How We Did It: Weight Loss Choices that Will Work for YOU [Paperback]

Nancy B. Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 2011

In How We Did It, Nancy B. Kennedy tells the stories of those who have succeeded at their goal of weight loss, whether that means 20 pounds or 200 pounds. These stories will inspire, inform and encourage readers to find the weight loss plan that will work for them. Weight loss plans are too often presented as one-size-fits-all propositions. How We Did It compares the wide gamut of weight loss programs--South Beach, the Zone, Atkins, Thin Within, First Place, Weight Watchers and many more--and shows how weight loss seekers have succeeded using popular plans or by creating their own recipe for success. This book is a resource for both inspiration and information. With chapters that cover everything from childhood obesity to bariatric surgery, the book will help millions of adults who are struggling with their weight. In inspiring profiles, readers meet others just like them who may have tried and failed to lose weight, but who finally found a way to success that suited their lifestyle, personality, spirituality and internal values.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

We all know how to lose weight: eat less and exercise more. However, there are different paths to this goal. Journalist Kennedy (Miracles and Moments of Grace) profiles 26 people who succeeded in losing weight using 26 distinct methodologies, from Jenny Craig to gastric bypass to Weight Watchers to Curves. Each system worked for someone, and this book pulls all of them together so readers can compare them and select the approach that fits them the best. (Dec.) Copyright © 2011 Library Journal. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover

"We're wrestling with an obesity crisis today, and the answer isn't as simple as eat less--move more. Losing weight and keeping it off is a process of embracing change that is powered by support and motivation. In these real stories of real success, you'll find ideas for making food and exercise choices, as well as the motivation to make these changes."
          --Gary Heavin, founder and CEO of Curves International Inc.

"Nancy Kennedy has put together a smorgasbord of weight loss success stories and the paths people took to success. Inspirational, educational, and well-written, this book is a must read! Get ready to be inspired to action!"
            --John M. Rowley, bestselling author of The Power of Positive Fitness, speaker, TV & radio personality, and Peak Performance Expert

"Nancy Kennedy's book is innovative and inspirational for anyone dealing with food and weight issues, as she skillfully explores the various weight loss programs and tells these personal stories of success. What a great resource for navigating a maze of options! "
          --Judy Wardell Halliday, founder of Thin Within Ministries

 "The success stories in How We Did It are inspirational and it's loaded with information that can help you succeed, too. The book underscores what I've always believed about weight loss--you can do it, if you do what it takes!"
          --Allison Bottke, bestselling author of God Allows U-Turns and the Setting Boundaries series, including Setting Boundaries with Food

"We are all different, and saying that one approach to weight loss is "best" is like saying strawberry is the "best" ice cream flavor. What works for me may not work for you. Nancy Kennedy has written a superb guide for those searching for their unique weight management tool. With entertaining and engrossing stories, she explores the ins and outs of common weight loss programs and paves the way for you to write your own success story. How We Did It is your first step in finding motivation and proven strategies in your quest to get healthy."
            --J. Ron Eaker, MD, author of Healthy Habits for Fit Families and A Woman's Guide to Hormone Health

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Leafwood Publishers (December 13, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891122931
• ISBN-13: 978-0891122937
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,131,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a long-time writer and editor. For many years, I was a financial writer for magazines and newspapers, including the online Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, and for companies in the financial services industry, including Merrill Lynch. Before that, I edited the Wall Street Journal and Barron's for a Dow Jones financial data service.

My newest book, Miracles & Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Moms, released from Leafwood Publishers in March 2013. In it, I share fifty stories of memorable moments from moms who are in all phases of motherhood, from new moms to empty nest moms. It is the third title in the series, following collections of stories from doctors and military chaplains.

My book of weight loss success stories, How We Did It: Weight Loss Choices That Will Work for You (Leafwood, 2012), tells thirty stories of personal weight loss success and examines the many paths people took to success -- every weight loss plan you can imagine from Atkins to the Zone.

My two children's books, Make It, Shake It, Mix It Up and Even the Sound Waves Obey Him, pair simple science activities with stories of faith. I also write articles and personal essays for books and magazines, including the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, many of which you can read at my website www.nancybkennedy.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Find The Plan That Works For You And You Can Do It Too December 12, 2011

By Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Author Nancy Kennedy has done a great service to people who desire weight loss in her book HOW WE DID IT: WEIGHT LOSS CHOICES THAT WILL WORK FOR YOU. There are a dime-a-dozen weight loss plans out there and I have no doubt in my mind that they all provide weight loss success--in certain people. But there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all diet which is what makes this book so special. You see success stories of people who have lost weight on virtually every single diet under the sun. It's an inspiring and uplifting book that will hopefully get you excited enough to find the plan that will work for you and become your own weight loss success. Low-fat, Jenny Craig, Atkins, Zone, South Beach, or whatever, if you need to lose weight then it's time for you to DO IT! With encouragement from this book, that will be possible.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for those needing to lose weight! March 9, 2012

By Margaret M. Kelly

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I read this book looking for a way to control my weight (not lose pounds) but I found that it was so much more. This is not a diet book! This book is a collection of heartfelt stories of many people who struggled with weight loss, and it is a book about changing your lifestyle to not just lose weight but keep it off.

I have been blessed with never having had to worry about weight problems in my life (until a few recent pounds crept on). In fact, I had preconceived ideas that those who were overweight just needed to make a bigger effort to lose weight. My eyes were really opened as I read about real people trying to lose weight and understood for the first time that it is not always so simple. The human body often perceives weight loss attempts as a "famine" and fights back. There are often vicious cycles that people go through before they finally find the right plan that works for them.

Reading this book felt like sitting down with a friend for a chat. Nancy's writing is down to earth and fun to read. I would highly recommend this book, not only for those looking to make a lifestyle change in order to lose pounds, but also for friends and family who many benefit from a better understanding of the issues involved.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How I am going to do it, too! March 1, 2012

By Missa R

Format:Paperback

When I checked my email one morning and saw that I won this book from Goodreads First Reads program, I immediately got excited. As the days went on before I received the book, that excitement turned to dread. Another diet book, I thought. Yippee. I figured I would read it anyway. After all, I got it for free; I might as well put in a bit of effort and go through the whole thing. As usual, I scanned the back cover and chapter titles as soon as I pulled it out of the packaging. Something really caught my attention:
This is not a diet book.
That's right. This is not one of those books. You know the ones - they tell you to eat and do things that sound crazy. They want you to do something like "Eat only cauliflower and plain chicken for a month and watch the pounds melt away," or other things that seem impossible for normal people. I know those kinds of crazy diets work for some people. I always assume those people have 9-5 jobs and don't have to cook for other people ever. Also that they have no taste buds or joy in life. (Those assumptions are probably blatantly not true, but it's what I generally think). Working retail doesn't always offer regular hours that stay the same week to week, which makes it difficult to stick to one of the schedules usually mandated by the stricter diets. However, this is not one of those books anyway, so that doesn't matter right now.
This book is full of weight-loss success stories from normal people. How We Did It shows over two dozen changed lives and almost as many programs and diets. Each person tells his or her stories through interviews with the author. After the success story, each person gets the opportunity to thank those who helped them reach their goals, followed by their own little tips for the reader. Kennedy then offers a quote from a book or other media related to the program under discussion and a brief analysis. One of my favorite parts is the checklist at the end of each story. "This plan might work for me because..." with a short list of things the reader is looking for or thinks he can handle that would work well with the program.
The first featured story talks about SparkPeople. I never heard of this website before reading this. I signed up two days ago. It's not a specific program; rather, it provides lots of tools and support. I haven't explored it very much yet, but it certainly has me intrigued. It's a free website (which is one reason I chose to look into it). I also plan to purchase the book Thin Within based on the description in chapter 6. It's a Christian approach to weight loss that looks at weight in light of a relationship with God.
How We Did It features specific diets (Atkins, South Beach, Zone, Nutrisystem, and Jenny Craig), do-it-yourself tools (SparkPeople, calorie-counting, personal trainers), support groups (Weight Watchers, Overeaters Anonymous, Recovery from Food Addiction, and the Duke Diet &Fitness Center), surgeries, and other programs (the Pritikin Program, First Place 4 Health, 3D, Body-for-Life, Curves, and the Ornish Program).
I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone curious about different weight-loss (and weight-loss-maintenance) methods. Kennedy does a great job presenting each of the featured options in an equal light, allowing the reader to decide what works best in his individual situation.