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12th out of 30 books
—
53 voters
Secrets of a Former Fat Girl: How to Lose Two, Four (or More!) Dress Sizes--And Find Yourself Along the Way
by
Lisa Delaney
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 lov
...moreHardcover, 272 pages
Published
April 19th 2007
by Hudson Street Press
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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...more
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'...more
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'...more
4 likes · like · see review
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...more
Don't...more
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-wort...more
1 like · like · see review
Oct 21, 2007
Katie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
girls on the way to losing weight
Shelves:
nonfiction,
girlsonly
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.
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 i...more
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...more
Jan 04, 2009
Stephanie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone starting out on a journey toward a healthier lifestyle
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 lifest...more
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 lifest...more
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 lin...more
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 lin...more
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I can't quite explain WHY I didn't like it as much as I did, but it probably has something to do with the fact that I'm sort of in between being a "fat girl" and "former fat girl" and I died a little inside at every mention of finding a way to stop associating food with fun.
Perhaps I'm just in denial that pretty much every diet book ever boils down to "eat less food, fatty" and I'm desperately seeking a way around that (spoiler--not gonna happen).
Perhaps I'm just in denial that pretty much every diet book ever boils down to "eat less food, fatty" and I'm desperately seeking a way around that (spoiler--not gonna happen).
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
this is the only lifestyle and diet book that has ever truly "spoken" to me.
the author really was a fat girl, with a fat girl brain, and she gets it. there are so many things that she covers in this book that sound exactly like me.
i'm glad i found this book.
the author really was a fat girl, with a fat girl brain, and she gets it. there are so many things that she covers in this book that sound exactly like me.
i'm glad i found this book.
If you're on a journey of weight loss and self discovery or even thinking about it, I highly recommend this book. I mostly found it helpful in dealing with those who aren't so happy about the changes I'm making. I wish I'd found it sooner.
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!
This book was much better than most of the weight-loss diatribes I've feasted my eyes on lately. Delaney has her own set of rules when it comes to losing weight, a few which go against what all the other weight-loss folks pound into our chubby little heads.
She underscored her tactics with personal stories that may hit home for some, they certainly did for me.
She doesn't give you all the answers and the expectation is that you'll have to work your ass off for a long time--physically and mentally-...more
She underscored her tactics with personal stories that may hit home for some, they certainly did for me.
She doesn't give you all the answers and the expectation is that you'll have to work your ass off for a long time--physically and mentally-...more
I picked this up on a markdown table at Border's for $4 and read it in a day. Go figure! I'd never heard of it nor seen it. What a great way to bring in the new year. She is remarkably RIGHT ON!!
How does she know my life? Our life experiences are so similiar/world view it was astonishing and left me in awe and hopeful. I just wish that it had been well written...
Go to Weight Watchers and Jazzercise, run a lot, and don't let the bastards get you down. Kind of outdated and dull advice, but honestly, is weight loss glamorous? Nah.
A majority of Delaney's points are valid, although she has difficulty remembering that everyone's bodies are different. I felt she spent a lot of time preaching that what worked for her will work for other people, and that won't always be the case.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was very inspirational. The author takes you along with her on a personal journey to health and hapiness. Great read. It gave me hope.
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 transforme...more
Nonetheless, lots of great tips and common sense tricks on how one woman transforme...more
Very well written - not your typical diet book - it's more like a memoir. I read the first half and skimmed the second half. Some useful tips.
A good read on the topic. Personal history approach, reasonable advices and usual pitfalls described.
Really enjoyed this book. Very motivating. Fun read. Read it in a couple of days.
Apr 20, 2009
Denise
added it
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Apr 09, 2008
Rose
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
women trying to lose weight
Recommended to Rose by:
Amazon.com
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 sum...more
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 sum...more
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Apr 18, 2011 07:49pm