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101 Things to Do Before You Diet: Because Looking Great Isn't Just About Losing Weight
In this day and age, most women are well aware that dieting (and the accompanying deprivation) is no way to lose weight. But you can't blame a girl for trying-after all, who doesn't want to be thinner, feel happier, and look fabulous? Who doesn't want to fit into her skinny jeans and feel like a million bucks?Mimi Spencer has spent most of her life surrounded by catwalks and ultrathin celebrities-and she sick of dieting. So she created the anti-diet. In 101 Things to do Before You Diet, Spencer shares the tips, tricks, and solutions that finally helped her lose those last few pounds and shows women how to trim, flatter, and accept every inch of their bodies.With ample doses of empathy and irreverence, Spencer offers readers 101 figure-flattering tips, from choosing the right fashion to just saying no to fat traps and calorie pitfalls. Spencer's candid advice (drawn from years spent at the frontlines of fashion) and her uniquely relatable voice (
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2009
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February 1, 2021Dnf'd but I wanted to leave a negative review instead of just regulating this to the Abandoned shelf - I hated this book. Partially because I wasn't paying attention and thought it was going to be much more body positivity/ HAES - and sure, it has some of the trappings but overall it's just steeped in nice white lady diet culture bullshit and random fashion takes from(checks notes) a decade ago. It sets up this terrible dichotomy between straight sized overweight people and the unacceptable super death fats at the beginning and drops a wack of tips where the punch line is "and then you might lose weight! [Which everyone wants amiright?]"
Uuuuuuugh
Looking great isn't about looking thin either.
There were reasonable recommendations like: get fitted for your actual bra size every couple years. Get consistent regular sleep. But I didn't feel like wading through the toxic crap for the more reasonable, obvious advice.
Uuuuuuugh
Looking great isn't about looking thin either.
There were reasonable recommendations like: get fitted for your actual bra size every couple years. Get consistent regular sleep. But I didn't feel like wading through the toxic crap for the more reasonable, obvious advice.
October 4, 2011
This is one of the very few books I have bought after reading someone else’s glowing review.
Mimi Spencer has taken on the world of trying to get ‘trim, taut and terrific’ like many others, but she has done it in an anti-diet way through common sense. Flitting through everything from how to cut those extra calories to bum and tum flattering apparel, Spencer takes an all-around approach to getting you looking and feeling great.
I have to say, as someone who is used to reading books about either what I should be doing with my body or how horrible I’ve been to my body without realizing it, it was a relief to read a book that treated me like a person. And a woman.
The best part about this book is that Mimi Spencer knows that no matter how good or bad you look on the outside, you will never be the woman you want to be without feeling sexy on the inside. This is a point that so many books just plain ignore, and is something that really made me feel comfortable ‘listening’ to Spencer’s tips.
The ‘101 Steps’ layout of this book makes it a great ‘pick up, put down’ kind of book. While that doesn’t work for fiction, it does for this because it gives you plenty of time to really think about what Spencer is saying.
I couldn’t agree with all her suggestions – Tip 27: Buy a Corset should have ‘if you have $200 to spare’ attached to it – and found some of the fashion parts to be a bit boring. I don’t care if pointy-toed heels are fashionable; I think they look horrible. I also don’t have the money to get the clothes she suggests.
However, despite my brief boredom with a few fashion tips, I quite liked this book. Her tips are common sense and don’t leave you with any excuses while still being sympathetic because it’s all coming from a woman who knows. I look at Spencer’s picture and wonder what in the world she has to complain about, but the words say more than just looking at her ever could.
As a credit to how many studies she quotes and the kind of studies, I am not handing this book off until I get time to investigate some of them. A lot of the things quoted are recent and fascinating, and I’m looking forward to doing more reading.
The Short Story
I highly recommend this book from the standpoint that it focuses on self-love and common sense tips in all areas of beauty – both inside and out.
Mimi Spencer has taken on the world of trying to get ‘trim, taut and terrific’ like many others, but she has done it in an anti-diet way through common sense. Flitting through everything from how to cut those extra calories to bum and tum flattering apparel, Spencer takes an all-around approach to getting you looking and feeling great.
I have to say, as someone who is used to reading books about either what I should be doing with my body or how horrible I’ve been to my body without realizing it, it was a relief to read a book that treated me like a person. And a woman.
The best part about this book is that Mimi Spencer knows that no matter how good or bad you look on the outside, you will never be the woman you want to be without feeling sexy on the inside. This is a point that so many books just plain ignore, and is something that really made me feel comfortable ‘listening’ to Spencer’s tips.
The ‘101 Steps’ layout of this book makes it a great ‘pick up, put down’ kind of book. While that doesn’t work for fiction, it does for this because it gives you plenty of time to really think about what Spencer is saying.
I couldn’t agree with all her suggestions – Tip 27: Buy a Corset should have ‘if you have $200 to spare’ attached to it – and found some of the fashion parts to be a bit boring. I don’t care if pointy-toed heels are fashionable; I think they look horrible. I also don’t have the money to get the clothes she suggests.
However, despite my brief boredom with a few fashion tips, I quite liked this book. Her tips are common sense and don’t leave you with any excuses while still being sympathetic because it’s all coming from a woman who knows. I look at Spencer’s picture and wonder what in the world she has to complain about, but the words say more than just looking at her ever could.
As a credit to how many studies she quotes and the kind of studies, I am not handing this book off until I get time to investigate some of them. A lot of the things quoted are recent and fascinating, and I’m looking forward to doing more reading.
The Short Story
I highly recommend this book from the standpoint that it focuses on self-love and common sense tips in all areas of beauty – both inside and out.
April 20, 2010
She had some good insight and tips in here into living "slimmer." In the end, any book that addresses weight is to me, a diet book, but I liked the wardrobe and makeup tips, the suggestions for slimming clothes and ideas along with suggestions on how to alter your lifestyle and eating habits.
Overall, if you're considering changing things in your life to lead towards weight loss, it's worth a library check-out. There will likely be a few things in there you haven't thought of, or a point of view you haven't considered, that will help your efforts.
In a nutshell: borrow it, read it, take what works and apply it, discard the rest.
November 8, 2013
This isn't rocket science, perhaps, but I liked the common-sense approach the author takes, and the ways she encourages the reader's efforts to appreciate their body and take care of it. Love the emphasis on sustainable care and non-dieting.
November 11, 2023
O carte foarte drăguță,te poate face să-ți schimbi gândirea cu anumite lucruri dar te învață și alimentație ori vestimentație. Ii dau 3 ⭐ fiindcă am avut momente când m-a plictisit și am terminat-o ceva mai greut
November 17, 2016
Despite my sarcasm regarding this book being a low point, it's actually not that bad. It was much less "self-helpy" and much more focused on dissecting the reasons behind society's obsession with being thin. Because the author is a journalist and fashion writer instead of a self-helpy guru, she presents facts and details without sugarcoating them (ha, literally...get it?). I'd give it 2 1/2 stars because the title is embarrassing.
June 22, 2011
Goodreads Giveaway win!
Go out right now and buy some shape wear, you will be glad you did. This book is chocked full of good tidbits like that. Some are on the pretentious and slightly impossible case in point "wear high heels with everything" others just make good sense "order one dessert and two forks". Anyways, read it and find the tips you love and throw away the rest.
Go out right now and buy some shape wear, you will be glad you did. This book is chocked full of good tidbits like that. Some are on the pretentious and slightly impossible case in point "wear high heels with everything" others just make good sense "order one dessert and two forks". Anyways, read it and find the tips you love and throw away the rest.
March 6, 2010
NOT a diet book (thank goodness). This book is a really fun and enjoyable read. Full of fashion and nutrition info, insider secrets, tips and tricks etc. How to look (and feel) great without counting calories. Fab.
March 17, 2021
Umm. I failed to finish this. I tried to keep reading despite my better judgement. Despite all her protestations this IS a diet book and unless I read wrong didn’t she go on to do a book about a 5:2 diet?
She writes ‘Do bear in mind though, that eating with gluttonous belly-gods will almost certainly turn you into one too. If you have a large friend, invite them out for a jog, not round for a roast.’ I mean what? Is she implying all non-skinny people guzzle everything going and should be avoided? The whole tone is white middle class patronising and when I got to this (referring to facial hair) ‘wax, which makes you feel like a transsexual preparing for the Big Op’. it literally left me speechless and so incredibly angry, I had to stop. AARGH!
I really must be more careful about what books I pick in the future.
She writes ‘Do bear in mind though, that eating with gluttonous belly-gods will almost certainly turn you into one too. If you have a large friend, invite them out for a jog, not round for a roast.’ I mean what? Is she implying all non-skinny people guzzle everything going and should be avoided? The whole tone is white middle class patronising and when I got to this (referring to facial hair) ‘wax, which makes you feel like a transsexual preparing for the Big Op’. it literally left me speechless and so incredibly angry, I had to stop. AARGH!
I really must be more careful about what books I pick in the future.
January 3, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought it would just a rehashing of the usual diet advice or a shallow or meandering personal tale of diet woes and victory. While it had elements of all the above, it was delivered in a fresh way; a brisk, breezy and conservational style that was uplifting and entertaining. Too many diet books get bogged down by too much science and emphasise of the medical side or dieting. This book puts our diet right where it belongs, in real life, your life and it makes alot of sense as well.
November 30, 2018
Kitap güzel, çeviri berbat.
Evvel zaman içinde yol üstündeki Özdilek'ten çıkmaya yakın görüp "Hadi arabaya dönüyoruz, çabuk!" uyarısından sonra geride bırakmak durumunda kaldığım, yıllarca kitapçılarda ve fuarda arayıp bir türlü bulamadığım, sonunda internetten sipariş nimetinin kafama dank etmesiyle kavuştuğum benim biricik kitabım ♡♡♡
Fakat neredeyse her bölümde önce İngilizce'ye, sonra düzgün Türkçe'ye çevirme ihtiyacı duydum. Sana kızgınım Alev Çakar.
Evvel zaman içinde yol üstündeki Özdilek'ten çıkmaya yakın görüp "Hadi arabaya dönüyoruz, çabuk!" uyarısından sonra geride bırakmak durumunda kaldığım, yıllarca kitapçılarda ve fuarda arayıp bir türlü bulamadığım, sonunda internetten sipariş nimetinin kafama dank etmesiyle kavuştuğum benim biricik kitabım ♡♡♡
Fakat neredeyse her bölümde önce İngilizce'ye, sonra düzgün Türkçe'ye çevirme ihtiyacı duydum. Sana kızgınım Alev Çakar.
December 16, 2023
Spencer is pretty funny. This is an easy book to read-some reminders of things I already knew, some new ideas to consider. I realized about halfway through that she uses more similes than I’d ever read in a book before LOL-At least most of them are really humorous.
January 20, 2025
I think it's a great blunt truth! At the end of they day, all you have is yourself. Don't lie to yourself, but also be gentle with yourself. Dieting shouldn't be going into battle, it should be a lifestyle choice and a shift in mindset, and ultimately about loving yourself!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2019
Aimed at the mature woman who knows her designers. If you are such a person you might get more from this than I did.
November 20, 2021
One from a Little Free Library.
January 31, 2010
I'm not a diet book kind of person, but the cover on this was so appealing I had to give it a shot. The advice seems pretty realistic and warm, there are no recipes (yay!) but there is also almost no mention of exercise (boo!). The author is far more fashionable than I will ever be, and all her tips'n'tricks about mascara and good haircuts sailed right over my head. But again, it's a warm and sympathetic book that mostly boils down to "be as healthy as you can, and love the skin you're in" which isn't terrible advice by a long shot.
February 27, 2013
I found this book an interesting, if contradictory, read. Partly it's a self-help, know-thyself, love-thyself kind of read, with practical tips on living a healthier lifestyle. But then there are a load of fashion tips thrown in - what shoes to wear, which handbags are to die for, that sort of thing. This isn't too surprising, given Spencer's job as a fashion editor, but I definitely enjoyed and related to the former bits more than the latter. And on Spencer's recommendation, I am now going to try making homemade yoghurt - so that was a useful consequence of this read.
November 15, 2011
I won't say that any of the ideas are bad, because I think they could all help you appear or believe slimmer -- however, most of the ideas won't work for me. However the last thing she suggests is the best -- confidence goes a long way. People don't see the weight if you are above it too.
I found a few ideas, and agreed with a few ideas, and will probably leave this in the break room at work.
I found a few ideas, and agreed with a few ideas, and will probably leave this in the break room at work.
April 3, 2011
I don't even know why I bought this book. I must have been having a downer day. Anyway, it's basically a self-help book written by columnist/journalist who also has "off" days. See the title there? "Because looking great isn't just about losing weight". That's all you really need to know. The rest of the book is like reading a huge blog post.
November 14, 2010
meraviglioso libro di "dritte" per donne che vogliono star bene con se stesse. star bene di salute, amare il proprio corpo e sapere come valorizzarlo. star bene dentro la propria vita, le proprie passioni e consolazioni (che non siano tutte ripiste nel...frigorifero...).
... ah, e magari anche perdere quache etto, ma non necessariamente. Brava brava. tutte le donne dovrebbero leggerlo!!
... ah, e magari anche perdere quache etto, ma non necessariamente. Brava brava. tutte le donne dovrebbero leggerlo!!
March 13, 2017
This book is like having a fit, hip, fabulous older sister in the fashion industry. It is full of tips for living healthy, being fit, and looking your best. It's full of fun little boxes with titles like "How to Walk Like a Supermodel". It's just a great, commonsense, look great, feel great kind of book. I want to buy this one.
November 24, 2009
Wonderful book on loving your body and treating it well. You do not have to be overweight for this book- its a practical guide that gives you a healthy perspective on what is realistic and not in our world where healthy is completely represented with the wrong things. And its funny too.
July 22, 2010
A humorous, yet interesting, read. The author gave some excellent tips on how to approach dieting by just learning to love yourself first. The author shows how many diets fail and why and what you can do to change that...A very good book. It has helped me on my weightloss journey as well.
July 5, 2011
I don't think I am in Mimi Spencer's intended audience. Not a whole lot of new information... but it wasn't bad information.
Overly concerned with fashion.
I liked when she compared humans to hamsters.
Overly concerned with fashion.
I liked when she compared humans to hamsters.
June 5, 2013
This was a somewhat amusing little book, but the focus was more on how to become skinny, or look skinny, than how to be healthy. Not very interested in wearing high heels to look sexy. I'll stick to my Crocs.
January 8, 2014
It's a good book to remind you that dieting isn't everything. Has some good tips in there to remind you to just be healthy instead of forcing yourself to harm yourself in the pursuit of a lower weight value.
May 3, 2009
an interesting read but for something that claims to be a "no diet book", there were waaayyyy too many rules for my liking!
June 19, 2009
This is not a diet book. This is more like how to enjoy life at any size.
February 14, 2011
It was ok. She had a few new tips/suggestions, but for the most part I had heard it all before. Overall, just a big pep talk.
August 14, 2010
The author is funny and there were some novel thoughts on the whole diet self esteem issue. It was good read while traveling by train for 7 hours.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews