Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir [Kindle Edition]

Jennette Fulda (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this touching, funny, and sincere story, Jennette Fulda, who was once 372 pounds, recounts her lifelong struggle with her weight- first accepting it, then losing half of it." -- Shape Magazine, August 2008

Blogger Fulda explains how she lost 186 pounds. In January 2005, she weighed twice that. A year earlier, after having her gallbladder removed at the age of 23, she'd realized her weight was threatening her life and vowed to get into shape. "Only I didn't," she writes. "I stayed fat for at least another year. Wake up call received. Snooze button pushed." Fulda did eventually take control, changing her eating habits and taking up exercise: first walking, then jogging, then a combination of jogging, pilates and weight training. She started a blog, "Half of Me," to chronicle her progress. As of February 2007, she had lost half her body weight; in the final chapter, she writes that she's within 15 pounds of her goal weight (160 pounds) but warns, "I may have lost the weight, but it could still find me again." Fulda provides a fair amount of weight-loss information only the diet-and-fitness-obsessed could really love, but the book is redeemed by the engaging account of her personal history interwoven throughout. In a conversational and honest voice, she describes tackling the age-old paradox of trying to accept herself while also trying to change. This dialectical process caused her to run afoul of online "fat acceptance" communities, which work to decrease the marginalization of the overweight and the obese. "If I really accepted myself as I was, it meant I'd recognized who I was to the best of my ability, flaws and all," writes Fulda. "It didn't mean I was necessarily satisfied with all the materials that made the house of me." A winsome, charming memoir of personal discovery. -- Kirkus Reviews, Feb. 15, 2008

Following Indianapolis-based blogger Jennette Fulda's journey to lose almost two-thirds of herself is so inspiring you'll fill your cart with nothing but turkey cutlets and cruciferous vegetables for weeks. At age 24, she weighed 372 pounds. "The truth is," she writes, "I was a big, fat cliche." Despite some emotionally heavy moments, Fulda's biting humor and no-holds-barred honestly keep you turning the pages. -- Women's Health, July 2008

Product Description

After undergoing gall bladder surgery at age twenty-three, Jennette Fulda decided it was time to lose some weight. Actually, more like half her weight. At the time, Jennette weighed 372 pounds.

Jennette was not born fat. But, by fifth grade, her response to a school questionnaire asking “what would you change about your appearance” was “I would be thinner.” Sound familiar?

Half-Assed is the captivating and incredibly honest story of Jennette’s journey to get in shape, lose weight, and change her life. From the beginning—dusting off her never-used treadmill and steering clear of the donut shop—to the end with her goal weight in sight, Jennette wows readers with her determined persistence to shed pounds and the ability to maintain her ever-present sense of self.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• Print Length: 250 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press (April 28, 2008)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001BOT79Y
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #4,984 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

  #14 in	Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Advice & How-to > Diets & Weight Loss > Diets > Weight Maintenance
  #30 in	Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Women
  #20 in	Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Advice & How-to > Diets & Weight Loss > Diets > Weight Loss

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her rear is tiny, her life is big, April 21, 2008

By	Book Maven "E.D." (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir (Paperback)

I'm a sucker for a good before and after tale. Lucky for me, this memoir is so much more. Fulda chronicles her amazing 186+ weight loss, more than half of her starting weight. But she does more than just show us her weight loss; she describes her relationship with her body and with her daily habits with such wit and humor that I laughed out loud dozens of times. The pace is quick, and the content is interesting (no daily diet plans or lists of gym workouts here).

I also like Fulda's attitude. She doesn't pretend to be a weight loss guru, and she never disrespects herself and her body. Everyone knows how to lose weight...it's her dedication that makes her tale amazing. Also, I enjoy her focus on becoming athletic rather than getting thin (especially refreshing in today's "Get Skinny!" social climate.) She is a very positive person, even when dealing with ugly plus-size clothes, negative blog comments, or the inevitable plateaus.

This is a great, inspirational read, and Fulda is a delightful writer. Reading it made my wait at the DMV actually enjoyable; I only wish the book could have lasted longer!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SHE TELLS IT LIKE IT IS, June 20, 2008

By	Jack Levic (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir (Paperback)

Jennette Fulda tells a remarkable story of determination. It's an incredible journey of dispair, joy and redemption. Fulda tells it like it is with honesty and large doses of humor. Anyone who is seriously overweight can relate to her stories. Only an obese person can truly understand life in a fat-unfriendly society. Her weight-loss journey is not an easy one but Fulda seems to have the inner-strength needed to succeed. She tells her own story without offering specific weight-loss advice. This is NOT a diet book. In fact, she refuses to discuss her exact method of losing weight. The diet she followed remains unnamed. She follows a healthier way of eating and tries to banish bad foods from her life, but there are a few mishaps and setbacks along the way. She knows it has to be a permanent lifestyle change. It's a journey of self-discovery on all levels. Her weight immobilizes her with so many aches and pains until exercise becomes her salvation. She is ashamed and self-conscious of her weight but her will is strong. It is her story and no one else's. She doesn't want to be come a weight-loss guru and doesn't preach for or against any way of thinking. She has her own views on fat acceptance and weight loss. It's up to the reader to find what is the right path and how to begin. Here story of dispair is one that so many seriously overweight people can understand. In Fulda's case, dispair becomes hope and hope becomes cautious joy as she nears her ideal weight. She tells her story with a humor that is often self-depracating. It's no secret that she succeeds in her quest before you start the book. She no longers suffers the stigma and pain of severe obesity. Readers just beginning their journey to weight loss might be put off with some of the humor. Fulda often uses humor to hide her pain, embarrassment and humiliation. Her humor can be a bit disparaging for a person who is still obese and the pain, embarrassment and humiliation is still a daily routine. She describes how she sat in an arm chair her weight spilled over the sides and looked like a muffin top. It's a funny visual unless being a muffin top is your reality. There is great joy in knowing that someone did succeed and ended the misery and pain of obesity. Her experiences show that the obese person is not alone in their suffering. Although obesity is a national epidemic, there are few books that address this issue in such a frank way. This is a gem of a book for anyone who suffers with obesity and seeks hope.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational and funny, May 25, 2008

By	Karen M. Herbert (South Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir (Paperback)

I'm a regular reader of Jennette's blog & looked forward to reading her memoir. Her memoir didn't disappoint - it's inspirational and funny. And I disagree with the reviewer who complained that Jennette didn't tell how she lost weight - she totally did! She found a healthy eating plan that fit her lifestyle and followed it. When she made a mistake, she didn't give up. That's the "secret"! I appreciated that she wasn't trying to "sell" a program or a "diet pill" - her tools were confidence and persistence, and those are free. I was so inspired by how she added athleticism into her life that I signed up for a 5K Run/Walk myself, and I've been making time to walk on nature trails. Read and be inspired, too!