Geography Lesson | Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time

good read | Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time | Valerie Bertinelli

books:


	• Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time Valerie Bertinelli Free Press, 2008 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 186 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

She's likeable as always, but might want to lay off the politics

I'm only a few years younger than Valerie and grew up watching "One Day" and emulating her hairstyles as a kid. I've always found her likable and entertaining and frankly, to be a little envied (before I knew better) when she married Eddie Van Halen, which was the talk of my high school at the time.

Her book, while not exactly cerebral, is an interesting read, and actually confirmed what I surmised from watching her interviews over the years: She is a good person with a natural sweetness but is much more edgy and a spitfire than one would believe from watching any of her work. It certainly makes her more interesting.

I do have to say, though, that she might have been better off had she kept her politics out of the book. I'll say up-front that I am somewhat of a conservative and therefore my exegesis is slanted right, but I cringed when she states she hasn't "forgiven" her dad for his conservative views and is encouraging him to become a Democrat, yet she voted for Clinton because she liked his wife. This sort of superficial, knee-jerk, bumper sticker politics is typical of Hollywood and frankly, sounds dumb. She is obviously trying to sound politically aware but comes across childish and naive. She owes Mr. Bertinelli an apology for the public condescension and frankly, more respect,as she could certainly learn a few things from him.

I was surprised at the number of grammatical errors, many of which were obvious. What was the proofreader thinking?!

All in all, though, the books is fairly engaging and she is very frank and honest about her own role in the events played out across its pages. She appears to have brought up a good kid and made a real effort to make a difficult marriage work, so I have to give her props for that, her silly political musings notwithstanding.

And let's face it...she still has great hair.

for more information click here

Geography Lesson

Valerie, You lived in "Clarkston", Michigan--not Pine Knob, Michigan. Pine Knob is a ski resort in the winter and a concert venue in the summer. There were other references in your book which clearly indicate you and your editors did not do their research.

For the most part, I agree with reviewers that said she's so insecure. I also didn't appreciate the democrat slant and comments. Too many celebrities, especially women, expect all or most women to be democrats. It ain't so. You surround yourself with so many sycophants and not enough real people to realize that. There are plenty of right-wingers on the coasts too.

Each time I thought she really was a grounded person, something would lurk around the corner proving otherwise. While she never talks money and how much she made while acting or even their household expenses, it would have been nice to read about to enable the reader to put things into perspective. I wasn't left with the impression that they were spend-thrifts (with the exception of drugs) but again, perspective would have been an added bonus.

for more information click here

good read

I liked this book alot and it was very inspirational to anyone trying to lose weight. I wish it would have been alittle more juicier regarding her marriage to eddie van halen. I felt alot was left out.

for more information click here

OMG VAL!

The sex. The drugs. The rock n roll. And that was even before she met Eddie Van Halen.
The shock value not the writing--which has a breezy, high school girl's diary quality--is the reason to read this book.
She claims to be an emotional eater -- by the end you understand what she had to be so emotional about.
For the longest time VB was on the side of the angels. Presented by the media as America's Sweetheart; the good girl who would tame the bad boy; the suffering wife who tried and failed; kind but unhappy fat woman -- these are the monikers she could have continued to milk for sympathy. Instead she put it all out there without a trace of vindictiveness. This alone keeps her on the side of angels.

for more information click here

Valerie Bertinelli, then: bubbly sitcom star and America's Sweetheart turned tabloid headline and rock star wife. Now: actress, single working mother of teenage rock star, and weight-loss inspiration to millions.

We all knew and loved Valerie Bertinelli years ago when she played girl-next-door cutie Barbara Cooper in the hit TV show One Day at a Time, and then starred in numerous TV movies. From wholesome primetime in America's living rooms, Valerie moved to late nights with the hardest-partying band of the decadent eighties when she became, at twenty, wife to rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Losing It is Valerie's frank account of her life backstage and in the spotlight. Here are the ups and downs of teen stardom, of her complicated marriage to a brilliant, tormented musical genius, and of her very public struggle with her weight.

Surprising, uplifting, and empowering, Losing It takes you behind the scenes of Valerie's acting career and marriage, recalling the comforts, friendships, and problems of her television family, her close relationships with her parents and brothers, the stress and worries of being the wife of a rock star, and the joys of motherhood. Like many women, Valerie often remembers the state of her life by the food she ate and the numbers on her scale. So despite her celebrity, Valerie's 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, all of which will be familiar to the hundreds of thousands 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.

for more information click here