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Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin...Every Inch of It on May 19, 2015 Pages: 232
Format: Hardcover
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Told through a series of larger-than-life snapshots, a hilarious memoir in essays about love, sex, marriage, motherhood, bikinis, and loving your body, no matter what size you are from the acclaimed blogger and body image advocate.
Brittany Gibbons has been a plus size her whole life. But instead of hiding herself in the shadows of thinner women, Brittany became a wildly popular blogger and national spokesmodel--known for stripping on stage at TedX and standing in Times Square in a bikini on national television, and making skinny people everywhere uncomfortable.
Talking honestly about size and body image on her popular blog, brittanyherself.com, she has ignited a national conversation. Now in her first book, she shares hilarious and painfully true stories about her life as a weird overweight girl growing up in rural Ohio, struggling with dating and relationships, giving the middle finger to dieting, finding love with a man smaller than her, accidentally having three kids, and figuring out the secret to loving her curves and becoming a nationally recognized body image advocate. And there's sex, lots of it!
Fat Girl Walking isn't a diet book. It isn't one of those former fat people memoirs about how someone battled, and won, in the fight against fat. Brittany doesn't lose all the weight and reveal the happy, skinny girl that's been hiding inside her. Instead, she reminds us that being chubby doesn't mean you'll end up alone, unhappy, or the subject of a cable medical show. What's important is learning to love your shape. With her infectious humor and soul-baring honesty, Fat Girl Walking reveals a life full of the same heartbreak, joy, oddity, awkwardness, and wonder as anyone else's. Just with better snacks.
Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin…Every Inch of It by Brittany Gibbons is the only book I’ve ever read where I literally LOL’ed (is that a word? I’m going with yes.) on pretty much every page. Brittany nailed it – it being writing an amazing book. I loved this book so much. I spent a couple of nights getting dirty looks from my boyfriend because I was in bed reading, laughing so hard I was crying, and generally disturbing him. (I’m not sorry.)
This book isn’t what you probably think it is. It is not about Brittany losing weight on some miracle diet, sharing her tips for losing weight, etc. This book is an honest reflection into the life of a mom, wife, and pretty kick-ass person who just happens to be chubby. And that’s okay. As a chubby Ohio girl myself, I could totally relate to many of the things Brittany shared. Strange as it may sound – I felt accepted while reading this book. It was refreshing to feel such a strong connection to the story and the author.
I feel I am inadequately describing the greatness that is this book. This is more than a collection of life stories. Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin…Every Inch of It by Brittany Gibbons really did make me feel comfortable in my skin. As obvious as it may seem, this book gave me the insight that it’s okay to be me. Whatever size ‘me’ I may be. Let’s stop belittling each other and start lifting each other up. It’s hard enough to be a female – and I’m sure I don’t need to outline the reasons! This book felt like the start of a movement – I hope lots of other women read it and feel inspired like me. And also check out Brittany’s blog, because it’s the one of the best.
While I was finishing this book, I was already thinking to myself, “The next time I read this, I want to be sure to highlight this, and this, and this.” That’s a good book – when it’s one I’m planning on re-reading (I’m not a big re-reader) and one I’m wanting to *gasp* mark up. It’s too fab to not experience again. And I want many others to experience it as well. I work as a library clerk, and I told the lady in charge of ordering new books that she needs to order this book. And she did. So it shall soon be chilling out in our little public library in eastern Ohio.
Bottom line: If you are a woman, you should read this book. It rocks. Seriously. Thank you, Brittany, for telling your story. It really is life-changing.
Excerpt
NOW WHAT?
My fitness and body aspirations at thirty are different from my aspirations at twenty. At twenty, I just assumed I’d work out until I was so tiny, people became concerned for my health and I’d roll my eyes at them from my Victoria’s Secret bras and Abercrombie jeans. Now I just want to maintain my current weight so I don’t need to buy new clothes. When you look at weight loss, it’s often clothing driven. Weddings, vacations, and high school reunions, all things you are supposed to be thin for. But what if you have a gorgeous wedding dress in your current size, loads of flattering bathing suits, and a killer pair of jeans? Starving myself has suddenly become a moot point. I have options; I’m no longer a fashion pariah. So where does that leave my weight? Well, unless I’m sitting atop you, what I weigh is really none of your business.
I like to put good food in my mouth, and while I am aware of the calories I ingest, instead of cutting them I make them count. I have a full-on love affair with food, appreciating the different cultures and processes within it. In fact, I take entire vacations around eating. It’s how I remember where I’ve been; I’ve either eaten, thrown up, or started my period without the proper supplies there.
Beignets with my best friend in New Orleans. Too much rum on the beaches of Playa del Carmen on our second honeymoon. Orlando, Florida, the city of emergency men’s tube sock maxi-pads.
You see, these flabby parts aren’t problem areas; they’re parts of a scrapbook.
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Oh, I want to read this so much!
I have a really successful book going on Wattpad right now (it IS about self acceptance/dieting/weightloss though) that revolves around a lot of these topics. I so appreciate women who stand outside this common issue and face the reality that is life.
I also love books that make me LOL. I’m definitely going to find this one!