Customer Reviews

From Chunk to Hunk: Diary of a Fat Man

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I started losing fat in October 2001, and found my way to the online weight-loss community and Fred Anderson's website after he had taken down his archives in the hopes of publishing this book. But Anderson is a legend in that community, and I've been looking forward to this book and avidly following his website's occasional updates since that time.

Also since that time, I've lost 115 of the 175 pounds of fat I eventually hope to lose. To be honest, I've been stalled for a while, but after reading this book, I've got my rear back in gear and my head in the right place, the place it was when I started.

Fred's adivce is simple: Live like the person you want to be. Think and act like a fit and healthy person, and you will become that person. His no-nonsense, straghtforward style may offend some, but I prefer to see it as a refreshing way of cutting through the bull aimed at the wallets of the overweight by the multi-billion dollar weight-loss industry.

You don't need any pills, prepackaged foods, diets, weight-loss plans, magical fat-burning devices, or bariatric surgery to lose weight. You don't (sorry, Fred) need any diet books. I think Fred had a hard time finding a publisher for his book for the simple reason that the diet industry doesn't want to promote a product that will make it obsolete.

Fred's descriptions of the difference between his new life as healthy person and his old life at 371 pounds made me cry. Being able to move without pain, to run, to buy clothing at any store, to fit comfortably in theater seats, behind the wheel of his car, in any amusement park ride, in an airplane. To go out in public with his family without feeling as if people were staring. To be able to be an active person, like he was as a child. Here are a couple he didn't mention, but I can vouch for: Being able to sleep on my back without feeling like I'm being suffocated by the weight of the fat on my chest and neck. Being able to properly clean myself after using the toilet, something that was difficult for me at 338 pounds because I had to do contortions to get my arms to reach around my belly.

But I'm done crying for the time I wasted. As Fred says, you hit what you aim for. If you think like a fat person, you'll continue to behave like a fat person, doing the same things that got you fat in the first place. If you think of losing fat as a struggle, a battle, or a war, it will be difficult for you. If you think of yourself as a food addict, or on a diet, you're setting yourself up with an excuse for not eating healthily and presupposing a time when you'll be "off" your diet. I choose to think of myself as a healty, active, fit woman, making the food and exercise choices of a a fit woman, easy choices that will last the rest of my life.

I read this book and Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Solution within two weeks of each other. The Dr. Phil book will go in the Goodwill pile, but I'm keeping this one. It's too bad the good doctor didn't have Fred Anderson around to "tell him like it is."

This isn't a diet book (Dr. Phil says his isn't either, but he lies). This book is the journal of a man who actually lost all the weight and how he did it (Credibility here, which Dr. Phil doesn't have on this issue). Fred Anderson says overweight people need to eat whole foods, exercise and skip the pills and quick fixes (Dr. Phil says to eat whole foods and exercise but then sells his own pills and nutritional bars which are sugar-laden).

I found the Anderson book entertaining and motivating. Anderson has a positive mental attitude, and it's contagious, spreading to the reader. This is the first time I've liked a book enough to review it.

There are going to be a lot of diet experts that dislike this book.

Fred Anderson is the real expert. He's a man who knows the reality of weight loss and faced the hard facts head on. He had diabetes and wasn't taking care of himself. He saw his future in a medical reality show in which a diabetic man had to have his leg amputated below the knee because of neglecting his condition. Fred made a decision at that point and didn't look back, throwing the snack cakes he was shoving in his face into the garbage instead.

Thus began Fred's journey. Along the way, he found you don't need fad diets, diet programs, shakes, pills or anything like that to lose weight. He knew the dirty little secret that every fat person knows:

If you consume fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.

It's not your genetics, it's not your "glands", it's "hand to mouth syndrome" and "sit on your butt-itis". He changed his way of doing things, beginning with excercise. He started treading water in a pool, because that was all he could handle. He was persistent and his diabetes symptoms disappeared in a matter of weeks. He also changed his diet. He didn't starve himself, he didn't count calories, he just started eating healthy food and stopped eating junk.

You'd think this would be common sense, but it's not. Our society is so ridden with a victim mentality that allows people to lie to themselves and say that they don't have control over their weight. There are a dozens of experts (all with books to sell) to tell them that it's not their fault. It's their genetics, their "set point", the way they were raised, it's the fast food ads, etc. Fat people are great at deluding themselves and there's an entire weight loss industry that relies on getting people to believe that they can't help themselves.

Fred proves it's all a series of choices. Every day we decide: Do I get out of the rack a half an hour early and take a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood or do I sleep in? Do I swing by the drive-through on the way home from work, or do I eat a healthy meal at home?

This is not a diet book. It's a chronicle of his (and his wife Robyn's) internet weblog detailing their weight loss escapades. Along the way, he graphically describes the ways that obesity destroys one's ability to live life. As he loses weight, the tells you all about the things that thin people take for granted that he's able to enjoy once again. It's inspirational and a fun read, but it's not going to give you lots of wiggle room. Once you read it, there's no more excuses, you either make the decision to lose weight and get in shape or you don't.

If you really want to lose weight, buy this book and leave the hucksters in the dust where they belong.

Since I've started my weight loss program, I decided to get around to reading a book my boss was reading at work... From Chunk To Hunk - Diary Of A Fat Man by Fred Anderson. While I can tell some people will hate this book, I absolutely loved it...

Anderson was a *very* overweight 371 pound guy who found his "pain point" after watching a TV show about a leg amputation. The amputee was in the emergency room with a very gross leg due to diabetes complications, and they ended up removing it. Anderson saw that (he was diabetic also) and could tell that was not far away from his future unless he did something different. He ditched the Little Debbie snack cake he was munching on, and set out on his quest to drop below 200 pounds. Instead of finding some faddish diet or starving himself, he started eating nutritious food in portions that were "normal" for what a person should eat (not what *his* concept of normal was). He also started moving around and becoming more active. Between reduced calories and increased activities, he was able to change his whole mental image of who he was, how he related to food, and in the end dropped all the weight he was looking to lose.

Other than the fact that I loved reading his writing style, I also appreciated the insight of weight loss from a guy's perspective. There are no weight loss success books out there by women who will talk about the very real subject of "man boobs"... what weight loss can do for your love life... along with the hysterical episode of purchasing a girdle after his skin removal surgery... Great stuff!

Some people won't like this book as it's not a cookie cutter "program" that tells you what to eat, when to eat it, and guarantees success. Most American weight loss programs treat symptoms and not the underlying condition and mindset that got you into the situation in the first place. And once you're off the program, the weight comes back. Anderson's approach is perhaps the only true way to have permanent weight loss with no drastic risks... Move more, eat less, and understand your relationship with food...

If you're a guy trying to lose weight, I'd highly recommend this book. Even though you may be following a different plan (like I'm following Jenny Craig), the mental aspects of what happens are still the same...

When I embarked on my own weight loss journey two years ago, I went searching for some online resources. I found Fred's website and immediately got hooked. His book, a distillation of that online journal, is similarly addicting. Fred writes from the heart about his weight loss, his attitudes, and his success in a direct, encouraging, witty style. He won't tell you what to eat, how much to eat, or when to eat; he'll tell you how to change your mind, and thus change your weight. I believe him; after all, he did it! He also inspired me to do it; I've lost and kept off 75 pounds.

From Chunk to Hunk is excellent! His accomplishment of losing 171 pounds is impressive and lends credence to his advice, and the advice is sane, sensible and solid (eat less, move more, etc). I loved his very positive attitude about the whole weight loss game, and found it inspirational that he had this attitude both when he was at his higher weights, with a long way to go, and when he was nearing his goal and only losing a small amount each month. I have some weight to lose, and have found adopting his positive, enthusiastic attitude about weight loss has helped me "stick with it" rather than the beating myself up which I formerly did, which formerly caused me to get discouraged and quit. Some of his best advice involved maintaining a positive attitude, everything in moderation, the importance of exercise,and the importance of natural foods and sensible eating rather than starvation or crash diets, pills or surgery. Most importantly, he urged people to realize they are in control of their weight and health - I know with weight, its always easy for me to tell myself I can't control what I eat when I'm stressed, pressed for time, under pressure, traveling, (wearing green, under a full moon, etc, etc, etc), but his book showed what nonsense this is!
Go Hunk!!!

I love a good success story, and Fred Anderson has one for you. I continue to find inspiration and ideas through others' weight loss success stories even though I myself lost 70 pounds and I've kept if off for over 2 years now. I frequently search the web for new WL success stories, but I've yet to discover one that can rival Anderson's. I often couldn't put the book down, for hours on end. I have read and re-read several passages and shared many of them with my family...leading to lengthy discussion. Anderson shares many basic lessons which most refuse to apply to their own lives for whatever reason. I can truly relate to the type of mentality he is battling. Much like any other challenge in life, it's as easy or hard as you make it. There are still times when I don't "feel like" exercising or eating healthy. During such times I can often recall a phrase of Anderson's that will propel me toward positive action. I am truly grateful for this book.

A real person eating real food,exercising and losing almost 200 pounds! I found this book easy to read as Fred tells it like it is. Very inspirational with his words of wisdom. Forget the fad diets, pills, potions and lotions. Start eating better, exercise and the way you think and the weight will come off. It certainly is helping me!

With out sounding too hokey here I'd like to say that I find Fred's book very inspiring and almost bible like. There have been so many times I've thought something like, "I'm too tired to exercise", and then I'll read some nuggets of wisdom from Fred and he's talking about what I'm thinking, and he straigtens me right out and gets me back on track with his "no bull" advice.

Fred really tells it like it is. There is no magic pill that will make us all a size 4 over night. Basically, like Fred says, "eat less and move more" and it will happen. It won't happen over night but it will happen.

This book is also very entertaining. Fred is so witty. I find myself laughing out loud all the time from reading his book. This book is worth the read even if you're not interested in losing weight or living a healthier lifestyle.

I enjoyed this book immensely. My only quibble is that it gets a bit repetitive at times. Mr. Anderson does a lot of philosophizing about his approach to weight loss, all of which I agree with, but he tends to say some of the same things several times using different words. I also found the ratio of philosophizing to anecdotal stories a bit higher than I expected, and while I enjoyed reading all his thoughts on body image, exercise, weight reduction, etc, I would have liked to see more stories describing various days in his life while he was on his bodily transformation journey. This is primarily because he can be VERY funny while writing about real-life experiences. The most important thing, however, is that his approach to mental and physical change is down-to-earth, common-sense, and utterly right on. This kind of wisdom is desperately needed in today's culture of fad diets, dangerous pills, and rampant unhealth. Worth reading whether you need to lose weight or not.