Audio Review: Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir by Jennette Fulda

After undergoing gall bladder surgery at age twenty-three, Jennette Fulda decided it was time to lose some weight. Actually, more like half her weight. At the time, Jennette weighed 372 pounds.

Jennette was not born fat. But, by fifth grade, her response to a school questionnaire asking “what would you change about your appearance” was “I would be thinner.” Sound familiar?

Half-Assed is the captivating and incredibly honest story of Jennette’s journey to get in shape, lose weight, and change her life. From the beginning—dusting off her never-used treadmill and steering clear of the donut shop—to the end with her goal weight in sight, Jennette wows readers with her determined persistence to shed pounds and the ability to maintain her ever-present sense of self.

If you have been reading this blog for some time, you will know that I am on my own Weight Loss Journey. I am at a point where it seems to be a struggle on the daily to stick with it, and I  am always looking for stories that will inspire me. I was browsing Audiobooks on Audible when I came across Half-Assed. This woman had lost over 200 pounds, and that alone impressed me. I thought I had a ton to drop at 175 pounds to lose when I started but I guess there are people with even more to lose. I remember feeling disheartened when I stepped on the scale at the DR office and seeing 320 pounds pop up. That was the day I decided to take action.
In Half-Assed, it goes into graphic detail over what it truly means to be morbidly Obese. I could relate to so many. The one thing that got my ass in gear about losing weight was the fact I was having trouble walking. There was one point where I thought that I was going have to get one of those motor carts at the store. I could not allow that to happen. I took me and my 320-pound ass down to Planet Fitness and signed up.
The author goes into what ultimately makes people reach the breaking point and decide to lose weight. Mine was not being able to make it around the store. Others have their own circumstances on what made them make the necessary changes to get healthy. Some people never reach that point, and they are fine ( I would assume they are ok with it) wheeling around in mobile chairs. For me, that was not an option.
The author never says what kind of diet she followed. I agree with her on what may work for one person won’t work for another. Low Carb is a great diet and people have outstanding success with it but for me, there is the is the pesky problems, I can’t stand eating meat..at all. Just thinking about eating meat makes my tummy churn. I tried different diets but it wasn’t until I found and tried BBG that I felt like I had truly found a program that works for me. I follow the vegan plan with it, and I have seen outstanding results. Just because one person has found results with one diet does not mean you will too. Everyone has to try different programs to see what fits with your food taste and body.
I also loved the way the author tells it like it is. I hear so many, yes I dont have the motivation to change my diet and excesses. My usual response is to stay fat then. This rather explains that it is not about motivation but rather a pessary part of getting healthy. I am like YES!!! FINALLY, SOMEONE THAT TELLS IT LIKE IT IS!! I never feel motivated when I work out in the wee hours of the morning, but I know if I don’t I will be in a bitchy mood all day. No-one wants a bitchy Hillary, so I suck it up and do the workout. I also want to lose weight, so the two together make me do my workout. I am almost never motivated, but I DO want to be in an excellent productive mood and be nice to all living things. As the author says, exercise is a non-negotiable thing. And I have found that to ne true for me in both losing weight AND in managing my moods.
If you are looking for a weight loss memoir that tells it like it is then this will do so. This memoir does not sugar coat the realities that it takes to lose massive amounts of weight and I found that refreshing.
There was one part of the story that the author thinks about weight loss surgery and I almost DNF the book right then and there. I have nothing against people who have them done, but it is not for me. It seems to be more of a band-aid option than to tackle the underlying reason you got so fat in the first place. Thank God she did choose that road.   Overall I found this book to help me not feel so alone in my weight loss struggle. I feel like if one person can do it then the chances are good that I can too.