The Unapologetic Fat Girl's Guide to Exercise and Other Incendiary Acts

I really, really wanted to be able to rate this book five stars. In the end, I couldn't quite do that.The book is very well written; it's lively, witty, and fun to read. It's also well-structured and very accessible. Blank's bluntness about the plight of plus size people (and anyone else who doesn't fit the mold of young, slim, and athletic) and how it can affect their body practice psychologically is refreshing, to say the least. She put many of my emotions that I previously couldn't find expression for into words, clear cut and simple. I found this aspect of the book to be inspiring and encouraging...simply knowing that you're not alone in your fear and doubts is so important to getting through any complicated emotions. I particularly like her statement that you do NOT exist to decorate the world for others, which is something that holds many of us (women in particular) back from living freely, fully, and in the moment. I also liked the inclusion of a resource guide, although I didn't find it quite as helpful as I had hoped.With all that said, I was really hoping for more practical guidance. She does include some, but it seemed to me the bulk of the book centered around encouraging you to get out there and just do it, rather than telling you HOW to do it. Most of the practical advice she does give centers around the gym. Since I don't use gyms (partially for emotional/psychological reasons addressed in the book, but also in large part because of an array of more practical concerns), I didn't get much out of it on that end of things. I was really hoping for more outside-of-the-box suggestions and practical guidance.In the end, this book is a great motivational tool for those just getting started, and/or those who simply need to see how very not alone they are. But I did not get out of it what I had hoped to, that being a practical guide to expanding an already existing body practice. If you're looking for more of a mental/emotional guide, this book may be for you!

This is my second book by this author, and I still find her very well written and with a firm grasp of the subject material. Her coverage of areas such as how to cope with bullying by people in a place you work out in is very refreshing because these are obvious difficulties people who do not fit the media consensus of "what is normal" face when out in public. Often ridiculed, sneered at, not taken seriously when trying to be healthy - and frankly, you can be healthy at any weight so long as you take care of yourself.However, once more, find the title of the book and its synopsis slightly misleading. While the author does go in-depth on so many potential subjects, many of them will not apply to you. You might only need to read 8 pages of the potential type you fit into whereas half the book is suggestions of what type of fat person considering exercise are you? That, at least, is what I came away with, and I found it a bit overdone, unfortunately. I don't need to know about people merely contemplating exercise somewhere random, I want to see what sort of exercises I can get into which I'd not thought of myself and here, here's some resources and you can do this and just love yourself while you do.I don't feel the author delivers on possible suggestions for heavier people to really consider, only possibilities to consider of which considering type you might be as you are giving exercise your consideration (yeah, that).I'm past considering a faceless dream, I want to be unapologetic and exercise. The book could not help me there.

I'll admit it. I hate, Hate, HATE being a size 16. I've never been a skinny Minnie but I am happier in the size 10 range. It's important to note I'm only 5'3" Some people lose weight by dieting. Some are the size they are. Some lose weight by exercise. I'm the latter. The problem is I hate exercising. Hanne encouraged me to go for it. I don't think everyone needs to lose weight nor do they need to fit an ideal size. It's all about how you feel your best. I look skeletal at my "ideal" weight of 115. To make a long story short, I joined a Cross Fit gym. Not the type of thing you'd expect a fat girl to do. However, my trainers and the fit people in my class are so encouraging that I am managing to stick with it. I've lost 5 pounds. My XXL leggings are loose. Every girl needs a safe place to work on herself - her health, her weight, her endorphins whatever she gets out of it. Thanks Hanne for encouraging me to try.

This along with her other book, Big Big Love, are must reads for any larger woman or anyone who is in a relationship with a larger woman. Most of us tend to hate ourselves for being fat because society tells us we're pigs who can't control our eating or that we're lazy. Anyone, like me, who has struggled her entire life to fit in and be thin knows the damage that mentality causes. Books like these may not change the world, but they help you to start picking away at the stigma, the pain, the damages caused by people's belief that fat is ugly and disgusting. We need to feel better about ourselves, gain confidence, and start loving our bodies, as difficult as I know that may be. I'm certainly not there yet and I may never completely be happy with myself, but books like this one go a long way in helping me on that journey.

A fantastic book. I highly recommend it to fitness beginners and vets alike

Finally an unintimidating book about exercise! A must have for every plus size woman!