may ask. "Well," I reply, "nothing with that per se." What really got on my nerves is her tone. I felt, very strongly, that she was pretty darn close to nearly advocating just full on starvation. Case in point, she agrees with Kate Moss' controversial quote about "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". She admitted to having a bad relationship with food in the past and it never seemed to be resolved. She just traded her old set of misconceptions for new ones. Johnson also blames others for not having told her sooner that she was so overweight. I wonder how she could have missed that one? At one point, her daughter is crying after school (bad day and the other girls were mean) and Johnson's advice "You would probably be happier if you lost five pounds." Really? I could not stop shaking my head. Johnson said her daughter was not stick thin but didn't have weight issues either. Well she did before now. Good one, Mom. Worst advice ever.
Just about anyone can loose weight if they stop eating. But like someone pointed out on a blog I read, depriving yourself of food and nutrition and making yourself hangry all of the time might be taking the whole diet thing a little too far. It isn't fair on family or friends. Johnson talked about how much her diet made her crank and her family miserable.
After a few months, it seems she acclimates her body to her new diet. But then admits she eats no carbs whatsoever. Not even apples, People! She pees on some kind of special carb stick thing every morning and uses that as an indicator of her success, in addition to the weight loss. And then the way too-intimate details between her and her husband. Ew. Just ew. She has pictures of her family in the book, she's on national TV and she talks about her kids all of the time. I felt sorry for her kids in that now everyone who has read her book knows more about her sex life than anyone really probably wanted to.
All in all, I detested Johnson's tone and advocating such clearly unhealthy diet practices. Yes, you may be skinnier but are you healthy? You may have lost a ton of weight but sounds like you made your family deal with a lot too. Success? Not in the eyes of this beholder.
I don't really watch TV so I didn't realize that Johnson is a regular on GMA. Obviously, I didn't really know who she was either. The main gist, she was an extremely obese woman who lost 62 pounds in a year. How? Lots of self deprivation. "What's your problem with that?" you may ask. "Well," I reply, "nothing with that per se." What really got on my nerves is her tone. I felt, very strongly, that she was pretty darn close to nearly advocating just full on starvation. Case in point, she agrees with Kate Moss' controversial quote about "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". She admitted to having a bad relationship with food in the past and it never seemed to be resolved. She just traded her old set of misconceptions for new ones. Johnson also blames others for not having told her sooner that she was so overweight. I wonder how she could have missed that one? At one point, her daughter is crying after school (bad day and the other girls were mean) and Johnson's advice "You would probably be happier if you lost five pounds." Really? I could not stop shaking my head. Johnson said her daughter was not stick thin but didn't have weight issues either. Well she did before now. Good one, Mom. Worst advice ever.
Just about anyone can loose weight if they stop eating. But like someone pointed out on a blog I read, depriving yourself of food and nutrition and making yourself hangry all of the time might be taking the whole diet thing a little too far. It isn't fair on family or friends. Johnson talked about how much her diet made her crank and her family miserable.
After a few months, it seems she acclimates her body to her new diet. But then admits she eats no carbs whatsoever. Not even apples, People! She pees on some kind of special carb stick thing every morning and uses that as an indicator of her success, in addition to the weight loss. And then the way too-intimate details between her and her husband. Ew. Just ew. She has pictures of her family in the book, she's on national TV and she talks about her kids all of the time. I felt sorry for her kids in that now everyone who has read her book knows more about her sex life than anyone really probably wanted to.
All in all, I detested Johnson's tone and advocating such clearly unhealthy diet practices. Yes, you may be skinnier but are you healthy? You may have lost a ton of weight but sounds like you made your family deal with a lot too. Success? Not in the eyes of this beholder.
September 11, 2013
I had pre-ordered this and when it popped up on my kindle I immediately snuggled into bed and began to read! I finished this morning and have already told 2 friends about it. :-) I'm always fascinated by what triggers people to lose weight, so many stories are similar, but the differences are what makes them interesting, it reminds me over and over that one size does NOT fit all. Overall, I liked the book and feel encouraged by reading Tory's account of how listening to her body, recognizing her personal triggers and just gritting her teeth, she made change happen after what sounds like a lifetime of trying. This wasn't life changing, but I kinda liked that aspect! There was no miracle diet plan - in fact her exclusion of virtually all fruit and fiber-rich grains seems more than a bit unbalanced, but she herself says not to do what she did, she's just telling her story. I think it's actually beneficial for more people to read about someone who hates working out and who didn't follow a special diet plan created by some guru, but who did what we all are trying to avoid - she cut out the foods she loved most, controlled her portions of lower calorie foods and forced herself to find a means of moving that didn't involve taking up running marathons in her spare time. It wasn't glamorous, nor did it sound fun, but it certainly seemed to be effective and something that she can carry on with for the rest of her life. And if SHE can, maybe we all can!
August 14, 2016
The ipad is proving to be dangerous when it comes to the Kindle app. Saw this on a friend's shelf and downloaded it for $2. Sick but sleepless, I read it in one day, and I liked it. A good read to kick off the new year. I would have appreciated more info on her first days/weeks, as they seem the hardest but quickly forgotten once people are successful. I read some reviews here so I was prepared for the oft putting comments about her daughter' weight and her own sex life. Really though, it is easy to see the good intentions behind both---as she obviously inherited some of her food issues from her own mother & wanted to motivate readers with a glimpse of the bedroom bonuses of losing weight. It was a light read, but she put a fine point on some of the more elusive parts of losing weight:
Diets work; it's our get thin fast expectations and mindset that don't. Also, her emphasis on priority over preference (I'd prefer chocolate but my priority is health). Also the idea that healthy choices are a gift, rather than a burden, to oneself. A choice, not a "should."
I normally would be too embarrassed to include this kind of title on Goodreads, but my public goal to read 30 books this year outweighs that fear.
Diets work; it's our get thin fast expectations and mindset that don't. Also, her emphasis on priority over preference (I'd prefer chocolate but my priority is health). Also the idea that healthy choices are a gift, rather than a burden, to oneself. A choice, not a "should."
I normally would be too embarrassed to include this kind of title on Goodreads, but my public goal to read 30 books this year outweighs that fear.
January 5, 2014
I am a sucker for success stories. I'm also in the midst of rebooting my diet and like inspirational reads whilst working towards supermodel status. This was ok. The highlights for me were the author's persistence and her candor. Her weight loss method seems like torture and I got a feeling that there was some intent of punishment on her part (probably subconsciously). I actually bet she could have lost the weight faster with an easier but more scientifically sound method. Oh well, worked for her and she got the self-flagellation as a bonus. Also, I like my diet memoirs without sex scenes, thank you very much.
January 10, 2019
The book starts with, "This is not a diet book." That is true. This is a memoir of Tory's journey. If you love being around someone on a diet and all they can talk about is what they ate for their last meal and what they're going to have for their next meal...you'll love this book.
It starts with one of her superiors calling a meeting with her to tell her she's fat and that needs to change. Of course that meeting is done in a much more politically correct way than that. In order to not lose her job Tory begins a painful and brutal journey to take off the pounds. (After she's lost the weight the same superior tells her she wasn't in jeopordy of losing her job. That's all good now that she's actually lost the weight. One might get sued for discriminating against a fat person. I don't look at people and think wow they're fat; I use this term because this is Tory's term. She identifies as fat. Very sad. ) It's painful to even read how she tortures herself through this weight loss journey. I found myself questioning if there was more to this. The route she chose to her weight loss didn't seem like a healthy way to lose weight but different things work for different people. Her weight loss wasn't any more per week than a diet that wasn't so brutal.
It isn't until chapter 25 that she says herself that she is a food addict. That explains it...she can't do things with food in moderation...it's all or nothing. She likens herself to an alcoholic, or a smoker that picks up that one cigarette. She says at the beginning of her diet that it will not change anything for her family. But as an addict it does. She can't go to the movie with her husband anymore because she MUST eat popcorn. Shift??? Her children, at one point, are begging to be allowed to have things in the house that teenagers like to eat. Shift??? At one point she tells her teenage daughter, "I think you would be happier if you lost five pounds."
In chapter 21 she proves the case that she's an addict and there has been no mental shift. She goes on vacation with her daughter and uses NO common sense at all. After talking about all the fried food; "skip dinner and go straight to dessert"; sprinkles; and she tells of a milkshake she ordered "nutella. Cookiedough. Reeses's Peanut Better Cups. Kit Kat" [she] says as if nothing about [her] eating habits has changed whatsoever--that indicates this is a bigger issue than losing weight. And....she gains six pounds in 96 hours!!! That doesn't sound like she's had a "shift" to me :(
There's nothing educational in the book. It's just a lot of what she ate (moreso what she DIDN"T eat) and how hard it was.
THEN...after she's lost some weight she decides to give too much personal information about her sex life. It was like a trashy novel. Classless. It actually exposed another level of her desperation to feel worthy and get approval of what others think of her. It was one of the sadder chapters in the book.
I kept waiting for the "mental" Shift but I never saw it. The shift happened, and this is a quote, "my initial impetus for losing weight was my real fear of getting fired from [Good Morning America.]"
She talks about her hatred to exercise. The only shift I see is that she's accepted she is a food addict and she's found a way to handle her addiction. That is a good thing for Tory.
I don't watch Good Morning America so I had no idea who Tory Johnson was when I picked up this book. For me the book got worse and worse after chapter 18 (and there's 31 chapters in this book.)
I found her story very sad. The only shift I see is that she's accepted she is a food addict. For me the only good thing about this book is that she's found something that works for her addiction. She had stated in some of her previous journals how "miserable and unhappy" she was with her plus size body.
I found the book more heartbreaking than inspiring. :(
It starts with one of her superiors calling a meeting with her to tell her she's fat and that needs to change. Of course that meeting is done in a much more politically correct way than that. In order to not lose her job Tory begins a painful and brutal journey to take off the pounds. (After she's lost the weight the same superior tells her she wasn't in jeopordy of losing her job. That's all good now that she's actually lost the weight. One might get sued for discriminating against a fat person. I don't look at people and think wow they're fat; I use this term because this is Tory's term. She identifies as fat. Very sad. ) It's painful to even read how she tortures herself through this weight loss journey. I found myself questioning if there was more to this. The route she chose to her weight loss didn't seem like a healthy way to lose weight but different things work for different people. Her weight loss wasn't any more per week than a diet that wasn't so brutal.
It isn't until chapter 25 that she says herself that she is a food addict. That explains it...she can't do things with food in moderation...it's all or nothing. She likens herself to an alcoholic, or a smoker that picks up that one cigarette. She says at the beginning of her diet that it will not change anything for her family. But as an addict it does. She can't go to the movie with her husband anymore because she MUST eat popcorn. Shift??? Her children, at one point, are begging to be allowed to have things in the house that teenagers like to eat. Shift??? At one point she tells her teenage daughter, "I think you would be happier if you lost five pounds."
In chapter 21 she proves the case that she's an addict and there has been no mental shift. She goes on vacation with her daughter and uses NO common sense at all. After talking about all the fried food; "skip dinner and go straight to dessert"; sprinkles; and she tells of a milkshake she ordered "nutella. Cookiedough. Reeses's Peanut Better Cups. Kit Kat" [she] says as if nothing about [her] eating habits has changed whatsoever--that indicates this is a bigger issue than losing weight. And....she gains six pounds in 96 hours!!! That doesn't sound like she's had a "shift" to me :(
There's nothing educational in the book. It's just a lot of what she ate (moreso what she DIDN"T eat) and how hard it was.
THEN...after she's lost some weight she decides to give too much personal information about her sex life. It was like a trashy novel. Classless. It actually exposed another level of her desperation to feel worthy and get approval of what others think of her. It was one of the sadder chapters in the book.
I kept waiting for the "mental" Shift but I never saw it. The shift happened, and this is a quote, "my initial impetus for losing weight was my real fear of getting fired from [Good Morning America.]"
She talks about her hatred to exercise. The only shift I see is that she's accepted she is a food addict and she's found a way to handle her addiction. That is a good thing for Tory.
I don't watch Good Morning America so I had no idea who Tory Johnson was when I picked up this book. For me the book got worse and worse after chapter 18 (and there's 31 chapters in this book.)
I found her story very sad. The only shift I see is that she's accepted she is a food addict. For me the only good thing about this book is that she's found something that works for her addiction. She had stated in some of her previous journals how "miserable and unhappy" she was with her plus size body.
I found the book more heartbreaking than inspiring. :(
May 16, 2015
Instead of The Shift, this could be called 'How I Developed My Eating Disorder'. Tory has a friend who asks her how she's managing to lose so much weight and she basically says (I'm paraphrasing), 'You have to reach the point where you hate yourself so much that you're willing to give up anything, even eating, to make a change.' She manages to starve herself into losing a noticeable amount of weight and then, because of the positive feedback she receives from her coworkers, family, and television viewers, she goes on to successfully starve herself some more. At the turn of the year, when she realizes that she's lost 62 pounds, she basically thinks (again paraphrasing) 'I can't believe I needed to lose that much weight and now I'm going to lose some more.' It's a vicious cycle- how much weight loss will ever be enough?
This is one of the most unhealthy dietary memoirs I've ever read but the scary part is that it totes itself as a healthy lifestyle choice. At least in Unbearable Lightness, Portia Di Rossi doesn't pretend that she's suggesting a way of life to help people, she recognizes that she has an eating disorder.
Maybe this was so terrifying because I was reading Jackie Warner's new diet and exercise book at the same time, so I was getting actual, healthy lifestyle choices presented alongside The Shift. I'm sad that society has forced Tory Johnson into hating herself so that she's basically not going to eat for the rest of her life. I'm very sad that she's teaching this manner of living to her daughter.
If you want a couple of healthy dieting and exercise books, skip this and read This is Why You're Sick & Tired by Jackie Warner or Reboot with Joe by Joe Cross. Please.
This is one of the most unhealthy dietary memoirs I've ever read but the scary part is that it totes itself as a healthy lifestyle choice. At least in Unbearable Lightness, Portia Di Rossi doesn't pretend that she's suggesting a way of life to help people, she recognizes that she has an eating disorder.
Maybe this was so terrifying because I was reading Jackie Warner's new diet and exercise book at the same time, so I was getting actual, healthy lifestyle choices presented alongside The Shift. I'm sad that society has forced Tory Johnson into hating herself so that she's basically not going to eat for the rest of her life. I'm very sad that she's teaching this manner of living to her daughter.
If you want a couple of healthy dieting and exercise books, skip this and read This is Why You're Sick & Tired by Jackie Warner or Reboot with Joe by Joe Cross. Please.
April 30, 2014
I appreciated reading about her weight loss journey. It's tough for anyone, even those with support and unlimited resources, like Tory. That said, I didn't take a lot away from this book that I didn't already know from my own experience. And mostly, I just didn't like her, which left me rather cold to the rest of the book. I didn't buy that she struggled with self-esteem. She certainly seemed to me to have plenty of self-regard. Plus, I lost all respect for her as a parent when she seemed ok with her 14 year-old daughter being obsessed with Kim Kardashian. Just...ick. I am pretty much her age, and lost less weight, while exercising, and not after having had twins, and I have loose skin and sagginess - something she never talks about while praising her newly amazing body. Maybe she has better genetics, or maybe she can only describe herself in positive terms, something I noticed throughout the book. Except when she was berating her formerly fat body, when she was really harsh in such a way that you know that she is that judgmental of other overweight women as well. Finally, I really really could have done without the over sharing about her sex life. Again, just...ick.
February 25, 2018
I'm not a prude, but the random sex that was thrown in here and there was odd. Of course, you have more/better sex when you have more energy and feel better about how you look naked. Most of us know that, but it's weird to be reading a weight loss memoir and 'he put his hand down my pants'.... I don't need to see that! We get it, you're having sex, but enough! One time, one line like 'sex is better than it has been in years and we're both happier' and we all move on.
Other than that ^ the book was fine. Move more, eat less, make better nutrition choices. Nothing revolutionary, but the main point is that she Made.Up.Her.Mind and that was the difference this time.
p18-'my cravings aren't my crime; it's the nonstop giving in to them that has taken such a toll.'
p19-'Food, for me now, is fuel. It does not have to be amazing, entertaining, or exciting.'
p35-'What I put in my head is far more important than what I put in my mouth.
p35-Losing weight isn't about being good; it's about being good to myself.'
p210-'...waiting for the perfect time is a waste of time because it just delays action.'
Other than that ^ the book was fine. Move more, eat less, make better nutrition choices. Nothing revolutionary, but the main point is that she Made.Up.Her.Mind and that was the difference this time.
p18-'my cravings aren't my crime; it's the nonstop giving in to them that has taken such a toll.'
p19-'Food, for me now, is fuel. It does not have to be amazing, entertaining, or exciting.'
p35-'What I put in my head is far more important than what I put in my mouth.
p35-Losing weight isn't about being good; it's about being good to myself.'
p210-'...waiting for the perfect time is a waste of time because it just delays action.'
November 29, 2014
I'm glad she found her way to lose weight but I did not agree with how she went about it. The Shift is more like a woman's weight loss diary. It can motivate you, but I wouldn't do what she did. Totally omitting fruits and whole grains are just silly.
July 29, 2016
If you are looking for a diet book – with specific instructions and rules and schedules and lists to follow – then this is definitely not the book for you. This is more of a memoir focusing on author Tory Johnson's weight loss endeavor over the course of one year, and how it affected all aspects of her life and her relationships: she details how her weight and her battle with it affected (for both better and worse) her interactions with her boss, her friends, her brother, and most poignantly, her daughter and her husband. There was much here that I think many will find relatable.
But The Shift is not merely a biography – it is still "instructional" in an inspiring sort of way. Tory details her "shift" from someone constantly on the merry-go-round of fad diets to a woman with totally new priorities working her way steadily toward her firmly-rooted goals, and she shares her pep talks with us as she gives them to herself. There is much value in her approach, even if none of it is exactly earth-shatteringly new.
Where I think the book falls short is that while Tory recognizes the nature of her relationship with food (she is addicted to eating in general and to unhealthy/fattening foods specifically), she doesn't convey how that affects her as she diets, and leaves many readers thinking she basically starved herself. In fact she did not – she never once says that her sense of deprivation has anything at all to do with hunger; she just WANTS to eat those Doritos (or whatever). In fact she does in rare moments make that distinction, but it should be a much, much bigger theme than it is. Struggling through a diet because you have a lifetime of habitual patterns (such as eating when and because you're sad, bored, feeling down, watching TV, socializing, deflated about your lack of weight loss progress, or stuffed but simply MUST order dessert because it looks so very yummy) is TOTALLY different than struggling with a diet because you're physically hungry all the time. Tory had the former problem. Not the latter.
And finally, where the book falls completely flat is that she insists on not going to the doctor for a full check up and a diet discussion until AFTER she loses 60-something pounds (and she admits to not having seen a doctor for 10 years prior to that!). This is a terrible, potentially dangerous approach, especially since she put herself on a severely carb-restricted, ketosis-inducing diet. Yet she never indicates she regrets not getting a doctor's okay first, nor does she encourage us to do so. That's just irresponsible and it's a huge caveat to my review.
Of course, Goodreads only lets us rate in whole stars, but my actual rating is 2.5 stars.
Addendum for the audiobook version: Unfortunately, Tory's voice is kind of grating. It sounded like she was practically yelling; her SUPER FAST! SUPER ENTHUSIASTIC! voice might be perfect for a 5-minute GMA segment, but after a couple hours of it, my ears felt like they were bleeding. I could only get through the second two-thirds of the book in small chunks of low-volume listening. If her reading voice had been more pleasant, I might have considered this a solid 3 stars.
But The Shift is not merely a biography – it is still "instructional" in an inspiring sort of way. Tory details her "shift" from someone constantly on the merry-go-round of fad diets to a woman with totally new priorities working her way steadily toward her firmly-rooted goals, and she shares her pep talks with us as she gives them to herself. There is much value in her approach, even if none of it is exactly earth-shatteringly new.
Where I think the book falls short is that while Tory recognizes the nature of her relationship with food (she is addicted to eating in general and to unhealthy/fattening foods specifically), she doesn't convey how that affects her as she diets, and leaves many readers thinking she basically starved herself. In fact she did not – she never once says that her sense of deprivation has anything at all to do with hunger; she just WANTS to eat those Doritos (or whatever). In fact she does in rare moments make that distinction, but it should be a much, much bigger theme than it is. Struggling through a diet because you have a lifetime of habitual patterns (such as eating when and because you're sad, bored, feeling down, watching TV, socializing, deflated about your lack of weight loss progress, or stuffed but simply MUST order dessert because it looks so very yummy) is TOTALLY different than struggling with a diet because you're physically hungry all the time. Tory had the former problem. Not the latter.
And finally, where the book falls completely flat is that she insists on not going to the doctor for a full check up and a diet discussion until AFTER she loses 60-something pounds (and she admits to not having seen a doctor for 10 years prior to that!). This is a terrible, potentially dangerous approach, especially since she put herself on a severely carb-restricted, ketosis-inducing diet. Yet she never indicates she regrets not getting a doctor's okay first, nor does she encourage us to do so. That's just irresponsible and it's a huge caveat to my review.
Minor note: I have no idea why so many reviewers are so completely, mortally offended – Lordie! Oh my stars and stripes! Heaven have MERCY! – by the supposed plethora of gross, icky, graphic sexual conduct. PuLEASE…
1) It's ONE paragraph.
2) It's rated PG – suggestive, but by no means graphic. I would have no problem letting my teenaged daughter read this.
3) It's not even remotely gratuitous, because how many women struggling with their weight do not consider how they feel as a sexual being a HUGE part of their body image? I personally would not have minded a little MORE time spent on this subject, to be honest.
Of course, Goodreads only lets us rate in whole stars, but my actual rating is 2.5 stars.
Addendum for the audiobook version: Unfortunately, Tory's voice is kind of grating. It sounded like she was practically yelling; her SUPER FAST! SUPER ENTHUSIASTIC! voice might be perfect for a 5-minute GMA segment, but after a couple hours of it, my ears felt like they were bleeding. I could only get through the second two-thirds of the book in small chunks of low-volume listening. If her reading voice had been more pleasant, I might have considered this a solid 3 stars.
June 11, 2018
This book made me sad. I kept waiting for her shift; it never came. Same old diet mentality of will power and sacrifice mixed in with needing to lose weight so other people will more enjoy the experience of looking at you. Or maybe that is the shift: from one eating disorder to another.
What's truly sad is she already had a great job, spouse, kids, family, bank account. She had all of that while being overweight, but it's thrown under the bus the minute she is able to undereat herself thin.
I had hoped for an inspiring book about making changes, about the importance of whole foods and cooking, about the shifts in thoughts, beliefs and attitudes necessary for transformation . . . but all of that was only hinted at under the surface. This book read like self-hatred "healed" through societal acceptance. I want to be happy for her; I even hope her weight loss is sustainable. . . but that would require a shift into self-love and healthy accountability.
What's truly sad is she already had a great job, spouse, kids, family, bank account. She had all of that while being overweight, but it's thrown under the bus the minute she is able to undereat herself thin.
I had hoped for an inspiring book about making changes, about the importance of whole foods and cooking, about the shifts in thoughts, beliefs and attitudes necessary for transformation . . . but all of that was only hinted at under the surface. This book read like self-hatred "healed" through societal acceptance. I want to be happy for her; I even hope her weight loss is sustainable. . . but that would require a shift into self-love and healthy accountability.
June 21, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. This isn't a diet program or a guide to lose weight. It's more of a memoir of one woman's weight-loss journey. Tory Johnson doesn't so much tell you how she lost weight. Instead, she details the way her thinking changed during the 12 months she worked her program. She shares the emotional challenges she faced. As a reader, I was able to "see" the change happen as the diet she was following became a lifestyle.
I feel this is what is missing from most diet books. By sharing her struggles, Tory Johnson mirrored my own battles with my lack of willpower. And by sharing those small "aha" moments, I was able to see how they built up. Overall, her story is very inspiring.
I feel this is what is missing from most diet books. By sharing her struggles, Tory Johnson mirrored my own battles with my lack of willpower. And by sharing those small "aha" moments, I was able to see how they built up. Overall, her story is very inspiring.
September 25, 2013
This is really a memoir, not a self help or comprehensive diet book. Infact, I think the super low-carb approach that Tory takes is a little hazardous to one's health, but it worked for her. What struck me is how low her self esteem was and how she punished herself for years (undressing in the dark, not letting her husband see her naked, etc....) She continued this pattern of low self esteem even as she lost a lot of weight. The one thing I did appreciate about this memoir is what she calls "the shift." I have to agree that you have to have that mental "aha" moment when you really want to do something and your whole attitude "shifts" and keeps you focused. Nice, quick read.
May 3, 2014
Not a whole lot new that we haven't heard before on how to lose weight, i.e. cut out sugar, white carbs, etc. etc. Still, I found Tory Johnson's weight loss journey engaging, and her dedication to her "shift" inspiring. I wish her the best and enjoy watching her "Deals and Steals" segments on GMA each week!
February 23, 2015
Although I did not know who Tory Johnson was before I read this book (not a GMA watcher), the book was well written and she told her story honestly. She didn't give any specific diet or exercise advice but told what worked for her. It was very relatable and honest. A good quick read.
January 25, 2014
Tory's account of her "Shift" in attitude toward weight loss really resonates with me. I am going to use her way of thinking to get healthy. so there Lisa. I can give a book 5 stars!
July 9, 2014
Interesting read - I admire Tory for her hard work over the year but do not necessarily agree with her take on dieting.
January 5, 2017
It is something almost every woman goes thru. She just said what we all do and think. It was good.
February 7, 2017
I first decided that I did not like this author on page 53 when she tells her then not-fat 14 year old daughter "you'd probably feel better about yourself if you lost just five pounds" in response to her daughter's angst over her peers' obsession with appearance and it's related stress. Wow. Way to fuel an eating disorder and self-loathing, mom. She rationalizes this by telling the reader she wishes that someone had given her this advice when she was her daughter's age. Double wow.
Tory ensures that I never like her all the way to the very end of this book when she begins discussing a female television anchor who was recently fat-shamed by a viewer via email. The female anchor stands up for herself by saying that she likes herself the way she is and Tory while she says that she admires her for this, then goes on to say that she sees some of herself in this anchor and determines that this anchor is "not ready to deal with some very real consequences of being obese". No Tory, not every overweight female wants to starve themselves to thinness as you have or feels repulsed by their size. Truthfully, I cannot understand how someone who has built an entire business around empowering other women can even employ this line of thinking without realizing just how detrimental this is to the very same women you reportedly want to empower. Shame on YOU, Tory, and not our pudgy anchor friend. Maybe she really is happy just as she is.
Last thought which is really just a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of this book--why never reveal your weight? Tory spends a great deal of time talking about her daily weigh-ins and that "three digit number", but never actually reveals what she weighs at any point in this book. And that annoys me.
I do not feel that this book has added any value to the community of readers looking for help or advice to lose weight and/or maintain that weight loss. This is a story about one woman's weight loss journey and that's really it.
Tory ensures that I never like her all the way to the very end of this book when she begins discussing a female television anchor who was recently fat-shamed by a viewer via email. The female anchor stands up for herself by saying that she likes herself the way she is and Tory while she says that she admires her for this, then goes on to say that she sees some of herself in this anchor and determines that this anchor is "not ready to deal with some very real consequences of being obese". No Tory, not every overweight female wants to starve themselves to thinness as you have or feels repulsed by their size. Truthfully, I cannot understand how someone who has built an entire business around empowering other women can even employ this line of thinking without realizing just how detrimental this is to the very same women you reportedly want to empower. Shame on YOU, Tory, and not our pudgy anchor friend. Maybe she really is happy just as she is.
Last thought which is really just a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of this book--why never reveal your weight? Tory spends a great deal of time talking about her daily weigh-ins and that "three digit number", but never actually reveals what she weighs at any point in this book. And that annoys me.
I do not feel that this book has added any value to the community of readers looking for help or advice to lose weight and/or maintain that weight loss. This is a story about one woman's weight loss journey and that's really it.
February 19, 2019
I read through the reviews of this before (listening) to my library's audio version of this book. Personally, I loved it and found it very motivational and inspiring. You do have to be in a place of WANTING to make a change though. Change just doesn't come by itself. If it did, we'd all be in great shape. If you're not in a place to make THE SHIFT (which, I love that she calls it that btw) then you will be annoyed by her choices and feel like "great for her, but I could never do that" - that defeatist attitude just means you're not ready to make the shift yet. I didn't read this as a, "I have to make every choice she made to get her results" kind of thing either. I read it as what I believe the author intended, just sharing what she has done to make changes last for her lifetime. She made better choices. There's nothing more to it, but it was refreshing to hear someone with my same struggles (eating for comfort/boredom/enjoyment and her dislike for exercise) reinforce the fact that we CAN make better choices. Everything we do is a choice and I need to start evaluating my choices much better than I currently am.
August 9, 2018
This book was a very quick read. Well written and personable, I enjoyed reading about the author's struggle with her weight and food. She decided, after a meeting with one of her bosses at Good Morning America, that she had to lose weight and would do anything in her power to do just that. How she did it? Starvation, primarily. She cut her portions way, way back, cut out all white foods, cut way back on carbs and gave up her soda. Towards the end of her year long journey, she started exercising on a treadmill, but that wasn't a primary concern at first. I have to admit, the girl has will power. She gave up a life long habit of eating junk and stuck with it to the tune of 62 lbs. in one year. It was an okay book, with a couple good recipes at the end, (I ate a lettuce, cheese, turkey, mustard pickle wrap today for lunch, yum.) I commend her for deciding to improve her life and actually doing it.
May 26, 2020
Inspirational. Many Weight Watchers themes running through her shift. That program works so I get why her shift works. It is absolutely a mind set to allow yourself make any changes in your life - a full commitment with room for grace throughout the transition & make room for self-forgiveness when things don't always go as planned. Back to commitment and willingness to start fresh again. Changing your eating habits does affect more than just you and it is a very tough adjustment - Tory was very amazing to open her experience up to the world to help others see they are not alone and that it is something everyone can do once they are ready to commit.
May 9, 2017
There was some interesting stuff in here about determination and making a huge change, but it was overshadowed by how unhealthy her relationship with her body was and how relationship with food now is. I think the moment that most showed this is when she wants to take down the picture of her holding her newborn twins because she thinks she looks fat. But decides to keep it up. Not because it was a wonderful memory and part of her life. Nope. Because it will be an inspiration and reminder to herself to never get fat again.
What the eff, dude? Messed up.
What the eff, dude? Messed up.
January 3, 2025
Some good advice in this book regarding weight loss but I don’t like the all or nothing mindset Tory promotes . It might work for her but for many it just adds anxiety and the struggle to eat healthy with forbidden foods . For a natural rule breaker like myself that mentality definitely doesn’t work ! It was an interesting look inside the high pressure career of a public media person and the demands on appearance those in that field , especially women, face to look a certain way . Overall a decent read just a little too simplistic for my taste.
February 28, 2018
Stories of people transforming their lives always pique my interest. Especially if it involves health and fitness. Tory Johnson is very down to earth in telling her story and sharing set backs along the way. She no doubt will inspire people to change. Tory lost a lot of weight in 1 year, but did it the right way! Eating less, moving your body and saying no to junk food can having amazing results!!! It’s a quick read. Took two days....
January 1, 2019
There are lots of good tidbits shared throughout the book. The idea of saying I don’t eat something versus i can’t. The fact that the process is slow. But so many things just seem wrong. The conversation with her daughter about her weight felt wrong and her consistent focus on others’ opinions seemed excessive and immature given her age. But maybe it’s a result of the industry she works in.
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