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Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction Series) | 
enlarge | Author: Valerie Bertinelli Publisher: Thorndike Press Category: Book
Buy New: $31.95
New (15) Used (7) from $19.95
Rating: 192 reviews Sales Rank: 3019105
Format: Large Print Media: Hardcover Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 419 Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1 Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.3 x 1
ISBN: 1410408523 Dewey Decimal Number: 791.45028092 EAN: 9781410408525 ASIN: 1410408523
Publication Date: July 18, 2008 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Amazon.com Review A Note to Amazon Readers (and a Q&A) from Valerie Bertinelli Dear Amazon Customer, Glad to see you here and hopefully purchasing my book. I've heard if you buy multiple copies it's a better experience--a better one for me! But seriously, I'm usually on Amazon, too. I've been buying books through the site for ten years. I enjoy reading the reviews. I get a good sense of the book, and I like to hear what other people have to say. Like in a traditional bookstore, I can look at the cover, peek inside the book, and check out the bestseller lists. Valerie - Do you have a favorite character from a book? I love Scout and Atticus from To Kill A Mockingbird.
- If you can be any character from a book, who would you like to be? I would like to be Scarlett and I would let Rhett know how much I love him.
- How do you decide what next book you want to read? If its for my book group, whoever hosts the next gathering picks the book, so its picked for me seven out of eight times. But on my own, I read reviews and ask people whose taste I like what theyre reading.
- Wheres your favorite place to read? Either lying in bed or on the sofa next to the fireplace.
- What is your favorite genre? I dont really have one.
Product Description
America's Sweetheart turned working mother gives a frank and inspiring account of her life backstage and in the spotlight. We all knew and loved Valerie Bertinelli years ago when she played the girl-next-door cutie, Barbara Cooper, in the hit TV show One Day at a Time. From wholesome primetime in America's living rooms, Valerie moved to late nights with the hardest partying band of the decadent 80s when she married rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen at the age of 20. Here are the ups and downs of teen stardom, of her complicated marriage, and of her very public struggle with weight. Surprising, uplifting, and empowering, Losing It takes you behind the scenes in Valerie's acting career and marriage. Despite Valerie's celebrity, her voice is so down-to-earth, honest, and appealing that you'll feel as if you're talking with a girlfriend over coffee. Funny and candid, Valerie recounts her attempts to maintain a healthy self-image while dealing with social pressures to look and act a certain way, and to overcome career insecurities and relationship problems familiar to the millions of women who struggle every day with these same issues. From marital turmoil to the joys of a new career, from being named among Penthouse's ten sexiest women in the world to overhearing whispers about her weight gain in the grocery store, this is Valerie's inspiring journey as she finds new love, raises a terrific kid, and motivates other women as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 187 more reviews...
Skip it if you're expecting weight-loss motivation! October 24, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Don't expect any weight-loss wisdom or even an extensive account of her own weight-loss journey (except for an obsessive tally of every time she gains or loses a few pounds). Do expect a LOT of cocaine snorting and 20 years of angst over her ill-considered marriage, not to mention a few really boneheaded parenting decisions. If that's your bag, go for it; if not, save your money,
Interesting and Enjoyable AudioBook October 24, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was curious about this book. I always thought of Valerie Bertinelli as the sweetheart married to Eddie Van Halen. I always liked her.
She's very candid in this book about things she's done, mistakes she's made, but interestingly, she doesn't blame anyone but herself. While many celebs are mentioned in this book, she's very kind to them all and I appreciated that. Lots of time is spent discussing her relationship with Eddie Van Halen. Honestly, never had an opinion on him, but amazingly, you walk away from the book respecting and liking the guy. (even with all of the issues that were discussed). I admire the fact that she was able to put all of her bitterness aside and accept things for what they were without blaming others.
I don't know that it was "inspirational", but it makes you think. Women have a tendency to have insecurities about themselves, whether they are warranted or not. No matter what size she was, she was always obsessing about it. Finding out what makes you happy as a person is what matters when being able to put those thoughts aside. She was able to do that.
Do I think it was a commercial for Jenny Craig? No way. That was only a small part of it. No diet in the world is going to help you unless you want to help yourself. She gets it.
The only downside is that I wish her political views were kept out of it, but that is part of who she is and the book is about her. Overall, it was a nice enjoyable listen, and I think the audiobook made it even more genuine hearing it with her voice telling the story. She's a great reader, though she does sometimes read a bit fast.
An entertaining book especially if you grew up in the 80's October 15, 2008 I grew up watching little "Barbara Cooper" on One Day at a Time like many did so I was looking forward to the read to get "the dish." Even when Valerie married Eddie (which seemed like such an odd couple to me back then) and got into the height of her weight insecurities, I still thought she was a perfect size. I wasn't a huge VH fan but my husband was and we both thought she gave good insight into what Eddie was thinking at different incarnations of the band. Even though the theme of weight/self esteem issues were found throughout, it wasn't overly done. For emotional eaters, we can relate. The only thing holding me back from giving it 5 stars is I wished she would've waited for a year after she got to her goal weight to write this. Sadly, we saw Kirstie reach her goal and then gained it back (or at least part of it). I would've liked to have seen how Valerie maintained it through the holidays and such since she stated in the book that is the hardest part for her is maintaining.
What's the purpose? October 9, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I grew up watching Valerie on TV and have always been a fan. When she married Eddie it was beyond cool to me because I was so into Van Halen. But, I found her book to be simplistic. It is an easy read, but it's not that interesting. She and Ed weren't doing anything that rest of us weren't doing during the '80's or doing now. I don't know, I just felt let down and am super glad that I got the book thru' the library.
Where people get off talking about how inspiring it was is beyond me. Why would wading through somebody's life that is so polluted with insecuritues be an inspiration to you?
The one burning question that I have pondered for years was answered in the book, however. I always wondered if Val and Ed had the same hairdresser considering throughout the '80's they always had the same hair style. Turns out I was right!
Other than that, I whizzed through the end of the book because I couldn't take her pity party about her weight, her lousy one-sided marriage or anything else any longer. I mean at one point she says she wished she could have won the lottery. PLEASE!!! Because the money those two had wasn't enough? Annoying!!
It''s happened again.......... October 7, 2008 1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I just started this book this afternoon and I had been looking forward to reading it for months. After one chapter I put it down in disgust and I am almost positive I won't be finishing it. Why? Because once again an author feels it necessary to slam Republicans and the current administration.
Once again I am writing these words in an Amazon review - Newsflash authors: Some of your readers are Republicans, some of us are conservatives, some of us really do like GWB, Cheney etc. Oh the horrors. Sorry but it's a fact - we exist. And I am so damn sick and tired of books that have NOTHING to do with politics inflicting this on unsuspecting readers.
Valerie, I didn't want to read your book to see you slam the administration. I wanted to read about your life. I have always liked you from One Day at a Time on. And now....well you're just another Hollyweirder who goes on my boycott list.
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