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Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time | 
 enlarge | Author: Valerie Bertinelli
Publisher: Free Press
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $10.20
You Save: $4.80 (32%)
New (8) Used (2) from $9.70
Rating:  193 reviews
Sales Rank: 2537
Media: Paperback
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 1416569685
Dewey Decimal Number: 920
EAN: 9781416569688
ASIN: 1416569685
Publication Date: November 18, 2008 (New: This Week)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Amazon.com Review
A Note to Amazon Readers (and a Q&A) from Valerie Bertinelli Dear Amazon Customer, Glad to see you here and hopefully purchasing my book. I've heard if you buy multiple copies it's a better experience--a better one for me! But seriously, I'm usually on Amazon, too. I've been buying books through the site for ten years. I enjoy reading the reviews. I get a good sense of the book, and I like to hear what other people have to say. Like in a traditional bookstore, I can look at the cover, peek inside the book, and check out the bestseller lists. Valerie - Do you have a favorite character from a book? I love Scout and Atticus from To Kill A Mockingbird.
- If you can be any character from a book, who would you like to be? I would like to be Scarlett and I would let Rhett know how much I love him.
- How do you decide what next book you want to read? If it s for my book group, whoever hosts the next gathering picks the book, so it s picked for me seven out of eight times. But on my own, I read reviews and ask people whose taste I like what they re reading.
- Where s your favorite place to read? Either lying in bed or on the sofa next to the fireplace.
- What is your favorite genre? I don t really have one.
Product Description
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 was girl-next-door cutie Barbara Cooper in the hit TV show One Day at a Time, and more recently when she starred in numerous TV movies and co-starred in Touched by an Angel. From wholesome prime time 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: the ups and downs of teen stardom, her complicated marriage to a brilliant, tormented musical genius, the joys of motherhood, and her very public struggle with her weight. Surprising, uplifting, and empowering, Losing It chronicles Valerie's journey as she finds new love, raises a terrific kid, and motivates other women to take back their lives.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 188 more reviews...
 FINDING IT November 19, 2008
David Hollar (Maryland, USA)
Valorie's books is more about how she "found it" than losing it. She tells her story in such a way that the reader "gets to know her" in some debth.
The pounds she lost restult in a gain for the reader.
Author of: Mr. NewHeart (New Heart): Heart Attack to Transplant and Beyond, the inspiring story of a 1991 heart transplant and how I "found it."
Find it @ lulu (dot) com/dshollar
 Skip it if you're expecting weight-loss motivation! October 24, 2008
A reader (State College, PA United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Don't expect any weight-loss wisdom or even an extensive account of her own weight-loss journey (except for an obsessive tally of every time she gains or loses a few pounds). Do expect a LOT of cocaine snorting and 20 years of angst over her ill-considered marriage, not to mention a few really boneheaded parenting decisions. If that's your bag, go for it; if not, save your money,
Interesting and Enjoyable AudioBook October 24, 2008
surprised reader (USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was curious about this book. I always thought of Valerie Bertinelli as the sweetheart married to Eddie Van Halen. I always liked her.
She's very candid in this book about things she's done, mistakes she's made, but interestingly, she doesn't blame anyone but herself. While many celebs are mentioned in this book, she's very kind to them all and I appreciated that. Lots of time is spent discussing her relationship with Eddie Van Halen. Honestly, never had an opinion on him, but amazingly, you walk away from the book respecting and liking the guy. (even with all of the issues that were discussed). I admire the fact that she was able to put all of her bitterness aside and accept things for what they were without blaming others.
I don't know that it was "inspirational", but it makes you think. Women have a tendency to have insecurities about themselves, whether they are warranted or not. No matter what size she was, she was always obsessing about it. Finding out what makes you happy as a person is what matters when being able to put those thoughts aside. She was able to do that.
Do I think it was a commercial for Jenny Craig? No way. That was only a small part of it. No diet in the world is going to help you unless you want to help yourself. She gets it.
The only downside is that I wish her political views were kept out of it, but that is part of who she is and the book is about her. Overall, it was a nice enjoyable listen, and I think the audiobook made it even more genuine hearing it with her voice telling the story. She's a great reader, though she does sometimes read a bit fast.
An entertaining book especially if you grew up in the 80's October 15, 2008
pele5474
I grew up watching little "Barbara Cooper" on One Day at a Time like many did so I was looking forward to the read to get "the dish." Even when Valerie married Eddie (which seemed like such an odd couple to me back then) and got into the height of her weight insecurities, I still thought she was a perfect size. I wasn't a huge VH fan but my husband was and we both thought she gave good insight into what Eddie was thinking at different incarnations of the band. Even though the theme of weight/self esteem issues were found throughout, it wasn't overly done. For emotional eaters, we can relate. The only thing holding me back from giving it 5 stars is I wished she would've waited for a year after she got to her goal weight to write this. Sadly, we saw Kirstie reach her goal and then gained it back (or at least part of it). I would've liked to have seen how Valerie maintained it through the holidays and such since she stated in the book that is the hardest part for her is maintaining.
 What's the purpose? October 9, 2008
luvn' life
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I grew up watching Valerie on TV and have always been a fan. When she married Eddie it was beyond cool to me because I was so into Van Halen. But, I found her book to be simplistic. It is an easy read, but it's not that interesting. She and Ed weren't doing anything that rest of us weren't doing during the '80's or doing now. I don't know, I just felt let down and am super glad that I got the book thru' the library.
Where people get off talking about how inspiring it was is beyond me. Why would wading through somebody's life that is so polluted with insecuritues be an inspiration to you?
The one burning question that I have pondered for years was answered in the book, however. I always wondered if Val and Ed had the same hairdresser considering throughout the '80's they always had the same hair style. Turns out I was right!
Other than that, I whizzed through the end of the book because I couldn't take her pity party about her weight, her lousy one-sided marriage or anything else any longer. I mean at one point she says she wished she could have won the lottery. PLEASE!!! Because the money those two had wasn't enough? Annoying!!
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