The Weight-Loss Diaries [Paperback]

Courtney Rubin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2004

From Shape magazine's popular "Weight-Loss Diary" columnist comes a hilarious, sometimes heartwrenching look at the daily struggle of dieting

In this frank and funny book, Courtney Rubin shares what she learned about dieting--and herself--in more than two years of chronicling her battle to keep food from consuming her life. As engaging as her famous column, The Weight-Loss Diaries is part memoir, part how-to, and always entertaining.

An honest and brave account of what it feels like, day in and day out, often year in and year out, to try to lose a significant amount of weight, The Weight-Loss Diaries is:

• An unashamed tale of binges, fashion fiascos, setbacks, and ultimate success
• A light-hearted, laugh-out-loud look at the most ridiculous excuses for ending or cheating on a diet
• A no-holds-barred account of the author's dark days of flirting with eating disorders and constantly calculating and recalculating calories

With insight, humor, and courage, Rubin explores diet and food issues, as well as her self-sabotaging habits during dieting, in ways that everyone struggling with weight loss will find both instructive and inspiring.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Title: The Weight-Loss Diaries

Author: Rubin

ISBN: 0071416234

Category: Diet

Trim Size: 6 x 9

UPC: 639785415619

Price: $14.95

[category] Diet

From Shape magazine’s hip “Weight-Loss Diary” columnist comes an “uncut” look at the daily struggle to diet

Losing weight doesn’t happen in that nice, linear way you read about in magazines and books. It’s messy and complicated, and you’re going to screw up a whole bunch of times before you get it right. That’s OK. Busy, social, and successful, Courtney Rubin was also tortured by a dysfunctional relationship with food that began in childhood and continued into an adulthood of binging, starving, and secrecy. Now she shares what she learned about dieting--and herself--over two years of chronicling her battle to keep food from consuming her life. As engaging as Rubin’s famous column, The Weight-Loss Diaries will strike a chord with anyone who has struggled to keep his or her resolve in the face of an overwhelming obstacle.

From her most ridiculous excuses for ending a diet to her dark days of flirting with eating disorders, Rubin’s memoir gives you what she and other dieters have always wanted--a brave and brutally honest account of what it’s like, day after day, often year after year, to try to lose a significant amount of weight. And after countless “I’ll start tomorrows,” the wiser, slimmer Rubin lets you in on why--and how--this time went differently . . . including the ways she’s found to be nice to herself that don’t involve buttercream frosting. She explores diet and weight issues--including self-sabotage--with insight, humor, and courage. With this empowering book, she reminds you that you’re not alone.

Courtney Rubin has written for the New York Times, Marie Claire, Time, and other publications. Formerly a senior writer at Washingtonian magazine, Rubin is now a correspondent based in London for People magazine.

About the Author

Courtney Rubin has written for the New York Times, Marie Claire, Time, and other publications. For two years, she wrote the "Weight-Loss Diary" column for Shape magazine. Formerly a senior writer at Washingtonian magazine, Rubin is now a correspondent based in London for People.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (April 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071416234
• ISBN-13: 978-0071416238
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #691,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute truth October 26, 2005

By YB

Format:Paperback

I couldn't put this book down. The people who left bad reviews apparently have no clue what it is to battle an eating disorder.

The words like "stop blaming your parents and just take responsibility and stop eating" make me realize that:

a) Lots of people have no clue that our behaviors come from our parents.

b) It's easy to say "stop eating".... It's like telling a drug addict to stop doing drugs.

c) Yes, for us ( people with eating disorders, who were taught to always be good and given high, very high standards to follow)food IS a drug of choice. We couldn't show up at home drunk nor stoned for the fear of our parents, but we definitely could show up full of food.

Well, take it as it is. I loved the book. This book made me take a look at myself from the side. Yes, this book made changes in my life and NO, it didn't make me think that i am free to eat or do what i want and don't have take responsibility for my actions.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Story Isn't Finished July 13, 2004

By Carla Baku

Format:Paperback

The first thing that grabbed me was the title. As a three-plus decade veteran of the food wars, I always want to know how it works for other people. Then I saw that Courtney Rubin was the author. Like many other reviewers, I followed Rubin's Shape articles faithfully...now I get to see how the story ended!

Well, not really.

I love Courtney's voice; her wit and down-in-the-trenches honesty make the book a serious page turner. There were so many "Yes! That's exactly what it's like!!" moments while I read. As for her observations about others--isn't that how we all think when we are stressed and struggling? How refreshing to hear someone admit that there are times when it feels like no one on earth can understand how low you really are. When food has become your confidant and medication, a lack of food leaves a big hole. If you haven't felt it, you'll never get it.

The reason I give the book three stars (3-and-a-half, actually) is that the latter third of the book felt like it floundered. The narrative thread that was so strong in the beginning seemed to unravel and lead to a very vague and nebulous ending. I understand that rarely are there neat and tidy ends to real life stories. Courtney is young and her story is still happening. For me, though, the book would have felt more solid with something a bit more conclusive. By "Month 20" I was starting to get frustrated by a sense of redundancy that was capped off by a fast fade..."Okay, enough of this, story over." Maybe this book should have simmered a few more years before coming to press.

I do wish Courtney Rubin all the best and thank her for a glimpse into her struggles and victories.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Your Typical Diet Book March 2, 2006

By Karen Cohn

Format:Paperback

If you have ever experienced the daily struggle that is dieting, you will find a familiar voice in Courtney Rubin. Honest to a fault, she presents a diet journey unlike any other, and courageously says out loud the things we have all thought at one time or another. It's a relief to know that someone shares our pain. The only problem I had is that I was waiting for her "aha" moment, when she would at least get on the right road, and it never came. If you don't need to find "the answer", this book is definitely worthwhile, because ultimately, isn't it true that we all need to find our own way? And while you're finding it, isn't it nice to know you have a friend like Courtney struggling along with you? It certainly was that way for me.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Insight; Needs a Sequel September 28, 2004

By ElmTod

Format:Paperback

I disagree with the review that this author is whining. I think she identifies the emotions that make one feel a lack of control and lead to overeating. I never got the impression she blamed anyone for this. She just seemed to identify certain emotional conversations as food triggers. I felt like she needed emotional support (perhaps in the form of counseling) to get more of a backbone and confidence in handling emotional issues, whether they're family, friend, work or general life-related, which then might alleviate some of the overeating. I thought this was clearly lacking in her "diet" regimen and could've probably made a huge difference in her success. She knew enough about calorie counts, exercise, etc. (the basics) and needed to take it to this next level, which perhaps we can read about in the future. I thought this was a very honest and real diary of the life of a compulsive overeater. No one wants to obsess about food, but many of us do. And I felt after reading this that I wasn't alone.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Sorry, couldn't come up with a title for my review June 9, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book because I was one of the people who followed Courtney Rubin's weight-loss diary in Shape magazine. On the one hand, I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at her weight-loss diary years, but on the other hand, the book contained sections that were lifted almost verbatim from her Shape diary entries, which was somewhat disappointing. I've already read all those entries - I don't need them in book form.

Also, since I imagine a lot of the people who buy this book will do so precisely because they have read the Shape weight-loss diary and are curious about what happened after the assignment was over, I think Rubin could have let the readers in on how she fared diet-and-exercise-wise once she was on her own. Did she continue to exercise regularly? Was she able to overcome her overeating? Has she maintained the weight she was at when she ended her Shape weight-loss diary, or has she regained some of the weight, or gone on to lose even more weight? She could have told us. (Not in minute detail - I respect her need for privacy, but if you're going to write a book called "The Weight-loss Diaries", it seems a bit odd not to let the readers in on whether or not sticking to a diet and exercise routine on your own (without the aid of a team of experts) was in fact doable.

Rubin is a fine writer, and I think she deserved a better book deal than this one. I think a memoir would have been a much better way to showcase her talent, because to me, what really stood out about this book was not her attempts to eat right and exercise, but the description of her family, particularly her mother (who was "there, but not there"). Her account of her family's last Thanksgiving together was very poignant and moving and beautifully written.... I hope we will get to see more of Rubin's writing in the future, either through a memoir or through a novel or collection of short stories. Read more ›