Customer Reviews

Learning Curves: Living Your Life in Full and with Style

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book touched me deeply. As someone who has struggled with the issue of my weight my whole life, I can see that there is another choice. One of freedom, self love, and self acceptance. Michele Weston's words of advice and the inspiring stories of the women in the book have given me not only hope but also a practical guide to make positive changes in my life. I may never be "thin and gorgeous" but I can be me and gorgeous. This book is for everyone who wants to feel, look and be their best!

This book was written with a plus-sized audience in mind. Nevertheless, I honestly feel that the information contained within will help slightly overweight (or even normal-weight) women just as much as plus-sized ones; either way, in today's society, the reality or the specter of "excess" weight causes us emotional pain.

Since having two children, I've struggled with a weight gain of 25 pounds. Medically, at a size 12, I'm considered "overfat," between normal and obese. I've been beating myself up over my weight for a long time. I've been on many diets (never any extreme ones) and I'd have some success until I got frustrated with the "slow" results and then would find old habits, along with the weight, creeping back. In all honesty, ultimately I would still like to lose a bit of weight.

But here's the interesting thing, at least for me. In doing the exercises in the book, I slowly began to convince myself emotionally that my personal value was a thing quite apart from my weight, something I always knew intellectually, but still didn't completely believe in some corner of my mind. And a growing appreciation for the unique person that I am got me doing things like searching out high-end consignment shops to find beautiful, well-made and flattering clothes, exercising...not with the goal of losing weight, but as a way of taking care of myself..., and eating moderately, but for pleasure (only delicious food need apply for consumption). I had the self-respect to reject any possible diet/activity changes unless I could answer "yes" to the question "Am I willing to do this for the rest of my life if I never lose a pound?"

And without ever feeling like I've been "trying" to lose weight, I found my clothes getting a bit looser, got curious and discovered I've lost seven pounds, over a period of about two months. The wonderful thing is that because I've simply been focusing on taking care of myself, on a number of different levels, the result of weight loss isn't really the point. It's just a nice little bonus.

The other book I've read during this time to help me understand where the creed of thinness came from in the first place was Never Too Thin: Why Women Are at War with their Bodies by Roberta Pollack Seid, Ph.D. There were so many passages in that book that resonated with me, particularly in the chapters that dealt with the decades of my lifespan. It helped me to put the issue of weight into a more constructive perspective.

I particularly appreciated Learning Curves for encouraging women to get to know themselves, to treasure themselves and finally to take what they've applied and live, whether through quiet example or through active outreaching, as a role model for other women and young girls who haven't yet made or are just beginning their journey.

As you can see by my rating, I liked this inspirational book about self-acceptance. It focuses on plus-sized women, but most of the advice could be utilised by people who could benefit from improved self-esteem in other areas. The authors have included self-esteem-building exercises, which complement the message of the text. I particularly liked the stories from successful, well-adjusted women who wrote about their own struggles with acceptance of themselves, and by their families and the wider community - strong, uncompromising, successful women. I was disappointed, then, to find that the illustrations (photographs and drawings), almost without exception portrayed women who are average-sized or smaller. I found this particulalry inappropriate in the section of dressing to reflect your style and best features - the women drawn would have looked attractive in sackcloth! Other than this quiblle, I found this book interesting and worthwhile.

Michelle tells it all. She makes us understand how we got to be so insecure and uncomfortable with our selves. But more important, she then lets us know to let go and get on with our lives. Big women are WOMEN, not to shoved into tented dresses or confining tented life styles. We can look great and live grandly.

I have had the privilege of meeting and becoming friends with the one and only Michele Weston.

She is smart, stylish, and very powerful.

She has helped me to stop living my life by a bathroom scale and rather just start living. I am indebted to her.

With her eight steps you will feel as if you went to a mental health spa. Her book will help you to lead a healthy and happy life.

Even before I knew her personally, she touched my life through Mode magazine's editorial fashion pages. She has subliminally helped all of us.

With her positive messages through Mode magazine she helps us all feel better about who we are.

She is an inspiration to us all. I adore her!

I got this book based on a review I read on another website. I sure made the right choice! This book was written for full figured women, but I believe any woman that feels uncomfortable in her own skin can benefit from this book. Michele Weston provides us with exercises to help us discover what keeps us in a place of not loving ourselves. Each chapter has stories of women that have dealt with body issues and learned to love themselves,not based on body size, but on who they are.
Unfortunately like many women who get into their thirties I gained. The gain was fast. Fifty pounds in a year. I was suddenly in a new world. I was plus sized. Filled with self loathing, getting dressed became the biggest nightmare. I really didn't care about my clothes anymore. I just wanted to be covered.
The greatest thing this book has taught me is that I don't have to hide in ugly ill fitting clothes. I have defined my own style. I have lost 10 pounds, but it has been a long process. I don't know where I will end up, but with the help of this book I have designed a wardrobe that is me, and feels good on me. I am making myself look good with who I am now, and what I have to offer. I am not living in "someday I will be thin". This book has really helped me define that.

I loved this book! I have been searching for it for a couple of weeks now. I read it about eight yrs. ago (and this is 2010). It was the first and only book I have ever read on body acceptance. I borrowed it from the library and I am now seeking my own copy. After reading this book I realized it was o.k. to be 185 lbs. after five kids. It wasn't me who had the problem, it was other people. I started loving my full figured body. But sad to say, my husband divorced me over my body after I had the sixth baby. The truth is no matter how much we accept ourselves other people will not, but there are a few who have come out of the brainwashing of our culture
who dare to be different and don't accept the garbage the media and plastic surgeons are feeding us: that your only beautiful if you have a flawless body.

The only thing I don't like about the book is it's emphasis on sex and being sexy.

Rhonda Jones

If the author thinks size 12 and up is a plus size, then I think she is buying into a media image. Surely sizes 12 & 14 are average; 16 & 18 are large; and 20 up is plus size.

This book is full of empty long winded paragraphs of hardly believable self-affirmations. It's insulting to think that this writer is helping women of size. Blow your boring hot air somewhere else. What a waste of money.

You see, I've been the society ideal of size 2 petite all my life -- that is, until I turned 30 and my metabolism took a big hit. then I started to need clothes in size 6 and 8. The foundations of my self-esteem seem to be rooted in the extraordinary unstable foundation of my clothing size. I think relying on my society-blessed size allowed me to escape thinking about some hard questions. Thanks to some good help and lots of self-discovery, I'm fighting my way back to enjoying life again. Your book is a fun, witty and life giving part of this process.