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Fit2Fat2Fit: The Unexpected Lessons from Gaining and Losing 75 lbs on Purpose
Drawing from the lessons and insights of his breakout website, Fit2Fat2Fit.com, personal trainer Drew Manning delivers the story of his quest to go from fit to fat to fit again in one year in order to better understand the weight-loss struggles of his clients and the online community. Drew embarked on this journey to prove to clients, website followers, and people across the country that it is possible to get back into shape—and his bottomless desire to kindle a new hope for his readers comes through on every page of Fit2Fat2Fit . With before and after (and after...) photos to that tell their own striking story, and intimate reflections from Drew’s wife Lynn, Fit2Fat2Fit is more than a spectacle or a gimmick; it’s an inspiring story, and sound proof that anyone can reach the level of fitness they desire to make themselves happy.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
November 29, 2012
A personal trainer who has always been a super-fit health nut lives like the rest of super sized America. He lets himself go for six months and then spends the next six months whipping himself into shape. It started as a blog and became a book.
I think this was an amazing idea. For people who’ve always been thin or always loved exercise, y’all just don’t get it. Manning decided to do what it took to empathize with his clients. That’s great and it would have made an excellent documentary.
This is hands down the worst book I’ve read this year, probably in the last two years. The writing is terrible. Not even the ghost writer could save this enough to make me like it and I really wanted to like it.
Manning has been built like the friggin’ Hulk for most of his life. He spent 50 pages of a 200+ page book on what it was like to get fat and that includes his wife’s chapter. You completely rewrite your physical form and lifestyle and that’s all you’ve got?
I’ve been larger than life for many years. Restrict me to the last six months and I can still give you more than that in a day. I wanted more. I needed more. If he didn’t have more in him, the book was a mistake. If more was on his blog, why isn’t it in the damn book?
It was compelling to hear about a fit person finally know how the rest of us feel. Society is very scornful of anyone above a certain size. The only people it’s PC to hate are Nazis, zombies, and the obese. Manning felt very judged when he goes back to the gym even though most people probably paid him no mind.
He makes some excellent points about fitness in the latter half of the book: Form is key for fitness, variety is vital to stave off boredom, set yourself up for success. Getting to them was tedious, dull, and, at times, condescending. Please explain to me WTF John F. Kennedy has to do with fitness? It makes no sense and sounds remarkably pretentious for a memoir with a text message title.
As much as I wanted to like this book, I hated it. I got almost no enjoyment out of reading it. I still think what Manning did was extraordinary. I have a lot of respect for him. So long as he never writes another book, he’ll keep it.
I think this was an amazing idea. For people who’ve always been thin or always loved exercise, y’all just don’t get it. Manning decided to do what it took to empathize with his clients. That’s great and it would have made an excellent documentary.
This is hands down the worst book I’ve read this year, probably in the last two years. The writing is terrible. Not even the ghost writer could save this enough to make me like it and I really wanted to like it.
Manning has been built like the friggin’ Hulk for most of his life. He spent 50 pages of a 200+ page book on what it was like to get fat and that includes his wife’s chapter. You completely rewrite your physical form and lifestyle and that’s all you’ve got?
I’ve been larger than life for many years. Restrict me to the last six months and I can still give you more than that in a day. I wanted more. I needed more. If he didn’t have more in him, the book was a mistake. If more was on his blog, why isn’t it in the damn book?
It was compelling to hear about a fit person finally know how the rest of us feel. Society is very scornful of anyone above a certain size. The only people it’s PC to hate are Nazis, zombies, and the obese. Manning felt very judged when he goes back to the gym even though most people probably paid him no mind.
He makes some excellent points about fitness in the latter half of the book: Form is key for fitness, variety is vital to stave off boredom, set yourself up for success. Getting to them was tedious, dull, and, at times, condescending. Please explain to me WTF John F. Kennedy has to do with fitness? It makes no sense and sounds remarkably pretentious for a memoir with a text message title.
As much as I wanted to like this book, I hated it. I got almost no enjoyment out of reading it. I still think what Manning did was extraordinary. I have a lot of respect for him. So long as he never writes another book, he’ll keep it.
December 6, 2022
Fit2Fat2Fit seemed like it would be an interesting concept and I was excited to read the book. However, I was disappointed the actual reading was only half the book. The second half consisted of recipes and exercises. Personally, I was looking forward to reading more about the author’s journey. I wish I would have know this before I paid full price.
Although Drew did share some of what it felt like to gain weight, I wish he would had elaborated more on how he lost the weight and the emotional component of eating. I did enjoy some of the inspirational references he made and I thought the concept for the book was unique. Overall, I felt this book was more a marketing gimmick to make more money and fuel his career, not to inspire people.
Although Drew did share some of what it felt like to gain weight, I wish he would had elaborated more on how he lost the weight and the emotional component of eating. I did enjoy some of the inspirational references he made and I thought the concept for the book was unique. Overall, I felt this book was more a marketing gimmick to make more money and fuel his career, not to inspire people.
June 27, 2019
I thought the book was very entertaining, but the exercises, workout plans, and nutrition info wasn't new. Very basic advice.
June 10, 2017
I wanted to like this way more than I did.
The journey is one I appreciate. This man really took one for the team, taking a few months to live in the shoes of the overweight people he previously had dismissed as either lacking discipline, not understanding the dangers, or just being flat-out lazy. And he does come to some very powerful understandings along the way.
Being overweight very quickly graduates from just being a physical problem to having a wide range of internal emotional and mental effects on how you see yourself, your world, and what your body is capable of. Pulling out of those is much more of a quagmire than most trainers and people who've loved fitness since youth could ever imagine, and it definitely was great to hear someone acknowledge that. He also makes some great points about how much a proper group of supporters can help overcome that.
That said...I feel like he didn't say enough. I wanted much more on the struggles of the journey back to fitness, but the book's pace really shifts into a high gear when he gets back to his protein shakes. He starts talking in general, more like a trainer, than he does about his personal situation. There are still some gems in there, but all in all, I felt like I only got about half of what I thought I would.
There's irony here...in that his journey is only half the book. The 2nd half (literally 50% of the kindle book) is all resources -- exercises, workout plans, recipes for protein shakes and other food...half of the pages of this book are personal trainer materials that are nice, but are not the reason I bought this book. The entire story ended up being really quick (I believe it was a 4-hour audiobook), and I ended up being a little disappointed. While he had learned some things, I wonder if he really knew how to write about them. It kind of feels like this journey had some lessons, but also was a big promotional event for his training.
On another note, if you're an audiobook reader: The audiobook stopped when the story did. All those recipes and workout plans are NOT a part of the narration. Given that this was half of the book's material, I would HIGHLY recommend avoiding the audiobook, unless you either don't care about that or it is offered in a written form on the side of the audio.
The journey is one I appreciate. This man really took one for the team, taking a few months to live in the shoes of the overweight people he previously had dismissed as either lacking discipline, not understanding the dangers, or just being flat-out lazy. And he does come to some very powerful understandings along the way.
Being overweight very quickly graduates from just being a physical problem to having a wide range of internal emotional and mental effects on how you see yourself, your world, and what your body is capable of. Pulling out of those is much more of a quagmire than most trainers and people who've loved fitness since youth could ever imagine, and it definitely was great to hear someone acknowledge that. He also makes some great points about how much a proper group of supporters can help overcome that.
That said...I feel like he didn't say enough. I wanted much more on the struggles of the journey back to fitness, but the book's pace really shifts into a high gear when he gets back to his protein shakes. He starts talking in general, more like a trainer, than he does about his personal situation. There are still some gems in there, but all in all, I felt like I only got about half of what I thought I would.
There's irony here...in that his journey is only half the book. The 2nd half (literally 50% of the kindle book) is all resources -- exercises, workout plans, recipes for protein shakes and other food...half of the pages of this book are personal trainer materials that are nice, but are not the reason I bought this book. The entire story ended up being really quick (I believe it was a 4-hour audiobook), and I ended up being a little disappointed. While he had learned some things, I wonder if he really knew how to write about them. It kind of feels like this journey had some lessons, but also was a big promotional event for his training.
On another note, if you're an audiobook reader: The audiobook stopped when the story did. All those recipes and workout plans are NOT a part of the narration. Given that this was half of the book's material, I would HIGHLY recommend avoiding the audiobook, unless you either don't care about that or it is offered in a written form on the side of the audio.
September 5, 2015
I'd read of the author's "experiment" and was excited to learn what insight he'd gained.
Um, so losing weight is tougher than he'd expected. And being overweight takes a toll on you emotionally as well as physically.
Not exactly earth-shattering revelations.
Instead of being an interesting read about his journey, I felt like this was really an infomercial that was all leading up to buying into "his" program of diet & exercise because he's found the elusive combination. But there's really nothing all that different from what 75% of other diet books tell you: plan ahead, eat lean protein, etc. Oh, and you need to LIVE this way, so occasionally not following the plan is OK.
The thing is, I've struggled with weigh my whole life - so someone thinking that he can gain weight and "live heavy" for a few months and somehow totally understand my story is rather insulting. Yes, he has a bit more insight and understanding. But weight is such a personal and emotional journey. And the fact that he lost the 75 pounds in just six months is a crazy rate of loss (averaging over 10 pounds each month?!?) and I finished the book with the sense of, "See, I did it - so don't give me your excuses!"
And a minor side note - in his eating plan, he includes a multivitamin and digestive enzymes, but there's NO mention of what to look for or why he includes these items.
Um, so losing weight is tougher than he'd expected. And being overweight takes a toll on you emotionally as well as physically.
Not exactly earth-shattering revelations.
Instead of being an interesting read about his journey, I felt like this was really an infomercial that was all leading up to buying into "his" program of diet & exercise because he's found the elusive combination. But there's really nothing all that different from what 75% of other diet books tell you: plan ahead, eat lean protein, etc. Oh, and you need to LIVE this way, so occasionally not following the plan is OK.
The thing is, I've struggled with weigh my whole life - so someone thinking that he can gain weight and "live heavy" for a few months and somehow totally understand my story is rather insulting. Yes, he has a bit more insight and understanding. But weight is such a personal and emotional journey. And the fact that he lost the 75 pounds in just six months is a crazy rate of loss (averaging over 10 pounds each month?!?) and I finished the book with the sense of, "See, I did it - so don't give me your excuses!"
And a minor side note - in his eating plan, he includes a multivitamin and digestive enzymes, but there's NO mention of what to look for or why he includes these items.
January 3, 2014
This book was less than mediocre - both in writing and in insights. It's nothing more than a story of a man who gained weight and then lost it. Being someone who has struggled with losing weight, I felt his observations and "lessons" were shallow at best, degrading at worst. For example, he often talks about how gaining weight was so much more than the experience with the physical body yet he never qualifies it by giving insight into how that was dealt with. On top of that, he constantly preaches about how to get healthy and that as soon as you do that specific thing, you will start to see the weight drop off. This is unhelpful and frankly, untrue for most. The book hit a low for me when he is giving an example about a friend who wasn't overweight but wanted to gain muscle yet wouldn't go to the gym to work out. The author talks about how he had seen overweight clients struggle with going to the gym for everyone to see and judge and makes the statement, "but he [the guy who wanted to build muscle] had nothing to be embarrassed about." I was shocked and felt he was implying that overweight people should feel embarrassed simply because they are overweight. I would NOT recommend this book to anyone.
July 2, 2012
I was really interested by the premise of this book. A personal trainer decides to gain 75 pounds in 6 months, and then lose it. This changed his perspective and helped him understand the overweight and how it felt to be overweight.
However, I think I would have enjoyed following his efforts on his blog. He did write about how his weight gain affected his personality and how he felt, but this was a really sparse book.
It was also pretty damn sexist.
I wish I'd just read the blog.
Two stars for the idea.
However, I think I would have enjoyed following his efforts on his blog. He did write about how his weight gain affected his personality and how he felt, but this was a really sparse book.
It was also pretty damn sexist.
I wish I'd just read the blog.
Two stars for the idea.
January 17, 2014
Amazing topic. I finished first 4 chapters during one evening...it was so interesting. But then it gets worse and worse...The book has 250 pages, but the last useful chapter ends at page 138. Then there are 10 pages of food recipes, 50 pages of food plans, xy pages for tips for excercises etc. Why? I wanted to read about this unique experiment and not about food recipes :-(
March 31, 2015
Interesting idea. I wanted to hear more details. It was mostly just this guy's philosophies and then these long drawn out analogizes to try to explain his point. Even though he got fat, I still don't think he gained much empathy and understanding for those trying to lose weight. He said he did, but I didn't feel it. He didn't seem like the nicest guy.
March 20, 2013
If you've ever been a dieter then you know the routine -- go to the gym, hire a trainer, start working with him/her and realize the two of you live in separate worlds.
Drew Manning is a trainer who experienced that from the trainer's perspective and decided to try to cross the bridge. Along the way he finds that yes -- his obsessions and his passion support his love of exercise and eating well. It is this that makes maintaining his fitness easy for him and impossible for his problem client.
He jumps into the fat phase of his life with the same intensity -- disappointing his wife who was looking forward to more rich foods and dinners out. Instead he slingshots into the cartoon lifestyle of the obese, sluggish and slovenly and as obsessed with eating bad food as he once was with good food.
And then the 2fit phase starts. It's clear by this point in the journey Manning already had his book contract as the story becomes much more formulaic and his parroting "the wisdom of the trainers" becomes brassy. Manning uses food habits to help him, but his habits come across as miracle foods -- the morning shake, the chicken and fish habits. And yes, recovering those old habits of working out for at least an hour a day and eating only allowed foods do enable him to recover his previously fit body.
If you've made the mental switch to become the kind of fitness enthusiast Manning is then his journey will reassure you that the destination is within reach. But it won't make you be that kind of person.
Drew Manning is a trainer who experienced that from the trainer's perspective and decided to try to cross the bridge. Along the way he finds that yes -- his obsessions and his passion support his love of exercise and eating well. It is this that makes maintaining his fitness easy for him and impossible for his problem client.
He jumps into the fat phase of his life with the same intensity -- disappointing his wife who was looking forward to more rich foods and dinners out. Instead he slingshots into the cartoon lifestyle of the obese, sluggish and slovenly and as obsessed with eating bad food as he once was with good food.
And then the 2fit phase starts. It's clear by this point in the journey Manning already had his book contract as the story becomes much more formulaic and his parroting "the wisdom of the trainers" becomes brassy. Manning uses food habits to help him, but his habits come across as miracle foods -- the morning shake, the chicken and fish habits. And yes, recovering those old habits of working out for at least an hour a day and eating only allowed foods do enable him to recover his previously fit body.
If you've made the mental switch to become the kind of fitness enthusiast Manning is then his journey will reassure you that the destination is within reach. But it won't make you be that kind of person.
December 27, 2012
If I could, I would rate this book 2.5 stars.
I stumbled upon this book when looking at the e-book options at my local library. Having spent the past 4 years dropping over 50 pounds and keeping them off, I was interested in reading the perspective of a personal trainer who had never been overweight. It seemed much like an experiment A.J. Jacobs would do (who is one of my favorite nonfiction authors), so I was eager to read it.
Unfortunately, the book fell below my expectations. I didn't really learn anything insightful from this book, and I was disappointed that the author didn't spend much time reflecting on the challenge it took to begin a workout routine and eat more healthfully after gaining the excess weight. I would have loved to have read more of his struggles, and his introspection in finally understanding the challenges his clients face when they want to get healthy but have a long journey in front of them that requires patience and dedication.
I think individuals who are earlier on in their health and fitness goals will benefit more from this book. As someone who is now working to maintain rather than lose weight, I didn't gain much from reading it since it lacked the introspection I was hoping for. Those earlier into their health journey will appreciate this recipes and meal plans in the back of the book, many of which are also available online as well. All in all, the premise was great, but the author's execution was disappointing.
I stumbled upon this book when looking at the e-book options at my local library. Having spent the past 4 years dropping over 50 pounds and keeping them off, I was interested in reading the perspective of a personal trainer who had never been overweight. It seemed much like an experiment A.J. Jacobs would do (who is one of my favorite nonfiction authors), so I was eager to read it.
Unfortunately, the book fell below my expectations. I didn't really learn anything insightful from this book, and I was disappointed that the author didn't spend much time reflecting on the challenge it took to begin a workout routine and eat more healthfully after gaining the excess weight. I would have loved to have read more of his struggles, and his introspection in finally understanding the challenges his clients face when they want to get healthy but have a long journey in front of them that requires patience and dedication.
I think individuals who are earlier on in their health and fitness goals will benefit more from this book. As someone who is now working to maintain rather than lose weight, I didn't gain much from reading it since it lacked the introspection I was hoping for. Those earlier into their health journey will appreciate this recipes and meal plans in the back of the book, many of which are also available online as well. All in all, the premise was great, but the author's execution was disappointing.
July 29, 2017
This was interesting, but I think I was expecting more. The premise was intriguing - a superfit trainer decides that in order to understand the struggles of his clients he needs to let himself gain weight and lose muscle tone for 6 months. So for 6 months, he eats junk food and does no exercise beyond couch surfing and blogging about his experiences. He talks about his embarrassment when his scrub pants split or he buys Mountain Dew liter bottles at the grocery. In 6 months, he packs on 75 pounds. Then he undertakes to lose the weight using the diet and exercises he recommends to his clients. The first month he only controls his nutrition and then adds in his workouts. He does not go to extremes - it's 30-60 minute workouts that need no complicated equipment. His diet is good nutritious food. Again it takes awhile and he hits the dreaded plateau, but he does regain his body and fitness level. He talks about how much of the journey is mental and that this is a lifestyle, not a diet that you "do" and then stop. The diet/exercise advice is nothing new (or at least it's not to me) as I've done Weight Watchers and this is their program, too. It's fairly simple - eat good nutritionally most of the time, exercise moderately, get adequate rest, control your emotions, plan, and ask for support. I guess I thought there'd be more insight on the journey. I've got the other stuff down as I've lost about 65 pounds over the past 18 months.
May 3, 2013
I started this book hoping for unique insights. I was wrong. If you are looking for inspiration or insights try another book. If you want to hear the same old stuff this is the book for you.
The author never really changes his mindset from that of a “fit” person to that of a “fat” person. Instead he maintains his “fit” mindset throughout his journey, knowing he will only be fat temporarily. He never really experienced the true lack of self-esteem that comes from being overweight. As if reading his, “insights” of being fat, was not enough to aggravate me, on top of that he confirms what I already know and experienced during my weight loss journey that everyone is judging you, especially the “gym” crowd. How is it inspirational to hear about how this “gym expert” hated the influx of new members to the gym in January? He is the reason it is so intimidating to join a gym. There is also a recurring theme in this book to categorize people into groups. Has he not realized that life is not that simple? If you are trying to lose weight, skip this book and read something else. This is the worst weight loss book I have ever read, and I have ready many.
The author never really changes his mindset from that of a “fit” person to that of a “fat” person. Instead he maintains his “fit” mindset throughout his journey, knowing he will only be fat temporarily. He never really experienced the true lack of self-esteem that comes from being overweight. As if reading his, “insights” of being fat, was not enough to aggravate me, on top of that he confirms what I already know and experienced during my weight loss journey that everyone is judging you, especially the “gym” crowd. How is it inspirational to hear about how this “gym expert” hated the influx of new members to the gym in January? He is the reason it is so intimidating to join a gym. There is also a recurring theme in this book to categorize people into groups. Has he not realized that life is not that simple? If you are trying to lose weight, skip this book and read something else. This is the worst weight loss book I have ever read, and I have ready many.
August 24, 2013
The author, a personal trainer, gains and loses 75 pounds over the course of 1 year to get the true perspective of his clients. He discovers that being overweight changes his self-confidence as well as his interactions with his wife and children, and that it's not as easy to commit to weight loss as deciding to lose weight. Duh! I know some other people who could benefit from this insight. He emphasizes the importance of having supporters to sympathize, encourage, and push you when momentum and motivation flag. The description of the journey was superficial on both sides; I would have enjoyed more personal stories rather than the typical overview of any self-help book that lives in generalities. The chapter written by his wife was a high point. The meal plan and workout regimen offered are scaled for men only and they are both pretty hard core. They are definitely meant for extreme weight loss and fitness in a short period of time. They are overwhelming and after reading the book and feeling motivated to begin a new healthy lifestyle, I was disappointed that I didn't feel like this plan was something I could jump into immediately.
January 12, 2015
I like the concept of this book, and I don't mind that the writing might not be the best, but the book is very insubstantial. There are only 130 pages dedicated to Manning's journey, with the rest of the book comprised of meals and exercises. While I did find some interesting nuggets in the book, I can't help but think reading the blog that inspired this book would be a better use of time. It's worth a read though if you're interested (and can get it from the library), because you can read it a sitting or two.
One thing that I really felt was missing was hard numbers. It would have been interesting to see how things like his cholesterol and blood pressure were impacted, but little attention was given to hard numbers.
One thing that I really felt was missing was hard numbers. It would have been interesting to see how things like his cholesterol and blood pressure were impacted, but little attention was given to hard numbers.
September 25, 2016
This book was interesting and also frustrating. While I liked the concept of the book, and it was also interesting to listen to the emotional struggles with going from fit to fat it also really really made me angry. What he describes as a "typical american diet" is just not realistic in my eyes and I think I would have enjoyed this book more if he didn't do these food challenges. New flash: not all Americans eat 12 krispy cream donuts.... nor do all Americans go to fast food. It came off as presumptuous and condescending. Not to mention most of this book is about the fit to fat. There was little to no advice in the fat to fit part that hasn't been said. Glad he made it back to fit, hope the rest of us can get there.
July 23, 2012
The whole purpose of the book was to go somewhere new. Do something unheard of. He did. But he failed to share much from it. The only explanation you get is that he felt embarrassed when he was fat and, after gaining 75 lbs, even knee pushups were hard. That's literally the only substance of the book. 135 pages of fluff. And I had no idea the remaining 100 pages were meal plans, recipes, and exercises. I can't believe I paid $25 for this.
November 9, 2012
This is a really good book! The author gained 75 lbs. and stopped exercising to get a better idea of what his clients had to deal with when trying to get fit. I learned about the support group being essential. I like that he talks about the journey being just as important, if not more so, than the goal. Leading a healthy and fit lifestyle is more important than your actual weight. A number is not as important as the process and intention. I like that the author read it himself.
March 5, 2018
This is the autobiography of fitness trainer Drew Manning's one year journey. He purposely gained over 75lbs in six months, then lost the weight over the course of six months. He wanted to be able to empathize with those he was training.
First of all, I loved the concept of this book. I loved what Drew Manning wanted to achieve. I thought this book started out REALLY well. I told other people about this book, based on the first couple of chapters. However, this book is 233 pages long but only 135 pages record his actual journey—with filler material. (In other words, it's a SHORT read.) The remainder of this book is recipes, meal plan options, and exercise options for weightlifters.
Of the first 135 pages—with filler material—35 of those pages were about Drew's journey to fat, 7 pages were written by Drew's wife regarding HER thoughts about her husband's transformation, and 88 pages were devoted to Drew's journey towards his original weight. (There's a filler page marking Part One and Part Two, which accounts for the other 2 pages plus 3 other blank pages in case you were trying to add this all up and keep score.) Recipes repeat themselves as filler material, the SAME recipes from the back of the book. Quotes from the text are also repeated as filler. Without all the filler...you'd probably loose another 10-20 pages of material. Negative one star for excessive use of page count padding.
Just to be clear, the stuff that's there about Drew's life is really interesting. There's simply not ENOUGH of it, especially where Drew is supposed to be explaining his journey BACK to thin. He devoted a whole 88 pages—with filler material—to discuss his incredible weight loss and that includes his closing remarks. There's nothing to follow. He lets you into his world regarding how bad he felt when he was heavy, but there isn't much discussion of what his weight loss looked like, what he did, or how he felt. It seemed rushed and glossed over. His wife wrote a chapter for Part One. I would have liked to read a followup chapter in Part Two. Her thoughts added another dimension to his journey.
Drew spent 16 of 88 pages in Part Two discussing his last 15 lbs, but never went into detail. WHAT did he do specifically to achieve his goal, besides...change things up? What did his daily workouts look like? And whatever happened James, the guy who inspired Drew to get fat and then fit in the first place? Why does the QR link for "bonus material" lead you to a site for YA readers? I suppose the reader should simply follow the meal plans at the back of the book, drink their "spinach shake," and shut up about it, but I was hoping for more. Negative one star for lack of follow through.
I'm sorry to say that I found this book disappointing. I had hoped that the author would bring more of his journey into the book. (I was also hoping for more BOOK, period.) Part One was fine. Part Two was lacking. Seriously, Part Two is the MAIN reason for sticking it out, for finishing the book. What's his secret? Spinach Shakes??? There simply isn't enough material to work with. If you ONLY read this book, you're not going to see his results. You're not going to lose 75 lbs in only six months.
First of all, I loved the concept of this book. I loved what Drew Manning wanted to achieve. I thought this book started out REALLY well. I told other people about this book, based on the first couple of chapters. However, this book is 233 pages long but only 135 pages record his actual journey—with filler material. (In other words, it's a SHORT read.) The remainder of this book is recipes, meal plan options, and exercise options for weightlifters.
Of the first 135 pages—with filler material—35 of those pages were about Drew's journey to fat, 7 pages were written by Drew's wife regarding HER thoughts about her husband's transformation, and 88 pages were devoted to Drew's journey towards his original weight. (There's a filler page marking Part One and Part Two, which accounts for the other 2 pages plus 3 other blank pages in case you were trying to add this all up and keep score.) Recipes repeat themselves as filler material, the SAME recipes from the back of the book. Quotes from the text are also repeated as filler. Without all the filler...you'd probably loose another 10-20 pages of material. Negative one star for excessive use of page count padding.
Just to be clear, the stuff that's there about Drew's life is really interesting. There's simply not ENOUGH of it, especially where Drew is supposed to be explaining his journey BACK to thin. He devoted a whole 88 pages—with filler material—to discuss his incredible weight loss and that includes his closing remarks. There's nothing to follow. He lets you into his world regarding how bad he felt when he was heavy, but there isn't much discussion of what his weight loss looked like, what he did, or how he felt. It seemed rushed and glossed over. His wife wrote a chapter for Part One. I would have liked to read a followup chapter in Part Two. Her thoughts added another dimension to his journey.
Drew spent 16 of 88 pages in Part Two discussing his last 15 lbs, but never went into detail. WHAT did he do specifically to achieve his goal, besides...change things up? What did his daily workouts look like? And whatever happened James, the guy who inspired Drew to get fat and then fit in the first place? Why does the QR link for "bonus material" lead you to a site for YA readers? I suppose the reader should simply follow the meal plans at the back of the book, drink their "spinach shake," and shut up about it, but I was hoping for more. Negative one star for lack of follow through.
I'm sorry to say that I found this book disappointing. I had hoped that the author would bring more of his journey into the book. (I was also hoping for more BOOK, period.) Part One was fine. Part Two was lacking. Seriously, Part Two is the MAIN reason for sticking it out, for finishing the book. What's his secret? Spinach Shakes??? There simply isn't enough material to work with. If you ONLY read this book, you're not going to see his results. You're not going to lose 75 lbs in only six months.
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March 29, 2017I like the way he relates "fitness lessons" with stories.
September 25, 2012
The concept seemed really interesting. It's about a physical trainer that was struggling with his clients, so he took on a mission to gain weight in 6 months and then loose it again in another 6 months. I liked reading the wife's perspective and wish that her section was longer. But all in all, the book was poorly written. It jumped around a lot and many times I didn't know if he was talking about when he was fat or fit. He also shared a lot of random stories that didn't really have anything to do with anything except to compare. There really wasn't any order to the book. I wish he talked more about his journey and more details about it. He said that he wrote in a blog, maybe it would've been more interesting to publish his blog entries? I'm not sure. It also would have been better if he added his pictures of himself into the book throughout the journey. You can go to his website and look at them, but it would've been good to have them in the book. Also, the meal plan and the workouts don't seem appealing at all. Basically his main thing he got from all of this is you need to have a big support and you need to be ultra motivated, blah blah blah. Like we didn't know that already? It could've been such a great book, but it was just really poorly done in my opinion. There were also several typos which drove me crazy. Like in one place, it says Fat2Fit2Fat instead of Fit2Fat2Fit...seriously. It's the title of your whole journey...you couldn't have gotten it right? So would I recommend it? I'm not sure. It was fairly interesting, but if you're looking for information on how to lose weight, I wouldn't recommend this book.
June 26, 2014
I like fitness narratives and I make allowances for some level of meatheadedness but this book pushes it a bit. Like a typical jock the author is not too bright, and that is forgivable. But his behavior reveals the fact that he is also a pissy jerk. He uses weight gain as an excuse to not do any housework or play with his kids.
Of course I think the audience that needs this book is the always fit neanderthal personal trainers who like the author have no empathy or understanding of people in their care,
This book makes a number of glaring mistakes. I don't think the author understands nutrition or exercise physiology very well. For example he talks about exercising in the gym for 45 minutes 3 times a week. That time is something that can only be done by someone who knows all the movements really well and is in peak health. a normal person would take at least 2 hours to do that kind of work.
The other elephant in this book is his 3 hour commute. Dude, you need to move or get a new job. First thing. All that sitting and driving is going to kill you.
edit: I forgot. His terrible metaphors. John F Kennedy setting a moon shot as his goal. I don't know if his grasp of history or rhetoric is more appalling.
Of course I think the audience that needs this book is the always fit neanderthal personal trainers who like the author have no empathy or understanding of people in their care,
This book makes a number of glaring mistakes. I don't think the author understands nutrition or exercise physiology very well. For example he talks about exercising in the gym for 45 minutes 3 times a week. That time is something that can only be done by someone who knows all the movements really well and is in peak health. a normal person would take at least 2 hours to do that kind of work.
The other elephant in this book is his 3 hour commute. Dude, you need to move or get a new job. First thing. All that sitting and driving is going to kill you.
edit: I forgot. His terrible metaphors. John F Kennedy setting a moon shot as his goal. I don't know if his grasp of history or rhetoric is more appalling.
January 17, 2014
Done with your book......
He saved himself with cliches about the "journey" and "balance" but other than that there was no insight to what he really experiences it felt staged and overly dramatic. Dude never should have been a trainer in the first place to be honest. I also think he had a super inflated ego about how in shape he was to start. Reality check in both places for him and an interesting conclusion despite this fact but really could be a wake up for many trainers like him with unrealistic expectations and no knowledge of psychology, kinesiology and general knowledge of how the body/mind work together and seperately. Writing style weak-poor at best. Pretty condescending of him to believe that being fat for a year can give him a feeling of how people who have been unhealthy their entire life feel. I understand every piece of bad press he gets and dr oz just got knocked yet another notch down on my list for endorsing this guy..... Overall grade D for disatisfied, disaster and don't try this at home!!!
He saved himself with cliches about the "journey" and "balance" but other than that there was no insight to what he really experiences it felt staged and overly dramatic. Dude never should have been a trainer in the first place to be honest. I also think he had a super inflated ego about how in shape he was to start. Reality check in both places for him and an interesting conclusion despite this fact but really could be a wake up for many trainers like him with unrealistic expectations and no knowledge of psychology, kinesiology and general knowledge of how the body/mind work together and seperately. Writing style weak-poor at best. Pretty condescending of him to believe that being fat for a year can give him a feeling of how people who have been unhealthy their entire life feel. I understand every piece of bad press he gets and dr oz just got knocked yet another notch down on my list for endorsing this guy..... Overall grade D for disatisfied, disaster and don't try this at home!!!
July 29, 2016
Readers of weight loss books are an impatient lot - if they don't get a solution to their weight problems, they will be unhappy. Very unhappy, it would seem, judging from the one to two star reviews. This book is a memoir, not a how to book. Still, it was natural to have the question "How did he lose the weight?" answered, and the author doesn't do that very well. He doesn't give detailed food plans, his workout routine etc. When he reached a plateau for one, he rambled on and gave anecdotes on his wife's strict upbringing, his friend's jobless season, which were tenuous examples to the point he was trying to make. He does that a lot, and it does get annoying after a while. Still, he excels in telling us the emotional, social and relational impact being overweight has on a person, though his six month sojourn can be akin to a rich man living in Africa for six months in a hut and saying he knows how is it like to be poor now. Good attempt though.
Fat loss, however, is a very complicated thing to do. Its a complex biochemisty process and he fails to explain that properly.
Fat loss, however, is a very complicated thing to do. Its a complex biochemisty process and he fails to explain that properly.
January 25, 2013
Probably one of my favorite weight loss books that I have ever read. I enjoyed his writing style because he didn't really seem to have one. It was relaxed and at times scattered, but felt like a conversation. I could really feel his concern and newly learned and appreciated humbleness coming through his words and advice and stories. I also connected to his real life analogies between weight loss and self love compared to other historical figures and scenarios. He's the kind of personal trainer every person would want. One that cares so much about other people's health and fitness he's willing to radically change his own physical and mental understanding of what it's like to start a life-changing process. He was understanding but insistent, fair but tough. I don't know the last weight loss book I personally read that had both this extent of heartfelt encouragement AND such numerous recipes, diet plans and exercises. Very uplifting for anyone needing motivation and inspiration!
August 5, 2013
This book won't win any awards for writing style, but it's an interesting story.
A lifetime fitness nut trades his healthy lifestyle for the average American lifestyle...and then makes the journey back to fitness fanatic...all in the name of understanding his clients better. On the surface, this book is about health and fitness. But in reality, this book is about understanding people with a totally different lifestyle than yours...and the difficulty of change. Even if change is for all the right reasons, change is hard.
I liked that the author address "the final 15." I also liked the recipes, food plan, exercises, and workout plans. I picked up a few helpful tips, I will try a few of the recipes, and I will incorporate some of his workouts into my fitness routine.
It was a quick read and I thought there was enough "good stuff" to make this book worth my time.
A lifetime fitness nut trades his healthy lifestyle for the average American lifestyle...and then makes the journey back to fitness fanatic...all in the name of understanding his clients better. On the surface, this book is about health and fitness. But in reality, this book is about understanding people with a totally different lifestyle than yours...and the difficulty of change. Even if change is for all the right reasons, change is hard.
I liked that the author address "the final 15." I also liked the recipes, food plan, exercises, and workout plans. I picked up a few helpful tips, I will try a few of the recipes, and I will incorporate some of his workouts into my fitness routine.
It was a quick read and I thought there was enough "good stuff" to make this book worth my time.
January 1, 2014
This was an interesting premise for a book, but I found too many sports metaphors to really get into it (since i loathe watching sports). The writing is a little disjointed, and the epiphanies weren't really all that unique (unless I guess you've always been fit and had never even considered what it was like to be fat).
I had hoped to read more about his struggle to regain fitness, but after the first month or so, he jumps to a more impersonal approach with generalizations on how the body adapts to fitness. Mostly the book was about getting fat, not about getting fit, though I suppose his blog might go more in depth.
I had hoped to read more about his struggle to regain fitness, but after the first month or so, he jumps to a more impersonal approach with generalizations on how the body adapts to fitness. Mostly the book was about getting fat, not about getting fit, though I suppose his blog might go more in depth.
May 17, 2013
I enjoyed this book. The message of compassion and realism was helpful to me. I have dropped 5 clothing sizes while mastering a thyroid condition that tried to kill me, and living with fibromyalgia for 15 years. Yet now that I'm "thin" I'm the enemy. I've been called rude names by my friends a propos of nothing, and criticized for the fitness interests I developed so late in life and at such cost. It's a topic I can't seem to avoid, so it was helpful to get more perspective on how to discuss this issue with defensive or antagonistic people.
September 13, 2012
Somewhat motivational, but not really relevant to most people including myself. Personal trainers could easily relate to his story and would probably rate this book higher. It's really more about his journey and less about you. It's got a good section at the back with meal plans and such, but they feel thrown in. It would have been better to incorporate week one with his week one and so on so we could follow with him.
April 6, 2013
I consumed this book in under 5 hours. Could not put down. So many "Don't open that door!" moments.
A caring sensitive hunk of a man describing his feelings when asking, "Does this make me look fat?" after trying on 75 extra pounds.
Please check out fit2fat2fit website when you have time. The book is only part of the equation! The rest is online through various sites - Facebook & twitter. And a betting app.
A caring sensitive hunk of a man describing his feelings when asking, "Does this make me look fat?" after trying on 75 extra pounds.
Please check out fit2fat2fit website when you have time. The book is only part of the equation! The rest is online through various sites - Facebook & twitter. And a betting app.
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