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Secrets of a Former Fat Girl: How to Lose Two, Four (or More!) Dress Sizes--And Find Yourself Along the Way
An inspiring account of one woman’s successful mission to lose six dress sizes and change her life for good
Any woman who’s ever been a “fat girl” knows: the label sticks in your mind, regardless of how much weight you lose. Twenty years ago, at 5'4" and 185 pounds, Lisa Delaney was despondent over diets that never worked and disappointed by her dull job and lack of a love life. Fortunately, a late-night epiphany involving a half-gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream convinced her that becoming a former fat girl—in body and spirit—was the key to creating a life she truly loved.
Today, seventy pounds lighter, Lisa is a successful writer at a national magazine. She is married to a man she loves. And she wears a size two.
Eye-opening yet refreshingly accessible, Secrets of a Former Fat Girl reveals the seven secrets of Delaney’s success, exploring how shifting from wannabe former fat girl to actual former fat girl is as much about seeing yourself as a confident, secure, desirable woman as it is about achieving an ideal weight. Featuring concrete advice to help readers drop two, four (or more!) dress sizes and re-imagine their own best lives, this book offers the strategies and support to help them effect real change once and for all.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2007
53 people are currently reading
497 people want to read
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April 18, 2011
PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!! I started reading it and I thought it was crap. Then I got to a point and thought maybe it's a joke (when she tells dieters to avoid nosy well meaning people by sequestering themselves). But I am afraid that this book looks like it's serious.
I've never read a Mass-market published book that so explicitly promoted self-hate, and I've read that skinny bitches book. This is worse than the skinny bitches book where they yell at you in text format.
This is such garbage.
That isn't to say there isn't some good stuff in here but the good bits are surrounded by shit-talk. Reading this book was like dumpster diving: sure you got something that was good from the trash but now you're worse for wear.
I wish I never took this home from the library - but I'm happy I didn't buy it. By the looks of this book, it's never been read since it was entered into the library in 2008 (it's 2011 as I write this) so thank god for that.
With all that being said, this book might be helpful to some women. I'm all over it because of the fact that self-loathing is the core of this book, but I bet there are some people who can really relate to that and this is a guide for at least reducing one aspect of the self-loathing. But the question really is will this book do more harm than good even to those with such deep shame and self-resentment?
My extended comments:
A few things about me to put my opinion in perspective. I grew up chubby or husky and only broke that in my early 20s. I maintain a BMI of 20.4-ish (comparable to this author's BMI of 20.1, she's 5'4" and 117). I also did my masters thesis on the emotional repercussions of overeating, looking at overeating as an impulse control problem. So I'm not a skinny girl that doesn't get the topic of the book and or the lifestyle of larger women. I'm not a fat girl that resents the topic matter of this book and the writer. And I'm a little more aware of nutritional eating literature than more people. So that's the place that my perspective on this shit book is coming from.
1. So much self-hate for being overweight. I whole hear tingly disagree that you can't love yourself if you're overweight or if you look different from other people. Some women are naturally larger anyway. Even women who feel like they should lose some weight can still have self love. Weight and self love shouldn't have an inverse relationship - they shouldn't really have a relationship at all.
2. The author was more than overweight, more than just a fat girl - she had an addictive eating problem. Sure a lot of us can relate to feeling shameful about eating sometimes, and eating when we feel we're not suppose to -- but this woman was an extreme case. She says she's maintained her weight of 117 ish for the last 20 years -- I'm going out on a limb here and saying that she's a disordered eater (different than eating disorder). Sure she lost the weight and is in a healthy weight range now ... but she isn't a normal eater. Her relationship with food and her reality around food is so fucked up. She shouldn't be giving anyone advice on how to eat.
3. I hate hate hate how post-fat people always become hardcore athletic folks. You don't need to run marathons unless you enjoy doing it. No you can't never move ever and be healthy, but you also don't need to own a lick of spandex. You just need to use your body on a regular basis which means taking the stairs just to take them sometimes or walking 30 minutes to get to the grocery store/post office/library and walking home a few times a week (in your jeans and winter coat). Maybe doing a leisure bike ride or hike. Doing that sort of stuff regularly will keep your food to exercise ratio balanced.
In a way, it's inappropriate for diet resources to suggest going to the gym to someone who has never gone regularly. It's like suggesting that an illiterate person learn how to read by going to the library or join a book club ... but in reality, putting that person in an unfamiliar environment won't help them learn how to read. It just encourages them to sit around books. Grr.
4. "Chapter 5: Remember You're not Like Other People" Seriously? Fuck off. So much self hate and shame inducing bullshit. "You weren't born with an appetite odd switch" if there are people like that in the population they'd be as common as those born with a 6th toe or webbed feet.
5. The author is a pro-journalist who's the special projects director at Health Magazine. Maybe her dieting outlook is more appropriate for work-out junkies. Perhaps a better audience for the authors expertise would be individuals with a hobby in body sculpting and that sort of thing. Who knows. But this is a bad book for its target audience.
This author spends most of the book plucking at our heart strings while she wallows in the bad experiences of her childhood and throws around the word 'shame' far too often.
Also, her book is hard to read. It's diet tips entwined into a memoire. She makes you read all about her painful experiences before getting to the goods.
So the intro of this book starts by saying "You don't know me, but you probably hate me.". No sweetie, I don't hate you, I pity you and I wish you hadn't written this book and spread the poison.
I've never read a Mass-market published book that so explicitly promoted self-hate, and I've read that skinny bitches book. This is worse than the skinny bitches book where they yell at you in text format.
This is such garbage.
That isn't to say there isn't some good stuff in here but the good bits are surrounded by shit-talk. Reading this book was like dumpster diving: sure you got something that was good from the trash but now you're worse for wear.
I wish I never took this home from the library - but I'm happy I didn't buy it. By the looks of this book, it's never been read since it was entered into the library in 2008 (it's 2011 as I write this) so thank god for that.
With all that being said, this book might be helpful to some women. I'm all over it because of the fact that self-loathing is the core of this book, but I bet there are some people who can really relate to that and this is a guide for at least reducing one aspect of the self-loathing. But the question really is will this book do more harm than good even to those with such deep shame and self-resentment?
My extended comments:
A few things about me to put my opinion in perspective. I grew up chubby or husky and only broke that in my early 20s. I maintain a BMI of 20.4-ish (comparable to this author's BMI of 20.1, she's 5'4" and 117). I also did my masters thesis on the emotional repercussions of overeating, looking at overeating as an impulse control problem. So I'm not a skinny girl that doesn't get the topic of the book and or the lifestyle of larger women. I'm not a fat girl that resents the topic matter of this book and the writer. And I'm a little more aware of nutritional eating literature than more people. So that's the place that my perspective on this shit book is coming from.
1. So much self-hate for being overweight. I whole hear tingly disagree that you can't love yourself if you're overweight or if you look different from other people. Some women are naturally larger anyway. Even women who feel like they should lose some weight can still have self love. Weight and self love shouldn't have an inverse relationship - they shouldn't really have a relationship at all.
2. The author was more than overweight, more than just a fat girl - she had an addictive eating problem. Sure a lot of us can relate to feeling shameful about eating sometimes, and eating when we feel we're not suppose to -- but this woman was an extreme case. She says she's maintained her weight of 117 ish for the last 20 years -- I'm going out on a limb here and saying that she's a disordered eater (different than eating disorder). Sure she lost the weight and is in a healthy weight range now ... but she isn't a normal eater. Her relationship with food and her reality around food is so fucked up. She shouldn't be giving anyone advice on how to eat.
3. I hate hate hate how post-fat people always become hardcore athletic folks. You don't need to run marathons unless you enjoy doing it. No you can't never move ever and be healthy, but you also don't need to own a lick of spandex. You just need to use your body on a regular basis which means taking the stairs just to take them sometimes or walking 30 minutes to get to the grocery store/post office/library and walking home a few times a week (in your jeans and winter coat). Maybe doing a leisure bike ride or hike. Doing that sort of stuff regularly will keep your food to exercise ratio balanced.
In a way, it's inappropriate for diet resources to suggest going to the gym to someone who has never gone regularly. It's like suggesting that an illiterate person learn how to read by going to the library or join a book club ... but in reality, putting that person in an unfamiliar environment won't help them learn how to read. It just encourages them to sit around books. Grr.
4. "Chapter 5: Remember You're not Like Other People" Seriously? Fuck off. So much self hate and shame inducing bullshit. "You weren't born with an appetite odd switch" if there are people like that in the population they'd be as common as those born with a 6th toe or webbed feet.
5. The author is a pro-journalist who's the special projects director at Health Magazine. Maybe her dieting outlook is more appropriate for work-out junkies. Perhaps a better audience for the authors expertise would be individuals with a hobby in body sculpting and that sort of thing. Who knows. But this is a bad book for its target audience.
This author spends most of the book plucking at our heart strings while she wallows in the bad experiences of her childhood and throws around the word 'shame' far too often.
Also, her book is hard to read. It's diet tips entwined into a memoire. She makes you read all about her painful experiences before getting to the goods.
So the intro of this book starts by saying "You don't know me, but you probably hate me.". No sweetie, I don't hate you, I pity you and I wish you hadn't written this book and spread the poison.
October 22, 2007
This book echoed a lot of my own struggles in losing weight and it was an inspirational read. Delaney offers lots of been-there-done-that advice for "fat girls" who are trying to get in shape, again, or for once. The heart of the book is that losing weight is less about getting into a smaller pair of jeans, and more about being true to yourself, treating yourself well and loving life.
July 10, 2011
This book was okay, not very inspirational. It would have been better if the author wrote it as a memoir, recounting how she lost the 70 pounds and how she felt about herself along the way, rather than giving advice like a how-to guide. I was turned off after reading the first couple of sentences where the author arrogantly says: "You don't know me, but you probably hate me. I'm the girl in the size 2 jeans with the ten marathon medals hanging on the wall... despite my tight butt and bikini-worthy abs, I am a Former Fat Girl."
Still there was some good advice in the book so I skimmed through the annoying sections. I did like the author's mantra "INO--It's Not an Option" which is easy for me to remember and use, and her advice to keep your dieting efforts a secret to avoid other people "helping" you, which I can certainly relate to. The best advice in the book is that you have to customize your diet and exercise plan to your specific life and experience: "Realizing that I had a unique relationship with food helped me stop comparing myself to the people around me and to accept that I had to make my own choices based on who I was." (pg. 141)
Still there was some good advice in the book so I skimmed through the annoying sections. I did like the author's mantra "INO--It's Not an Option" which is easy for me to remember and use, and her advice to keep your dieting efforts a secret to avoid other people "helping" you, which I can certainly relate to. The best advice in the book is that you have to customize your diet and exercise plan to your specific life and experience: "Realizing that I had a unique relationship with food helped me stop comparing myself to the people around me and to accept that I had to make my own choices based on who I was." (pg. 141)
May 6, 2010
I have read several weight loss type books and articles and several self help books. Thiw was the first time I actuall felt like the author understood my situation. I related with her totally. The advice was straight forward and honest. She never claims it's easy but she also doesn't make it feel impossible to make changes. It's easy to feel overwhelmed especially when you have a lot of weight to lose and it's nice to have someone put it in perspective. After I read it I felt like, hey it's ok if it takes two years to lose all the weight, it doesn't have to be instant and probably will last longer if you take the time to do it right.
September 4, 2011
This book started out strong, faltered a bit, then fizzled out at the end. I could relate the author in the beginning, but the more I read I realized that while I have weight issues which lead to emotional/mental issues this poor woman's problems were off the chart. So what I thought would be a book that was half memoir and half tips/ideas/motivations to change myself ended up being 1/2 pity party for the author, 1/4 gloating on the author's part on how far she has come, and 1/4 tips, etc.
Don't get me wrong, what the author did (lose 70 lbs and keeping the weight off for 20+ yrs) is a major accomplishment but not why I was reading the book. Furthermore, since her accomplishment did take place 20 yrs ago it was a bit hard to relate to her methods. Some things like running are classics, but other things like our knowledge of food and chemicals affects on our bodies are constantly changing, so it seems like some of the information was dated.
Also, I think she marginalizes people a bit too much. Everyone is unique of course but she seems to want these soon to be former fat girls to think of themselves as different from everyone else. In other words she makes it sound like it is the fat girl v. the world. Type A v. Type B and there is no other option. That seemed a bit harsh considering most of these people already feel like they are different and on the outside and have no chance of 'fitting in' with those who they perceive as perfect or at least superior. To combat that thought it seems like she would stress that everyone is different, not just them.
Overall though I did feel I learned from reading this book - at least about myself, not so much about exercise/dieting, and that is truly helpful in the long run.
Don't get me wrong, what the author did (lose 70 lbs and keeping the weight off for 20+ yrs) is a major accomplishment but not why I was reading the book. Furthermore, since her accomplishment did take place 20 yrs ago it was a bit hard to relate to her methods. Some things like running are classics, but other things like our knowledge of food and chemicals affects on our bodies are constantly changing, so it seems like some of the information was dated.
Also, I think she marginalizes people a bit too much. Everyone is unique of course but she seems to want these soon to be former fat girls to think of themselves as different from everyone else. In other words she makes it sound like it is the fat girl v. the world. Type A v. Type B and there is no other option. That seemed a bit harsh considering most of these people already feel like they are different and on the outside and have no chance of 'fitting in' with those who they perceive as perfect or at least superior. To combat that thought it seems like she would stress that everyone is different, not just them.
Overall though I did feel I learned from reading this book - at least about myself, not so much about exercise/dieting, and that is truly helpful in the long run.
August 1, 2007
sort of read this book on accident. It was a publicity copy sent to the Times. I didn't know if it was fiction or what when I started reading. No, it's about weight loss.
I enjoyed reading about her journey, and I think her secrets would be very helpful to chronic dieters. Suggestions like keeping your diet/exercise a secret at first and protecting yourself from those who will inevitably try to push food on you are wisdom from the frontlines.
I'm glad that I am not trying to (as the book's tag line offers) "drop two, four (or more!)" dress sizes. Well, maybe two. Two would definately get me back into my pants from The Limited. But I'm glad my goal is more like 10 pounds, because I know I lack the dedication to be the smallest me possible.
Delaney dropped 70+ pounds. But she also worked up to running 5 miles a day. I did appreciate her section on being patient with postpartum pounds. If it took her (5 miles a day?) over a year to lose all her extra weight, then I am doing awesome for 3 months out.
I would say the book is a good read even if you aren't looking to lose weight. We can all see something of ourselves in her journey.
I enjoyed reading about her journey, and I think her secrets would be very helpful to chronic dieters. Suggestions like keeping your diet/exercise a secret at first and protecting yourself from those who will inevitably try to push food on you are wisdom from the frontlines.
I'm glad that I am not trying to (as the book's tag line offers) "drop two, four (or more!)" dress sizes. Well, maybe two. Two would definately get me back into my pants from The Limited. But I'm glad my goal is more like 10 pounds, because I know I lack the dedication to be the smallest me possible.
Delaney dropped 70+ pounds. But she also worked up to running 5 miles a day. I did appreciate her section on being patient with postpartum pounds. If it took her (5 miles a day?) over a year to lose all her extra weight, then I am doing awesome for 3 months out.
I would say the book is a good read even if you aren't looking to lose weight. We can all see something of ourselves in her journey.
June 29, 2012
I don't consider myself a "fat" girl, but anyone who has struggled with losing weight and getting fit will likely relate to this book. I know I did. You are not going to learn a specific diet or how to exercise, but that is not what I was looking for when I added this to my summer reading list. I wanted to get insight into someone else's experience so that I can see how to apply it myself, and Lisa delivered. Her story is inspiring, and provides great tips on how to not only lose weight and get in shape, but how to maintain it for life. She speaks from experience, having been the "fat girl" until she was almost 30, but then changing her life (in many more ways than just the physical) and maintaining it for 20 years. The "secrets" themselves are mostly things I have already figured out for myself over the years, but reading them and seeing both how she learned and applied them is a great reinforcement. This book was very motivating, and I expect I will go back to it again for some reminders down the road.
February 19, 2009
I read this book at the beginning of my journey 6 months and 50 pounds ago. I'm no longer in the new phase and in the "do I have to keep doing this forever....uggh!" phase and needed motivation. While this book still has things that help me today, it's still best for people just starting out on their weight loss journey. I am trying to remember her "It's Not An Option" though to get me back on track.
Reread Feb 2009
Reread Feb 2009
February 11, 2011
It is a good read once you get past the fact that she actually isn't that fat. Also, I'm not really sure how she is 5'4, 185 and wearing a size 16. Or how she broke a chair at 185 pound. Regardless, you can relate a lot to the book if you are trying to lose weight and gives many tricks that help along the way.
April 18, 2011
PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!! I started reading it and I thought it was crap. Then I got to a point and thought maybe it's a joke (when she tells dieters to avoid nosy well meaning people by sequestering themselves). But I am afraid that this book looks like it's serious.
I've never read a Mass-market published book that so explicitly promoted self-hate, and I've read that skinny bitches book. This is worse than the skinny bitches book where they yell at you in text format.
This is such garbage.
That isn't to say there isn't some good stuff in here but the good bits are surrounded by shit-talk. Reading this book was like dumpster diving: sure you got something that was good from the trash but now you're worse for wear.
I wish I never took this home from the library - but I'm happy I didn't buy it. By the looks of this book, it's never been read since it was entered into the library in 2008 (it's 2011 as I write this) so thank god for that.
With all that being said, this book might be helpful to some women. I'm all over it because of the fact that self-loathing is the core of this book, but I bet there are some people who can really relate to that and this is a guide for at least reducing one aspect of the self-loathing. But the question really is will this book do more harm than good even to those with such deep shame and self-resentment?
My extended comments:
A few things about me to put my opinion in perspective. I grew up chubby or husky and only broke that in my early 20s. I maintain a BMI of 20.4-ish (comparable to this author's BMI of 20.1, she's 5'4" and 117). I also did my masters thesis on the emotional repercussions of overeating, looking at overeating as an impulse control problem. So I'm not a skinny girl that doesn't get the topic of the book and or the lifestyle of larger women. I'm not a fat girl that resents the topic matter of this book and the writer. And I'm a little more aware of nutritional eating literature than more people. So that's the place that my perspective on this shit book is coming from.
1. So much self-hate for being overweight. I whole hear tingly disagree that you can't love yourself if you're overweight or if you look different from other people. Some women are naturally larger anyway. Even women who feel like they should lose some weight can still have self love. Weight and self love shouldn't have an inverse relationship - they shouldn't really have a relationship at all.
2. The author was more than overweight, more than just a fat girl - she had an addictive eating problem. Sure a lot of us can relate to feeling shameful about eating sometimes, and eating when we feel we're not suppose to -- but this woman was an extreme case. She says she's maintained her weight of 117 ish for the last 20 years -- I'm going out on a limb here and saying that she's a disordered eater (different than eating disorder). Sure she lost the weight and is in a healthy weight range now ... but she isn't a normal eater. Her relationship with food and her reality around food is so fucked up. She shouldn't be giving anyone advice on how to eat.
3. I hate hate hate how post-fat people always become hardcore athletic folks. You don't need to run marathons unless you enjoy doing it. No you can't never move ever and be healthy, but you also don't need to own a lick of spandex. You just need to use your body on a regular basis which means taking the stairs just to take them sometimes or walking 30 minutes to get to the grocery store/post office/library and walking home a few times a week (in your jeans and winter coat). Maybe doing a leisure bike ride or hike. Doing that sort of stuff regularly will keep your food to exercise ratio balanced.
In a way, it's inappropriate for diet resources to suggest going to the gym to someone who has never gone regularly. It's like suggesting that an illiterate person learn how to read by going to the library or join a book club ... but in reality, putting that person in an unfamiliar environment won't help them learn how to read. It just encourages them to sit around books. Grr.
4. "Chapter 5: Remember You're not Like Other People" Seriously? Fuck off. So much self hate and shame inducing bullshit. "You weren't born with an appetite odd switch" if there are people like that in the population they'd be as common as those born with a 6th toe or webbed feet.
5. The author is a pro-journalist who's the special projects director at Health Magazine. Maybe her dieting outlook is more appropriate for work-out junkies. Perhaps a better audience for the authors expertise would be individuals with a hobby in body sculpting and that sort of thing. Who knows. But this is a bad book for its target audience.
This author spends most of the book plucking at our heart strings while she wallows in the bad experiences of her childhood and throws around the word 'shame' far too often.
Also, her book is hard to read. It's diet tips entwined into a memoire. She makes you read all about her painful experiences before getting to the goods.
So the intro of this book starts by saying "You don't know me, but you probably hate me.". No sweetie, I don't hate you, I pity you and I wish you hadn't written this book and spread the poison.
I've never read a Mass-market published book that so explicitly promoted self-hate, and I've read that skinny bitches book. This is worse than the skinny bitches book where they yell at you in text format.
This is such garbage.
That isn't to say there isn't some good stuff in here but the good bits are surrounded by shit-talk. Reading this book was like dumpster diving: sure you got something that was good from the trash but now you're worse for wear.
I wish I never took this home from the library - but I'm happy I didn't buy it. By the looks of this book, it's never been read since it was entered into the library in 2008 (it's 2011 as I write this) so thank god for that.
With all that being said, this book might be helpful to some women. I'm all over it because of the fact that self-loathing is the core of this book, but I bet there are some people who can really relate to that and this is a guide for at least reducing one aspect of the self-loathing. But the question really is will this book do more harm than good even to those with such deep shame and self-resentment?
My extended comments:
A few things about me to put my opinion in perspective. I grew up chubby or husky and only broke that in my early 20s. I maintain a BMI of 20.4-ish (comparable to this author's BMI of 20.1, she's 5'4" and 117). I also did my masters thesis on the emotional repercussions of overeating, looking at overeating as an impulse control problem. So I'm not a skinny girl that doesn't get the topic of the book and or the lifestyle of larger women. I'm not a fat girl that resents the topic matter of this book and the writer. And I'm a little more aware of nutritional eating literature than more people. So that's the place that my perspective on this shit book is coming from.
1. So much self-hate for being overweight. I whole hear tingly disagree that you can't love yourself if you're overweight or if you look different from other people. Some women are naturally larger anyway. Even women who feel like they should lose some weight can still have self love. Weight and self love shouldn't have an inverse relationship - they shouldn't really have a relationship at all.
2. The author was more than overweight, more than just a fat girl - she had an addictive eating problem. Sure a lot of us can relate to feeling shameful about eating sometimes, and eating when we feel we're not suppose to -- but this woman was an extreme case. She says she's maintained her weight of 117 ish for the last 20 years -- I'm going out on a limb here and saying that she's a disordered eater (different than eating disorder). Sure she lost the weight and is in a healthy weight range now ... but she isn't a normal eater. Her relationship with food and her reality around food is so fucked up. She shouldn't be giving anyone advice on how to eat.
3. I hate hate hate how post-fat people always become hardcore athletic folks. You don't need to run marathons unless you enjoy doing it. No you can't never move ever and be healthy, but you also don't need to own a lick of spandex. You just need to use your body on a regular basis which means taking the stairs just to take them sometimes or walking 30 minutes to get to the grocery store/post office/library and walking home a few times a week (in your jeans and winter coat). Maybe doing a leisure bike ride or hike. Doing that sort of stuff regularly will keep your food to exercise ratio balanced.
In a way, it's inappropriate for diet resources to suggest going to the gym to someone who has never gone regularly. It's like suggesting that an illiterate person learn how to read by going to the library or join a book club ... but in reality, putting that person in an unfamiliar environment won't help them learn how to read. It just encourages them to sit around books. Grr.
4. "Chapter 5: Remember You're not Like Other People" Seriously? Fuck off. So much self hate and shame inducing bullshit. "You weren't born with an appetite odd switch" if there are people like that in the population they'd be as common as those born with a 6th toe or webbed feet.
5. The author is a pro-journalist who's the special projects director at Health Magazine. Maybe her dieting outlook is more appropriate for work-out junkies. Perhaps a better audience for the authors expertise would be individuals with a hobby in body sculpting and that sort of thing. Who knows. But this is a bad book for its target audience.
This author spends most of the book plucking at our heart strings while she wallows in the bad experiences of her childhood and throws around the word 'shame' far too often.
Also, her book is hard to read. It's diet tips entwined into a memoire. She makes you read all about her painful experiences before getting to the goods.
So the intro of this book starts by saying "You don't know me, but you probably hate me.". No sweetie, I don't hate you, I pity you and I wish you hadn't written this book and spread the poison.
July 31, 2015
This is a book that has some good take-aways regarding weight loss, but there's some almost toxicity in here that I could have done without.
One of Delaney's heavily emphasized rules early on was secrecy. She lost me at that point, and I never really regained my enthusiasm for the book thereafter. I don't think you have to take out a full-page ad in the ,times to let the world know you're losing weight, but some accountability seems absolutely mandatory to me if you're really going to be a success. Additionally, the book's introduction put me off. Granted, it pulls you into the text, but it put me off--the idea that although I don't know her, I would instinctively hate her because she weighs 117 pounds and used to weigh 185. Maybe that's a gender thing, I don't know. I can say with certainty that I'm not going to feel hate for someone who immigrates to Size Four land from Size Eighteen land. Indeed, the person who achieved that migration may well come to hate me with my curiosity and fascination about the experience--a curiosity and fascination that would probably verge on the obnoxious.
Delaney shares seven secrets, which apparently aren't secrets any longer. There's a chapter here on putting self first and ensuring that you have time to do those things that will lead to success. That one wasn't bad. I also gravitated to her approach that if you get injured during weight loss, you should adjust and still do something toward achieving your goal. Alas, I needed that section. I tend to be one of these people who, in a moment of despair, would walk away from an exercise regimen altogether rather than adjust to a somewhat milder form of exercise until whatever was wrong had healed.
Perhaps this book's biggest deficit wasn't even Delaney's fault. I had just finished the Jennette Fulda book, which I found far more filled with wisdom and inspiration than this one. Perhaps had I read this first, I would have been less inclined to be uncharitable toward it.
One of Delaney's heavily emphasized rules early on was secrecy. She lost me at that point, and I never really regained my enthusiasm for the book thereafter. I don't think you have to take out a full-page ad in the ,times to let the world know you're losing weight, but some accountability seems absolutely mandatory to me if you're really going to be a success. Additionally, the book's introduction put me off. Granted, it pulls you into the text, but it put me off--the idea that although I don't know her, I would instinctively hate her because she weighs 117 pounds and used to weigh 185. Maybe that's a gender thing, I don't know. I can say with certainty that I'm not going to feel hate for someone who immigrates to Size Four land from Size Eighteen land. Indeed, the person who achieved that migration may well come to hate me with my curiosity and fascination about the experience--a curiosity and fascination that would probably verge on the obnoxious.
Delaney shares seven secrets, which apparently aren't secrets any longer. There's a chapter here on putting self first and ensuring that you have time to do those things that will lead to success. That one wasn't bad. I also gravitated to her approach that if you get injured during weight loss, you should adjust and still do something toward achieving your goal. Alas, I needed that section. I tend to be one of these people who, in a moment of despair, would walk away from an exercise regimen altogether rather than adjust to a somewhat milder form of exercise until whatever was wrong had healed.
Perhaps this book's biggest deficit wasn't even Delaney's fault. I had just finished the Jennette Fulda book, which I found far more filled with wisdom and inspiration than this one. Perhaps had I read this first, I would have been less inclined to be uncharitable toward it.
August 28, 2015
I have mixed feelings about this one. I found the author to be preachy and kind of a know-it-all. I get that these methods worked for her, but that doesn't mean they'll work for everyone. Also, I just don't agree with some of the things she said. For example: her dating tips at the end of the book are old-fashioned. Don't cuss and be a good listener?! Having a similarly inappropriate sense of humor is a requirement for me. And listening is always a good idea, sure, but she makes it sound like the guy should do all the talking and the woman's job is to nod and look pretty (and skinny).
I also have an issue with Lisa's belief that fat girls stay in bad relationships because they're fat. This is called having low self-esteem. Can overweight people have low self-esteem? Absolutely. But it can also be caused by a number of other things. Fat people aren't the only ones who stay in bad relationships.
There is an entire chapter about keeping your diet a secret from the world. I agree with this to a degree. People think they have a right to comment on what you eat and it can be aggravating. But you tell them to shut it and then you go on doing what you need to do.
I also don't like the whole thing about blowing off your friends and family because you want to work out. You should definitely put yourself first sometimes. Most of the time, even. But blowing off plans to workout seems a bit obsessive. The track will be there tomorrow.
I could go on.
On the other hand, I did enjoy the memoir part of the book and I was able to relate to Lisa at times. I just skipped over the "tips" because a lot of it is either common knowledge or obsessive. I hope that women who are trying to lose weight don't take this book too seriously. It won't work for everyone and it seems rather unhealthy.
I also have an issue with Lisa's belief that fat girls stay in bad relationships because they're fat. This is called having low self-esteem. Can overweight people have low self-esteem? Absolutely. But it can also be caused by a number of other things. Fat people aren't the only ones who stay in bad relationships.
There is an entire chapter about keeping your diet a secret from the world. I agree with this to a degree. People think they have a right to comment on what you eat and it can be aggravating. But you tell them to shut it and then you go on doing what you need to do.
I also don't like the whole thing about blowing off your friends and family because you want to work out. You should definitely put yourself first sometimes. Most of the time, even. But blowing off plans to workout seems a bit obsessive. The track will be there tomorrow.
I could go on.
On the other hand, I did enjoy the memoir part of the book and I was able to relate to Lisa at times. I just skipped over the "tips" because a lot of it is either common knowledge or obsessive. I hope that women who are trying to lose weight don't take this book too seriously. It won't work for everyone and it seems rather unhealthy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2009
I recently lost 20 pounds, but fell off the wagon over the past couple of months. I picked this book up to help get me back into a "get healthy" mind frame and push my motivation to get back into my fitness routine.
I really appreciated this book and I think it would be great for anyone who wants to make some positive changes in their overall health and fitness. Fortunately, the gym I belong to has some extremely knowledgeable employees who have always been very free in dispensing healthy lifestyle tips and tricks. So, a lot of her "tips" were old news for me. I did however, enjoy reading about her ups and downs and felt I could relate to a lot of what she'd been through.
I especially liked her "it's not an option" (or INO as she referred to it) mantra. I have even found myself applying it when confronted with the desire to eat mindlessly or indulge in a big greasy bag of popcorn at the movies.
Her tip to "keep your new lifestyle a secret" was also on point and can be applied to any habit you are trying to break. It's true that as soon as you start advertising that you are trying to better yourself (quitting smoking, dieting, getting more organized, etc.) someone inadvertently (or not) tries to break you. I agree with the author, it's better if you just go along your way and let people notice for themselves that you are making a change.
All in all this was a fast, light hearted and enjoyable read. Perfect for anyone who is trying to make a lifestyle change and needs a little extra encouragement.
I really appreciated this book and I think it would be great for anyone who wants to make some positive changes in their overall health and fitness. Fortunately, the gym I belong to has some extremely knowledgeable employees who have always been very free in dispensing healthy lifestyle tips and tricks. So, a lot of her "tips" were old news for me. I did however, enjoy reading about her ups and downs and felt I could relate to a lot of what she'd been through.
I especially liked her "it's not an option" (or INO as she referred to it) mantra. I have even found myself applying it when confronted with the desire to eat mindlessly or indulge in a big greasy bag of popcorn at the movies.
Her tip to "keep your new lifestyle a secret" was also on point and can be applied to any habit you are trying to break. It's true that as soon as you start advertising that you are trying to better yourself (quitting smoking, dieting, getting more organized, etc.) someone inadvertently (or not) tries to break you. I agree with the author, it's better if you just go along your way and let people notice for themselves that you are making a change.
All in all this was a fast, light hearted and enjoyable read. Perfect for anyone who is trying to make a lifestyle change and needs a little extra encouragement.
March 26, 2012
I'm currently reading this, I'm not getting into it very well as I can't relate with her at all. She has been overweight her whole life and stuffed oreos up her sleeves to get them to her room to wolf them down at night. I was thin my whole life but just with metabolism with my age and after having children, I need to lose weight and need some help getting started. So far this isn't doing it. I don't know how she broke a chair at 185 pounds. That seems kind of impossible unless it was a child's chair? Lots of men are at least 200 pounds from just being large humans, not even overweight, so wouldn't there be 200 pound men breaking chairs all over if 185 is such a terrible weight? I dunno. I'll edit my review after I've plowed through it.
Yeah I'm done now and it didn't do much for me. I jotted down the secrets to keep notes for myself and see if it can help me. Maybe some of the reviews saying it was so great and so funny kinda ruined it for me cuz I didn't find it either of those things. But hey, if it works for even one person, it's worth the read, so I'm not saying don't try it. It could be worth it for you.
Yeah I'm done now and it didn't do much for me. I jotted down the secrets to keep notes for myself and see if it can help me. Maybe some of the reviews saying it was so great and so funny kinda ruined it for me cuz I didn't find it either of those things. But hey, if it works for even one person, it's worth the read, so I'm not saying don't try it. It could be worth it for you.
December 7, 2011
Despite all the buzz I'd been hearing about this book, it was just ok. The author writes like a scatterbrain who wants to tell you everything at once because she's so enthusiastic, the attention to order and relevance gets lost along the way. I was actually quite surprised that she had formal writing training (Journalism school -> editor for a popular magazine) since the writing seemed to be all over the place.
Nonetheless, lots of great tips and common sense tricks on how one woman transformed her life and how 'you can too'. Honestly, I didn't learn much that I couldn't have gotten from a Weight Watchers meeting or weight loss message board.
Nonetheless, lots of great tips and common sense tricks on how one woman transformed her life and how 'you can too'. Honestly, I didn't learn much that I couldn't have gotten from a Weight Watchers meeting or weight loss message board.
April 9, 2008
This is as much a motivational tool as a memoir of Lisa's experiences before/during & after her weight loss.
The few tips & tricks provided aren't new. You've heard them before & thought, eh, that sounds hard. But Lisa shows how she broke them down into baby steps to acheive great rewards AND how she stayed motivated on the LOOONNNGGG way to her goal!
I am already implementing some of her tips & seeing results. I plan on purchasing this for a friend who's getting gastric this summer & buying a copy for myself. (As this copy was from the library).
The few tips & tricks provided aren't new. You've heard them before & thought, eh, that sounds hard. But Lisa shows how she broke them down into baby steps to acheive great rewards AND how she stayed motivated on the LOOONNNGGG way to her goal!
I am already implementing some of her tips & seeing results. I plan on purchasing this for a friend who's getting gastric this summer & buying a copy for myself. (As this copy was from the library).
March 12, 2010
I picked up this book because of the first sentence "You don't know me but you probably hate me." I approached this book like I did many other memoir type books whether it's about weight loss or pregnancy. I expected to be entertained and that was it... What I didn't expect was to see parts of me in this book *the whiner specifically*... I expected to be entertained and instead I was inspired-I have begun steps to become a "Former Fat Girl."
The book read as if the author was talking to me (which is my favorite kind!).
The book read as if the author was talking to me (which is my favorite kind!).
February 15, 2011
This book really helped me take a look at myself and set some goals that I know I can follow through on. It helped me realize that I am not the only one going through the struggles of weight gain and loss. That working out is something that you can jump into when you set goals and take care of yourself. Make sure you start out doing what you can do and not over extend. I really enjoyed reading different scenarios that the author went though that I have gone though myself.
Great book! I have bough a couple copies and gave them to friends going though the same issues.
Great book! I have bough a couple copies and gave them to friends going though the same issues.
December 4, 2015
Aim was not to lose dress size, but to tone up my going into flab body, 6 months post surgery. Even though I don't follow most of the techniques mentioned in such books, I get a high just by reading about the conquered struggles. At completion , I am feeling dates, determined and positive that I will soon be able to convert my flab into muscle mass, with more emphasis on rectus abdominis, the muscle which was cut open during my surgery.
Would recommend this as a motivational read rather than a DIY guide for those attempting a healthy lifestyle.
Would recommend this as a motivational read rather than a DIY guide for those attempting a healthy lifestyle.
July 9, 2012
This is a great book. Very motivating. There isn't anything exactly ground-breaking, but reading her experience really helped me out. I was very surprised at how well I related to her thought processes about relating to food. I think it will help me in the long run. It's a good book. I did NOT like how she'd interrupt the overall narrative with her "sidebars". I found it a poorly formatted book. But other than that, loved it. Thinking of buying it.
September 7, 2007
I LOVED this book. It really hit home with me and helped me make necessary changes for myself. I just loved the author's honest approach to sharing her experiences.
To give an idea, I read the book and just implemented a few changes because I was so motivated and I've lost approx. 10 pounds. I was really inspired by this book to be honest with myself.
December 3, 2009
This book wasn't badly written, I just didn't feel like most of the advice would work for me...perhaps maybe if I had read it before losing 45lbs on my own i'd have a more open mind, but I found myself shaking my head in disagreement a lot. And in the end of the book, when the author gives her advice on flirting and declares "no cussing!", she lost me for good ; )
October 6, 2010
Very good book. Very well written, in a very humorous way author is telling simple truth about losing weight. She's telling her story in a funny way, showing that she was one of us "fat girls" and that if you want to become a FFT (former fat girl) that it is really possible. She motivates reader in interesting way, that really works!
October 30, 2010
Hated the intro, enjoyed the book. The off-putting thing about the intro was that the author made assumptions that simply didn't apply to me, but that was about the only part of the book that I couldn't relate to. Everything else was spot-on, and I've already begun applying some of the 'secrets' to my life, with encouraging, empowering results!
February 15, 2012
i thought this book was pretty helpful and realistic about weight, weightloss, and the struggle with the two. It definitely had useful tips, mainly that the tougher and more determined you are the more is possible. But I think the idea of playing games, like only eating the folded over tortilla chips is lame. I think you can enjoy food and still be at a healthy happy weight.
May 22, 2011
Definitely a must-read for anyone who needs to get out of the normal rut of "Fat Girl Thinking." Delaney makes the case for changing the negative thoughts that keep fat girls from their Former Fat Girl selves and it's great to hear someone who thinks the same way as me (and the clues to move away from that).
February 27, 2012
I read this when it was first published a few years ago, wanting to become a "former fat girl" myself. It took a while, but now I actually AM a former fat girl, and I figured it couldn't hurt to leaf through it to see what I need to do to stay here. It's good for inspiration, so I'll keep it handy as a quick reference.
April 30, 2012
I gave this book only two stars because, while she smartly addresses the importance of mind transformation, she's still clinging onto rules and expectations. I find more relevance in creating a loose structure for someone to create their own weight loss process, rather than switching from one rule book to another.
August 10, 2015
This was my second time reading this book. It has some really great pointers, such as encouraging you to take your fitness and health journey on YOUR OWN TERMS. However, there were a lot of annoying assumptions about "Fat Girl" mentalities and gender norms that irked me. Still, all-in-all, if you're looking for a general memoir on a health journey, not a bad read.
September 18, 2016
Loved it! So helpful! I really like that she gets into the mental and emotional struggles of managing ones weight and taking the risk to take control of it in a culture that is saturated with diet scams. She gives real tips to help. I bought it on a whim at a liquidation sale and I am so glad! Finished it in a week, could t out it down!
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