From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction [Paperback]

Carole Carson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

This guide chronicles how one woman’s very public journey to lose weight mushroomed into a community quest to get fit. At the age of 60, Carole Carson broke the taboo of speaking about obesity when she openly admitted her shame and guilt about being fat and out of shape on the front page of the local newspaper. As she recounted her transformation from butterball to butterfly in a weekly newspaper column, she gradually inspired more than 1,000 people in her Northern California community to join her. People who had struggled with weight loss and fitness suddenly found that when they joined with their friends and neighbors they could accomplish together what they could not do by themselves. They learned a completely new way of living and discovered that getting fit was fun and in the process lost the equivalent of a school bus! Through the guide’s seven-step process, among other practical strategies and resources, readers will find a framework for duplicating the Nevada County Meltdown’s successes in their respective communities—their congregation, their office, their friends and family—realizing the power of partnership and revitalizing their ties with each other.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This story puts a human face on the private taboo of weight. Both inspirational and informative, the author shows what is possible. Ordinary people can shed pounds and reconnect with each other."  —Paul Auerbach, MD, clinical professor of surgery, Stanford University

"One of those rare moments when ordinary people working together do something extraordinary. It made a lasting impression."  —Jeff Ackerman, publisher, The Union Newspaper

"Carole demonstrated how an average person—who lost weight, got fit, and went public—can indeed change lives."  —Lew Sitzer, executive director, Nevada County Television

About the Author

Carole Carson is the author of From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction. Just before turning 60, she totally remade her life, losing 62 pounds and shrinking from a size 18 to a size 6. Then she invited her whole community to join the fun. Inspired by her example, more than a thousand people teamed up to lose nearly four tons of fat in two months.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Hound Press (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976603098
• ISBN-13: 978-0976603092
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #578,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I want that!, April 26, 2007

By 

Mea Strasler (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction (Paperback)

I actually met Carole Carson and THEN read her book. Believe me, seeing the "after" first had a great impact on me. I never could have imagined the "before" Carole. She went from a pleasantly round grandmotherly type to a toned, energetic, athletic and strikingly attractive woman who looks like she could take on the world! Oh, did I mention that I met her on a tennis court in the Hawaiian Islands? My group was so impressed with her play, confidence and effervesence. Imagine my surprise when I read her book. After only a few chapters, I decided, "I want that!" Her ideas are easy to implement and I love hearing, "Are you thinner--you look great!" Better yet, I have new-found energy and confidence. Her story can be your story. You'll laugh out loud as you read how an entire town jumps on board as Carole motivates them to healthy living.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and Real, This Book is Powerful!, March 30, 2007

By 

Amy N. Pistone (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction (Paperback)

This book is such a great mix of inspiration and real-life stories. Unlike so many other "this book will change your life forever" sort of books, this book is about real people making real changes, something that we can all relate to. The story is told in such a way that these extraordinary accomplishments don't feel intimidating or impossible. Instead, it feels like sitting down with an old friend and hearing about these amazing things that you could do, if you put your mind to it. The community aspect of it is something I particularly liked, and it's easy to start to think of her community as your own community and imagine what this would look like with your own friends and family.
I loved this book, and think that it truly does have to power to change people's bodies, lives, and communities in a way that so many other diet books claim to do, but come up short. Believe me, this book doesn't come up short!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You're Not Alone............, March 29, 2007

By 

Dennis W. Babson "Fiscal Conservative" (GRASS VALLEY, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction (Paperback)

If you thought there were no new ideas on how to lose that unhealthy body weight plus how to keep it off, you were wrong. One of the great things about this tome is that you not only find out you're not alone in your struggles with losing weight, there's a different solution to becoming fit again. Oh, we all know the difficulties of losing, and many of us do, only to regain it all back. Carole not only shows us how to suceed where we only failed before, but have FUN doing it. Her story is not only one of promise, but how a whole community came together to win the Battle of the Bulge. What began as a slap of realism when she gingerly steped on the bathroom scale only to have it break, literally, grew exponentially into a Movement that not only captvated a whole community, but through this book to the rest of world. Lose weight and fun? that paradox is proven through the adventures Carole and her neighbors. It's a fun read even if you don't need to lose weight. The cover says it all, from fat to fit wins!