Fat Chance

by Deborah Blumenthal

As Americans throw themselves body, soul and pocketbook into the latest weight-loss craze, Maggie O'Leary's informed column about the pitfalls of dieting is the one sane voice crying out against the dietocracy. Plus-size Maggie, also known as America's Anti-Diet Sweetheart, is perfectly happy with who she is and the life she leads. Until she gets a call from Hollywood's most enticing bachelor, Mike Taylor.

At first, Maggie thinks the call is one big joke put on by a particularly obnoxious colleague. But when Maggie learns that Taylor is the real enchilada and that he truly does need her to come out to Hollywood to help him on an upcoming film about a diet doctor, she's in a pickle. Maggie can't possibly turn down this opportunity of a lifetime, but she can't exactly go to Hollywood looking like...well, herself.

Swearing her trusted assistant to silence, Maggie embarks on a "secret" makeover. From showdowns with her boss, who suspects his star columnist is losing her edge -- er, girth -- and sends her Italian pastries to sabotage her efforts, to run-ins with her closest male friend, from walking through the famed red door of beauty to winding up on the wrong side of a positively lethal Elliptical trainer, the newly svelte Maggie finds herself navigating a new course. Full of doubts about abandoning the comfortable life she's known -- not to mention deceiving legions of loyal readers who still think of her as their champion -- L.A.-bound Maggie is hell-bent on living out her most tantalizing fantasies!

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Humor, Adult, Young Adult

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2004

About the author

Deborah Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and nutritionist who now divides her time between writing children's books and adult novels. She has been a regular contributor to The New York Times (including four years as the Sunday New York Times Magazine beauty columnist), and a home design columnist for Long Island Newsday. Her health, fitness, beauty, travel, and feature stories have appeared widely in many other newspapers and national magazines including New York’s Daily News, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Self, and Vogue.

Blumenthal lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Jessica Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG, I am so glad I am not alone in my intense dislike of this book. I had high hopes, being a fat girl myself, for something that wasn't a "fat girl loses weight and now she's BETTER and MEN like her!" story, but that's exactly what this is. The nutritionist author (I should have known RIGHT THERE!) slides in all sorts of diet tips hoping you won't notice - but the entire thing reads (badly, I might add) like a self-help book for delusional fatties (you know, the ones who don't hate themselves) rather than a good beach read. Sucked out loud.

[Antof9 · Rating 2 out of 5]

So. . . this is pretty standard-issue chick lit, and an enjoyable read. It's not War and Peace or anything, but is fun and goes quickly. Kind of along the lines of Good in Bed, it has a lot of similar themes, but isn't quite as well written, and is just a bit more predictable.

I have yet to find a chicklit with a plus-size main character who doesn't end up slimmer in the end. . .

I really liked Maggie's relationship with her assistant, Tamara. I wish the author would have developed that a bit more. Actually, Tamara could have her own book, and that would be fun to read, too.

I found the most beautiful quote in this book, and am recording it here to remember. On a whim, Maggie stops by to visit her mother.

"I'm glad you came to visit," my mother says, kissing me on the cheek. "Remember what your grandmother used to say?"
I look at her and smile. "Seeing you makes me rich." I always loved that.

That is just awesome.

[Mandi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm borrowing this phrase from another review:

Utterly ridiculous and mildly insulting.

Bad writing, completely unlikable characters, and an unbelievable plot. Don't bother.

[Michaela Kollin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m impressed this book was written in 2004. So many of its themes still seem so relevant. I liked that Maggie realized that she was being ridiculous by trying to lose weight to be attractive to a celebrity but that she also realized it was important to continue exercising and to avoid binge-eating. Weight and fitness are such complicated subjects to explore and I thought this book did a great job. I would’ve given it more stars if I liked the writing style more.

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chick lit that annoyed me more than anything! Early on when Maggie decides to lose weight, the pounds are miraculously falling off and exercising just all of a sudden fits into her routine.....two weeks in she has lost 20 pounds.....Ha! Then 5 weeks in she is down 30 pounds......possible but unlikely! As a middle aged woman who can't seem to lose 2 pounds let alone 30, I found myself actually getting angry as I read this, I am surprised I actually finished it! I realize the older I get the harder it is to lose, but as someone who eats healthy and gets some form of exercise daily and still can't lose a pound, Maggie was just someone I wanted to slap. Then the unlikely relationship with the hunky movie star......good grief! The only good thing about reading this, is that it counts towards a book read for my reading challenge for 2016!

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Outspoken Queen of the Anti-Diet, Maggie O'Leary is asked to consult for one of Hollywood's hotties, she sees a chance to try and really reach her goal by actually losing weight.

I am a sucker for weight loss heroines, but had a really hard time getting through this one. I just didn't care.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars. The idea for the book was good. The main character Maggie, fat columnist gets the offer of lifetime to be consultant for famous movie star. She loses weight( fairly easy, the movie star becomes infatuated with her very fast) but she wrestles with herself goes back to New York gets the good guy she always knew at end. The angst didn't match her journey

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was in the library's "staff picks" section, but it must have been placed there accidentally! I am still confused by what the author's stance on dieting is - seemingly the premise is that diets don't work and one should accept onseself at whatever weight. Yet, Maggie starves herself thin for a Hollywood hottie. And, by the way, she's still thin at the end of the book and then proceeds to give diet tips. She keeps talking about how angry she has been over the years and that's why she flies from LA back to NYC back to LA between 2 men??!! She might have been angry, but I couldn't figure why.

I'm sorry I kept reading this book to completion - I could've been reading something good!

[Melea Rose-Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the reviews of this book on Goodreads are pretty scathing. I really don't understand the pure hatred felt for this book. I've read, or attempted to read (unable to finish), far worse books. I was able to get through this book without a whole lot of pain and misery.

The story is pretty far-fetched but I'll play along. I think why I'm giving this a "it was ok" was not just the story (although it does play a small part), but mainly because the writing was rambling and at times incoherent. Things didn't flow together well.

Not a show stopper of a book but not the worst thing you could read.

[Phair · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not terribly well written. A bit scattershot and hard to follow w/ lots of pedantic diet/weight advice and research in the guise of the main character's columns. The whole deal with the "consulting" for a film about a diet doctor seemed silly and unrealistic. What famous actor is going to put up the consultant at his own house, pick her up at the airport in his own car, etc?? There was never a single scene about 'consulting' with the writers or producers. I had to push myself to finish this. Only part that I felt anything about was where her mother is selling the family bakery- this made me cry as it felt very like when my folks sold their long-time family business.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a jewel. It really shows the struggle and actually gives great health tips, all while being entertaining.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the concept was interesting, the book was poorly written, the characters mired down in poorly crafted emotions. Not my favorite read

[Barb Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's OK for a light read but just not written very well. I understand the story is fiction, but it's just trying to cram too much action into a story that is just not feasible.
Example - when in the movie star's home, she throws her shoe toward the closet, it misses and "ricochets out of the open window". REALLY? They don't have window screens in California?
Another example - she is gone about 3 days & her assistant back home has landed a serious boyfriend, started a new career, AND finished the novel she's been working on for years. Sure, that's plausible. Not.

[Angeline Walsh · Rating 1 out of 5]

A fascinating specimen from the early 2000s—an era in the tightest grips of modern diet culture, a limbo space of “post-feminism.” This novel is complete with hearty pinches of ALL CAPS PHRASES, and every character speaks like they’re in a sitcom.

The plot is mostly implausible, so heavy suspension of disbelief is required. It’s like a Disney Channel Original Movie for an adult audience but without the fun campiness.

Was it *the worst* thing I’ve ever read? Not even close. Was it entertaining at times? Sure. Was it an easy read that got me a little closer to my yearly book quota? Yep.

[ShyAnn64 · Rating 1 out of 5]

As Americans throw themselves body, soul and pocketbook into the latest weight-loss craze, Maggie O'Leary's informed column about the pitfalls of dieting is the one sane voice crying out against the dietocracy. Plus-size Maggie, also known as America's Anti-Diet Sweetheart, is perfectly happy with who she is and the life she leads. Until she gets a call from Hollywood's most enticing bachelor, Mike Taylor.

[Chanda M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just, no. This book is pushed as a love-yourself-for-who-you-are concept. But instead it's a change-yourself-dramatically-for-a-man book. No, thank you. Plus, the writing is AWFUL. Scattered and juvenile. The "plot" is so full of holes it's swiss cheese...which is probably no longer ate by the main character. 🙄 And it was most obviously written by a nutritionist with a not-so-hidden diet agenda to push.

[Wanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried but got to chapter 3 and decided I didn’t want to waste any more time trying to slog through this book. It was slightly confusing to follow, I couldn’t connect with the main character, and reading descriptions of all the food she was eating just in the first 3 chapters was getting ridiculous.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I just read? It is supposed to be your average chick-lit overweight woman slims down for chance of love. I would have hoped she realized in the end that any man worthy of love will love her the way she is now. Nope! Lose weight (a very unhealthy way I might add) and every man will now want you! There are even low calorie recipes in the back of the book. Just no.

[Nikki C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wtf. I couldn't even get through 2 chapters. Terrible... I was so uncomfortable reading. I think it was trying to be clever but it was just blehhh I am rating and reviewing so I don't make the mistake of reading it twice lol

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read!

[Cassandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

couldn't finish. this was just bad

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy fast read

[jennifer shank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storyline just ok. Cute read though.

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/...

[Daisy · Rating 1 out of 5]

There’s not much to say about this book. The “storyline” is about an overweight columnist who loses weight in order to impress (literally) the man of her dreams – a movie star. I use the word “storyline” very loosely because this book is really a self-help and diet book thinly veiled by adding cliché characters and trying-to-hard-to-be-witty dialogue.

What makes it worse is that the characters aren’t even likeable. The main character is the biggest hypocrite I’ve ever fictionally met. She looks down on women who count their calories and continuously try the latest fad workouts and exercise machines; yet she does that exact same thing halfway through the book. She preaches to her readers the cliché line of loving your body regardless of your weight, yet she decides to slim down just so that she could seduce a man. Also, for a book that is all about “loving” your body, she sure does put down a lot of women. Throughout the book, the main character is constantly comparing herself to other women and their bodies (their breast size, the shape of their butt, the beauty or exoticness of their faces) and even going so far as to assume the reason for their slim bodies was because of their unhealthy, miniscule diets and rigorous exercise. The main character looked down on others too much for someone who dedicated her career to making women feel better about themselves. All the other characters were basically unbearable as well. Each character had little development or depth and were nothing more than clichés. The actor was a beautiful drug addict who had a line of women wanting to have sex with him. The editor had a beer gut and a huge appetite. Even the side characters were cliché – models who starved themselves, actresses who slept around the industry, a mother who loved you in a way that you didn’t realise until the end (of the book, literally). The love story was weak and so painfully obvious – the author would give you easy clues about the ending and then include massive neon signs pointing to the clue, in case you missed it.

As a diet book, I’d give this book two, maybe even three stars. However, as a “fictional novel”, it definitely only gets a single star. Either publishers need to re-think what constitutes as an interesting storyline, or they need to be more subtle in their secret quest to help women lose weight.

[Jo]

stupid waste of time.
i began this book with expectations, there's a female character with some panache who is met with an obstacle. which she buckles to completely. very nice--tell you reader that a make-over is just what any woman needs, instead of sticking to the original idea of fitness and self-respect over dieting and self-hatred. brillant.
afterwards of course, the men will fall over themselves to get at you, after they themselves have cleaned up a bit, of course. miserable stupid waste. why is it only YA books understand how to deal with body issues (The Earth, My Butt and Other Round Things does it best) this is a relevant sphere for adults as well.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, fun chick read. Has some funny moments that made me laugh out loud.

Maggie is a New York journalist who writes a column for overweight people. She thinks dieting is a joke and food is for eating. She practices what she preaches, too. Until she's asked to go to LA and consult with a major hottie movie star, Mike Taylor, for his upcoming movie dealing with obesity and eating disorders. So she begins a secret plan to lose weight, with the help of her assistant.

Don't expect this to be the average person's weight loss dilemma. The pounds come off a little too easy to be believable, but it's still a fun story. Maggie is a mess, but aren't we all!

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is hurting my head so far. I don't see myself finishing it. How long will the protagonist keep hammering out ridiculous arguments supporting obesity? I'm a sturdy gal myself and I love my body and what it does, but I know that extensive research indicates that excess weight is detrimental to my health. I'll reserve judgment for now and give this book 70 more pages.

Update: the story is ridiculous. An obese person in need of validation who seeks excuses to remain obese would love this book. I wonder if the author has ever been obese. I'm glad this book came from the library.

[Laura Radniecki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be a fun, light hearted "beach read" for me.

I loved Maggie right off the bat. Fun personality and I loved that she embraced her size, and offered humorous advice via her column.

As she started to lose weight [not a spoiler - it says as much on the inside book flap], I started not loving the book as much. I liked her because she wasn't desperate to be skinny like so much of our society. But then, she was too.

As the story unfolded though, there's more to Maggie's story than what I initially thought. It was surprisingly profound, in her journey to learn to love herself.

The movie star part was far fetched but hey - good for a beach read!

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is written by a journalist and nutritionist -- the story itself was weak, but I enjoyed the nutrition tips and main character's newspaper advice colunms that were written into the story.

I understand the author's intent -- to present factual, weight-loss information within a fictional context. She is well intended, but misses the mark, with a story that is predictable and shallow. Even for chick-lit. But, the weight loss tips are sound, and it is nice to see them in written into a story-line.