Stop the Insanity

Rating:
Summary: Good advice, but hard to follow
Review: At first, I thought this book was going to be only for morbidly obese individuals. However, the more I read, the more I realized that this book doesn't exempt anyone. In one way or another, we all can improve our nutritional and physical habits. Susan tells a great deal of her life story in this book, but it illustrates her message. She doesn't omit the comprehensive knowledge she has on food, activity and its role in wellness. Her approach is sound. She doesn't recommend diets, fads or any other commercial remedies. Anyone can improve his or her life.

Rating:
Summary: My salvation!!
Review: I bought this book almost one year ago to the day, having tried for nearly two months to find a copy. I began reading it on the day that my 20 year marriage broke up and it was my salvation for the first week following that fairly traumatic experience. I have never read such a motivating tale and felt that every word was aimed directly at me. I'm delighted that by following the most sensible advice I've ever heard - and I've tried every diet known to the Western world (and probably some that aren't!) that I have already lost over 60lbs and it's still coming off! I've now ordered the audio version to listen to at the gym! Thank you, Susan Powter, long may you reign!!

Rating:
Summary: The only thing that worked...
Review: I can't pinpoint what it is about Susan Powter and her book that made me so motivated, but whatever it is, it got me moving! And I mean moving. I was doing nothing all day but watching soap operas surrounded by comfort foods. The first time I read Susan's book I started reading around 7 pm in my very messy bedroom, which matched my life, a total mess. I didn't go to sleep that night, I could not put the book down!! By 8 am breakfast had been served, all the laundry in the NEIGHBORHOOD had been done and my own bedroom, which often reflects my mood, was spotless. If you lack motivation, you are probably not reading this review right now, it is probably someone who cares about you. I urge, no urge is not the right word... I SCREAM AT YOU: GET THIS BOOK!! IT IS THE WAY TO A HEALTHY BODY, LOOKING AND FEELING BETTER! I wish everyone out there who needs this book could have it...

Rating:
Summary: best weightloss/life-changing book ever!
Review: I checked this book out of the library in 1998 after having my second child and loved it. I'd never read anything like it...so real, so informative. I wasn't ready to lose weight at the time I've recently realized. I decided a few weeks ago that I'd give the weight loss centers a try and the program I was on was horrible, unrealistic, and EXPENSIVE! So I've learned my lesson. I just bought this book, Susan's FOOD book, and her LEAN,STRONG,and HEALTHY video. She explains real life facts and gets you extremely motivated IF you're ready, and that's true for anything you try to help you lose weight. You have to be ready and if you are this book will change your life and so will her FOOD book. So buy the book, get real, get up, and get a new you without spending a ton of cash! I wish every woman who needs to lose weight, develop better eating/fitness habits, and feel better all around could read this book so please, please buy this book and read it over and over until you get it and pass it on to another woman in need. You won't regret it!

Rating:
Summary: Well, she's been there
Review: I don't agree with everything in this book, but Powter does have an edge since she's been fat. Her story of her fat years, about feeling miserable and isolated and the quotes from other women (how they feel invisible being fat when people won't even look right at you, and other sad anecdotes) are very moving. I think reading that stuff was more motivational for me than anything else. I never really got into the breathing thing, etc. Ultimately I think you lose weight by cutting calories and exercising more. Her breaking the system, or however she puts it exactly, are mainly about eating lots of low-fat and fat-free foods and cutting out the fatty stuff. For instance, you can eat one 100-calorie cookie and its calories are equivalent to, say, 5 cups of broccoli. But the broccoli's fat free. Yes, it's healthier to eat the broccoli, but sometimes you want a cookie. It'd make more sense for people to have one cookie and eat sensibly throughout the day and take a good walk a few times a week. Not high-volume eating of fat-free stuff. As for the breathing and other stuff, well, it's a bit off for me. But the stories did hit a chord with me, and that's worth something. And by the way, when I did read this book, I did lose some weight, but ultimately I got tired of the broccoli, etc, and put some back on. Now I'm counting calories and trying to work out to Denise Austin's Lifetime fitness programs at least five days a week, and I do let myself have the occasional cookie, and my clothes are feeling looser.

Rating:
Summary: Most effective diet/fitness book I've ever read!
Review: I've been 'trying to lose weight/get fit' for 35 years. I've been through it all, tried everything, hated my body, hated food, finally gave up, and believed I'd never be under 200 lbs. again. Then I read Susan Powter's book, which explained things I'd never had explained to me before. I've been following her guidelines for 6 weeks, and today I weigh less than I have in 6 years. Ideal weight, here I come! And I'm eating pizza and french fries, midnight snacks, etc., and not 'depriving myself'! As a writer Ms. Powter is, at times, almost unreadable, but the information in this book has, pardon the cliches, changed my life. I feel great - this book has my highest recommendation! 2002 update: I reached my ideal weight for the first time in my life, and stayed that way, thanks to this book - don't believe the folks who say low-fat dieting is bunk, it really works!

Rating:
Summary: Easy Read Really Works!
Review: Susan Powter is a little nuts, but this books is great. It taught me what I was doing wrong... or just I say how I had been tricked by the food industry and labels. I thought I was eating low fat for years, and I couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing any weight. I now know how to figure out how much fat something has in relation to calories which is the key. For expamle "low fat" mayonise is 50% fat! Also how important exercise is. I lost over 50lbs and its not a struggle to keep off! Lots of great practical advice.

Rating:
Summary: The best kept secret is finally revealed
Review: This book is a must for anyone who wants an answer to a better body no matter what size you are or how much you want to lose. I am talking from experience. I lost 80 pounds and went on every non realistic diet and finally someone figured out how to be fit, healthy, and lean in a world where eating is a social function. I get chills every time I talk about what Susan Powter is screaming out at everyone. If you read this book you cannot walk away from it and not learn the lesson of food. This book will make you laugh, cry, and it will change your life.

Rating:
Summary: The best kept secret is finally revealed
Review: This book is a must for anyone who wants an answer to a better body no matter what size you are or how much you want to lose. I am talking from experience. I lost 80 pounds and went on every non realistic diet and finally someone figured out how to be fit, healthy, and lean in a world where eating is a social function. I get chills every time I talk about what Susan Powter is screaming out at everyone. If you read this book you cannot walk away from it and not learn the lesson of food. This book will make you laugh, cry, and it will change your life.

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC
Review: This is the first book I have bought for myself in over twenty years, I simply had to have both it and the exercise video. It is one of those books you just cannot put down, it goes with me everywhere, I have read it over and over. This year I have decided to do something about my weight and state of mind and so this book is helping me more than I can say. Susan, you are a saint among women, you tell it like it is girl and believe me you are the only one doing it. I love your honesty. I have been in those aerobic classes where I was unable to do certain moves because my stomach got in the way, or my thighs were too fat, no-one allowed me to modify the moves, no-one offered me another move to do, I just tried blindly to follow everyone else and failed miserably. Back to food for comfort, add the feeling that I am a total failure. But this wonderfully honest book gave me so much motivation, I felt more energetic after just reading it. I now eat properly, exercise daily and am on my way to being the slim fit person I know was hiding inside me all these years, 17, of being unfit and overweight. To anyone reading this review, buy the book! You will never regret it I promise, Susan proves she is human like all of us, she knows what we suffer and has the solution.