3 Fat Chicks on a Diet: How Three Ordinary Women Battle the Bulge--and How You Can Too!

by Suzanne Barnett, Jennifer Barnett Lesman, Amy Barnett Buchanan

Filled with the sassy attitude and sage advice of three lovable sisters from the South who have been fighting the battle of the bulge for most of their lives, 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet tells everyone who has ever wanted to lose a few pounds how to find dieting success. Because every dieter will try most of the popular diets at some point in a weight-loss struggle, the sisters give you the real scoop―as well as anecdotes and wisdom from scores of their online community of women―on the favorites, from South Beach to the Mediterranean Diet, Atkins to the Zone, and celebrity-driven weight-loss programs to Ediets.

You'll get so much more than just coffee-klatch

* The pros and cons of each diet
* Guilt-free ways to snack and still stay with the program
* Straight talk for making the diets work for every meal of the day
* Menu suggestions when dining out
* Delicious recipes to try at home
* And much more!

Best of all, the book offers a fool-proof support system of love and encouragement from women just like you who are trying to win the war with their waistlines.

Just when you think you're bogged down by calorie counting, the 3 Fat Chicks diet community takes you on a humorous romp through their battles with everything from slimming slippers and fat-away soap to cabbage soup and grapefruit diets. Get the real-world facts that you need to embark on your personal journey to change your weight and your life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Helynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, the three sisters who wrote this book together are no longer fat (you can see a picture of the three pretty—though not super-skinny—authors Suzanne, Jennifer, and Amy Barnett on the back cover of the book). And, as veterans of zillions of contemporary diet plans (Amy is also a successful recipient of weight-loss surgery), they know their stuff when it comes to the battle of the bulges, and have created a handy manual of weight-loss plans that one can scan and evaluate at a fairly quick glance. Each chapter is a lighthearted, fun analysis of several current weight-loss philosophies and approaches—Atkins, South Beach, Zone, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Curves, Mediterranean, Dr. Phil., etc.,—with a description of each plan’s positive points as well as its pitfalls. Besides their own humorous testimonies of the difficulties in giving up Mallowmars, pecan pie, and hush puppies (they are all sweet-tooths from Tennessee), they include testimonials from other women about their personal ups and downs with the various diet plans. They begin with the plans that try people’s souls and stomachs the very most—the low-carb diets—and admit these approache have the advantage of taking off pounds quickly and efficiently. The problem is described by one woman on South Beach: “I’m a week in to Phase 2 . . . but last night I snuck into my kitchen when everyone was asleep and devoured three Boston cream doughnuts in the blink of any eye” (30). I think most of us can relate to that. The most important points is that “you pick a diet you can live with” (50). They praise the Weight Watchers plan for its family-friendly flexibility and its tolerance for reasonable amounts of just about everything. Although most chapters include a few recipes, the ones from Weight Watchers are the most appealing, such as the reduced fat cherry chocolate cake. I’m sure the carbless cauliflower gratin in the Atkins chapter is yummy, but I just wasn’t motivated to write it down. The authors are also partial to Weight Watchers because of its emphasis on camaraderie in the weight-loss process. If you have a problems with weekly weigh-ins (which are private anyway), you can always join Weight Watchers on-line. They are less enthusiastic about pricy programs such as Jenny Craig, L.A., and eDiets, and note such plans are best for people with a lot of money who don’t mind committing to a long-term contract. A chapter is devoted to Curves and other exercise programs. “When it comes to exercise, there are no excuses! . . . Exercise isn’t a temporary solution. It is a commitment and the benefits are countless” (136). They add, “Realistically we all need sixty minutes of exercise a day to maintain (our weight) and ninety minutes a day to lose’ (141). The Barnett sisters especially like the social, all-women atmosphere at Curves that adds to a more comfortable environment. Another plan, Body for Life for Women, emphasizes exercise, but allows for a “free day” off the diet. The authors add tips to avoid going hog wild on free day and undoing all the good dieting from the previous six days. In fact, they recommend “mini-chills”—occasional small, indulgences of forbidden food. “If you want to lose weight, save your mini-chills [for:] when if you don’t have a cookie or a scoop of ice cream, you are going to peel the wallpaper off the walls” (162). These ladies like Dr.’s Phil’s approach—don’t diet, but eat healthy foods and don’t pig out. They admit Dr. Phil is “a bit of a know-it-all, But . . He will really help you ‘get real’ about weight loss and realistic expectations and goals” (214). They agree that Oprah’s “boot camp” diet is a little too strict for most people (no rice, white flour, or sugar), and they maintain that the Zone Diet that calls for 30 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, and 40 percent protein per day is better left to vegetarians and “mathletes” who don’t mind all the constant calculations. Their comments on a Mediterranean diet make this one sound most appetizing, especially as they identify new “comfort foods” as pita bread, olive oil, roasted eggplant, shrimp scampi, couscous and roasted chicken as replacements for buttermilk biscuits, Crisco, baby back ribs, cat fish and hush puppies, Tater Tots, chick nuggets and corn dogs (225). The recipes in this chapter are tempting, too, such as spicy (vegetarian) lentil chili. The second-to-last chapter is a down-to-earth, cautionary discussion of weight-loss surgery (WLS) options with the caveat that WLS is a tool, but not a miracle cure for obesity, and demands a skilled approach to its use. Lastly, the sisters give tips of weight-loss maintenance, danger signs of backsliding, and tips for “how to steer out of a skid” toward weight gain. They also provide a list of recent novels about weight issues (which they call "fat fiction") that provide empathy and inspiration. They conclude, “The diet never really ends, it just becomes a better lifestyle” (269).

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw a review of this book in Shape magazine and apparently didn't read it very closely because I thought this was going to be a funny novel. It turned out to be a non-fiction book that discusses the different type of diets (WW, eDiets, South Beach, etc.), how they work, and what type of person they would be best for. Even though it wasn't what I thought it would be, it was still interesting and humorous. There are some recipes and I found a couple of vegetarian ones that I'm going to try.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kind of knew what some of the more popular diets (The Zone, Jenny Craig, Atkins, South Beach, etc.) are about but this book is great in that there is a chapter focused on each of them.

Weight Watchers works for me ... and reading about the other diets (or lifestyle changes) validated that. I'm not a fan of veggies and that seems to be a big factors in the other diets. I'd never survive without carbs!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It took a thoughtful approach to investigating each of many modern diet trends, pointing out strengths, weaknesses, and the likelihood that it could be a viable plan over the long run. Definitely inspired me to check into a few other related reads on diet and nutrition.

[Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Motivational and somewhat informative. Nice review of what methods are out there, and why they did or didn't work for the authors.

Overall, it was a motivational read for me, rather than informative, as I've tried or read up on almost everything in the book (though some of it was before my dieting time, so to speak, and I had no idea what they were talking about, lol.)

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have really been interested in nutritional books lately, and I had heard of this blog, so I borrowed the book from the library. It was interesting enough- it was basically just a review of a number of diets and lifestyle changes with some quotes thrown in. I did like the recipes scattered in each chapter, but I mostly just skimmed this one.

[Bonita Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up a while.. ago looks hilarious.. and really well written.. all about the battle of our weights, how us women obsess about it, and what works and what doesn't.. I can't wait to get into this one too!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great...it gave reviews for each of the major diet types, with pros and cons of each. After reading about many of the low carb diets and other types, I can't go on a restrictive diet -- so, I decided to try Total Body Makeover which focuses on working out, wish me luck.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to visit their website a lot. Very enjoyable and educational. Their book breaks down the different diet plans we are all aware of. A good read.

[Suzann]

had a lot of good food for thought and led me to their web site--which has tons of info.

[Gato Negro · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good look at all of the popular diet plans from the last decade or so (Zone, WW, South Beach, etc.). Plenty of decent recipes and healthy tips.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 annoying women on my nerves.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book - I'm a frequent visitor to the 3fatchicks.com site and I'm quoted in the book!