150 Pounds Gone Forever by Diane Carbonell
by Jenners • 11/25/2012 • 4 Stars, C Authors, Health, Non-Fiction, Number Title • 44 Comments
150 Pounds Gone Forever by Diane Carbonell
Where I Got It: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program
Genre: Non-Fiction, Health
Why I Read It: Every so often, I got on a “I’m really going to diet this time” kick and seek out books to help me. This was one of them.
My Rating: 4 stars
After the gluttony of the Thanksgiving holiday, I thought this book review might be appropriate.
I’m sure that many people (like myself) are always on the lookout for an “easy” diet that will make losing weight easy and magical. I’ve come to accept that there isn’t such a diet. So despite the book’s trumpeting the “Fit to the Finish Weight Loss Plan,” readers should know going in that there is no magic bullet in this book. Like all good books about losing weight, Ms. Carbonell is proposing the same basic things as everyone else and there is no real mystery to it: you need to exercise and watch what you eat.
Her specific plan has three components:
- Watching the percentage of fat you eat (she recommends keeping it to 30% of the calories you eat and provides a formula for calculating this number)
- Watching portion size
- Exercising
As you can see, there is nothing new or controversial here. It is good old-fashioned “watching what you eat and exercising.” However, what does make this book useful and better than some of the others I’ve come across is how she shares her personal experiences in losing and keeping off a tremendous amount of weight. Her advice on topics such as dealing with plateaus (that horrible time in every diet when you stop losing weight despite not being at your goal weight) was extremely helpful and provides a host of advice for dealing with and circumventing this common weight loss obstacle.
She also addresses and deals with the emotional aspects of losing weight and eating—which is a critical but often overlooked part of the weight loss equation. She has been in that place where food was serving a purpose other than nourishment or providing fuel for the body. She has experienced the emotional distress and comfort that comes from food. By sharing her personal story (and many photos), Ms. Carbonell makes her weight loss journey relatable and feel achievable. You truly do feel that if she can do it, you can too.
The book includes many “Your Turn” worksheets, where readers can to write their answers to various weight loss questions and concerns. I think this is a critical part of the weight loss journey, and readers who take the time to complete these sections and really use this book as a companion to their weight loss journey are likely to find success.
The book does include some recipes and exercises, as well as charts to help with calculating fat percentage and figuring out your BMI and so forth. As helpful as that is, the main reason to read this book is to get the real-world, practical advice from someone who has successfully lost weight and kept it off. This kind of insight and help is invaluable and is the single best reason to buy this book.
I haven’t given up on that “magic bullet” – I would contribute to Magic Bullet Research if someone would start that. In the mean time, this sounds like a practical, useful book. And that means, back to the treadmill.
Well, I secretly hope they find a magic bullet too but I can’t live my life believing that or bad things will happen. Every day is a struggle but you gotta keep trying.
This is definitely a book for me. I need to lose 30 kgs too
Great review. I will find it here 
I think you will find her insights and story helpful. Good luck on your weight loss journey.
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Wow, I have to read this! 150 pounds exactly is the total amount I want to lose, so the title definitely caught my eye. 63.5 pounds to go!
I think I could really relate to this, especially with the plateuas and the eating for other than nourishment.
Thanks for bringing this book to my attention!
If you want, I’d be happy to send you my review copy! Just e-mail me your address.
I am going to write a diet book.
It will be one page long.
The ELMM Diet
turn the page….
East Less, Move More
Brilliant!
This does sound like a good book!
Sensible, realistic and relatable … everything you really need in this type of book I think.
I like the books that admit losing weight is going to be hard. I am sort of doing the 17 day diet, and the best thing that happened was a friend who had successfully lost about 40 pounds using it – warned me how crabby I was going to be and to make sure I carefully picked when I was going to start it. The book admits that some of the things they want you to do are hard. I like honesty.
I agree! There is nothing easy about it. You have to want it and really work at it and anything that says otherwise is lying! Good luck on your diet. I’m working hard on mine and not thinking of it as a diet but as a lifestyle change.
Wondering about the title, I thought it had to be either a weight loss thing or a story about a gamblers experiences. Quite disappointed it was about weight loss, with Christmas around the corner I can’t imagine putting this book to good use ….. but then of course there’s always January.
I didn’t think about the pounds being money!! Of course it would read differently in the UK!
I think good, sensible weight-loss books such as this one provide a foundation and set of tools for successful weight loss. Then, I believe, it’s up to us as individuals to make it work for our lifestyle and in a manner that we’ll stick to most of the time. I’ve done the up and down with my weight for the past decade and have finally lost 45 lbs. and kept it off for a couple of years. Took a lot of tweaking and determination, but I’ve found what works for me and being knowledgeable about the process has worked wonders!
I’m with you 100%. It is a very individual process and I think you do have to find what you can stick with and works for you. I’m still trying to find it. I may have found (after 45 years) an exercise program that works for me. If that is so, it is a true miracle. And congrats on losing 45 pounds — AND KEEPING IT OFF FOR A FEW YEARS! That part — the keeping it off — is so key.
Well ain’t that the truth. I’ve been there, and done that. I’ve lost a lot of weight, and gained it all back. It is all about being particular about what you shove in your mouth, and exercise. I think the real key is accountability. You can talk yourself out of anything, but if you have a friend, trainer, support group or whatever who are watching your ass, then you tow the line. I remember the plateaus. God bless Andre.
I wish I had an Andre. I do think it would make a huge difference. I tend to let myself off the hook pretty easily — and that isn’t good!
Real world experiences definitely help. I used a nutritionist and that worked for me. You’d be surprised what’s in food when you know how to read those things.
Hope this book inspires you
I think the key is to find what really works and makes sense for you as a individual. I never thought of the nutritionist route to be honest.
This is the second time I’ve read a diet book on your site while eating dessert (raspberry zinger – only 9 left now). I like to think it’s mere coincidence and not an indicator of my unhealthy eating habits (because I eat tons of veggies, but I love dessert). Definitely many aspects to emotional eating though. I think that would be the part that appeals to me most about this book.
And I too loved Irene’s comment. And second using the calorie tracking sites. Although all they’ve been telling me lately is: Congratulations, you’ve gained “number I won’t say” pounds. Why on earth are they congratulating me?
Well, in your defense, I have published two diet books recently so perhaps it is just coincidence. And I think your calorie counter program is broken! They should be yelling at you!!
I know! Maybe they are being passive-aggressive in their praise?
Or maybe I should read it with a tone of sarcasm.
This sounds like a helpful book. It’s good that she discusses the emotional issues that go with overeating and weight gain.
I think those issues — more than any other — must be dealt with before real weight loss is going to happen.
Have you been listening in on our conversations this weekend ~ LOL! We sat down and wrote out a plan today for eating healthy this week and beginning an exercise plan…Can I just admit right now that I am dying for something sweet right now! but I’m committed (this hour at least
It is critical that you don’t cut out ALL sweets or treats or you’ll feel deprived and then quit or binge when you can’t take it anymore. I’ve found that is true for me. Best of luck — I’m right there with you trying to find my “secret” weight loss plan.
This reminds me of running books, which all say “wear good shoes, gradually increase your distance if you want to run further, and practice running faster if you want to run faster,” and yet there are good ones and bad ones just the same.
I know, right?
Glad to know this was not another diet promising magic results with little effort. It is also makes the 25lbs I need to lose seem possible since she lost 150!
She does mention that sometimes it is easier when you have to lose a great amount of weight because it comes off really quickly in the beginning. Then the inevitable slow down starts. When you need to only lose 25, it can more tortuous. But you can totally do it!!!!
And, I thought this was something new where I could go to sleep for a week and wake up 50lbs lighter….sighhhhh
If only …
I’ve only lost half of what she did, but I’ll attest that her #2 was the biggest key for me – that and actually keeping track of what I eat. I’ll have to do that the rest of my life, but for OCD folks like myself it’s not much of a burden.
There pretty much is no way around tracking what you eat and knowing what you put into your mouth. She does point out that once you do it and get it down, you pretty much know what you can and cannot eat. It is learning this that is hard and takes some time.
Irene’s comment cracked me up! lol
She got quite a few chuckles from that one.
I love Irene’s comment. I thought it was going to be a murdery mystery or kidnapping story (or a weight loss story.)
I done a few books like this one myself. They work for five or ten pounds that doesn’t stay off. What’s worked this year, quite well up until this week at least, is the calorie counting website I found. There are several of these out there now. Just list in how much weight you want to lose by a certain date and it will tell you how many calories you can eat a day. Then you list the food you eat at each meal. Using the site has really made me watch what I eat much more closely than I ever had before. And you eat what you want to without focusing on certain things like fat or protien. I’m down 45 pounds even with what I gained back this week.
Wow …. 45 pounds is fantastic!! I’ve started tracking my calories (again … for the umpteenth time) and I know it works and I know it helps and I just need to keep with it. Once I start seeing results, I think it will be easier.
And it just cracks me up to view this title as one for a murder mystery!
Not even thinking of losing an ounce. I’d be lieing if I said otherwise. I must say when I saw the title, I was a little worried about your marriage, before I saw the book picture. I’m brain dead today, and apologize for my spelling.
You are cracking up quite a few people with this comment — just to let you know.
This sounds like the kind of book I can get behind! Considering it’s taken me 3 years to lose 95 lbs now, and I’ve hit really long plateaus and I don’t believe in severe calorie restriction etc, I think I can really agree with the stuff she’s saying here!
I think you could get behind it too. It isn’t anything weird or radical and she doesn’t sugar coat the process. I loved that she addresses the plateau issue and offers concrete advice.