Customer Reviews

Finding It: And Satisfying My Hunger for Life without Opening the Fridge

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I, for one, loved reading Valerie's new book. I so admire her humor, honesty, and real voice. I feel like I'm with a good friend when I read her. Her insights about weight loss are invaluable. I also really appreciate her frank talk about Wolfie (her son). I hope she has another book after this one...I'll be the first in line for it.

I was hesitant to read this after reading the reviews which criticized the political nature of the book. The last thing I wanted was to pick up a book about weight loss and have it be some celebrity's political medium. Thank goodness I did decide to read this as I was shocked at how little politics were in the book and how what was there was tied to HER journey of finding herself and inspiring change in HER life. Some people have little tolerance to even hear the name Obama and my suspicion is that is where those comments came from. So, if you can't stand to even hear the Obama name, then probably you shouldn't read this book. If you have an open mind and can embrace opinions of others which may differ from yours, then I would recommend reading this book.

For me, the book started out slow and took me awhile to get into. It was kind of like having a conversation with a friend. The first book was filled with fame,celebrity meetings, and some of that tabloid excitement of living on the edge. This book was very different and more about an average woman with everyday struggles. The more I read, the more I liked it for that very reason - it is relatable. In this book Valerie is trying to reinvent herself and struggles with such common things as a child growing up & not needing her, a career that is in flux, elderly parents, growing older herself and maintenance for her weight loss. She ties a lot of her journey in with faith, a need for change and an acceptance of self that we all seem to struggle with. There were some gold nuggets in this book. I love her notes to herself.

The first book was captivating as it led you through the rise to stardom, a high profile marriage and her dramatic weight loss. This book was more down to earth and less Hollywood. Like I said, it was like having a conversation with your best friend. This is what hit home with me. Although I don't personally agree with everything she says, thinks or feels in this book, I allowed my mind to hear what she was saying in the context of her life and found it fascinating and inspirational.

Neither book teaches you how to lose weight or keep it off, but both do depict a very public journey with something we all privately struggle with and that is our sense of self - how to find it and keep it in tact through the highs and lows of life.

This won't be the best piece of literature you pick up but all in all, I think it is an easy worthwhile read.

Having enjoyed Valerie Bertinelli's first book, I was looking forward to reading this one. I was eager for "the rest of the story" and dove right in as soon as the book was released. If you are looking for more than you could possibly want to know (or that I would imagine Wolfie and his girlfriend want you to know) about her teenage son's sex life, then this is the book for you. If you want multiple (many more than in her first book) political comments from Valerie, then you are really in luck - she repeatedly makes clear her disdain for political opinions that don't mirror hers. Hungry for lots and lots of family minutiae that has nothing to do with weight loss? You won't be by the third chapter or so.

Kudos to Valerie for her amazing weight loss success. I bought this book hoping to learn more about her success and to gain some tips and insights. By Chapter 6, I had had enough of trying to glean any tips and insights from all of the other information Ms. Bertinelli chose to share. I was so excited to begin reading this book. After a less than enjoyable read of six chapters, I find I have no desire to finish it.

I admire Valerie on her weight loss and greatly enjoyed her first book. I was looking forward to reading this book and was VERY disappointed.I found her VERY annoying and I can no longer identify with her. She is NOT your typical ordinary person trying to lose weight. She has help & resources that regular people do not have. She has Jenny Craig meals & snacks(which most people can't afford)a personal trainer (again not within most people's budgets) and TIME, that people who work regular jobs & raise families do not have. She has "time" to workout for long stretches of time, realistically most are lucky to get an hour in. Her only child is grown and she doesn't have to cook if she doesn't want to. She had a trainer to keep her on her toes. And the use of some device (bodybug) that kept track of her calories and food eaten. I mean MOST people do not have these things. She says her body is "ATTAINABLE"! NO IT ISN'T. Maybe it's attainable to everyone who has the resources, help and time that she has. This book was a huge disappointment. I forced myself to finish it so that I didn't waste my money. This book had way too much talk about her boyfriend and politics. It was interesting to hear about Wolfie, but even that was excessive. I am sorry I just can't relate to her and cannot recommend this book to others. Valerie you are down to earth and kudos on your weight loss, but this book wasn't good.

In her new book "Finding It: And Satisfying My Hunger for Life without Opening the Fridge," a follow-up to her bestselling memoir "Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time," Valerie Bertinelli intimately details her life after the release of her first book. Throughout the chapters, her writing is light and humorous which provides for one entertaining read. We learn about her teenage son Wolfie who tours with his rock star father Eddie Van Halen, gets his first serious girlfriend, and has trouble passing the driver's license test. Then there's Tom, Valerie's boyfriend who has four children of his own and whose witty commentary Bertinelli quotes throughout the book. However, obviously the most interesting character is Valerie herself. Despite her Hollywood stardom, Bertinelli comes across as very down-to-earth. She struggles with maintaining her weight, worrying about her teenage son, and becoming exhausted from all the errands. While writing candidly about her life--so much that I often felt like I was reading her diary, Valerie also discusses her belief-system and the quest to stay optimistic. Before each chapter, Bertinelli even includes a "Notes to Myself" section which lists her thoughts, and often includes inspirational quotations. In addition to being a memoir of Valerie's current life, this book has the bonus of functioning like a self-help book for others out there who are also struggling with a positive self-image and regrets from the past (Valerie's include spending too much time in her miserable marriage, failing to get an education, and allowing herself to gain weight in the first place), while dealing with the present. Overall, I found this book to be a solid read and something I would recommend to not only Valerie's fans, but women in general as well as men who are having trouble understanding their wives.

First of all, I want to say that I am beyond impressed with what Valerie has done to improve her life! I lost weight and I had also begun to run . .so I do know how hard both of these issues are! It is great to hear how someone, regardless of their celebrity status can overcome difficulties and completely turn their life around! Her boyfriend Tom sounds like an absolute gem!!!!

However, as I so enjoyed her first book and even bought copies for my friends, her second book was more like a diary read. Interesting, funny, eh, sort of boring sometimes. I don't know if it was too soon after the first book to have put out a second--but somehow, the material was not as moving. I found myself skipping pages and losing concentration in my reading. I found myself wanted to hear more about maybe her life: what was going on with her son, her boyfriend, or her ex. Just something to fill in. The first book was so good and was so in depth, I believe that it is hard to match something that was so perfect.

I like many people saw Valerie Bertinelli on the cover of People Magazine, were amazed. It made me feel possible that a woman -- even in her late thirties and forties -- could achieve a svelte, bikini body. How did she do it? Well... Valerie Bertinelli (sort of) talks about how she achieved her buff, bikini form in her latest book, "Finding It." But, unfortunately, reading Bertinelli's book was a little like reading Herman Meville's "Moby Dick." Like Meville who saved the actual white whale for the last pages of the novel, you won't find out how Bertinelli got in shape for her swimsuit spread until the very last chapters of her book.

That being said, Bertinelli's book was a quick read. The most interesting part about the book was her struggles to maintain her weight loss -- which I believe benefits every person struggling with weight. When you face a weight challenge, (like myself) it's always helpful to know that it's not about just losing the weight, but maintaining the weight loss. Valerie deals with constant stresses that tempt her to overeat -- including having "the sex talk" with her son Wolfie,her relationship with Tom, her family trials and tribulations, her relationship with her exes, stepkids,etc;. If you're looking for a blow by blow account of how she lost it, you'd probably be better off reading her first book "Losing It." You'll find out that she gets into bikini shape thanks to Jillian Michael's trainer.

Even though I enjoyed reading about her struggles and familial relationships, Valerie's copious sprinkling of her political views was just unnecessary. I know she's happy about Obama being in the White House -- I'm not saying that she doesn't have the right to her opinion, it just didn't add anything to her book. Two or three paragraphs were okay, but several chapters -- ugh. It just felt like TMI, and didn't work (in my opinion.) And no, I'm not saying this because I'm a die hard Republican, I'm a Dem.

Other than that, it's a decent read.

You may know Valerie Bertinelli from the hit TV series from the 1970's, One Day at a Time. I was a fan of her show which is what prompted me to get her book. I always found it refreshing to see her in the Jenny Craig commercials with her bubbly personality and enthusiasm connected with her weight loss and her love of life.

That same enthusiasm is apparent in her book titled, Finding It, the sequel to her book titled, Losing It, which is her point of view on her experience with weight loss.

When I heard she wrote the sequel, Finding it, which talks about her spiritual and family relationships, I was intrigued. And in the reading, I wasn't disappointed.

I loved Valerie's honesty, her frankness, and her wit as she shares her discovery of what 'maintenance' would mean to her with keeping her new found size in her success of weight loss.

I was refreshed by her point of view in undergoing a transformation that didn't just include numbers on a scale but also the strength and importance of her relationships, especially with her boyfriend, Tom, her son, Wolfie, and her other family and friend relationships, including her parents and former spouse Ed Van Halen.

She talks multi-dimensionally about her role as a mom in Wolfie's life: her disappointments, her desire to be cool and yet accomplish what she deemed as important steps in guiding him toward maturity, and ultimately her delight in connecting with and loving him.

I found myself cheering her on as she elaborates on her quest to get into a bikini. She discusses her support system she finds in her relationship with Tom and her trainer, and with her Mom and Dad.

The connection she feels spiritually, from all parts of life, is a relevant thread throughout her book which adds depth and heightened universal meaning.

One of my favorite parts of Valerie's book are her "Notes to Myself" which contain inspiring ideas related to food and to life, things she wants to accomplish, and relevant quotes containing universal appeal. I love her wit and enthusiasm and realistic point of view in these Notes.

I enjoyed Valerie's contagious passion and love for life in Finding It. Apparently, she found it.

I didn't read Valerie's first book, "Losing It", so I went into this book with zero expectations. The covers were enough though to pique my interest-primarily because the concept of maintenance is very interesting (and elusive) to me.

The dissapointing factor to me, was that I felt as though the book was much more about her life and struggles with that than the challenges of sustaining her weight loss.

That being said, seeing how often Valerie is on the road and has to make sound decision even when in tempting or stressful situations was very helpful.

If you're a huge fan of Valerie Bertinelli, then you might love this book, I don't know. If you're solely looking for weight maitenance tips, I reccomend going else where.

This book, while it does journal the struggles of weight loss and offers some insights on the daily ups and downs of losing weight, strays off the beaten path. I could have happily done without all the Obama love. I know she was writing this book during the presidential campaign and the subsequent election, but for those of us who didn't vote for Obama, it's a major turnoff.