I think I might have liked this book more if I had come into it expecting something different. I thought this book would be essays about body image (especially where it intersects with race and gender), but it had a lot more of a memoir feel in most chapters. There were some statistics thrown in on various topics, but this actually left me feeling more disconnected from the writing.

Hilliard is definitely a funny person, so it's no surprise that she's a comedian. However, I felt like the tone of this book was odd at times. There would be a lot of humor and then a serious topic (such as dating violence) would be introduced, and I felt a bit of whiplash. I normally like books that combine light and dark tones, but there was something about the delivery of this that just didn't work for me in this format and writing style.

I would have loved even more of a focus on eating issues and her own experiences versus descriptions of her career and dating life. But I appreciate that Hilliard was willing to share her story, and I thought she was brave for being super honest when discussing all areas of her life. I'd recommend this to people who are looking for more of a humorous memoir rather than a self-help book or an exploration on body image issues.

This book provides tremendous motivation into loving yourself and not dictating your life around a silly diet.

This book is hilarious!!! I loved reading it. It was so entertaining and you will laugh at loud at some parts.

LOL....I could relate on so many levels to this book. What a hoot. Funny but true. Makes you look at food and body image in a different light. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

Chloe Hilliard is a female comedienne who has had it with diets. In fact, F*ck Your Diet.

This is a humorous book describing the author’s journey from fried Southern food to veganism (mostly). Beginning as a young child, Chloe was thick. Chocolate was her first word. She had a “torrid love affair with cereal”. Many of her stories, like being forced to eat everything on her plate because of starving African children, will seem eerily familiar—at least to women of a certain age and girth.

However, it is also much more. As the author states, “I never imagined this would venture into systematic oppression, political agendas, conspiracy theories, sex tips, and traumatizing relationships.” If you love food documentaries like Super Size Me and Food, Inc., you should read F*ck Your Diet—especially if you are a thick woman of any color. I enjoyed it plus it made me forgive myself for the French fries I ate for breakfast this morning. 4 stars!

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyable, easy read about beauty standards with intersectional feminist lense. More of memoir/essay than humor

From the moment I saw the title, I knew I needed to read this book. It clearly spoke to me.
I’m going to confess that I had absolutely no idea who Chloé Hilliard was … and I almost prefer it that way. I mean, yeah, sure, I read books from comedians I know, but sometimes it’s fun just to discover some nonfiction with no pre-judgment or expectations.

F*ck Your Diet is part memoir, part social commentary. It’s one woman’s journey to self-acceptance, while also acknowledging the ways society sets her up for failure.

Sometimes it’s easier to avoid the pitfalls when you know what they are and can see them coming. When I picked up this book, I had absolutely no idea what to expect, and overall, I was pleasantly surprised. Hilliard clearly has spent some time poking around in my brain, because this book was so freaking relatable, despite the few times her and I just didn’t see eye-to-eye.

My Thoughts:

- There were several chapters that were enlightening as to what it’s like growing up as a lower class black girl, and it was nice seeing another person’s perspective. Some of the experiences were funny, especially regarding Hilliard’s grandmother and family, and some were just insightful and uplifting. Of course, some were downright depressing, because life happens. The thing I particularly loved is that Hilliard was honest and raw about all of it, even the negative things, and constantly emphasized the fact that life is a journey. It can’t all be coasting downhill.

- At times, there’s a hard critical look at the role/place of people of color in society in general. If you can’t go in with an open mind, this book probably isn’t for you, because it’s got some hard truths and some even harder opinions. Hilliard doesn’t shy away from the race thing. Some of it was hard to read, even for myself, but that’s the beauty of an opinion. Hilliard doesn’t take a “woe is me” approach, and often tries to lighten social commentary with humor surrounding her own experience, which made it a nice balance of lightness with the dark. The way Hilliard called out problems while also finding the positives in them and the potential they can lead to something made it more of an uplifting read.

- Hilliard talks a lot about body image and an attempt to get healthy, and I feel attacked, y’all, but also oddly seen? There were times I just couldn’t stop laughing, because her struggles were things I also struggled with. Clearly, we’re kindred souls whose thighs are just undermining everything we try to do. Stupid thighs. Hilliard takes the reader through a montage of diets and fitness regimes she tried with varying success, always with a slightly tongue-in-cheek approach. Hilliard calls out the struggles some people have in this regard, including food deserts, lack of access, and lack of education.

- I went into this book expecting 100% less facts and statistics than were presented. I was impressed, not gonna lie. I thought this would just be cute little anecdotes, but nope. Hilliard cuts no slack at all in calling out problems with society, backed up with statistics (and yes, she cites her sources). The book doesn’t read like a disertation, don’t get me wrong, but she’s clearly thought about her past experiences and added up all the factors that led her there. While it’s true that our choices are our own, there are sooo many factors that lead us to any one decision. Hilliard pieces together some of these influences to give a broader picture.

Sticking Points:

- Hilliard is very passionate about some things, so her narrative at times becomes very preachy and prescriptive. Which felt weird, considering the overall vibe the book seems to be going for is love yourself and overall acceptance. She’s very pro-vegan and anti-red meat. Which is fine. But I love bacon and hamburgers. Sometimes together, but also apart.

- I confess: I skimmed the chapter on sex. I KNOW. I’m disappointed in myself, too. Especially since the whole point of the chapter, or the part I actually read, was that it’s important to have these discussions because sex matters. And I agree. But let’s just say that our experiences in this arena are vastly different, as are our opinions, so I just passed on this one.

- Based on the title and blurb, I thought this would be about Hilliard’s struggle with weight and self-acceptance, and it was, but it was also a whole lot more, to the point where it felt a little random. There were a lot of chapters about a lot of things, and it eventually came back to the health/weight stuff, but it was sometimes a bit meandering. It wasn’t bad, necessarily, but I didn’t expect it, and I had a little trouble at times following the train of thought and circling back to the original idea.

In this hilarious and refreshing memoir, comedian Chloe Hilliard takes on diet culture and the way society teaches us to think about our bodies. From junk food to the meat industry to standards of beauty, Hilliard has a lot to say, and I loved every word.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I requested this book because I loved the cover and I loved the title. I TOUGHT it was going to be a book written by someone who has fought with their weight all along and some funny stories might come from it. But this is the book that taught me to look a little closer at the description of the book. I absolutely loved chapter one...and just when I was getting settled into it, my mouth started dropping open...this was the most political and racist book I have ever personally read. And yes, it is still racism when it is against white people. Once the first literal mouth drop happened, it started happening even more for every chapter I went in...So many of the things she talks about happening to her(usually because of someone white) also happened to myself or other people I know who did not happen to have color in their skin. I thought this would be some sort of sisterhood book...only MY sisterhood actually does include everybody. You cannot be talking about how racist someone is, all the while literally talking about your problems with white people...To me, you are either part of the solution or part of the problem. I never judge people based on something they can't control. None of us can choose what color our skin is, what gender we were born to, who our parents are or what they taught us when we were young(among other things) but we CAN choose who we want to be as we grow up. We can choose how to treat people. We can choose to change so many of our circumstances in life.. I don't judge people based on color, whether they like boys or girls or both, how much money they have, where they live, how they talk, what they dress like...how tall or short they are...blah blah blah. I only judge people on whether or not they are an ass in life.

For anyone who has esteem issues with weight, height, or any of the above, this book is for you. This book puts life into a perspective that is a delight to read and also gives the reader food for thought.

Ms. Hilliard lays out her issues about her image and how society looks at and treats women they “think” don’t have a “certain” look in a compelling way that I think someone who could use a perspective like this will want to read this book.

Well written and informative, I highly recommend this book!