Customer Reviews

Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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!

One of the best books I have ever read. Every paragraph is loaded with humor and insight well beyond the typical diet book/memoir. I frequently wondered how the author could possibly organize her thought so well and express them so clearly. Technically this is not a how to book but you will learn more here than you will in most diet books and be well entertained. I lost over 200 pounds and eventually gained back half and I am now reapplying myself. I have been there so I can truly appreciate her work and her prose. My best advice is to read Atkins and read this book while you're on you're "weigh".

-Jim Rendek

I can always tell how much I like a book by how fast I read it, and how much I abuse it. I received this book, and within 24hours I was turning the last page. Hours would slip by as I was reading Jeannette's witty, charming and honest portrayal of the weight loss journey. Other reviewers have pointed out that is wasn't 'inspirational' to them, or they couldn't relate - or she didn't give enough advice for them - but for me none of that was an issue.

I am a 29yo man who has had (and continues to have) a battle with weight similar to Jeanette's. It was so nice and refreshing to have someone say all of the things in my brain without me having to say them. She had me in stitches when she said she couldn't just throw all of her junk food out, and needed to start a 'bundt cake relocation program'. I also liked how a topic she came back to a few times was that as a heavier woman she always felt that skinny people were judging her, and when she lost the weight she felt that heavier people were judging her - dealing with our fear of other's judgement. Another topic that I could really relate to was when she talked about the 'FA' (Fat acceptance) clubs throwing her out cause she wanted to lose weight to be healthy.

No matter what Jeanette is writing about, she does it with a dry wit that can't help but make you laugh. If you are looking for a how to book, or a quick fix - this ultimately isn't for you - but if you are looking to comiserate about the internal struggle with weight loss, then pull up a bowl of sugar free Jell-o and crack the spine.

I found out about this memoir by accident, and decided to give it a try. It was a great memoir: a story about the real pain experienced by a morbidly obese person (360++ lbs ) before she began her weight loss journey and lost half her body weight. This book is not a story of her self loathing or self pity. It is a straight forward memoir where Jeanette shares her emotions, her successes and some failures along the way. This book is not an instruction manual as to how she lost the weight, but rather it's a very witty book about a mindset and the stick-to- it attitude required for success. Enjoyable.

This is an excellent book and the writer is so entertaining, it's like you're sitting down talking with her. For anyone that has a significant amount to lose, this book is inspiring.

This is not just another diet book but a book about what really happened during those years of losing weight. I get frustrated with success stories that don't delve into the mind and emotions of the struggle to succeed. Or often times when they try to explain the journey after-the-fact it just comes out sounding so cliche' and empty. Fulda breaks the mold with this book and brilliantly communicates raw and real emotions of the struggles, victories and failures of her phenomenal weight loss achievement. Her commitment is the key to her attitude progression from 'fat girl syndrome' to 'weight loss mentality' to 'athletic decision making'.

There are no secret recipes, instructions or food rules, no exercise plans, etc, etc and thankfully so. If you don't know what to eat or how to exercise by now then you may not be ready for this book because this is where the rubber meets the road. This isn't about how to eat but about how one person got it done and is keeping it done! Not everyone is ready to hear about the struggle when they are still making 'plans' to lose weight but for those of us who are in the trenches this is a MUST READ! This is about a girl who didn't quit - a REAL American hero.

Though thoroughly entertaining this book is not meant for sensitive people. There are times when the language is quite rough and her merciless thoughts about others are a little tough but that's what this book is - her inner thought life. You may even get offended (like you would if you could read the minds of people around you) but I'd encourage you to get over it quickly and read on. I finished this book in 2 days, I don't even know how I found it because I wasn't looking for anything like this on Amazon but it showed up...to use Jeanette's words, my computer must know I'm fat!

This is a fabulous book! It was like reading an autobiography. Only I haven't lost half of me. Jennette is very entertaining and very motivating. I wanted to get out and start running every time I read this book. I've already passed it on to my mom and a co-worker as well. Love it!

I really enjoyed this book. It's a great read AND is very inspirational. As someone who is actively working on weight loss I appreciate the author's honesty about struggles. This book reinforced something I will need to remember as I lose weight--there will always be temptations, setbacks, cake and pie---but I can succeed. Definitely worth the time/price.

If you are looking for something with inspiration and motivation along the lines of looking yourself in the mirror repeating "I love myself. You are great. You're fluffy not fat" then this book isn't for you. You shouldn't be coddled by any weight loss book. The author takes a good, hard look at herself and says "I was friggin' fat and this is why" - not blaming others, not lying about extremely bad food habits, not claiming weight loss was easy or fast, and definitely not sugar coating how she perceived herself. Although others may call it self deprecating I would say its being completely honest. If you can't be honest with the state your body, health and mind is in, because of continued bad habits, then how can you lose weight in a realistic way?

Almost everyone who is over weight/obese has those horror stories of clothes shopping, struggles of starting and quitting diets (sometimes within days), late night junk food raids, feeling invisible even at such a large size...reading the authors own stories were amusing, sad and eye opening all at the same time.

I found this memoir to be entertaining and insightful. On a weight loss journey of my own, it is always helpful to find somebody who has been there and achieved success. What I love most about Fulda's personal journey is that from the very beginning, she took responsibility for her own situation. She realized that she was ultimately the person that could fix it, she educated herself, and made good, healthy decisions along the way. She admits her downfalls and has a refreshing self-deprecating humor that feels honest and true. She reminds herself not to "take herself to seriously" which I think we humans need to do more often. I would recommend this book to anybody, not just the overweight population, because it's a story that needs to be told and told again. We can achieve our goals, and we are the only ones that can do so.