I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down [Hardcover]

Jennifer Hudson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 10, 2012

A personal and inspirational memoir from Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, focused on her amazing transformation as she embraced a healthy lifestyle and lost over eighty pounds.

Soulful and sultry, Jennifer Hudson wowed the world with her powerful voice in American Idol's third season, and then took Hollywood by storm with a star turn in Dreamgirls that won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. But before we knew her as an American Idol standout, Jennifer was singing in her church choir in the Southside of Chicago. This uplifting memoir tells the story of Jennifer's meteoric rise from American Idol to Dreamgirls to her amazing weight loss on the megablockbuster Weight Watchers diet plan. With the Weight Watchers brand endorsing her, Jennifer gives her fans tips for embracing a healthy lifestyle in order to lose weight and reclaim their bodies. Full of stories from her American Idol days, her experience acting in Dreamgirls, and how her son inspired her to want to live healthfully, this book is a gift for her millions of fans and an inspiration for anyone struggling with weight issues.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jennifer Hudson is an international pop star and award-winning actress. She first came to prominence on the third season of American Idol. She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Effie White in the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls. She is the current spokesperson for Weight Watchers, having lost over eighty pounds on their program. She grew up in Chicago and is engaged to WWE wrestler David Otunga. The couple has a two-year-old son.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; 1 edition (January 10, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525952772
• ISBN-13: 978-0525952770
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 90 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Semi-motivational, fast read, somewhat dissapointing. January 16, 2012

By NW

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book after seeing JH's interview on Dateline. Her interview really captivated me and motivated me to seek out more advice and insight from her book. Unfortunately the book wasn't as in depth on the personal connection I was hoping for. It was very detailed about the Weightwatchers plan, to the point I felt like I was reading an infomercial. I felt like the circumstances of her life were sped through and it wasn't clearly explained how they affected her emotions or the impact that had on her eating habits. I thought it was great that she's always had so much confidence in herself and how she encouraged her family to get on the plan. After reading almost the entire book though I was extremely put off by JH's comments to her sister Julia (and to anyone reading the book) that she considered gastric bypass surgery "cheating" and "the lazy way out". *Like the entire tone of this book it was super-confident but somehow umempathetic to the plight of overweight/obese people. JH mentions briefly how weight and appearance had kept her back "in the business" but never tells you really how that made her feel. It was like being overweight was just something getting in her way and once she decided to get with the program she never looked back, never struggled, and almost doesn't have time or sympathy for those who struggle emotionally, psychologically or any other way with losing weight and radically changing their lifestyle. If you're looking for encouragement to covert to the Weightwatchers way of life then read this book. If you're looking for deeper motivation to get healthy and lose weight then skip this book. And if you're looking to gain insight into JH's personal life then skip this book.
*Full disclosure, I had gastric bypass 10 years ago and lost a lot of weight, I am a JH fan, and I worked hard to lose my weight. It is not the easy or lazy way out and I'm always looking for good motivation to keep it off, it's a life-long struggle no matter what path you choose and JH's dismissal or disregard for others choices is unfortunate.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great to Have Around When I Need Reinforcement January 14, 2012

By B. Nadine Feldman

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've never had a lot of weight to lose, but I have struggled with losing it. I have been on and off Weight Watchers for years. In this past month I got back on the program (online), and since I started following to the letter, I am losing weight. I bought this book because I'm a fan of Jennifer Hudson since her Idol days, and I though tit would help me keep my mindset going. It did. I love her sassy confidence, too!

One of the ways this book may help others, I think, is when she talks about how the people around her had to get used to the change -- her fiance, her manager, etc. Even her fans have had to adjust, and she's endured some hurtful comments along the way. Staying focused on her reason for losing weight -- to be healthy for her son -- she has been able to stay strong. So many people lose weight but don't keep it off, and I think she offers some valuable insights as to why.

The odd part of this book is that she does not address her family tragedy. I can understand that she wouldn't want to dwell on it, but it felt like a strange omission. Many people fighting weight issues have trouble during times of trauma and stress, and it can't have been easy for her to focus on her program after enduring such a loss. Still, I think JHud has shown great courage and strength in her life, and she knows exactly what she does and doesn't want -- so I'm sure she thought long and hard and decided to keep that part of her life private, and I respect that.

I don't agree with the reviewer who said she didn't write this book. It definitely had her tone, and there were some editorial imperfections that would normally bother me, but in this case gives the book a level of authenticity. I also disagree that she didn't explain her weight loss program. There were detailed explanations of how Weight Watchers works. If you want more info, join online or go to a meeting.

52 of 63 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars disappointing! January 11, 2012

By mimi

Format:Hardcover

I bought it to try and inspire me on my weightwatcher journey and in this purpose it failed. The book is lacklustre. Only half of the book is about her weightloss none of the information she gives is concrete. I was hoping that she would give a template for her own weightloss but she didn't. The whole book comes across as some very vague wikipedia entry about jennifer hudson.

The book has no direction. The main problem is that it doesn't have a genuine focus. Its a very badly edited book with absoutely no coherence. Also if Jennifer Hudson actually wrote this which I highly doubt it is a very poor representation of her character. Any connection I felt as a reader with her was fleeting and as a writer she neither captures nor entertains the audience. Also the proof reading of this was poor and there were many mistakes which annoyed me throughout the book.

So as an autobiography it is a very poor representation of Jennifer Hudson and doesnt not give any real insight into a potentially very interesting person. As a weightloss inspiring book it lacks what every dieter wants hard information on what she did to lose the weight. All she gives is vague indications about what she might eat for breakfast some mornings. I am guessing all the relevant information that every dieter really wants has already been reproduced in magazines and for this reason do not buy this book. Jennifer Hudson seems like a lovely individual and I was greatly anticipating a personal record of her weightwatcher journey but this book is very weak and not worth buying. If you are inspired by jennifer hudson's weightloss i would stick to googling images.