Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life [Hardcover]

Ali Vincent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2009

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 change her life, once and for all: to lose weight, get healthy, and pursue her dreams. Before she was even offered a spot on The Biggest Loser campus, Ali made up her mind that she was going to not only drop the weight— but win the competition.

In her bedroom at The Biggest Loser ranch, Ali rang a little bell she kept on her bedside table each night before she went to sleep and again when she awoke in the morning, repeating the phrase that had become her mantra: Believe it, be it. Seven months later, she emerged from the grueling competition as its first-ever female champion, claiming the title, the grand prize and, most of all—winning back her life.

In Believe It, Be It, Ali shares for the first time her intimate story of personal and physical transformation and provides a rare glimpse inside life at the famous

Biggest Loser ranch. Ali also shares the weight-loss strategies, eating habits, and workout tips that helped her lose—and keep off—more than 100 pounds. For anyone who has ever battled with weight loss or struggled to accept themselves for who they are, Ali Vincent’s story provides hope that a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life is within reach. It all begins with believing that it’s possible. Believe it, and be it.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As the first female winner of TV's The Biggest Loser, Vincent lost 112 pounds, about 47% of her body weight. As she explains, she shed unhealthy habits and gained an enthusiastic approach to life. She writes, [I]t's an accomplishment that fuels all of my future goals. Vincent's story is one that will be familiar to readers: someone who, despite being an athletic, popular high schooler, by her early 30s was just kind of letting life happen to me—I didn't feel worthy of wanting anything more for myself. Once she became a contestant on the show (with her mother as her partner), she wanted to win; she shares her strategies for losing weight, navigating the show and engaging more in life. Readers looking to slim down will find lots of helpful tidbits. They're not revolutionary (don't let the scale rule your life, don't get in a workout rut), and though Vincent's penchant for platitudes can be grating, her earnestness and enthusiasm is clear. Includes recipes and before-and-after photos. (Dec.)
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Review

All of America has witnessed Ali Vincent’s amazing physical endurance, but in Believe It, Be It, readers will learn that her inner fortitude is just as impressive as her outer strength."

--Jillian Michaels, trainer for The Biggest Loser and author of Master Your Metabolism

"Believe It, Be It reminds everyone of why we fell in love with Ali Vincent in the first place. Her personal journey is one we can all relate to and her success proves that anything is possible-- if you believe it."

--Alison Sweeney, host of The Biggest Loser

"Ali Vincent’s story shows that losing weight isn’t just about dropping pounds—it’s about inner transformation. Her honesty will inspire others to lose the weight--for good!"

--Lisa Delaney, author of Secrets of a Former Fat Girl

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (November 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605295485
• ISBN-13: 978-1605295480
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #401,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ali Vincent was a cast member of The Biggest Loser, Season 5. She was the first female to win the title of The Biggest Loser. She lives in Phoenix, AZ, and is a motivational speaker as well as spokesperson for Designer Whey Protein and Celebrity Guest Host representing the Biggest Loser products on QVC. She has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today Show and Ellen. To contact Ali and learn about her upcoming events, visit www.AliVincent.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great behind-the-scenes look for Biggest Loser fans, March 26, 2010

By 

Erin K. Simons "Aspiring writer, voracious re... (Central Indiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life (Hardcover)

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 perspective on the series for fans of the program. However, Vincent's own revelations are also worth a read. The writing isn't great -- at all -- but the content is good. Vincent talks about her past problems that lead to her obesity with a lot of transparency and honesty. I was surprised by her candor about her childhood and some of her misteps in adulthood, and really appreciated Vincent's courage in writing this book.

The main story is punctuated with short tips, anecdotes and inspirational pull-outs. As a reader, I thought these were a little distracting and maybe too frequent throughout the text, but most provided some good quick information.

At the end of the day, I kind of left the book feeling that Vincent might be a little workout-obsessed. She writes that she no longer goes to movie theatres because she'd rather watch a DVD on her treadmill. (Really?) It's inspiring to see how much weight she lost and to learn how she did it, but for me, it was also a little discouraging to realize that unless you want to work out for 4-8 hours a day, that path from a size 20 to a size 4 might not be quite so easy for the rest of us to follow.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most inspirational book I have read in years!, November 11, 2009

By 

Tasha Cole (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life (Hardcover)

As a avid watcher of The Biggest Loser, I was very excited when I saw Ali Vincent was coming out with her own book, so I preordered it on the spot! I received the book yesterday and stayed up last night reading it. I just could not put it down!

Ali was the first women to ever win on The Biggest Loser (and I had all but given up that a women would EVER be able to win on that show)! I was hoping she would give some insight into what it was like being on TBL and wow, did she ever!!! She broke it down and explained what it was like on a daily basis and how things were BEHIND the scenes! That was so fun to read, but what was great is how much you get to learn about Ali as a person!!!

You learn what it was like to audition for TBL, as well as what it was really like on there first challenge. I laughed so hard reading about how thirsty her mom was, and how she offered to spit in her mouth (and was happy that her mom said no), that I thought I was going to wake my husband up! I also learned how to find inspiration by "Collecting Evidence For Success" as Ali calls it. She explains how her and her mom used being the 11th couple in line, on the 11th day of the month as evidence that it was meant to be for them to be on TBL. When they were given the color pink, she started noticing all the pink in the world around her, seeing it as sign that she was going to win!

Ali wasnt afraid to put herself out there and really be truthful about how things were, personally, with her mother and on the Ranch. I think, everyone who watches TBL will find themselves drawn into this wonderful book. That being said, its not just about TBL show, its about one womens journey to regain her life back. Anyone who struggles or has ever struggled with there weight will immediatly feel a kinship with Ali. Its written in such a way, that you cant help but to be excited for her and with her. I'll never look at the color pink in the same way now!

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I could give this book more then five stars, November 11, 2009

By 

Jerect (Ga.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life (Hardcover)

I really wish I could rate this book 10 stars. Ali Vincent's story is an uplifing and inspiring read. While reading this book, I really felt like she was sitting right there talking to me in person. Her bubbly personality can be found on every single page.

This book was not just about Ali's weight loss. You wont find any mention about her calorie intake or the details of her food journal. What you will find though is a young lady who fell in love with herself again and changed from the inside out.. someone who belived in herself and kept her eyes on her goal even when curve balls where thrown her way.

I don't know if Ali will read the reviews on her book here or not but Ali if you happen to read this, I just want to say Thank You!!!! For about two years now I have found my life on auto pilot and I have found myself going back to some unhealthy habits that I have with food. I plan on using the tools that you wrote about in your book to jumpstart my life....