27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An inspiring story of losing weight and keeping it off, December 9, 2009
This review is from: Fat Chance: Losing the Weight, Gaining My Worth (Hardcover)
Julie Hadden thought her chances of appearing as a contestant on "The Biggest Loser" were pretty slim, but not only did she make the cut for Season 4, she ended up being slim herself and keeping the weight off long after the show was over. But even after she made the initial selection and appeared on the first show, she wasn't picked for either the Red or Blue team and thought that all the questionnaires, interviews, and appearances before judges was going to be for nothing. Then after an hour of waiting for the bus to take her and the rest of the "losers" out of the desert where they had finished the first race, who should come screaming out of the dust on her motorcycle but Jillian Michaels herself, ready to form the first "Black Team". They were going to be on the show after all!
If you've ever wondered how the contestants lose so much weight each week on the show, Julie tells of the grueling exercise routines they endure on a daily basis. It's not just the "Last Chance Workout" before weigh-ins where they go all out to burn calories and build new muscle, but 6 long hours of that same excruciating workout everyday. She refers to Jillian's workouts as "beatings." Jillian's motto, "Don't quit unless you faint, puke or die!" takes on an all too real meaning for the contestants in the following weeks. They all found out that they were capable of far more than the ever realized, but the process wasn't much fun at the time. Julie tells about what it took for her to keep going and not give up, even when she was only losing a couple pounds per week. In the end she was to lose almost half of her original body weight! I found it amazing that after all the "beatings" and seemingly impossible workouts, that Jillian Michaels was her hero.
This book is very interesting for it's inside look at "The Biggest Loser" but it's much more than that. It tells about Julie's background and her internal struggle with herself to keep on going and to not give up on becoming the person that she deserved to be. The book was mainly about her faith in God and how that helped her to get through the show and the weight loss process and to keep the weight off afterwards. If you find talk about other people's religious beliefs not to your liking you may find this book a little over the top. But if you want to realize what it took for one woman to conquer her problem with weight and ending up with her life changed because of the huge burden of all those extra pounds, this book is for you.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
There's Always Hope, Reviewed for BookPleasures, December 16, 2009
This review is from: Fat Chance: Losing the Weight, Gaining My Worth (Hardcover)
So many Americans are what is called morbidly obese, they weigh so much that they are in danger of several illness and death due to weight. Julie Hadden was one of those people. She had the perfect life, a wonderful husband, a son, and the chance to stay at home to raise him. She had family, friends, and a strong spiritual life. She was blond; who could ask for more? But, she was also severely overweight and it was ruining her life. She didn't have the energy to play with her son, was embarrassed to go out in public, and even ashamed to be intimate with the husband who adored her. She needed a change.
That's exactly what she got. When she was picked to compete on The Biggest Loser, she was thrown into a radical program that overhauled her whole life. In the book, Fat Chance, she tells us about her struggle, her pain, and her triumph.
The book is divided into three parts, her life before the program, the grueling days on The Biggest Loser, and the struggle to keep the weight off once she was on her own again. Julie is a very charismatic writer and her personality shines through her words. I never watched The Biggest Loser and I knew nothing of her before the book, but by the second chapter I was convinced she was a warm, friendly person. Her writing is simple and welcoming, as casual as a talk with a good friend.
A wonderfully refreshing part of the book is Julie's faith. People don't often openly speak of their religion, but Fat Chance is not only a story of weigh loss, it is a personal testimony of her faith. While she had always been a `born-again' Christian, she didn't have a strong personal relationship with God. However, when she faced the toughest challenge of her life, the breakdown and rebuilding of her whole body, she found strength in the Lord. It is delightful to read and to think perhaps your faith could be that strong.
This book is a great read for everyone, skinny and thin. It isn't a book just about weight loss; it is a book about facing your demons and surviving. Julie's demon was her weight and the emotional issues behind it, but what she did will inspire anyone who has a large barrier to overcome and needs the strength to succeed.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insoired to Walk my Health Journey, December 21, 2009
This review is from: Fat Chance: Losing the Weight, Gaining My Worth (Hardcover)
I am in the process of losing weight and reclaiming my health. Although this book did not start my journey, it has inspired me to continue at a time that I had reached a plateau. The heartfelt journey that Julie engages us in strikes every area that is touched by changes that started with our body. Thank you Julie for writing this book and motivating the rest of us to see ""we are worthy of our dreams" too!!!!
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