Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Janice Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 17, 2006

As millions of women can attest, losing weight is hard work, and even the most resolute of dieters often fail. What's missing from nearly every diet program is the support and humor women need to keep on track and lose those pounds for good. Here, Our Lady of Weight Loss—the patron saint of fat removal—comes to the rescue with miraculous motivation for all!

In this unique book, Our Lady shares her tried-and-true gospel of weight loss guaranteed to lift readers' spirits and finally make dieting fun. A fat-free, calorie-free, carb-free, guilt-free helping of divine inspiration, Our Lady of Weight Loss is the ultimate cheerleader for women everywhere and the best friend who will keep them on course even when the brownies beckon like a siren. With the help of Our Lady readers will:

• Stay inspired with "motivational musings" and tips
• Curb their cravings and keep their creative appetite satisfied with "pious projects"
• Confess their chocolate or french fry transgressions and move on
• Indulge in healthy and simple "righteous recipes"

Part art object, part craft project, part bedside companion, and part cookbook, Our Lady of Weight Loss is perfect for any woman following a diet program and still searching for her "thinner core." Quirky and soulful, with gorgeous four-color artwork throughout, this book will keep readers laughing on the rocky road to sveltesville and change their relationship with food forever.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Taylor has maintained a weight loss of 50 pounds for more than five years. Her secret? Her work as a "weight-loss artist." Taylor says her turning point came during a meeting at a weight-loss center, when she decided to stop obsessively tracking the food she ate. Instead, she would create food-centric art whenever she had the urge to eat. She quit her job and combined her artistic leanings with a childhood fascination with nuns (she lived near a convent as a kid; the kindly nuns never commented on her chubbiness) in a creative homage to Our Lady of Weight Loss, an inner voice that provides inspiration and support to Taylor. The book offers a refreshing take on weight. Sure, there are recipes, and discussions of nutrition and self-image and exercise, but Taylor gets that most overweight folk already know they need to eat less and exercise more. In chatty, supportive prose, Taylor highlights her book with "weighty confessions" that offer absolution and cute "fat-oids" ("It takes twenty-two muscles to smile and sixty-two to frown"). And there are clear, witty instructions for art projects, including sewing, collage and lamp makeovers—most projects call for glitter glue, and lots of it. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Can you lose weight from sheer wackiness? After leafing through Taylor's...dieting revelations you won't want to rule it out. -- NY Times

Finally! A bit of wacky originality, humor and creativity in the world of weight loss. -- Simon Doonan, author of Nasty: My Family and Other Glamorous Varmints

The best makeovers begin from the inside out. Our Lady of Weight Loss makes the phrase "lighten up" quite literal. -- Julia Cameron, author, The Artist's Way

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Studio (August 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142005088
• ASIN: B000QRIHY8
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #299,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My name is Janice Taylor, and I am a Weight Loss Artist. A Weight Loss Artist is someone who makes art about food instead of eating it and, in the process, loses weight. A Weight Loss Artist pledges to be creative when it comes to weight loss ' to substitute arts & crafts for food whenever appropriate, to courageously stare down full-fat ice cream and make the world a better place by setting a healthy example for all. I am proud to say that I am our country's premiere Weight Loss Artist - in fact, I invented the profession.

Prior to being a Weight Loss Artist, I was a just a plain ole artist. I have studied textile design, floral design, jewelry design, and fine art and have exhibited in galleries from NY to LA to Berlin. I was also a life-long yo-yo dieter. My favorite food group was 'fried.' I owned enough diet books that I labeled an area in my office the "Watch Your Waistline District." My hope was that there would be enough fat-burning power in the combined mass of words alone that a mere visit to my bookshelves would prove sufficient to remove fat. It didn't work.

It wasn't until Our Lady of Weight Loss entered my life that I was able to connect with my 'inner thinner core' and permanently remove more than 50 pounds of my own excess baggage.
It all started one day when I dragged myself to one of those weight loss centers where people obsess about weight and food. I weighed in and nearly keeled over - the scales of injustice were heavy indeed. It was all so dreary and depressing. I thought, "I'm never going to make it."
That's when I heard The Voice. It said, "If you think you're never going to make it, you never will." I wondered where the voice came from, and quickly concluded that this wise sentiment had to come from an outside source, as I was way too mired in self-pity to think of anything constructive on my own. The Voice continued, "You're an artist. Make weight loss an art project." And so I did.

As the weeks and months passed, I collaged, sewed, and crocheted my way through mountains of cakes, cookies, candies, and fries. Instead of eating these tempting yet self-defeating treats, I made art about them. In the process, I exchanged over 50 pounds of excess weight for 50 pieces of art. I realized that with Our Lady of Weight Loss at my side to support and motivate me, I could redirect the feeding frenzy and change my relationship with food. I also discovered a powerful new source of artistic inspiration. Once I focused artistically on weight issues, my work started to gel in a bigger, more global way. The enormous interest and positive response ever since has been overwhelming.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars 'Our Lady of Weight Loss' Is Speaking To You September 18, 2006

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

Format:Paperback

Wouldn't it be great if there existed in this world a singular person or entity who had all the answers to your questions regarding health, nutrition, and weight loss? This person would know exactly what to say about your specific circumstance and present the information to you in such a way that you felt good about yourself and honestly believed you could make the necessary changes in your life with little pain. For the millions of overweight and obese, that would be a miracle.

Well, I hope you believe in miracles because such a person DOES exist. Her name is Our Lady of Weight Loss and she spoke to a woman named Janice Taylor at a weight loss clinic of all places in 2001. From that day forward, Janice saw a change in her life like she had never experienced on any diet she had ever been on and completely turned her life around.

Does all this pseudo-religious talk sound a little spooky to you? LOL! Yeah, it did me, too. That is, until I kept reading and found out how these principles are what helped Janice Taylor shed 50 pounds and keep them off.

For the past five years, she has been helping others hear the voice of Our Lady of Weight Loss through her life coaching, motivational speakin, creative artwork, and Kick in the Tush Club (visit [...] for more information). And because of her growing success, she decided to write a book about her experiences to help even more people discover what she and her faithful flock have found. The book is entitled "Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal...."

The Our Lady principles entail the following:

- Seeking the weight loss help of those who have gone before you

- Becoming a weight loss artist to divert attention away from food

- Instead of obsessing with food, try doing something artistic

- Join a support group to share ideas and stay accountable

- Feeling the urge to move and shake your body

- Offer an all-inclusive, spiritual journey towards health

Still a little freaked out by this? Nah, you shouldn't be. Janice Taylor is a real person who did something about her weight and now stand ready to pour every ounce of creative energy into helping others lose weight, too.

This is arguably the most unique weight loss book I think I have ever put my hands on. It's unconventional and Janice seems to like it that way because it fits her personality, too. You get the feeling she's definitely tried all the drab and dry diets that have ever been created and decided that enough was enough. She wanted to jack up the creative mojo to make this book like none other on the market today. Did she ever!

Our Lady of Weight Loss is loaded not only with helpful weight loss advice in the most peculiar way, but also many delicious-looking recipes. However, I must warn those of you who are livin' la vida low-carb--the recipes are not very low-carb, but rather low-fat and low-calorie. I don't bemoan Janice for putting these in her book, but I thought my fellow low-carb friends should be forewarned.

Nevertheless, I like the genuinely fresh approach that Janice Taylor brings to the weight loss world which will forever change what you think about weight loss books. My impression of this woman is that she is having fun while doing something meaningful in the lives of so many. If that is the formula for success that works for people to help them lose weight and get healthy, then keep on beckoning the call of Our Lady of Weight Loss.

As someone who has lost 180 pounds myself, I am all in favor of people finding SOMETHING that will work for them. Our Lady of Weight Loss may be just the thing that helps you attain the Holy Grail of the obese: lasting and permanent weight loss. Haaaaaaallelujah! Read more ›

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bowing to Our Lady of Weight Loss! August 17, 2006

By K. Newton

Format:Paperback

Janice Taylor has written a book that *every* women needs--because although it's about weight and healthy eating, it's also about self-care, self-love and positive living (and don't all women need this?). It's about putting healthy, loving morsels into your mouth, not about beating yourself up when you don't. Her artwork, her humor, her message "of course you can do it!" and when you can't "confess and move on" ...are highly original and make you smile. I showed my office of 7 women this book, and everyone, all generations, laughed out loud and instantly loved the artwork, information, and attitude. She has fabulous rituals, recipes, motivational musings, art projects and assignments (make art about food instead of eating it!), and lots more. It has the nuts and bolts of dieting and healthy eating, but it has much more: her unrelenting belief that we all can change our life; her personal, inspiring story; and a humorous, creative approach in a normally droll topic. It's on my nightstand.

(And her "Ten Commandments of Permanent Fat Removal" you just might to put on your kitchen wall!)

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Dieters August 28, 2006

By Marcela Landres

Format:Paperback

I have been an avid reader of Janice Taylor's Kick in the Tush Club e-newsletter for ages, and I'm thrilled her book is finally available! Her advice is warm, wise, and witty; her recipes are a snap to make even for the culinarily-challenged; and her art projects are so simple they can fit any busy person's day. My favorite? The Weighty Bookmark. Our Lady of Weight Loss transforms eating healthfully from a chore into an artistic statement.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what us creative types need to get motivated! August 21, 2006

By Kathy Cano-Murillo

Format:Paperback

I'm a very artsy person and I've never been able to relate to straight-laced dieting/healthy lifestyle books. Thank God for *Our Lady* - all the ideas within the covers are presented so uplifting and entertaining that you can't help but have fun on your journey to slimville. Janice Taylor presents all of this valuable information in a yummy, lip smacking, hard-to-resist package, and I think combining the self-empowerment craft projects with the nutritional info is pure genius! Graditude girdle? Sign me up!! Finally, after reading this book I feel like I CAN REALLY DO IT!! Thank you Janice!

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars ! January 29, 2007

By Bonnie Neely

Format:Paperback

Our Lady Of Weight Loss has Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal...written and illustrated by Janice Taylor. This vividly and imaginatively illustrated book depicts the patron saint most Americans wish would help cure obesity or simple over-eating. Taylor describes the saint's warnings and advice in humorous fashion. However, the author, who had for years fought the battle of ping-ponging many pounds off and on again, shares very useful tips and tricks that have helped her achieve her weight goal and maintain it. I have read and followed many diet books through the years, and this one is refreshingly new and has sound ideas with terrific whimsical illustrations that stick in your mind and help keep you on track and away from the refrigerator at midnight. Read the book, stare at the cute pictures, and voila! you'll have a diet angel sitting on your shoulder warning you about what you eat. A good one!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The title says it all--funny, original and wise September 6, 2006

By C. Goldstein

Format:Paperback

I'm not much of a dieter, and let's face it, my relationship with food has been rocky at times. And I just don't like self-help books that preach at me to mend my ways. But this colorful, lighthearted, honest and entertaining look at how to eat and live well isn't like a diet book--every page puts a smile on my face. The recipes are great--we've become hooked on kale (now that's miraculous).