Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life
by
Ali Vincent
When Ali Vincent was selected to be a contestant on the hit NBC show The Biggest Loser, her weight was at an alltime high of 234 pounds—and her life had reached an all-time low. Like millions of Americans, Ali struggled for years with poor eating habits, family problems, stress, and low-self-esteem. After years of being afraid, ashamed, and unhappy, she resolved to chang
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published
November 10th 2009
by Rodale Books
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
563)
I was watching past seasons of The Biggest Loser and came to the season where Ali won the title and remembered how much I enjoyed watching her on the show. So, I decided to read her book and I'm really glad that I did. Just like the rest of us Ali struggled with life, and like so many of us, she medicated with food. I loved that she said that while the Biggest Loser allowed her to focus on herself, she knew just standing in line for the audition was admitting that she had to make a change. I rea...more
What I loved: EVERYTHING! WOW! When I opened this book about 2 hours ago, I was just going to read the first couple of chapters to see if it was something I wanted to read. I have never seen an episode of Biggest Loser (though I know the concept) and have been winning my battle with weight slowly over the last 7 years (gone from 286 to currently 189). What I was not prepared for was how much I was going to connect to Ali's story. It was not only the story of how she did it but why she did it. Sh...more
This weekend I watched an episode of Biggest Loser and I got hooked. I have had some of the Biggest Loser books on my shelve because I tend to buy a lot of diet books but had not truly looked at them. In the process of looking at what books were out there from the show, I noticed this book and immediately went to the library to pick it up. I was not disappointed that I did.
I started reading it yesterday afternoon thinking I would only read a little bit and could not put it down. I loved reading...more
I started reading it yesterday afternoon thinking I would only read a little bit and could not put it down. I loved reading...more
Ali Vincent's "Biggest Loser" memoir, Believe It, Be It, was in equal parts fun and inspiring. I like watching the show but I did not watch the season Ali won, so while I was somewhat familiar with her as a past winner, I didn't know anything about her personal journey. But I do now! Ali shares the details of her personal experience, from gaining weight to making the lifestyle change necessary for her to win the show and keep the weight off. She fills you in on unseen details of life in the "Big...more
I'm a huge fan of The Biggest Loser brand -- from the TV show, to the cookbooks and workout DVDs. So, when I stumbled upon the memoirs of Ali Vincent -- the first female Biggest Loser winner -- I didn't hesitate to pick it up.
Believe It, Be It is a quick read, and a very inspiring tale documenting Vincent's life and her road to weight loss. I really enjoyed the back-stage pass to The Biggest Loser process and the behind-the-scenes details about life on the ranch -- it provided a very interesting...more
Believe It, Be It is a quick read, and a very inspiring tale documenting Vincent's life and her road to weight loss. I really enjoyed the back-stage pass to The Biggest Loser process and the behind-the-scenes details about life on the ranch -- it provided a very interesting...more
I am a big fan of the TV show The Biggest Loser. I did not watch all of the season that featured Ali the author. I have seen her in person and loved her spunk.
Ali and her mother were part of the Biggest Losers (BL) cast of 2008. She was sent home, but in a BL twist of fate she lost the most during her stint at home and came back. Ali went on to win the season and was the first female BL.
Ali starts and finishes this book with her struggle. Ali realizes that she was not at her highest weight bec...more
Ali and her mother were part of the Biggest Losers (BL) cast of 2008. She was sent home, but in a BL twist of fate she lost the most during her stint at home and came back. Ali went on to win the season and was the first female BL.
Ali starts and finishes this book with her struggle. Ali realizes that she was not at her highest weight bec...more
I've long been a fan of the show "The Biggest Loser," so when I saw Ali Vincent's book, I snatched it up! Her triumph at being crowned the first female winner made me tear up years ago. She inspired me.
Unfortunately, this book felt a little slim, a little weak to me. It's not that Ali doesn't reveal personal stories--it's that they come across too vague for my taste.
I'd read Julie Hadden's book about how the Biggest Loser changed her life, and I was so impressed and moved by how honest and deep...more
Unfortunately, this book felt a little slim, a little weak to me. It's not that Ali doesn't reveal personal stories--it's that they come across too vague for my taste.
I'd read Julie Hadden's book about how the Biggest Loser changed her life, and I was so impressed and moved by how honest and deep...more
There were many times while reading Ali's story where I got a little choked up. You could feel her excitement and her joy when she accomplished goals that she learned to set for herself. It was also nice to here from someone else the things you might be doing as well if you were overweight. The stuff that isn't talked about and what you do about it. The one thing that struck a cord with me was when she talked about other judging her for what she was eating, then eating in private so as not to be...more
Ali Vincent won fame as the first female winner of the Biggest Loser television show by losing nearly half her body weight over the course of 6 months. In this memoir, she takes the reader through her childhood and behind the scenes of reality television. Her relentlessly perky attitude is clearly meant to inspire the reader to take charge of her (or his) own life and make changes, but the book suffers from the repetitiveness of her exhortations. Vincent is also obviously reluctant to share cert...more
I found this book on Amazon.com and having watched The Biggest Loser on tv, decided I wanted to read it.
If you're looking for a dieting memior, then this is a book to read. I found the insights into getting on the show and what it's like on the show to be interesting. I also liked how she got into all the past stuff, realizing how it all got her to where she was when she started her season on The Biggest Loser. So, it was interesting, but she's not an exceptional writer. The writing was just ok....more
If you're looking for a dieting memior, then this is a book to read. I found the insights into getting on the show and what it's like on the show to be interesting. I also liked how she got into all the past stuff, realizing how it all got her to where she was when she started her season on The Biggest Loser. So, it was interesting, but she's not an exceptional writer. The writing was just ok....more
I had higher expectations for this book - perhaps expecting greater insight into Ali's life and the behind the scenes of the Biggest Loser. And though we did get some of that, the writing and the details came off as superficial. A tease of what could have been shared without the oomph to back it up. I also felt that the health tips that were shared were common sense - again I felt a bit let down.
What I will say is that Ali appears to be a very positive person who is looking for ways to leave he...more
What I will say is that Ali appears to be a very positive person who is looking for ways to leave he...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. I am currently on a weight loss challenge myself and wanted some motivation. Ali went from 234 pounds to 122, if that isn't motivation I don't know what is. She also confirmed what I am doing with my weight loss challenge...eating more vegetables and counting the calories. Although a lot of people frown on counting calories, if it worked for her I am all about it!! I also liked how it incorporated the power of positive thinking! Ali was actually eliminated, bu...more
A good little motivational book. Yes she was the Biggest Loser's first female winner but she's really used what she's been handed to be a positive role model. The book isn't great but it is a story about a believable everyday woman doing something for herself that was scary and selfish but necessary. We could all learn to put ourselves first a little more often especially when it leads to the same kind of rewards and opportunities. I support you Ali, I just wonder why you're so vague about your...more
The first time I watched the Biggest Loser was the year that Ali won. I can remember cheering her on, because I just fell in love with her personality and her spunk. I was excited to read this book, and found it to be very inspiring. I liked reading more about what happens behind the scenes at The Biggest Loser. However, it felt as though the last half of the book was all the same message, just written with different words. Also, being LDS myself, I felt as though she portrayed the LDS faith (ak...more
I watched one episode of The Biggest Loser the first or second season. I happened to catch a "temptation" and I thought it was terrible to put all of those overweight people in a room full of every kind of treat imaginable. I decided that I didn't like the show and never watched it again until last season. I wanted to see Rulon. I became a huge fan of the show, (not Rulon) and so when I saw this book I was excited to read it. I liked it. It was interesting to read a little bit about what happene...more
I finished this book in one day... it was fast and easy to read! I am a huge fan of the Biggest Loser and so I was excited when I found out about this book. The best parts of the book were the "behind the scenes" of the Biggest Loser... things that we don't see on TV. Ali also had lots of good tips and tricks she used while she was on the show that led her to being the first female BL winner. The other parts of the book were somewhat disorganized, but overall it was still interesting to read abo...more
Sep 08, 2011
Lauren
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone that needs a kick in the buns to get started on their road to a better life!
Recommended to Lauren by:
Tiffany Hoyt
Ali Vincent is one of my biggest inspirations, and this book was exactly what I needed to kick my arse into gear! A lot of what she went through and the things she claimed were holding her back are the same for me, so being able to read an account of someone who was able to do it and do it well has been so inspiring! If you want to get fit at home, but need a little kick start to get on track, this book may be that for you! Of course, it won't inspire everyone the same way it did me, but I'm sur...more
I just finished reading Ali's book and it was exactly as I had anticipated. I met Ali briefly at the MOA in November and was happy to get her to sign my copy. Reading the book was a treat. I especially liked reading about some of the things that happened behind the scenes, and I loved that Ali was so open and honest about herself and her relationship with her mother. Watching Ali on season 5 of Biggest Loser played a part in keeping me on track with my own weight loss efforts (something I wrote...more
This was an incredibly fast read- I read it in less than two days, and had I not spent some of that time at work and sleeping, it probably wouldn't even have taken me that long! (Less than 200 pages, some of those "pages" were full-length photos, big font, haha).
Not too in-depth about Ali's history, but enough for you to understand how sad she'd been and how she was looking to change her life for the better. Her story is really inspiring and her philosophies on health/nutrition/fitness are real...more
Not too in-depth about Ali's history, but enough for you to understand how sad she'd been and how she was looking to change her life for the better. Her story is really inspiring and her philosophies on health/nutrition/fitness are real...more
It would have been nice to have a little more depth & detail to the book because the changes she's made are inspiring. The season she won is the one season I watched consistently, so it was nice to have a little more insight into her journey. I enjoyed reading about her pink party (carpet, rose petals, punch, shirts, a pink wheelbarrow filled with 99 lbs. of fat) & adopting pink as her signature color. I liked her twist on the No Fear brand (KNOW Fear), and the reminder of Jillian's mant...more
I am a huge fan of the TV show The Biggest Loser, so I was thrilledt win this from a First Reads giveaway! I have been watching TBL faithfully since season 3 and I haven't missed an episode to date. The show is incredibly inspiring, and I love watching the contestants achieve their goals. The book was short and sweet, and I was able to read it in two days.
Believe it, Be it is the story of Ali Vincent, the first female winner of the Biggest Loser. When Ali was first accepted to be a contestant on...more
Believe it, Be it is the story of Ali Vincent, the first female winner of the Biggest Loser. When Ali was first accepted to be a contestant on...more
view all 3 comments
Okay . . . amazing might be going a bit far, but I really did like this book. Ali was the first woman to win The Biggest Loser and I enjoyed her very much while she was doing so. This book had some tips and tricks in it, but mostly it was just one woman saying "This is my life, and this is how I did it, and this is what I learned." It was very honest and real. And I did find it to be inspiring as I think about having a healthier lifestyle.
What an inspiration. I loved Ali Vincent on her season of the biggest loser. I remember watching the show the night she was brought back to the ranch for a chance to be in the running for the title. And I remember cheering for her when she won. This book was so easy to read, her story is compelling & she is proof that you can change your life one step at a time. I'm probably going to read this again, maybe a couple more times. Highly recommend.
This book details the weight loss and life transformation of Ali Vincent, season 5's biggest loser. It has a lot of behind the scenes on the Biggest Loser set.
I would call it a must read for Biggest Loser fans, but if you are looking for ideas on how to lose weight, you will probably have to look elsewhere.
Every book has food in it:
"I did start to find my self doing things I shouldn't, like standing in front of the freezer at night, dipping into the frozen yogurt for another spoonful when I wa...more
I would call it a must read for Biggest Loser fans, but if you are looking for ideas on how to lose weight, you will probably have to look elsewhere.
Every book has food in it:
"I did start to find my self doing things I shouldn't, like standing in front of the freezer at night, dipping into the frozen yogurt for another spoonful when I wa...more
This book had a lot of great qualities and I think it will have a lot of value to fans of Ali and the Biggest Loser. I appreciated some of the insider information as a big fan of the show. I think what I liked best was her honesty to what had to click for her to figure out what was broken and how to fix it. This is a huge step and hard to identify for most of us. Seeing the process she went through to figure that will help me and many other people.
Last May Ali Vincent came to my work and gave a talk about her Believe It, Be It message. Her energy and her incredible story really impacted me. I immediately (after I got a picture with her, of course) went out and bought five copies of her book. One copy for me, and a copy for each of the women in my life that I knew would be inspired by her story. I will turn to this book every time I falter in my own journey and think I am losing hope.
It was interesting to see some of the behind the scenes things that go at at the Biggest Loser show. Ali was able to truly create an amazing result through terrific dedication to exercise and changing what she ate. There are some very good parts, also some milk toast info that doesn't get down to the nitty gritty of how hard hard it must be. The book is well worth reading. It's light and easy to get through.
There were a few parts that kind of bummed me out. She says she respects the mormon religion, but she doesn't make them sound so great in the begining of her book.
Other than that, I read it in a day. It felt like I was talking to a girlfriend rather that reading a book and I also felt like we had a lot in common as far as childhood struggles and reasons for weight gain. Parts of it were also very inspiring.
Other than that, I read it in a day. It felt like I was talking to a girlfriend rather that reading a book and I also felt like we had a lot in common as far as childhood struggles and reasons for weight gain. Parts of it were also very inspiring.
My whole life I've struggled with my weight as many do. And this quick read really helped me when I needed it. I read the book in a few hours and I still refer back to it when I need that extra push. Ali was an inspiration to many when she stood up on the Biggest Loser scale and became the first female to ever win the show. She showed how perseverance really can make a dream come to fruition.
I never watched The Biggest Loser, and I did not know who Ali was when I decided to read this book. I did enjoy the book, not so much as for the quality of the writing, but more because of the enthusiasm and warm fuzzies that Ali is able to communicate on black and white pages. I found it inspiring enough that I bought copies for two friends that I thought would enjoy it!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
