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T-Shirt Swim Club: Stories from Being Fat in a World of Thin People
Comedian Ian Karmel, with help from sister Dr. Alisa Karmel, opens up about the daily humiliations of being fat and why it's so hard to talk about something so visible.
Ian Karmel's weighed eight pounds and he’s weighed 420 pounds and right now he’s almost exactly in between the two, but this book is not a weight loss book. It’s about being a fat person in a skinny world. It’s about gym class and football practice; about chicken wings and juice cleanses; about airplane seats and rollercoasters, about fat jokes and Jabba the Hutt; about crying in the Big and Tall section and the joys of being a sneakerhead; about pre-diabetes and gout; and about realizing that you actually don’t want eat yourself to death and hoping it’s not too late.
This book also includes a "What Now?" section from Ian's sister Alisa, who herself cycled through so many fad diets that she eventually pursued a master’s in nutrition and a doctorate of psychology, with the goal of changing the contemporary narrative around fatness, so it’s helpful too.
Ian and Alisa Karmel grew up fat. As kids, they never talked about it. They were too busy fighting over the last Snackwell Devil’s Food cookie. Now, decades later, having both turned into fat adults who eventually figured out how to get their health under control, they are finally ready to unpack the impact their weight has had on them.
For Ian the T-Shirt Swim Club is meant to be a place of support for anyone who struggles with weight issues. A place of care and candor, free of shame. A place to not deny or avoid the emotions you feel, the experiences you go through, the embarrassment, the anger, the resentment. The T-Shirt Swim Club is about being a fat person and how the world treats fat people—but also an acknowledgement that maybe it doesn’t always have to feel quite so lonely.
Ian Karmel's weighed eight pounds and he’s weighed 420 pounds and right now he’s almost exactly in between the two, but this book is not a weight loss book. It’s about being a fat person in a skinny world. It’s about gym class and football practice; about chicken wings and juice cleanses; about airplane seats and rollercoasters, about fat jokes and Jabba the Hutt; about crying in the Big and Tall section and the joys of being a sneakerhead; about pre-diabetes and gout; and about realizing that you actually don’t want eat yourself to death and hoping it’s not too late.
This book also includes a "What Now?" section from Ian's sister Alisa, who herself cycled through so many fad diets that she eventually pursued a master’s in nutrition and a doctorate of psychology, with the goal of changing the contemporary narrative around fatness, so it’s helpful too.
Ian and Alisa Karmel grew up fat. As kids, they never talked about it. They were too busy fighting over the last Snackwell Devil’s Food cookie. Now, decades later, having both turned into fat adults who eventually figured out how to get their health under control, they are finally ready to unpack the impact their weight has had on them.
For Ian the T-Shirt Swim Club is meant to be a place of support for anyone who struggles with weight issues. A place of care and candor, free of shame. A place to not deny or avoid the emotions you feel, the experiences you go through, the embarrassment, the anger, the resentment. The T-Shirt Swim Club is about being a fat person and how the world treats fat people—but also an acknowledgement that maybe it doesn’t always have to feel quite so lonely.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published June 11, 2024
240 people are currently reading
5681 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
March 9, 2025
Living Fat in a Thin world is not easy. Does one claim it, blame it, laugh at it, or cry over it? A life long conundrum. Like a scar that stays forever, life experienced as a fat person is never gone, even if one is at their ideal weight - the threat hangs ever over. As a member of the club, I found this a very difficult read, but also helpful and hopeful one. Doesn't make this review any easier, though. Writing from one of the ultimate "Othering" categories never is.
If the word "fat" makes you wince or the topic does, or maybe this battle has been fought for years and years, find this book and see if it speaks to you. I suspect it will be either resounding or silent, and that will be your best answer.
Part of the world these authors write from overlaps my world. I often drive by the places of which they write, many of the feelings stirred up heart-stabbing as I read - so if you also have experienced pleasure and pain in Portland (or anywhere else) while being fat. . .well. I recommend this book, highly.
*A sincere thank you to Ian Karmel, Alisa Karmel, PsyD, Rodale, Inc. and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TShirtSwimClub #NetGalley 25|52:31c
If the word "fat" makes you wince or the topic does, or maybe this battle has been fought for years and years, find this book and see if it speaks to you. I suspect it will be either resounding or silent, and that will be your best answer.
Part of the world these authors write from overlaps my world. I often drive by the places of which they write, many of the feelings stirred up heart-stabbing as I read - so if you also have experienced pleasure and pain in Portland (or anywhere else) while being fat. . .well. I recommend this book, highly.
*A sincere thank you to Ian Karmel, Alisa Karmel, PsyD, Rodale, Inc. and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TShirtSwimClub #NetGalley 25|52:31c
April 17, 2024
I loved reading this book. Ian made me feel seen, while Alisa taught me so much about how my brain has been affected by being fat. This book is the perfect combination of humanity, humor and information. I highly recommend it to everyone with a body -- fat or not -- because it teaches an appreciation for all bodies and the human inside of them.
July 2, 2024
Realistically, I was going to give this five stars even if it had turned out Ian fell asleep on the keyboard and the book was 279 pages of the letter “P”.
But, I’m proud to say it deserved this rating and is an approachable, hilarious approach to living as a fat person in society.
But, I’m proud to say it deserved this rating and is an approachable, hilarious approach to living as a fat person in society.
September 8, 2024
This book felt like 3 entirely separate books - the first part was Ian’s experience growing up and living his adult life as a fat person. It was incredibly relatable and very VERY funny. I had never heard of him prior to finding this book, so I am not familiar with him as a comedian, but his comical anecdotes about growing up as a fat kid had me nodding along vigorously with shared experience and laughing out loud. It was nice to have jokes about the experience of being fat while not making fun of fat people. I’m not sure I’ve seen this done before really and it was fantastic. I wish the entire book was just this. I did do the audiobook, which I think really helps the comedy as Ian reads it himself and it sounds like stand-up.
Part two of the book is Ian’s journey to losing a lot of weight. Major kudos to him on his success, but after the high from reading from the first part, this next part really felt like a bummer and a total tone shift. I didn’t come to this book looking for weight loss information (which to his credit is written very clearly not as “you should do this” but “here’s what I did that worked for me”). I could have gone without this section honestly, though it was really the first time I’ve heard someone talk in depth about their maintenance journey and how it really changes your identity after suddenly being in a thin body for the first time in your entire life. I’d absolutely have read this maintenance section as a separate book and really enjoyed it.
Part three was written by Ian’s sister who has a PhD in Psych and goes chapter by chapter through Ian’s story sharing some research based tips and stats. I think this would have been better after each chapter as opposed to all at the end, but the stats and everything she shares were very interesting. She blends it into Ian’s story really nicely so it’s not super dry. I will absolutely look her up as a doctor and see if she takes my insurance because I am really impressed by her!
Overall, the book wasn’t what I expected, but I did take a lot from it. I think part 1 is really great for people who have experienced the world as a fat person but part 3 would be great for anyone, especially those who are raising children with larger bodies. There’s some great parenting information in there. I do wish the book went a smidge deeper, like it never mentioned intersectionality of fatness and race, or cultural norms, though it did lightly touch on gender. But most of the book is really written about Ian’s personal experience, not “the broad experience of being fat.” It also didn’t really define fatness and leaves it up to the reader to decide if they’re “fat.” However, the life experience of a 180lb person, a 280lb person, and a 380lb person are very very different in terms of how you’re treated, what’s available in stores, and how you physically can/cannot fit into physical spaces in the world. The stats and studies discussion just talked about how x% of fat children and fat people experience XYZ without clarifying how they were defining who counted as “fat”. Perhaps I’m asking too much from a book, but I do think the distinction matters.
All in all, solid book. I would absolutely do the audio version for Ian’s comedy to hit best!
Part two of the book is Ian’s journey to losing a lot of weight. Major kudos to him on his success, but after the high from reading from the first part, this next part really felt like a bummer and a total tone shift. I didn’t come to this book looking for weight loss information (which to his credit is written very clearly not as “you should do this” but “here’s what I did that worked for me”). I could have gone without this section honestly, though it was really the first time I’ve heard someone talk in depth about their maintenance journey and how it really changes your identity after suddenly being in a thin body for the first time in your entire life. I’d absolutely have read this maintenance section as a separate book and really enjoyed it.
Part three was written by Ian’s sister who has a PhD in Psych and goes chapter by chapter through Ian’s story sharing some research based tips and stats. I think this would have been better after each chapter as opposed to all at the end, but the stats and everything she shares were very interesting. She blends it into Ian’s story really nicely so it’s not super dry. I will absolutely look her up as a doctor and see if she takes my insurance because I am really impressed by her!
Overall, the book wasn’t what I expected, but I did take a lot from it. I think part 1 is really great for people who have experienced the world as a fat person but part 3 would be great for anyone, especially those who are raising children with larger bodies. There’s some great parenting information in there. I do wish the book went a smidge deeper, like it never mentioned intersectionality of fatness and race, or cultural norms, though it did lightly touch on gender. But most of the book is really written about Ian’s personal experience, not “the broad experience of being fat.” It also didn’t really define fatness and leaves it up to the reader to decide if they’re “fat.” However, the life experience of a 180lb person, a 280lb person, and a 380lb person are very very different in terms of how you’re treated, what’s available in stores, and how you physically can/cannot fit into physical spaces in the world. The stats and studies discussion just talked about how x% of fat children and fat people experience XYZ without clarifying how they were defining who counted as “fat”. Perhaps I’m asking too much from a book, but I do think the distinction matters.
All in all, solid book. I would absolutely do the audio version for Ian’s comedy to hit best!
August 6, 2024
It started off so promising. I laughed, I cried, I thought I was going to love it! Then most of it turns into “I’m not saying you have to lose weight if you’re fat…I’m just saying I did and it saved my life and here’s how I did it and omg being fat was gonna KILL ME” 🙄 which may all well be true for him but just gave a weird ick of anti-fatness that this book claims to be so against.
June 15, 2024
I burned through this in one sitting. As someone whose weight has fluctuated a ton over the course of my life and has pretty much never been happy with my weight and felt the confidence issues that come along with that…it’s nice to be seen and relate to someone else’s experience very closely!
July 12, 2024
I loved the stories and relatability of the first half of the book, but unfortunately it turned into chapters and chapters of diet advice, which was not the vibe I was looking for.
September 6, 2024
3.5 rounded up
July 21, 2025
Okay VERY long review incoming because this book made me feel a lot of things - sorry!
Being "big" has always felt like this ever-present component of my life. From having to shop in the "husky" section growing up, to being called "Big Mike" when I ran cross country in HS, to having to get a different tour guide jacket in college because I didn't fit in the biggest size they gave to everyone else, to being called a "fat fuck" by a stranger in a bar (just to name a few lol). And as the title suggests, wearing tshirts in the pool/not even going in pools at all for fear of being shirtless for YEARS. It has been something that has consumed my mind the majority of my life. While my body has fluctuated up and down, the thoughts and feelings linger. The first half of the book I truly felt like I was reading snippets from my life. It was unbelievably relatable in so many ways - between avoiding romantic relationships, not going to the doctor, and making fat jokes about yourself so no one else can first, etc. Ian told so many stories with so much humor and honesty and also pain that I was loving it so much.
Then his portion turns a bit too much into how losing weight bettered his life and that was heavily emphasized. I didn't love that part and the messaging of it. That being smaller did in fact make life better - like I can understand but it was a bit disappointing to read.
Then the book switches to psychological information about weight and weight loss from his sister Alisa. While interesting and informative it wasn't necessarily what I was looking for with this book. I did appreciate her perspective and thought she had incredible insights to provide from her own experience being overweight and working in the weight loss field.
Overall thought this was really nice yet difficult to read at times because some things hit a little too close lol. But how validating it was to read thoughts that I've had about myself for years spoken by someone else that can relate. Very happy I read it!
Being "big" has always felt like this ever-present component of my life. From having to shop in the "husky" section growing up, to being called "Big Mike" when I ran cross country in HS, to having to get a different tour guide jacket in college because I didn't fit in the biggest size they gave to everyone else, to being called a "fat fuck" by a stranger in a bar (just to name a few lol). And as the title suggests, wearing tshirts in the pool/not even going in pools at all for fear of being shirtless for YEARS. It has been something that has consumed my mind the majority of my life. While my body has fluctuated up and down, the thoughts and feelings linger. The first half of the book I truly felt like I was reading snippets from my life. It was unbelievably relatable in so many ways - between avoiding romantic relationships, not going to the doctor, and making fat jokes about yourself so no one else can first, etc. Ian told so many stories with so much humor and honesty and also pain that I was loving it so much.
Then his portion turns a bit too much into how losing weight bettered his life and that was heavily emphasized. I didn't love that part and the messaging of it. That being smaller did in fact make life better - like I can understand but it was a bit disappointing to read.
Then the book switches to psychological information about weight and weight loss from his sister Alisa. While interesting and informative it wasn't necessarily what I was looking for with this book. I did appreciate her perspective and thought she had incredible insights to provide from her own experience being overweight and working in the weight loss field.
Overall thought this was really nice yet difficult to read at times because some things hit a little too close lol. But how validating it was to read thoughts that I've had about myself for years spoken by someone else that can relate. Very happy I read it!
March 28, 2025
Ian Karmel is an American comedy writer, and his coauthor and sister Alisa Karmel is a psychologist. In T-Shirt Swim Club, Ian recounts his experiences as a child, teen, and adult while being overweight, and in final third of the book, Alisa shares a few of her own experiences but mostly gives unsolicited and sometimes bad advice to readers who may also struggle with their weight in a way that makes me unsure she understands concepts of nutrition and energy homeostasis. For instance, she talks about her own experience with yo-yo dieting and cheat days, talking about how after cheat days, she'd step on the scale the next morning and be up 1-3 pounds, so clearly cheat days weren't working for her. This is a misunderstanding of body metabolism - you simply don't gain 1-3 pounds of fat overnight. Day-to-day weight fluctuations are caused by factors like fluid retention and digestive tract contents, which is why looking at weekly and monthly weight averages (ideally collected from weighing oneself at least several times each week, if not daily, at the same time and in the same conditions each day) is a much more reliable indicator of weight loss, gain, or maintenance. By contrast, Ian, who has successfully lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off thus far, did so by making sustainable lifestyle changes -- good for him! It's not about dieting and restricting, as Alisa keeps harping on, but about healthy lifestyle changes you can continue for the rest of your life.
Ian's part of the memoir was what I'd expect from a comedy writer -- lots of self-deprecating jokes, funny anecdotes, flippancy, and occasional poignancy. It reminded me of Jen Lancaster's approach in her books about struggling with weight, such as Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie Is Not the Answer and Bright Lights, Big Ass. That being said, this style isn't for everyone; I only have limited tolerance for it and was ready for the book to be over well before it was (and I should've skipped the final third, Alisa's part, in retrospect).
Further reading: books by authors who've struggled with their own weight
The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America by Tommy Tomlinson | my review
The Secret Life of Fat: The Science Behind the Body's Least Understood Organ and What It Means for You by Sylvia Tara | my review
Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs by Johann Hari | my review
My statistics:
Book 97 for 2025
Book 2023 cumulatively
Ian's part of the memoir was what I'd expect from a comedy writer -- lots of self-deprecating jokes, funny anecdotes, flippancy, and occasional poignancy. It reminded me of Jen Lancaster's approach in her books about struggling with weight, such as Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie Is Not the Answer and Bright Lights, Big Ass. That being said, this style isn't for everyone; I only have limited tolerance for it and was ready for the book to be over well before it was (and I should've skipped the final third, Alisa's part, in retrospect).
Further reading: books by authors who've struggled with their own weight
The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America by Tommy Tomlinson | my review
The Secret Life of Fat: The Science Behind the Body's Least Understood Organ and What It Means for You by Sylvia Tara | my review
Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs by Johann Hari | my review
My statistics:
Book 97 for 2025
Book 2023 cumulatively
September 5, 2024
If you ever wondered what some of the thoughts in my mind were back in middle school, high school, college, after college, and even today are...then read this book you nosey person.
Ian Karmel and Alisa Karmel have created a book that dives in the psyche, trials, hardships, and triumphs that someone who is fat, or was fat, have gone through. The first half of the book is by Ian as he walks us through his life as a member of the "T-Shirt Swim Club." What went through his mind as he looked to football for a reason to be big, became the class clown at his own expense to fit in, adjusted to life in college by trying to figure out who he really was, and to his comedy career today. The second half is by Dr. Alisa who is a healthcare provider who also details some of her life moments but goes into new research about the many facets of life as a fat person (diets, health scares, fashion industry, mental health, and more).
They have nailed it. This book has helped me come to grips with what I went through growing up and am still dealing with. I never would have thought that a comedian (whose podcast All Fantasy Everything I've enjoyed a few times) would also accurately describe how losing weight does not change how you think about yourself. It takes even more work that is forever ongoing. It's helped me look back on decisions in my life and realize why I was the person I was before and how it impacts me today.
Most people would say that I look like a former T-Shirt Swim Club Member if anything yet, I'd say mentally and emotionally that I'm a member for life. Informative, reflective, and at times funny and heart wrenching; this is a hell of a book.
Ian Karmel and Alisa Karmel have created a book that dives in the psyche, trials, hardships, and triumphs that someone who is fat, or was fat, have gone through. The first half of the book is by Ian as he walks us through his life as a member of the "T-Shirt Swim Club." What went through his mind as he looked to football for a reason to be big, became the class clown at his own expense to fit in, adjusted to life in college by trying to figure out who he really was, and to his comedy career today. The second half is by Dr. Alisa who is a healthcare provider who also details some of her life moments but goes into new research about the many facets of life as a fat person (diets, health scares, fashion industry, mental health, and more).
They have nailed it. This book has helped me come to grips with what I went through growing up and am still dealing with. I never would have thought that a comedian (whose podcast All Fantasy Everything I've enjoyed a few times) would also accurately describe how losing weight does not change how you think about yourself. It takes even more work that is forever ongoing. It's helped me look back on decisions in my life and realize why I was the person I was before and how it impacts me today.
Most people would say that I look like a former T-Shirt Swim Club Member if anything yet, I'd say mentally and emotionally that I'm a member for life. Informative, reflective, and at times funny and heart wrenching; this is a hell of a book.
October 21, 2024
Ian Karmel is one of my favorite comedians, a guy who is just unbearably funny: but also, like many of us, suffers from deep insecurities and uses humor (particularly that of the self-deprecating variety) to deflect and entertain.
Growing up in the height of 90s/00s diet culture definitely messed with my head: I related heavily to the cycle of shame, motivation, and struggle, especially living in an area that is so self-conscious. But Ian and Alisa have both found ways to reorient weight loss into something that works for them: working on their mental health, starting small, and most importantly working to undo the toxic verbiage every advertisement has been yelling at them for the past 35 years.
Proud member of the T-Shirt Swim Club.
Growing up in the height of 90s/00s diet culture definitely messed with my head: I related heavily to the cycle of shame, motivation, and struggle, especially living in an area that is so self-conscious. But Ian and Alisa have both found ways to reorient weight loss into something that works for them: working on their mental health, starting small, and most importantly working to undo the toxic verbiage every advertisement has been yelling at them for the past 35 years.
Proud member of the T-Shirt Swim Club.
November 14, 2024
I don’t think I’ve ever felt more seen in a piece of media (since Encanto at least). I’m really at a loss for words. It’s not a perfect book but it’s solid. It’s kind of refreshing to know I’m not the only one having these crazy thoughts about being fat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m at a much better place in regards to my self image in my 30s than I was as a teen. But this is one of those things I wish I could share with a young teenage Jenn. And then probably hug her. But yeah I’d recommend this to anyone that has ever been deemed fat in their life.
February 7, 2025
I’m on my journey of radical acceptance and this book was a great listen for that.
Split between the narrative of a comedian and his body journey and his sister who is a psychologist, I loved the approach.
Alisa’s facts and research were eye opening and Ian did a fantastic job of writing humor. I was laughing out loud with some of his one liners and cultural references. And through both I really came to a better understanding of our society and body acceptance.
🎧
Split between the narrative of a comedian and his body journey and his sister who is a psychologist, I loved the approach.
Alisa’s facts and research were eye opening and Ian did a fantastic job of writing humor. I was laughing out loud with some of his one liners and cultural references. And through both I really came to a better understanding of our society and body acceptance.
🎧
September 6, 2024
I loved the title and thought it would be so much more relatable for anyone struggling with their weight- nothing like childhood struggles or the public pool T shirt body shaming….IYKYK
Started off so well and then turned phobic and preachy. 2/5
Started off so well and then turned phobic and preachy. 2/5
February 12, 2025
Ian Karmel is a stand-up comic and comedy writer, most notably for years on "The Late Late Show" with James Corden. He was a fat kid and then a really fat adult for many years, until a panic attack mimicking a heart attack finally scared him straight. His sister, Alisa, is a psychologist specializing in helping kids cope with their own weight traumas. She also grew up fat and has struggled with being healthy as opposed to just focusing on the number on the scale.
What comes through, other than Ian's obvious humor, is pain. Lots of pain. More pain. It hurts to be a little kid being bullied because he's fat. Ian's saving graces were his sense of humor - mostly pointed at himself (causing yet more pain), and his giant size being extremely useful on a football field as a defensive tackle. Alisa also got through school as an athlete, on the rugby field. Their family's love for them also shown through, and they both credit it.
This is NOT a weight-loss primer. This is the story - mostly of Ian - of people coping with addressing the hard mental work to overcome serious issues with self-esteem, shame, and Ian's guilt over making a living writing and telling "fat jokes" - because they always worked with an audience. No matter how much it hurts individually and collectively....
Alisa wrote approximately the last third of the book, discussing obesity more from a psychological viewpoint. As a retired medical professional, and former fat person myself, I found this portion of the book less interesting, because most of it seemed either common sense or common knowledge, and not really fitting with the storyline of the first two-thirds of the book.
I was attracted to this book not because I suffered the pain of Ian and Alisa in growing up fat. I was a skinny kid but an obese adult for about twenty years. And once fat, always "fat," because fat cells never go away; they just shrink. They always want to be fed, making it harder and harder to keep weight off once lost. I appreciate both Ian and Alisa making that point, in their different ways. Rounded up to 4 stars, because Alisa's section was dry, and there is a lot of psychological pain to deal with in reading it.
What comes through, other than Ian's obvious humor, is pain. Lots of pain. More pain. It hurts to be a little kid being bullied because he's fat. Ian's saving graces were his sense of humor - mostly pointed at himself (causing yet more pain), and his giant size being extremely useful on a football field as a defensive tackle. Alisa also got through school as an athlete, on the rugby field. Their family's love for them also shown through, and they both credit it.
This is NOT a weight-loss primer. This is the story - mostly of Ian - of people coping with addressing the hard mental work to overcome serious issues with self-esteem, shame, and Ian's guilt over making a living writing and telling "fat jokes" - because they always worked with an audience. No matter how much it hurts individually and collectively....
Alisa wrote approximately the last third of the book, discussing obesity more from a psychological viewpoint. As a retired medical professional, and former fat person myself, I found this portion of the book less interesting, because most of it seemed either common sense or common knowledge, and not really fitting with the storyline of the first two-thirds of the book.
I was attracted to this book not because I suffered the pain of Ian and Alisa in growing up fat. I was a skinny kid but an obese adult for about twenty years. And once fat, always "fat," because fat cells never go away; they just shrink. They always want to be fed, making it harder and harder to keep weight off once lost. I appreciate both Ian and Alisa making that point, in their different ways. Rounded up to 4 stars, because Alisa's section was dry, and there is a lot of psychological pain to deal with in reading it.
July 7, 2024
Ian and Alisa, thank you for writing this book. I’ve been a member of the T-Shirt Swim Club since I was 9 and realized I had a fat body that could be perceived negatively by others. I quit playing sports soon after a fellow 9 year old on the swim team said I was fat. (She was fat too, and I realize now how sad that is.) So much about being fat is about hiding, isolating, shrinking, and being ashamed. I’ve found ways to allow myself to be larger and louder as I approach 30, and this book is a beautiful, shining example of letting yourselves be big and loud to show us that we can do it too. I’m so proud of you both for everything you’ve accomplished, and honored that I got to witness Ian’s transformation live as an avid AFE listener.
I so deeply wish I’d known people like you two while I was growing up fat. Now I hope I can be that for a future fat kid.
I so deeply wish I’d known people like you two while I was growing up fat. Now I hope I can be that for a future fat kid.
December 16, 2025
As someone who has struggled with weight issues for what feels like my whole life, this book made me feel very seen.
I might be biased since the author's podcast, All Fantasy Everything, is easily one of my most listened to things. But aside from that, the stories and feelings Ian shared resonated with much of my own experiences. I also really enjoy the back and forth between the authors at the end; it was really interesting having a PsyD breakdown the feelings, thoughts, and perceptions around this topic.
I listened to the audiobook for this one. It was read by both authors and they did a great job.
I might be biased since the author's podcast, All Fantasy Everything, is easily one of my most listened to things. But aside from that, the stories and feelings Ian shared resonated with much of my own experiences. I also really enjoy the back and forth between the authors at the end; it was really interesting having a PsyD breakdown the feelings, thoughts, and perceptions around this topic.
I listened to the audiobook for this one. It was read by both authors and they did a great job.
August 18, 2024
3.5. I've been a fan of Ian Karmel's podcast for a while, and I've occasionally dipped into his stand up and his sketches on The Late Late Show. As far as memoir, he writes thoughtfully, honestly, and insightfully about his experiences as a fat child and adult. He's vulnerable in ways that are compelling to read, and he's funny. The parts of the book that focused on weight loss without more thoroughly investigating what "healthy" means didn't resonate with me, but I appreciated that he was framing everything from his personal experience and perspective.
I would have loved a different format for this where Alisa and Ian were more in conversation with each other throughout the book (like in You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, for example), instead of the Ian chapters followed by all of Alisa's. But, I kind of did that on my own by reading Ian's and flipping to Alisa's chapters to read them afterwards.
I would have loved a different format for this where Alisa and Ian were more in conversation with each other throughout the book (like in You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, for example), instead of the Ian chapters followed by all of Alisa's. But, I kind of did that on my own by reading Ian's and flipping to Alisa's chapters to read them afterwards.
audiobooks-completed
July 27, 2024Humorous, intimate, and full of cultural references applicable to my age group. Mostly very good but CW for diet advice
February 9, 2025
In some ways the book reminded me of the Matthew Perry book regarding addiction. There were a lot of similarities between the author's struggle with his food addiction and Matthew's drug addiction. I thought it was so interesting to read about what life was (and is) like for fat people. The author uses the word "fat" throughout so I am. I’m grateful for audiobooks that show me so many different perspectives of life that I woulldn't know about from my own small existence and the friends around me. I would say most of the book felt serious, but he's a comedian so a lot of it was funny!
October 2, 2024
I tend to love books written by comedians and this was no exception. Insightful and funny.
February 4, 2024
A very relatable book that was eye opening and authentic. I thought it expressed opinions with authenticity. I understood so much of what this brother - sister duo wrote. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Brave words that will resonate with many.
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July 24, 2024Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook!
This book is out now.
Content Warnings to Storygraph:
“Every fat kid learns in a different way that it’s wrong to be fat but we all learn it”
When I saw not only the title but the photo, I knew this was going to be a book I was going to read. Reading non fiction books about being in a fat body has not bode very well for me as all the ones I have read have always made me feel horrible about myself. But this one did not. I felt like I finally found a book that had moments where I could really relate to. The struggles he talked about really hit close to home. And I like that he talked about what eventually worked for him but it didn't feel like he was encouraging or pushing the reader to say that this is what you should do. I also thought the inclusion of his sister who also grew up fat who is now a psychologist and nutritionist was a nice touch from the doctor side of things.
“I want to be mindful but what if my mind is broken?”
I could tell that the author was around my age by all the pop culture references which of course I enjoyed. There was one reference I thought he would have brought up but didn't and that was "The Nutty Professor" which I remember being at the theater and almost in tears while watching that movie because of the treatment of fat people. The treatment of fat people in media is not close to getting better but there has been small movement in this.
I wish I had the ebook or physical book as I was listening because there was a lot I wanted to highlight. I thought Ian & Alissa did a great job narrating. Like with any memoir type book, it is always nice when the author narrates their story. Ian's humor and candor really came through while listening.
**I do not rate Non Fiction books.**
This book is out now.
Content Warnings to Storygraph:
“Every fat kid learns in a different way that it’s wrong to be fat but we all learn it”
When I saw not only the title but the photo, I knew this was going to be a book I was going to read. Reading non fiction books about being in a fat body has not bode very well for me as all the ones I have read have always made me feel horrible about myself. But this one did not. I felt like I finally found a book that had moments where I could really relate to. The struggles he talked about really hit close to home. And I like that he talked about what eventually worked for him but it didn't feel like he was encouraging or pushing the reader to say that this is what you should do. I also thought the inclusion of his sister who also grew up fat who is now a psychologist and nutritionist was a nice touch from the doctor side of things.
“I want to be mindful but what if my mind is broken?”
I could tell that the author was around my age by all the pop culture references which of course I enjoyed. There was one reference I thought he would have brought up but didn't and that was "The Nutty Professor" which I remember being at the theater and almost in tears while watching that movie because of the treatment of fat people. The treatment of fat people in media is not close to getting better but there has been small movement in this.
I wish I had the ebook or physical book as I was listening because there was a lot I wanted to highlight. I thought Ian & Alissa did a great job narrating. Like with any memoir type book, it is always nice when the author narrates their story. Ian's humor and candor really came through while listening.
**I do not rate Non Fiction books.**
December 29, 2024
T-Shirt Swim Club is both hilarious and thought-provoking, offering a nuanced take on body positivity and self-awareness. The author reflects on his weight loss journey, noting that even after the transformation, he’s still the same person who allowed himself to become overweight—a raw, honest insight into the emotional realities of weight and identity.
The book challenges us to move beyond just talking about body positivity or generalizations, and instead treat everyone with equal respect, regardless of size. While the concept of body positivity has its merits, the author highlights its potential dangers if it shifts focus away from addressing the deeper issue: emotional eating, self-loathing, and unhealthy habits. He emphasizes that eating your feelings is the real problem, and it’s vital to address those underlying struggles rather than merely celebrating body image.
A fundamental truth emerges: children often turn to food as a coping mechanism, and the focus should shift toward cultivating health—both physical and emotional. If what happened to Ian with the Disney roller coaster guard rails had happened to me, for sure my family would have to meet back up with me at the smoked turkey leg stand, where I’d be finishing up my third therapy leg and Mickey-shaped popsicle. The author advocates for schools to take a more active role in promoting and monitoring kids’ health, helping them develop positive habits early on and not necessarily learn to turn to food for comfort.
The book wraps up with thoughtful insights from the author’s sister, a psychologist, adding depth and medical perspective, and basically making this two separate books. But even those sections have some occasional entertaining sibling respites, though the sister does sound like she is reading her part—Ian is much more expert in improv and audio delivery.
Equal parts memoir, therapy session, and laugh-out-loud essay collection, it’s a sharp, meaningful read that encourages reflection on self-acceptance, health, and kindness. Recommended!
The book challenges us to move beyond just talking about body positivity or generalizations, and instead treat everyone with equal respect, regardless of size. While the concept of body positivity has its merits, the author highlights its potential dangers if it shifts focus away from addressing the deeper issue: emotional eating, self-loathing, and unhealthy habits. He emphasizes that eating your feelings is the real problem, and it’s vital to address those underlying struggles rather than merely celebrating body image.
A fundamental truth emerges: children often turn to food as a coping mechanism, and the focus should shift toward cultivating health—both physical and emotional. If what happened to Ian with the Disney roller coaster guard rails had happened to me, for sure my family would have to meet back up with me at the smoked turkey leg stand, where I’d be finishing up my third therapy leg and Mickey-shaped popsicle. The author advocates for schools to take a more active role in promoting and monitoring kids’ health, helping them develop positive habits early on and not necessarily learn to turn to food for comfort.
The book wraps up with thoughtful insights from the author’s sister, a psychologist, adding depth and medical perspective, and basically making this two separate books. But even those sections have some occasional entertaining sibling respites, though the sister does sound like she is reading her part—Ian is much more expert in improv and audio delivery.
Equal parts memoir, therapy session, and laugh-out-loud essay collection, it’s a sharp, meaningful read that encourages reflection on self-acceptance, health, and kindness. Recommended!
February 5, 2025
I laughed out loud through much of the first half of this book. The second half, when his sister starts talking about weight and weight loss from a PhD perspective was boring for me but I think it could be quite helpful for a parent of a fat child - she had some good advice and perspectives to help with body image, body acceptance fat shaming at school, health issues, etc.
Some of the funniest bits from Ian’s part:
I was an amazing swimmer. To be clear, I wasn’t a fast swimmer, but I was amazing at it. From my experience, speed is the wrong rubric with which to judge someone’s ability in the water anyway. Where are you trying to go in such a hurry, to a different, wetter part of the lake? Don’t be ridiculous.
Exhibit A: SnackWell’s—true pioneers in the health-food field. They invented an innovative food-preparation technique called “making the box green.”
Was it really a stretch to think that SoBe was good for us? It was juice! Juice is good for you! Sure, it looked like neon milk. It tasted like licking a tropical battery. It resembled nothing that had ever existed in nature, but there was a lizard on the bottle, and I’ve never seen a fat lizard before, so there you go. It was health food.
Middle school sucks. It’s the main thing middle school does. In grade school you learn about multiplication and state capitals, in high school you study algebra and read an Ayn Rand book, and in middle school you cope.
Do you know what it’s like to walk into a J.Crew as a fat person? They’ve got three different shades of pink chinos, but not a single waist size over thirty-four. That’s the line. Salmon pants with dogs on them? Normal. Forty-inch waist? Sir, we can’t be expected to carry everything.
Some of the funniest bits from Ian’s part:
I was an amazing swimmer. To be clear, I wasn’t a fast swimmer, but I was amazing at it. From my experience, speed is the wrong rubric with which to judge someone’s ability in the water anyway. Where are you trying to go in such a hurry, to a different, wetter part of the lake? Don’t be ridiculous.
Exhibit A: SnackWell’s—true pioneers in the health-food field. They invented an innovative food-preparation technique called “making the box green.”
Was it really a stretch to think that SoBe was good for us? It was juice! Juice is good for you! Sure, it looked like neon milk. It tasted like licking a tropical battery. It resembled nothing that had ever existed in nature, but there was a lizard on the bottle, and I’ve never seen a fat lizard before, so there you go. It was health food.
Middle school sucks. It’s the main thing middle school does. In grade school you learn about multiplication and state capitals, in high school you study algebra and read an Ayn Rand book, and in middle school you cope.
Do you know what it’s like to walk into a J.Crew as a fat person? They’ve got three different shades of pink chinos, but not a single waist size over thirty-four. That’s the line. Salmon pants with dogs on them? Normal. Forty-inch waist? Sir, we can’t be expected to carry everything.
July 11, 2024
I’ve loved Ian’s work for a long time so when I found out he was writing a book, I was ecstatic. When I found out it was about how being fat affects your life, I was more worried. As a former fat kid who has struggled with the long-term mental, physical and emotional affects of that time in my life, while failing to fully address that until recently, I was worried about what this book would bring up for me and how I would handle that. And I was right. It brought up a lot of familiar stories and feelings that I hadn’t thought about for a long time and brought me to tears at points. But every chapter and story was handled with such care and the situational knowledge only someone who has experienced and seriously thought about those effects could have.
This was an amazing book that has helped me confront many things about my own relationship with weight while keeping me laughing throughout.
Thank you to Ian and Alisa. I think this book will help a lot of people the same way it has helped me.
This was an amazing book that has helped me confront many things about my own relationship with weight while keeping me laughing throughout.
Thank you to Ian and Alisa. I think this book will help a lot of people the same way it has helped me.
November 13, 2024
As a fan of Ian through his podcast, I figured I’d enjoy this book and laugh a lot. I already listen to his voice weekly so I listened to the audiobook and loved hearing Ian (and Alisa!) tell their story in their own voices. And I was right - I did enjoy this book and laughed a lot. But I wasn’t expecting the level of emotion, vulnerability, and self-reflection from both Ian and Alisa. Nearly every one of Ian’s chapter made me tear up at some point, because he is just so open and honest with his struggles, his fears, his anxieties.
I actually alternated between Ian’s chapters and Alisa’s chapters and while this required more flipping back and forth for me, I think it made for a richer reading by experience reading their chapters on a topic back to back.
I actually alternated between Ian’s chapters and Alisa’s chapters and while this required more flipping back and forth for me, I think it made for a richer reading by experience reading their chapters on a topic back to back.
April 1, 2024
This book, by siblings Ian and Alisa Karmel, PsyD, is divided into two parts; the first, by Ian, is a comedic memoir about growing up in a fat body. The second, by Alisa, includes elements of the first while approaching the subject from a clinical point of view as well (she is a doctor of psychology with a specialization in making behavioral changes to improve your health). Both siblings are funny and speak from their own lives as well as scientific knowledge of the subject.
The first half of the book relies heavily on Ian's experience as a standup comedian and writer to keep the subject light and funny even when the subject matter is difficult (he admits to using humor to mask his insecurities) It's entertaining and relatable, though it can be triggering for those who have dealt with weight issues. The second half is understandably drier, as it relies on Alisa's clinical training and offers a medical perspective on how best to help fat patients.
I don't think the book necessarily breaks the mold on the information it's conveying, and as a reading experience, momentum definitely slows down in the second half, but it's well done.
The first half of the book relies heavily on Ian's experience as a standup comedian and writer to keep the subject light and funny even when the subject matter is difficult (he admits to using humor to mask his insecurities) It's entertaining and relatable, though it can be triggering for those who have dealt with weight issues. The second half is understandably drier, as it relies on Alisa's clinical training and offers a medical perspective on how best to help fat patients.
I don't think the book necessarily breaks the mold on the information it's conveying, and as a reading experience, momentum definitely slows down in the second half, but it's well done.
July 7, 2024
This was a tough but good read. I feel like I need to hand a copy of this to so many people for so many reasons. It's raw, honest, yet ultimately hopeful and balanced. I enjoyed the structure, it made the book feel complete. Ian's anecdotal story telling, followed by a conversation with Alisa, and then her expertise and experience. It worked well and I feel more confident that I have a place to point people who want to be better advocates for all bodies.
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