Book ~ "Secrets of a Former Fat Girl" (2008) Lisa Delaney

From Amazon ~ Despite her lack of medical credentials, "Former Fat Girl" Delaney is convincing simply because she has not only lost weight but has kept it off. She has figured out how to go from size 16 to size 2 jeans and maintain a healthy slim figure for decades. Instead of talking diets, Delaney focuses on motivation. It's essential to feel like you have control over your life; you have to believe you can change, she insists. After talking about the Jazzercise class that first gave her that "I can" feeling, Delaney offers some practical advice so readers can go beyond losing weight to realizing a better self-image. Keep your new eating/exercising regimen a secret, she advises, as family and friends may be surprisingly resistant to your changes. Be firm and exclude foods or situations you know you can't handle. Visualize the life you want for yourself. Even if her advice is not terribly new, Delaney mixes optimism and realism in such manageable proportions, she may give readers just the boost they need.

No, her advice isn't new but it is still an enjoyable read. It focuses less on dieting and more on the emotional and mental side of it.

The author shares her seven "secrets":

1. Forget dieting - get active
2. Keep it a secret - puts less pressure on yourself
   
3. Adopt INO (It's Not an Option) - not exercise or eating something unhealthy is INO
   
4. "See" yourself slim - visualization
   
5. Remember, you're not like other people - what works for someone else may not work for you
   
6. Protect yourself from pushers - don't let well-meaning people push food on you
   
7. Happiness lives in the uncomfort zone - try new things

And it's still working for her 20 years later! She's in her forties, has had baby (at 40) and is 117 pounds!