Cover Image: Paid to Be Perfect

Paid to Be Perfect

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Member Reviews

This made an interesting read, very helpful, especially in todays society.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

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A great book for people worried about their body image. Be the size you were meant to be. Paid to be perfect will show you how.

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Not my speed at all! I don’t know who the target audience of this book is for. This book is for people who struggle with EDs I think it seems like undercover ED material.


Good luck to the author. Maybe there is a huge target audience for this. But it ain’t me.

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Diet, exercise, skincare, and professional advice from someone who is quite literally paid to be perfect. As a fit model, Heather Mathes must maintain the same measurements and has done so for nearly 30 years. Her advice is pretty simple—eat real food and you can eat nearly as much as you want. She avoids sugar and alcohol (and exercises) and is still a size 6.

I enjoyed reading this book, although there really wasn’t much that I didn’t know. Other than the existence of LED masks, which I’d never heard of and are now my new obsession.

Like many people, I know I should limit my consumption of sugar, alcohol, and processed food, but it’s easier said than done. But it’s always good to be reminded… #PaidToBePerfect #NetGalley

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Interesting read about the pressure to be thin, different strategies and ultimately what's worked for the author. A little more on the desire to stay thin that a body positive person might like to read, but overall, an easy read, with lots of useful tips. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I really enjoyed this book. The author's modeling experience was very interesting. It also gave practical and savvy tips on how to live a health lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight.

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An interesting read an insight into the world of a 'fit model' and how she maintains her size within a quarter of an inch.
It's empathetically written and far more bite sized and practical (no pun intended!) than I was expecting with some interesting tips on nutrition, energy, fitness and wellness.

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“Maintaining exact measurements within a quarter of an inch plus or minus takes a person with discipline and knowledge around nutrition and fitness. Your body becomes your work and it must be treated as such. Your consistency with your nutrition and workout is as much a part of your job as actually showing up for work.”*

The author has had a long career as a fit model for major clothing brands by keeping her measurements consistent over decades (she’s allowed a quarter of an inch variance) to embody the perfect size six. In this book, she shares tips for how she maintained her figure and how to break into fit modeling.

I liked the positivity that infused the book overall. Her nutrition, fitness, wellness, and skin care regimens were developed using her own experiences. She focuses on eating clean with a non-diet/self-love approach. Some of her recommendations, such as vegan pea protein, are a bit odd, and her multi-product skin care routine seems somewhat excessive, but there’s lots of helpful information for people looking to begin a career in fit modeling and/or seeking general tips to help cultivate a healthier relationship with their bodies.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Gatekeeper Press for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

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This book was not what I expected at all. In a good way. This book takes an empathetic approach and gives bite size approaches and allows you to have kindness and patience with yourself when dealing with life. This is so necessary for everyone to read in life. Highly recommend. Especially loved the reflection to true life to humanize my feelings and relate. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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This is an encouraging book with real-world and do-able strategies for maintaining a healthy weight -- whatever that may be for your body type. I think it loses something, however, with the cursing included in the book. I'm assuming the author is trying to 'keep it real,' but it's just off-putting.

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An interesting book on a "fit" models lifestyle. The diet is basically the Whole Food diet. Author Mathes points out a few times that this is what works for her, and it may or may not work for you, but it doesn't hurt to try. The book is never preachy or snobbish, very relatable. A few F words sprinkled thru out (One of my favorite movies is Super Troopers, so I'm in no way a Prude!) which seemed out of place. Perhaps this is in line with the personality of Mathes (and those who know her wouldn't be surprised by it) - but, I just found them out of place and they jarred me out of my immersion into the work briefly. What I really loved about the book were the personal stories. I wish there could have been more personal stories, really enjoyed them. Interesting, quick, read.

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This was such an interesting book on a model’s experience and the rigorous and demanding standards to remain a certain size to be able to maintain her career. Absolutely fascinating read. Enjoyed this one very much!

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For over thirty years, Heather Mathes has had a successful career as a fit model and has been “Paid to be Perfect.” In this information packed memoir, she describes how she has maintained her measurements (healthy foods, exercise), her appearance (skin and body care) and her general well being (meditation, sleep, positive outlook). There’s a lot of information her and it’s all well organized and easy to follow. Mathes is realistic and encouraging and includes links to helpful websites. She also provides information on beginning a career as a fit model.

Paid to be Perfect is interesting and unique. Heather Mathes reveals the reality behind the glamour of fashion work. It’s a fascinating look at an unusual career. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gatekeeper Press and Heather Mathes for this ARC.

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