The Weight of Being

How I Satisfied My Hunger for Happiness

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 31 Jul 2018 | Archive Date 18 Jun 2018

Talking about this book? Use #TheWeightOfBeing #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

A brutally honest story about being fat in America -- and one woman's experience with radical weight loss after a lifetime of fat shaming

Kara Richardson Whitely thought she could do anything. After all, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro-three times! But now she's off the mountain and back home again, and there's one thing she just can't manage to do: lose weight.

In many ways, Kara is living the life of everywoman, except that she's not everywoman because she weighs 300 pounds and is tormented by binge eating disorder. Her weight is a constant source of conflict and shame, as the people from every corner of her life, from her coworkers to the neighbors down the street, judge Kara for the size of her body. When it becomes just too much to tolerate, Kara turns to therapy and weight-loss surgery, a choice that transforms her body-and her life.

Kara's story is one of living as a fat woman in America, where fat prejudice is rampant despite our nation's pandemic of obesity. In this fresh, raw memoir, Kara reveals this epic contradiction, and offers a revealing comparison of life before and after radical weight loss.
A brutally honest story about being fat in America -- and one woman's experience with radical weight loss after a lifetime of fat shaming

Kara Richardson Whitely thought she could do anything. After...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781580056472
PRICE CA$23.50 (CAD)
PAGES 272

Average rating from 17 members


Featured Reviews

A lovely candid book about dealing with weight. Liked her honesty. Very impressed.

Thanks to author,publisher,and NetGalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating i gave it.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book so much that I read it in a day! Kara's unflinchingly honest, incredible struggle with her obesity and her weight loss surgery make for compelling reading. An experienced journalist and gifted writer, her literary talents make this memoir one worth reading, whether or not the reader has dealt with a weight issue. Universal topics are examined such as love, death, grief, parenting, marriage, adventure, and community. I only wish that the final chapter had been a little more fleshed out. I hope Kara writes a sequel that depicts her ongoing challenges and triumphs. Highly recommended!

Was this review helpful?

This was a very good book about the author’s struggles with her weight and food. She was very forthcoming. The book kept my attention the whole time. It was a quick read, I finished it in about 1.5-2 hours. I would have like the ending to go into more detail.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this honestly written memoir about the author’s struggles to lose weight her entire life and how she coped with being heavy as a daughter, wife and mother. It was when she finally had weight loss surgery that she was able to gain some confidence and control in her life.
A well written and easy read, I highly recommend for anyone who has ever struggled with their weight.

Was this review helpful?

I was initially disappointed with the pace of the book and the author's writing style, but was soon drawn into what turned out to be a very well-written memoir. Most of the existing descriptions of the book include a spoiler, which is no surprise when discussing food addiction. I mean, the author either gets help, or he or she does not, so let me say at the outset that she does seek medical intervention.

Whitely did an excellent job of carrying the reader right along with her throughout her food addiction. All the while, I asked myself why she couldn't be addicted to fresh fruits and vegetables, but I was educated on the fact that, had that been the case, there would have been no weight problem and no book. Sugar is a drug in itself, after all.

I applaud her for taking the huge and scary step toward surgery. It will be interesting, however, to see what she teaches her children about food and a healthy relationship with it. I was very disappointed to see her "treat" her children to ice cream after the family took a long hike. I would be interested in learning what kinds of food choices she now makes for herself and her family, as there are many cases of people who have the surgery, but refuse to change their food choices.

I did enjoy reading the book, and I hope the author will write another to let us know of all the changes in her life!.

Was this review helpful?

I loved the author's raw and honest portrayal of struggling with her weight and how it affects her life. I admire that honesty, as I am overweight and felt instantly connected to her. I definitely will recommend this to friends who also struggle with their weight, as it is nice to have what I am feeling put into words.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: