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Never Say Diet: Make Five Decisions and Break the Fat Habit for Good
Chantel Hobbs lost two hundred pounds without the help of surgery, pills, point systems, or a trendy diet. And just as important, she kept the weight off .
Her dramatic turnaround began with five decisions–personal, no-excuses commitments that kept her from losing sight of her goals. It worked for Chantel and it will work for you. Once you unconditionally change your mind your body will follow, and your life will never be the same.
In this book you will
·How to move beyond past failures and get over your old excuses
·How changing your eating patterns can break food’s hold over you
·Why winning the weight-loss battle must come from the inside out
·The simple workouts that deliver lasting results and are fun to do
·How to overcome the naysayers, the diet police, and your own nagging doubts
·How to prioritize your health, juggle family and career, and stay motivated when life takes unexpected turns
·Why the diet industry wants you to keep coming back
·And much more!
You will find straight talk on developing the determination, commitment, and personal responsibility it takes to achieve weight loss that lasts. It’s time to stop getting ready for the event and start getting ready for life!
Her dramatic turnaround began with five decisions–personal, no-excuses commitments that kept her from losing sight of her goals. It worked for Chantel and it will work for you. Once you unconditionally change your mind your body will follow, and your life will never be the same.
In this book you will
·How to move beyond past failures and get over your old excuses
·How changing your eating patterns can break food’s hold over you
·Why winning the weight-loss battle must come from the inside out
·The simple workouts that deliver lasting results and are fun to do
·How to overcome the naysayers, the diet police, and your own nagging doubts
·How to prioritize your health, juggle family and career, and stay motivated when life takes unexpected turns
·Why the diet industry wants you to keep coming back
·And much more!
You will find straight talk on developing the determination, commitment, and personal responsibility it takes to achieve weight loss that lasts. It’s time to stop getting ready for the event and start getting ready for life!
240 pages, Hardcover
First published December 18, 2007
20 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Chantel Hobbs
6 books5 followersThe author of Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer, Chantel Hobbs is a motivational speaker, life coach, personal trainer, marathon runner, wife, and mother of four whose story has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, the 700 Club, and the covers of People and First magazines. She appears weekly on two fitness-themed radio programs and promotes her One-Day Way Learning System on television. Visit Chantel at ChantelHobbs.com for fitness updates and coaching tips.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 6, 2018
Awesome book. I learned a lot and appreciated all of her advice.
September 21, 2011
This book had great potential. It is about the journey of Chantel Hobbs who lost over 200 pounds, and is now a fitness coach, and a marathon runner. I am glad that she had the stick-to-it-ness to lose the weight and keep it off. I was hoping, though, for so much more from her book.
The main concept of this book is the 'Brain Change' and the 'Five Decisions.' The first half of the book keeps mentioning these two concepts, but the delivery of the concepts fell short. There could have been so much more on these two concepts and walk the reader through making the 'brain change' to go through a lifestyle change. The 'Five Decisions' could have had leading questions to help the reader make their own Five Decisions. Also, not being religious, I find it difficult listening to someone who makes a promise to God and keeps that, but didn't keep a promise to herself when she tried weight loss in the past. I believe in myself, and I have the power to change! That is what she could have stressed!
Basic premise... start small...commit to exercise before trying to change the way you eat. Then, change the way you eat and know that these are lifestyles changes. Also, I am not a large person, just someone who wants to shed 30 pounds... but most, if not all, of the exercises in this book are based on a Balance Ball. I don't know how difficult that would be for someone of larger stature.
Exercise and portion control/food control are key to weight loss. It was uninspiring in helping me to 'Never Say Diet.' It was also shocking to learn at the back of the book that she had had plastic surgery for not only loose skin, but breast augmentation. I am glad that she accomplished so much and has helped people personally, but the book does not have that personal touch!
The main concept of this book is the 'Brain Change' and the 'Five Decisions.' The first half of the book keeps mentioning these two concepts, but the delivery of the concepts fell short. There could have been so much more on these two concepts and walk the reader through making the 'brain change' to go through a lifestyle change. The 'Five Decisions' could have had leading questions to help the reader make their own Five Decisions. Also, not being religious, I find it difficult listening to someone who makes a promise to God and keeps that, but didn't keep a promise to herself when she tried weight loss in the past. I believe in myself, and I have the power to change! That is what she could have stressed!
Basic premise... start small...commit to exercise before trying to change the way you eat. Then, change the way you eat and know that these are lifestyles changes. Also, I am not a large person, just someone who wants to shed 30 pounds... but most, if not all, of the exercises in this book are based on a Balance Ball. I don't know how difficult that would be for someone of larger stature.
Exercise and portion control/food control are key to weight loss. It was uninspiring in helping me to 'Never Say Diet.' It was also shocking to learn at the back of the book that she had had plastic surgery for not only loose skin, but breast augmentation. I am glad that she accomplished so much and has helped people personally, but the book does not have that personal touch!
January 21, 2009
I am happy to be participating in Chantel Hobbs' blog tour for her books NEVER SAY DIET and THE NEVER SAY DIET PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER. If you're anything like me, you're skeptical of any and every book on the market that's about dieting. Diets. Don't. Work. Ever. End of story, right?
And so I was happy to learn that Never Say Diet was different from most of the other books out there. It's the dieting mentality that doesn't work if we get down to it. If we're honest. Hobbs' approach is that it takes mental change to change your body. Her five 'brain-change' decisions are: Be truthful. Be forgiving. Be committed. Be interested. Surrender. Of course, that's just the start of it all.
This isn't a book to read while snacking. For the book to work, work. You've got to be there, mentally, emotionally, physically. You've got to commit to changing your life, your lifestyle, your daily decisions. The book is in two sections--the first part serves as an introduction and inspiration. The second part is for those ready and willing to commit to acting on what they read. (Then there is the second book, a companion book entitled The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer.)
And so I was happy to learn that Never Say Diet was different from most of the other books out there. It's the dieting mentality that doesn't work if we get down to it. If we're honest. Hobbs' approach is that it takes mental change to change your body. Her five 'brain-change' decisions are: Be truthful. Be forgiving. Be committed. Be interested. Surrender. Of course, that's just the start of it all.
This isn't a book to read while snacking. For the book to work, work. You've got to be there, mentally, emotionally, physically. You've got to commit to changing your life, your lifestyle, your daily decisions. The book is in two sections--the first part serves as an introduction and inspiration. The second part is for those ready and willing to commit to acting on what they read. (Then there is the second book, a companion book entitled The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer.)
December 19, 2014
"Learn the secret that helped me lose 200 pounds" the cover beckons. "Make five decisions and break the fat habit for good." With this irresistable cover, Chantel Hobbs has me hooked. This beautiful woman who has appeared on Oprah lost 200 pounds without gastric surgery or diet pills. Now a personal trainer and marathon runner, Hobbs gives us the tools to change our lives, inside and out, whether we want to lose ten pounds or two hundred.
With generosity of heart she shares with us her love of food as an overweight child, confessing her secret tricks with humor. She isn't ashamed to say that food, especially sweets, was her obsession. It's a painful journey, enduring the "You have such a pretty face" comments, all the way to her first self conscious walk into the gym. But it's our story too - how we can avoid the same mistakes. Hobbs reminds us that God will help us if we depend on Him, and His principle of forgiveness is important for us to move past our slip ups and failures.
She has nothing good to say about the diet industry, even hinting at a conspiracy to keep us from success and dependent on their frozen entrees, membership fees, bars, and shakes. And she debunks the theory that obesity is genetic with: "Gaining weight doesn't come about by accident, and it's not forced on us. We gain weight through a series of poor choices made on a regular basis over a long period of time." What she says we need is a "brain change". When we sign the contract in the book, making the 5 Brain-Change Decisions, we're ready to embark on Hobbs' sixteen week plan to health, eating right and exercising in a way we can maintain forever.
Hobbs doesn't sugarcoat the hard work it takes to lose weight and stay fit. "Getting fit wasn't easy-there was plenty of pain, deprivation, tears, and hunger along the way. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I won't try to sugarcoat any of that. But, honestly, I didn't give myself a choice. Once I made the unconditional decision that I was going to lose weight and get healthy, nothing could stop me. And nothing will stop you if you make the Five Decisions to break the fat habit for good. That's a guarantee."
The plan is graduated and not overwhelming. For the first four weeks we are told not to even address our eating habits (other than to make sure we eat breakfast). We focus on establishing the habit of 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. She gives us lots of ideas to get us started, but it's our decision what type of movement we enjoy. There are plenty of diagrams and specific exercises involved when she later incorporates strength training, using dumbbells and a stability ball. The goal is to gradually increase our strength and stamina.
When she does address eating better, she wants us to eat five small meals a day, and she gives us lots of simple suggestions for making that work. The idea is to actually make food boring in the early stages, to break our addiction to it so we start eating for energy more than for pleasure.
Probably the simplest and clearest explanation I've ever heard for nutrition, she introduces us to the Three Musketeers - protein, fats and carbs. Once we understand how they work, we learn to distinguish the good ones from the not so good. Hobbs believes that the key to staying on track forever includes some splurges, like a free meal once a week.
Peppered around the book are "Never-Say-Diet-Tips" which are nuggets of wisdom to help us through. But the most inspiration comes from Chantel's personal story as she works the very program she is presenting. We live through the low points and the high points of her weight loss, the pitfalls and the victories. We experience the hard work and the euphoria that comes as she meets her exercise goals and even runs some marathons. "You could say I traded the pleasure of sugar for the pleasure of peak moments, which is a far more exciting way to live. I firmly believe that if I could take every person in America who has a food issue and let them experience a genuine peak moment - an earned achievement - most of those food issues would disappear. People would realize what they are really after, and it isn't made by Ben and Jerry."
Suddenly three full pages titled "Considering Plastic Surgery" appear towards the end of the book. Certainly anyone who's lost 200 pounds would have enough excess skin that restorative surgery would be completely understandable. When Hobbs tries to explain her own breast lift and augmentation it feels like an unnecessary, almost uncomfortable moment. It's really none of our business.
But she really does deliver here an approachable way to make healthy changes stick, living by the 80/20 rule - 80% of the time eating clean food and exercising, 20% of the time enjoying special dinners, parties, showers, and rewards. And she inspires us to reach for our dreams, those peak moments in our lives, even when they seem impossible. You can feel the joy that comes from changes in your appearance and feeling strong. It's not a quick fix or a magic solution, but after reading "Never Say Diet" there's no turning back.
With generosity of heart she shares with us her love of food as an overweight child, confessing her secret tricks with humor. She isn't ashamed to say that food, especially sweets, was her obsession. It's a painful journey, enduring the "You have such a pretty face" comments, all the way to her first self conscious walk into the gym. But it's our story too - how we can avoid the same mistakes. Hobbs reminds us that God will help us if we depend on Him, and His principle of forgiveness is important for us to move past our slip ups and failures.
She has nothing good to say about the diet industry, even hinting at a conspiracy to keep us from success and dependent on their frozen entrees, membership fees, bars, and shakes. And she debunks the theory that obesity is genetic with: "Gaining weight doesn't come about by accident, and it's not forced on us. We gain weight through a series of poor choices made on a regular basis over a long period of time." What she says we need is a "brain change". When we sign the contract in the book, making the 5 Brain-Change Decisions, we're ready to embark on Hobbs' sixteen week plan to health, eating right and exercising in a way we can maintain forever.
Hobbs doesn't sugarcoat the hard work it takes to lose weight and stay fit. "Getting fit wasn't easy-there was plenty of pain, deprivation, tears, and hunger along the way. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I won't try to sugarcoat any of that. But, honestly, I didn't give myself a choice. Once I made the unconditional decision that I was going to lose weight and get healthy, nothing could stop me. And nothing will stop you if you make the Five Decisions to break the fat habit for good. That's a guarantee."
The plan is graduated and not overwhelming. For the first four weeks we are told not to even address our eating habits (other than to make sure we eat breakfast). We focus on establishing the habit of 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. She gives us lots of ideas to get us started, but it's our decision what type of movement we enjoy. There are plenty of diagrams and specific exercises involved when she later incorporates strength training, using dumbbells and a stability ball. The goal is to gradually increase our strength and stamina.
When she does address eating better, she wants us to eat five small meals a day, and she gives us lots of simple suggestions for making that work. The idea is to actually make food boring in the early stages, to break our addiction to it so we start eating for energy more than for pleasure.
Probably the simplest and clearest explanation I've ever heard for nutrition, she introduces us to the Three Musketeers - protein, fats and carbs. Once we understand how they work, we learn to distinguish the good ones from the not so good. Hobbs believes that the key to staying on track forever includes some splurges, like a free meal once a week.
Peppered around the book are "Never-Say-Diet-Tips" which are nuggets of wisdom to help us through. But the most inspiration comes from Chantel's personal story as she works the very program she is presenting. We live through the low points and the high points of her weight loss, the pitfalls and the victories. We experience the hard work and the euphoria that comes as she meets her exercise goals and even runs some marathons. "You could say I traded the pleasure of sugar for the pleasure of peak moments, which is a far more exciting way to live. I firmly believe that if I could take every person in America who has a food issue and let them experience a genuine peak moment - an earned achievement - most of those food issues would disappear. People would realize what they are really after, and it isn't made by Ben and Jerry."
Suddenly three full pages titled "Considering Plastic Surgery" appear towards the end of the book. Certainly anyone who's lost 200 pounds would have enough excess skin that restorative surgery would be completely understandable. When Hobbs tries to explain her own breast lift and augmentation it feels like an unnecessary, almost uncomfortable moment. It's really none of our business.
But she really does deliver here an approachable way to make healthy changes stick, living by the 80/20 rule - 80% of the time eating clean food and exercising, 20% of the time enjoying special dinners, parties, showers, and rewards. And she inspires us to reach for our dreams, those peak moments in our lives, even when they seem impossible. You can feel the joy that comes from changes in your appearance and feeling strong. It's not a quick fix or a magic solution, but after reading "Never Say Diet" there's no turning back.
September 10, 2009
Perfect for : Personal Use, Note: there is a journal-type book that can be used together with this during your 16 week training period.
In a nutshell: So many people have the desire to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, which is why we are introduced to fad diets and counting calories! Have you ever wondered why diets don't generally work? Because they are addressing a symptom, not the cause. This book helps to address the lifestyle choices (body, mind and spirit) we make on a day-to-day basis, helping us to make better choices for our health. Chantel talks about the importance of exercising consistently, and monitoring your progress less in terms of weight-loss and more in terms of working out longer, harder, etc. Once you start exercising, you begin to address eating habits. She has a great message, and adds to it that God has given us each the power to accomplish what we set our minds and hearts to. She also provides a 16-week plan to accomplish weight-loss goals, stressing the importance of consistency. She includes tips and actual exercises throughout the book. This is a wonderfully inspirational story of a woman who has lost a lot of weight, and she was nice enough to share her knowledge with readers.
Extended Review:
Content: The book starts off with a great introduction where Chantel takes away the ability to use excuses! Without excuses, we are free to begin addressing the main issues. She then goes on to talk about the difference between dieting and making a lifestyle change, adding that it is more important to keep making progress rather than focusing on how fast you are making progress. Next comes the importance of consistency in an exercise program and an actual 16-week program.
Format: The author gets rid of excuses right away, then reinforces the difference between a diet and a lifestyle change, and gives the reader a good plan and personal examples throughout the book. She also provides some tips in highlighted boxes throughout the book.
Readability: Very easy to read with plenty of personal examples and encouragement. The exercises are shown with clear pictures that help the reader easily understand how to do them.
Overall: A wonderfully encouraging book that will help you to make some important life changes.
In a nutshell: So many people have the desire to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time, which is why we are introduced to fad diets and counting calories! Have you ever wondered why diets don't generally work? Because they are addressing a symptom, not the cause. This book helps to address the lifestyle choices (body, mind and spirit) we make on a day-to-day basis, helping us to make better choices for our health. Chantel talks about the importance of exercising consistently, and monitoring your progress less in terms of weight-loss and more in terms of working out longer, harder, etc. Once you start exercising, you begin to address eating habits. She has a great message, and adds to it that God has given us each the power to accomplish what we set our minds and hearts to. She also provides a 16-week plan to accomplish weight-loss goals, stressing the importance of consistency. She includes tips and actual exercises throughout the book. This is a wonderfully inspirational story of a woman who has lost a lot of weight, and she was nice enough to share her knowledge with readers.
Extended Review:
Content: The book starts off with a great introduction where Chantel takes away the ability to use excuses! Without excuses, we are free to begin addressing the main issues. She then goes on to talk about the difference between dieting and making a lifestyle change, adding that it is more important to keep making progress rather than focusing on how fast you are making progress. Next comes the importance of consistency in an exercise program and an actual 16-week program.
Format: The author gets rid of excuses right away, then reinforces the difference between a diet and a lifestyle change, and gives the reader a good plan and personal examples throughout the book. She also provides some tips in highlighted boxes throughout the book.
Readability: Very easy to read with plenty of personal examples and encouragement. The exercises are shown with clear pictures that help the reader easily understand how to do them.
Overall: A wonderfully encouraging book that will help you to make some important life changes.
February 15, 2012
This book is part memoir of losing 200 pounds and part “how to” for the rest of us to perform a similar feat. It’s the first book I’ve read that really covers almost everything to lose weight the same way that I have lost my sixty pounds.
One caution: if you’re completely allergic to books that mention God and religion, that might be a problem with this book. I’m a lapsed Presbyterian and I have rejected books that do too much of that. This book didn’t quite jump into that category for me.
The plan is five phases starting with an emphasis on cardio exercise and moving gradually into the addition of strength training and healthy eating. I think it would really work because it’s not that different from what I really did.
The one thing that’s missing is a daily reporting mechanism that I got from Judith Beck’s books and find vital to my success. Otherwise, Hobbs pretty much covered all the changes in habits, behaviors, and thinking that is required to get oneself to actually do what’s necessary, eat less and exercise more, to lose weight
One caution: if you’re completely allergic to books that mention God and religion, that might be a problem with this book. I’m a lapsed Presbyterian and I have rejected books that do too much of that. This book didn’t quite jump into that category for me.
The plan is five phases starting with an emphasis on cardio exercise and moving gradually into the addition of strength training and healthy eating. I think it would really work because it’s not that different from what I really did.
The one thing that’s missing is a daily reporting mechanism that I got from Judith Beck’s books and find vital to my success. Otherwise, Hobbs pretty much covered all the changes in habits, behaviors, and thinking that is required to get oneself to actually do what’s necessary, eat less and exercise more, to lose weight
March 2, 2014
There is truth written within the pages of this book that speaks to a large segment of people, like myself, who have experimented with numerous and varied diets only to find ourselves back where we began.
There is no magic pill or potion and there is no free ride. Each of us has to make the commitment to bring about what we will allow in our lives and who we want to be.
Truth still reigns supreme and this author writes the vision plainly so that we can ingest (learn) it and run with it toward becoming the best person we can be.
Among the thousands of weight loss/diet books out there and of the ones I've read, Never Say Diet is one that aptly demonstrates that like Chantel we have the capability to bring about positive change in our own lives. In our weakness, he is strong and with him nothing is impossible. In our fast paced lives this truth is easily pushed aside.
For these reasons and more, Channel Cobb's story is encouraging and is a wonderful testimony to how God uses ordinary people for his glory. We can do this!
There is no magic pill or potion and there is no free ride. Each of us has to make the commitment to bring about what we will allow in our lives and who we want to be.
Truth still reigns supreme and this author writes the vision plainly so that we can ingest (learn) it and run with it toward becoming the best person we can be.
Among the thousands of weight loss/diet books out there and of the ones I've read, Never Say Diet is one that aptly demonstrates that like Chantel we have the capability to bring about positive change in our own lives. In our weakness, he is strong and with him nothing is impossible. In our fast paced lives this truth is easily pushed aside.
For these reasons and more, Channel Cobb's story is encouraging and is a wonderful testimony to how God uses ordinary people for his glory. We can do this!
January 24, 2015
I liked the story this woman offered. She was very overweight for many years, and it was something she struggled with emotionally and mentally for years. She would try different things, but they were never sustainable and she'd regain what she lost. Story of many people's lives. However, she eventually lost 200 pounds, for good. This book goes over her mind-set and what she did both mentally and physically to accomplish this. That part of the book is interesting.
I liked the baby steps she took and the mental setup she created. I could see that working for me in terms of making changes for myself in my life. I'm not very good at just diving into some extreme changes and not giving up within a few days.
I didn't like all of her advice on nutrition and exercise. I felt like it's a bit outdated and doesn't align with more recent science. But I think the real power behind this book is her story. Her diet/exercise regimen is nothing special. She has a big focus on cardio, but I think the science is behind focusing on weight training/muscle building when it comes to fat loss.
I liked the baby steps she took and the mental setup she created. I could see that working for me in terms of making changes for myself in my life. I'm not very good at just diving into some extreme changes and not giving up within a few days.
I didn't like all of her advice on nutrition and exercise. I felt like it's a bit outdated and doesn't align with more recent science. But I think the real power behind this book is her story. Her diet/exercise regimen is nothing special. She has a big focus on cardio, but I think the science is behind focusing on weight training/muscle building when it comes to fat loss.
March 9, 2010
Life-changing! This book has been life-changing for me! Chantel's own life story is truly inspiring and her approach to weight loss through individualized life changes that work for you is why I am out running and/or biking at least 5 days a week for at least a half hour! It is why I am slowly dropping pounds off each week and for the first time ever know that I will be successful. It is not another diet plan that you will either lose weight with and then gain it all back or just simply fail at in the first place. It is about getting real with yourself and getting educated in how your body, food and exercise work. It is about taking baby steps towards changes that you can and will stick to for the rest of your life. I am doing it and I feel great! But the book goes so much deeper than that because Chantel hits on some truths that not only affect your health but spill out over into all areas of your life inspiring you to be the best you that you were intended to be.
June 2, 2009
I'd like to tell you that after reading this book I lost 60 lbs. I haven't. It's my fault, no one else's.
While not offering a great deal of new health/diet information, Chantel does offer an inspiring story. She lost 200 lbs and has kept it off, now becoming a personal trainer. How she did it is chronicled in the book. Diets aren't the key, changing yourself and how you view food and exercise is.
Chantel's core is the power of what she calls, "the brain change". She has 5 non-negotiable decisions: be truthful, be forgiving, be committed, be interested and, surrender. She wants you to come to understand that God is on your side, that you can't give up, and that a lifestyle change begins with small, baby steps.
Chantel outlines a fitness and diet program which looks great. This is one books that I will go back to.
While not offering a great deal of new health/diet information, Chantel does offer an inspiring story. She lost 200 lbs and has kept it off, now becoming a personal trainer. How she did it is chronicled in the book. Diets aren't the key, changing yourself and how you view food and exercise is.
Chantel's core is the power of what she calls, "the brain change". She has 5 non-negotiable decisions: be truthful, be forgiving, be committed, be interested and, surrender. She wants you to come to understand that God is on your side, that you can't give up, and that a lifestyle change begins with small, baby steps.
Chantel outlines a fitness and diet program which looks great. This is one books that I will go back to.
November 19, 2009
Okay... so I was completely debating whether I'd even add this on my 'currently reading' or 'read' list, because I'm sure anyone who knows me would ask, 'Why are you reading this?'
But, truth be told, I am loving this book too much not to add it to my list. I think it is awesome for any one wanting to take control of anything in their life, not just eating/weight issues. The surrender statement and personal contract are applicable to all sorts of areas of your life that you wish to change, although the rest of the book deals primarily with eating habits and making exercise as regular as brushing your teeth (as it should be).
Definitely check it out (literally). That's what I did from my library, not expecting to read more than a dozen pages or so, until I absolutely realized I loved it and had to read the whole thing.
But, truth be told, I am loving this book too much not to add it to my list. I think it is awesome for any one wanting to take control of anything in their life, not just eating/weight issues. The surrender statement and personal contract are applicable to all sorts of areas of your life that you wish to change, although the rest of the book deals primarily with eating habits and making exercise as regular as brushing your teeth (as it should be).
Definitely check it out (literally). That's what I did from my library, not expecting to read more than a dozen pages or so, until I absolutely realized I loved it and had to read the whole thing.
March 25, 2013
This was another book that caught my eye on a return cart at the library. I enjoyed learning about Chantel Hobbs' weight loss story, as I seem to enjoy reading about the transformations of others. I felt like she included a little too much god in here. one of the five decisions is pretty much giving it up to God. I absolutely understand how spiritual/emotional and mine/body connect, but I felt Chantel was a little preachy with her I stopped on the side of the road and asked God for help stuff. I feel like more time could have been spent on the 5 decisions as the subtitle of the book hints that they would help you break your fat habit for good.
This book could be inspiring to someone who is really at the end of their rope and has never dieted before and has no idea what they are doing. I found maybe two or three helpful quotes in the whole thing.
This book could be inspiring to someone who is really at the end of their rope and has never dieted before and has no idea what they are doing. I found maybe two or three helpful quotes in the whole thing.
February 3, 2014
Was interested in eating healthier and not dieting. Did a search for books to inspire me and an author with the same first name as me came up so I figured, "Why Not?" I could ignore the God parts of the book which wouldn't apply to me and take away the rest. Unfortunately, after borrowing this from the library for about 6 months, I finally flipped through it for completion and gave up. The author assumes that I've purchased the book and will read it as I am applying her advice to my own life. It is annoying that it wasn't written as an inspiration book to get me started and then a reference to the exercises and meal plans once I implemented it. I just didn't take much from this book and returned it wishing I had done so without investing so much time trying to extract something from it.
January 13, 2009
Like every other diet book on the market this one has many ideas that will work. The difference is that Chantel recognizes that diets don't work in the long run because of our mind set. Her book is about how to change your mind set, how to recognize what will work for you and what wont. She had her defining moment, then she approached losing weight and getting fit as a "job". We go to our job whether we want to or not, same for exercising and nutrition, do it whether you want to or not. Of course, she also has a chapter on how to incorporate your spiritual reliance on God into your program. Her workbook lays out the 16 week course in a manner that is easy to follow, if your mind is set that way.
August 4, 2008
I am still reading this book, but I will be for the next several weeks (16 week plan-starting week 3 today)
INCREDIBLE!
This beautiful woman (and don't hate her because she is drop dead gorgeous-she is STRONG too) had the determination and perservance to lose 200 flippin' pounds! She tells her story and how you can do the same thing...well don't go losin' 200 if there is only 80 extra!
In the two full weeks I have been doing what she asks in the book, i have lost a few lbs and a few inches. Everything fits differently and I love it! However, I have to keep reminding myself it is a lifestyle change and NOT a diet.
INCREDIBLE!
This beautiful woman (and don't hate her because she is drop dead gorgeous-she is STRONG too) had the determination and perservance to lose 200 flippin' pounds! She tells her story and how you can do the same thing...well don't go losin' 200 if there is only 80 extra!
In the two full weeks I have been doing what she asks in the book, i have lost a few lbs and a few inches. Everything fits differently and I love it! However, I have to keep reminding myself it is a lifestyle change and NOT a diet.
February 13, 2009
This is about a lifestyle change. Not a diet. I liked that. I liked how she broke down the lifestyle change into small pieces. If we try to radically change our lifestyle overnight, we are setting ourselves up for failure.
I found this book motivating and encouraging. She made goals and she stuck to them. She laid out the facts - to lose weight, you have to work at it, you have to start somewhere, and you HAVE to watch what you eat.
For most of us trying to lose weight and stick with it - food has to be boring, not comfort but fuel, and excercise has to be intense and engaging. You can do it.
If she can lose 200 lbs - i can lose 10.
I found this book motivating and encouraging. She made goals and she stuck to them. She laid out the facts - to lose weight, you have to work at it, you have to start somewhere, and you HAVE to watch what you eat.
For most of us trying to lose weight and stick with it - food has to be boring, not comfort but fuel, and excercise has to be intense and engaging. You can do it.
If she can lose 200 lbs - i can lose 10.
December 11, 2013
The author is funny, and informative, and this book is a good one to listen to while you're out walking or running because she's so upbeat, and her anecdotes about her struggle to lose weight are really hilarious. She used to weigh over 300 pounds, so she must know what she's talking about. I disagree with her on at least one thing - her recommendation to workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach... I've tried that and I can barely move after about 15 minutes. As with any diet book, I take suggestions with a grain of salt. There are so many differing opinions on how to lose weight, even among experts, so, I'm just going to do what's right for me!
February 4, 2009
I guess you'll need to check back in with me in six months to see if I still recommend it. Today I do because it's the first book that has really motivated me. But don't let her fool you - it is a diet. (She ate the same turkey sandwich for lunch for 6 months, for example). And I always loathe diet books that put down the diet industry yet they are part of the diet industry selling their book (ya think?!) Overall I liked the book and then the last chapter she drops the bomb that she's had plastic surgery. LOL. whatev...
May 29, 2009
I thought this was well done. She approaches it honestly and with the right attitude and information. This has to be a mental change as much as anything and until you are ready to do it, just searching for quick fixes like diets won't help.[return]I thought she did a good job of weaving her story in and using it to provide motivation. I admit, if a 260 pound woman can do a spinning class, I certainly feel like I have no right to be afraid of it.
July 5, 2012
This book was a great personal experience book. I loved her common sense approach to being healthy and her commitment to being successful. It is definately worth reading especially if you need a boost in your healthy lifestyle.
October 28, 2015
I am just starting this book. I can't wait to see what she has to say though.
Currently reading
May 3, 2009It seems that the theme of this book is to be more consistent and to respect the gift of God which is your life and your body.
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June 3, 2009Mom really liked this book & thinks that I should read it too!
August 20, 2009
Its not bad, she has actually motivated me to not only get moving but to finish projects I haven't finished.
March 20, 2010
Awesome! Chantel is so real and sweet. I read this on my kindle and now have to buy a hard copy. Great stuff.
July 1, 2010
I thought the writer's personal story was very motivational and inspiring. She pretty much lost me when she said that for one month I could not have any sweets..lol
April 6, 2011
Great book with exercise info and healthy eating, but more importantly, inspiring story and the 5 beliefs that have to be changed in order to break the diet rut forever!
January 4, 2012
Pretty motivational, spiritual.
May 29, 2012
Really inspiring story and the plan is simply presented.
February 4, 2015
I lost 55 lbs. This book breaks it down and asks for a commitment. Just do it.
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