Big Fat Lies Women Tell Themselves: Ditch Your Inner Critic and Wake Up Your Inner Superstar [Paperback]

Amy Ahlers (Author), SARK (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2011

Most of us have a nonstop chorus of criticism in our heads — voices not unlike those of the mean girls lurking in locker rooms of junior high schools everywhere. Amy Ahlers’s witty, wise, and cut-to-the-chase book will give you everything you need to take on those bullying Inner Mean Girls and Inner Critics — and win. You’ll learn how to rewire the self-sabotaging lies you tell yourself into affirming truths that will increase self-respect, self-love, and self-compassion, transforming your inner and outer lives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Written with great humor, tolerance, honesty, and wisdom, this book is sort of like having your own personal cheerleader with you 24/7. The work given is excellent, well-thought out, and obviously based on experience....If you’re feeling you really want to cut that inner ‘mean girl’ down to size once and for all, this is the book to help you do it.”
— New Spirit Journal

“Ahlers’s book won't bore you with psychological jargon and dry theory. It's fun to read and filled with coaching, affirmations, inspiring quotations, and stories, yet her understanding and insight are deep and can take you by surprise.”
— Spirituality & Health

“A crucial message for women to stop being so hard on themselves. The tools and exercises in this book are transformational, and Amy Ahlers’s insight, humor, and enthusiasm are infectious.”
— Marci Shimoff, New York Times bestselling author of Love for No Reason

“Stop everything you are doing — you have to read this book! This is the book that you pass on to your closest girlfriend or daughter when she needs to be reminded of her greatness.”
— Lisa Nichols, author of No Matter What!

“This timely book will transform your fear-based illusions into miracles and reconnect you with your loving truth. With Amy as your guide, you are destined to awaken your Inner Superstar!”
— Gabrielle Bernstein, author of Add More ~ing to Your Life and Spirit Junkie

“Ahlers is a cheerleader. What makes this a valuable book is that she backs her cheerleading up with viable, easy-to-implement techniques that can actually change people’s sense of well-being.”
— Anna Jedrziewski, New Age Retailer

“Packed full of real truth and wisdom. I highly recommend this book for any woman who just wants to be happy.”
— Kristine Carlson, author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Women

About the Author

Amy Ahlers is a celebrated certified life coach, the CEO of Wake-Up Call Coaching, and the cocreator of Inner Mean Girl Reform School. For over a decade she has offered teleseminars and workshops to inspire women. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, daughter, and rescue mutt.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: New World Library (October 11, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1608680282
• ISBN-13: 978-1608680283
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amy Ahlers, The Wake-Up Call Coach and bestselling author of Big Fat Lies Women Tell Themselves, is on a mission to wake you up to the TRUTH about how FABULOUS you are! She is a Certified Life Coach, the CEO of Wake-Up Call Coaching and co-founder of Inner Mean Girl Reform School with Christine Arylo, Visionary Ignition Switch with Lissa Rankin and Find Your Calling with Martha Beck and Lissa Rankin.

Amy's been featured on lots of TV and radio shows and leads virtual and in person retreats for women around the world so they cultivate the courage to follow their Inner Wisdom. Amy's book, Big Fat Lies Women Tell Themselves: Ditch Your Inner Critic and Wake Up your Inner Superstar hit #1 in many categories on Amazon including self-help, happiness and self-esteem.

A 2010 recipient of a Women Who Dare Award from Girls Inc., she holds a BA from the University of California, earned the CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach) designation from The Coaches Training Institute, is a Bigger Game Certified Coach, is a certified Business Coach from with John Assaraf's OneCoach, and is a Master Coach Equivalent.

When not working, you'll find her with the love of her life and husband, Rob, chasing after her 5-year old firecracker of a daughter, Annabella, or running in the hills with her rescue mutt, Dozer.

Visit her online at www.WakeUpCallCoach.com & get your FREE Inner Superstar kit!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Get ready to tell the TRUTH! September 30, 2011

By Dyana Valentine

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

You are worth it.

I am a skeptic. I always look at new self-help books out of the corner of one eye--so when I say that Amy Ahlers gave me my own truth, you know it's coming from a totally sincere place. I didn't even KNOW I was lying to myself. This book is so simple, really--it just lays out the crap we say to ourselves, mostly without even thinking, and gives us a way to not only reframe it, but take action. This is not your run of the mill "you are doing everything wrong and I'm just the expert to fix you" book. NO WAY. This is about joining a movement of truth-telling superstars who will not take any more self-torture. Period. I learned something from Amy that I cannot un-learn: how to hear through my bull crap and tell the truth. This is going to be my go-to gift for friends and clients this year.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful book - pick up a copy! October 9, 2011

By Mike Robbins

Format:Paperback

This book is a MUST read for all women...and even for men (like me) who both have important women in our lives and also have a tendency to be hard on ourselves. I love Amy Ahlers and have been a fan of her work for some time...I'm so glad she wrote this book and put these "Big Fat Lies" out there. Her message is easy to access and understand, yet filled with depth, power, and practical advice. She understands how we operate as human beings and our negative tendency to be hyper self critical. When my girls are old enough to read a book like this, it will be one of the first ones I recommend for them. The openness, vulnerability, truth, and wisdom of this book shines through - you will be inspired, comforted, and empowered to let go of self criticism and take your life, work, and/or relationship to the next level. I HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy for yourself and for all of the important the women (and even some of the men) in your life!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amy Ahlers nails it October 20, 2011

By P.S. Frankel

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

In this insightful and well-crafted book, Amy Ahlers gets straight to the heart of the matter of each of these lies women tell themselves. But more than that, she goes on to offer clear, simple and practical advice and suggestions for helping shut off the endlessly dripping faucet of self-criticism that plagues so many of us, no matter how smart, creative, successful, happy or fulfilled we know ourselves to be. Because it doesn't matter. It is a sad truth that modern women suffer from phenomenal amounts of self-loathing and self-criticism in every area of our lives. And this is how this book is organized: by life area. Whole self, body, career, and so forth.

I am not much of a self-help reader. In fact, I am a huge skeptic of most of this sort of thing. (Nor, by the way, am I a friend. I don't know the author personally.) But then, Amy Ahlers is not your average self-help writer. To be honest, no one is more surprised than I am at my own response here. The prose is clear and concise, the suggestions and advice filled with compassion and delivered with a refreshing directness, and the stories are real-world.

In my experience, each of these lies and the way Amy Ahlers presents them provides, if one chooses, an invitation to a much deeper soul-searching meditation. And the simplicity is part of the greatness here. All really good spiritual teachers, coaches and therapists know the value of not bogging someone down in quicksand. They know the value of repetition. And of mirroring one's own wisdom. The author does all that and more, in a way that feels both simple ("Oh, of course, right! That makes sense!") yet is nonetheless deep. We resonate the most with those who strike us as having garnered that wisdom because they have traveled the path....

Or in this case, lived the lies. And clearly, Amy has.

Finally, this is clearly a woman who loves you, and loves me, and wants us to be our best selves and ... really, really, really wants us to stop being so damned hard on ourselves. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Straight Talk with Lots of Love and Support October 18, 2011

By J. Williams

Format:Paperback

Reading Amy Ahlers dissect the many Big Fat Lies (and you will recognize nearly all, if not all, of them!) is like having a private coaching session that leaves you challenged, yet lovingly supported to improve and take care of yourself.

The Big Fat Lies are so true and so pervasive - it's amazing to see them all in one place, and even more important - DEBUNKED so effectively. Amy Ahlers doesn't simply say "hey, these are lies!" - she lovingly challenges the reader to acknowledge them and provides actual coaching tools to address each one.

This is a true handbook that I will be turning to, time and time again, as I face a sneak attack (or full-on assault) by a Big Fat Lie. I feel as if I have the coaching power and authentic, compassionate coaching of Amy Ahlers available whenever I need it - what a great tool.

I can assure you that this book is one that will get USED. It won't spend time collecting dust on a bookshelf - it will be consulted and pages will be dog-eared. I am already listing my dear girlfriends and family members who will be receiving their copy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Calm the "crazy" in your head down October 13, 2011

By Laura & Todd Palmer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love this book! I say "love" as opposed to "loved" because it is a book you keep going back to again and again. I feel like this book nails it.... for any woman who has those moments of never feeling quite good enough. Many of the exercises really hit home for me. Amy asks great questions of the reader and I love her voice throughout the book. It's like you are talking to a good friend. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to quiet down the crazy in her head!