The Weight-Loss Diaries [Paperback]

Courtney Rubin (Author), 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.

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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 (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #926,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute truth, October 26, 2005

By 

YB (Murrieta, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Weight-Loss Diaries (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 "newbaku reads" (Behind the Redwood Curtain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Weight-Loss Diaries (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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

Karen Cohn (Clifton Park, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Weight-Loss Diaries (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.