Slow but Sure: How I Lost 170 Pounds with the Help of God, Family, Family Circle Magazine [Paperback]

Sandra Dalka-Prysby (Author), Richard Simmons (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 2001

When 325 pound Sandra Dalka-Prysby decided to take the weight off, she not only lost 170 pounds-she gained control of her life. In this intimate, honest, humorous book, she tells the day-by-day story of her inspirational journey to fitness and healthy living-as chronicled in Family Circle(r) Magazine.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

An upbeat woman's astonishingly frank weight-loss-journal-cum-how-to-manual replete with binges and guilt, personal victories and discouraging setbacks, embarrassing moments, and ultimate success. With her 50th birthday on the horizon, freelance writer Dalka-Prysby, eager to slim down from an unhealthy 310 pounds (her all-time high had been 325), enlisted the aid of Family Circle editors in her campaign to shed her ``mountain of fat.'' They not only featured her story in a series of articles beginning with the January 1994 issue, but also arranged television appearances on the Maury Povich Show and the QVC shopping network. For her part, Dalka-Prysby hired a nutritionist to help her with an eating plan and a stop-smoking campaign. A local health club gave her a free membership and a trainer to oversee her exercise program, plus her own exercise class for overweight women (WOWS, for Work Out With Sandra). With this kind of support (and pressure), success might seem assured, but Dalka-Prysby's tale is one of hard work and determination. She recorded her progress or sometimes her lack of it in a diary, excerpts of which make up a large portion of the present work. Her shame after scarfing down an entire Sara Lee cake and her joy when finally able to cross her legs or bend over and tie her own shoes will resonate with readers who've been there. Interspersed among the journal entries are straightforward how-to advice, the author's thoughts on such issues as sabotage and self-esteem, and a few letters between her and the cloying Richard Simmons, who was brought in to jump-start her progress when it stalled after the first two years. Countering quick-weight-loss schemes and fad-diet promotions, Dalka-Prysby's message is a sane one: slow and steady wins the race. A motivational read, full of good advice, yet funny too. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A motivational read, full of good advice, yet funny too. -- Kirkus Reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Signet (January 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451202163
• ISBN-13: 978-0451202161
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,373,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am the Author and I'm still on my journey!, March 13, 2001

By 

Sandra Dalka-Prysby (Beverly Hills, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slow but Sure: How I Lost 170 Pounds with the Help of God, Family, Family Circle Magazine (Paperback)

Many readers have contacted me and asked if I've kept the weight off. Well, the answer is "yes, mostly!" I did gain a few pounds back, but I took them off right away the "slow but sure" way. I took them off the same way my book suggests. Let me share something with you! Being healthy and fit is a life-long journey. And to be successful, you must sign up for the long haul. My book is a good tool for successful weight loss. It promotes healthy eating and regular exercise. There are no fad/fast diets that lead you to failure. I'm now 56 years of age and I've never, ever felt better. Even as a chubby young girl, I didn't have the energy I have today. Get this book, read this book and then join me on my journey. I'd love to have you as a traveling companion, but, more important, I would be thrilled if you, too, were successful. IT CAN BE DONE and I show you how! Make a resolution now (you don't need to do this just on January 1) to be the best you can be. Make health a priority and, once you lose the weight, what you see in the mirror will be an added perk. SLOW BUT SURE is surely for you. YOU CAN DO IT! You are special and you are worthy of success. SLOW BUT SURE will help you. This I promise you!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read it again and again, April 13, 2001

By 

J. Wedge "FunnyGal1010" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Slow but Sure: How I Lost 170 Pounds with the Help of God, Family, Family Circle Magazine (Paperback)

This book was a fantastic read. I bought it when I started my program and always refer back to Sandra's wit and wisdom. I have recommended this book to all my fellow weight loss buddies.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational journey of a lifetime, April 12, 2001

By 

Cynthia A. Solaka (Charlotte, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slow but Sure: How I Lost 170 Pounds with the Help of God, Family, Family Circle Magazine (Paperback)

I read Sandra's book when it hit the bookstores and now I am getting ready to read it for a second time for updated inspiration. Being someone myself who was thin at one time, gained weight through pregnancy and life, lost it, then gained it back by revisiting old behavior, I am finding what Sandra wrote is so true: reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong journey, not a journey that ends the day you reach goal weight. And, the successful approach is not with fad dieting but instead with slow, sure, steady steps just as the title suggests. Sandra was so honest in exposing details of her life and her thoughts that you feel like you've known her for a long time.

If you struggle with your weight, you want to feel better, you want your health back, you are interested in a common sense approach without false promises, then I encourage you to buy this book. You will feel inspired. I just wish I lived in Michigan so I could be in Sandra's exercise class!!!