Customer Reviews

Secrets of a Former Fat Girl: How to Lose Two, Four (or More!) Dress Sizes--And Find Yourself Along the Way

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The thing I liked best about this book was its fresh sense of reality and its ability to address PERMANENT weight control in a clear, simple, practical way. Having been on hundreds of diets over the past forty years, I know that Dieting, as we know it, ALWAYS leads to temporary success followed by regaining what was lost and then some--no exceptions!

The few times I have managed to keep weight off for any length of time I instinctively used part of Delaney's seven-point system but somehow missed a few of her other--and obviously very important--points having to do with self-image and self-sabotage, the supreme importance of INO, and how to handle all types of Food Pushers who, like the experts, just don't understand. And the insights she gives are from years of really dealing with the problems, unlike the Experts who research like crazy but rarely have lived with our realities.

Delaney lost major weight (50+ lbs.) and has kept it off for more than 20 years unlike most of the Experts who have lost perhaps a few pounds and think, because of the alphabet soup after their names, they know it all and want to sell it to us in another dieting-Bestseller-of-the-Month with a gymicky title.

As a former Library Director, I have a few fancy degrees too, but when it comes to my blubber, my newly diagnosed type-2 diabetes and my high blood pressure, I can tell you they don't mean squat. The way I see it, only someone who was a chronic dieter who has succeeded knows the true secrets. People who follow the Diet Doctors' advice fail over and over and over again as the current obesity epidemic is proving.

I believe in Delaney. Her approach reflects simple common sense, a practical grasp of reality and a sense of humor : ingredients--pardon the pun--for successful PERMANENT weight loss. This book should be required reading for anyone thinking of going on yet another diet and for any of our young people who need to get on the right track, in terms of healthy weight control, and stay there!

Delaney's advice stems from her personal experience going from size 16 to size 2. I'm positive that her descriptions of the pain she experienced being a "fat girl" hit close to home for many readers, as they did me. The shame you feel sneaking food when no one is looking, hiding behind large clothes as to not draw attention to yourself, always being the "friend" and not the "girlfriend", of feeling weak when confronted with the strength of your appetite, etc.

What I found most helpful was not the way she broke the program into steps, but her language or persistence that pervades well into the afterward. There is NO diet in this book, no list of good foods or bad foods, no list of do's and don't--because, and this is something everyone who has tried to lose weight knows--diets do not work. Go on your choice, Atkins, South Beach, Zone, whatever, return to your old habits and the weight begins to pile back on. Delaney never fails to add that real weight loss is a process, a lifestyle change, she herself has moments of weakness or doubt, but something inside of her is fueling her to change her life for the better, to put herself first.

It's about looking in the mirror and liking the person you see. If you're comfortable in your own skin at a size 12, that's a beautiful thing, and nothing to be ashamed of. I felt when reading this book that she was making an important statement for all women, not just "fat girls" or "former fat girls" because when we're surrounded by images that constitute modern notions of beauty, we all feel imperfect.

The book makes a delicate stride at examining the psychology of why "fat girls" overeat and what we're compensating for, something that I'm sure you could only arrive at after a long stint with a couselor or therapist. In that sense it is a real value. For only the price of this book you can get the insight of a therapist, someone who is very experienced with the difficulty in the weight-loss journey. And it only proves that you cannot really lose weight until you sort out the issues that made you fat in the first place.

It loses a star for awkward product placement and patronizing redundancy. But all-in-all for a weight loss book, it's an inspiring and enjoyable read.

A weight loss book that deals with the emotional side of why we "fat girls" do what we do! It contains practical advice for changing the way we think about and react to food. I have read many weight loss books over the years, and they all tell you the same thing--eat less, move more. Lisa Delaney tells you why those things are so hard for some of us...and how to overcome the obstacles to permanent weight loss. Highly recommended!!!

I purchased this book after reading the Newsweek interview with the author, and I find it difficult to relate to.

I highly commend this author for not only her weightloss, but also for finding self-confidence and self-esteem. She was cripplingly shy, horrendously self-conscious and a binge-eater - and that was more the issue than the extra pounds she was carrying around. She found a way to liberate herself from the baggage, both physical and emotional. I applaud that.

Unfortunately, although I am plump, I am not shy, not all that self-conscious and I don't binge eat. I don't feel that my validity as a person is in jeopardy because I'm overweight. As such, I had a really hard time relating to almost any of the author's experiences, which dulled the impact of the great advice she was giving. I treated this book like a memoir of a person who is interesting but not like me instead of an advice book directed at me.

This book did give me a glimpse of what it's like to be truly paralyzed by how you look and how much you weigh, and to be controlled by your apetite. That's scary. But it was so far removed from where I am that it didn't do much to inspire me.

This book deals with real peoples problems. You can really relate to the experiences she has had and apply the solutions she found that worked for her immediately.

Losing weight is only the beginning of the problem, the tough part comes AFTER when you try to keep it off. That is where all these emotional issues come into play.

She was successful because she deals with the reason WHY she was fat as she lost the weight so she can now keep it off forever.

A fabulous read, funny, insightful and very useful for anyone who obsesses over food, weight or anything!!

I first discovered this book through a link on MSN that led me to Ms. Delaney's web-site. To be certain, I've read (or rather, attempted to read)several self-help books on this subject and never could quite resign myself to them because you could tell the writer(s) didn't understand. They'd never fought this battle before, much less won. But she has. Just from reading her blog I could tell, this woman knows what it is and what it means to be a fat girl. To struggle with the inner demons that drive us. She fought (and still fights) those demons and she won. Has continued to win for 20 years.

Even better, this book reads more like a novel than a self-help book. Ms. Delaney shares her personal weight-loss story like one girlfriend might to another. There's no holds barred, no secret she didn't reveal and all wrapped up in a fun and understandable voice. Not only does she share her personal story and how she clawed her way out of being a fat girl to a former fat girl, but she gives you realistic tips on how you can conquer the fat girl mentality yourself. Tips on how to trick yourself, how to drive yourself and yes, how to control the food that's been controlling you.

Needless to say, I'm a big fan of Ms. Delaney and her book. It may take me a few more reads to really get it to all sink in but I know this time I've found the right book.

I enjoyed this book for the most part, though I found the author's tone to be a little on the, "poor me, I was so fat and pathetic" side for my taste. That got a little old for me; your mileage may vary! She has some excellent advice to offer and I came away from the book feeling like it was absolutely possible to affect positive, long-term lifestyle change. That aspect of the book is very inspirational. I'd definitely recommend it as positive reinforcement!

While this isn't a diet book, I found that it spoke to me and my obsession with food. I have, over the last 5 years, lost the weight I wanted to lose, however still feel drawn to too much of the wrong kinds of food. This book offers many good ideas to help me cope with those cravings as well as real tools to deal with social situations (such as bringing a healthy dish to a party... the hostess will love you for contributing and you will be sure to have at least one dish that you can safely eat while dieting!) She also identifies many potential risks among family and friends who try (unconsciously) to sabotage your efforts and suggests ways to overcome them. All in all, I believe this is a good book for anyone who wants to lose weight or wants to maintain a weight loss.

If you have any sort of self esteem do not read this book. All the author does is talk about how much she sucked before becoming an obsessive size two. I got so tired of her whining. Actual good dieting tips in this book are very rare unless you want to become an obsessive excerciser who eats no meat. Ive hardly ever leave reviews but this book was so bad I felt compelled to. Dont waste your money on this. Get the Beck Diet Solution instead. That book tells you how to actually change your mindset for lasting HEALTHY weight loss. I'm a voracious reader but it was hard to get through this book because besides lacking any real tips it was boring.

I am a 71-year old, very obese lady with thyroid problems. I have been on every diet under the sun and totally destroyed both my thyroid and mebabolism - lost a lot and then gained back even more. I almost gave up as I was always tired and it hurt to do anything let alone walk, and I felt so guilty about the food I was eating and the quantity, but could not stop. I cannot diet any more - my body refuses to cooperate. However, I bought a new motorized treadmill about 3 weeks ago and am trying to get motivated to use it on a regular basis.

I received this book yesterday, and when she talks about doing exercise in increments, it was just what I wanted to hear. I managed to increase both my speed and time today as I didn't look at the total time I hoped to work out, but getting through 5 minute increments. I cannot tell you how much better I feel when I got done. I can hardly wait to read the rest of the book.

I'm sorry that people think the author is feeling sorry for herself, but those of us who have dealt with extreme obesity appreciate the fact that she has gone through what we are encountering every day. It is hard to change but if it makes sense and someone has been successful, I want to know what lead up to their recovery and how they handled it. I am so happy to have found this book.