Motivating. Pretty solid & straight-forward. A couple of good recipes and some great photos of exercise moves at the end.

This book is great for giving you the math and how-to of losing weight. If you follow the math, it really works!

I used this book and lost 100lbs in a year. coupled with membership on her web site and using the message boards to meet amazing friends.

Great reference with a side of motivation.

lots of helpful info in this book - to the point of it occasionally reading like a text book. the science section was particularly dense. but, it really didn't feel like it was written by Jillian. had a real 'motivational speaker' feel to it, not her sarcastic tone. even the title of the book seems non-Jillian to me. the only thing that does seem Jillianish is the 'bully' t-shirt she's wearing on it. Too bad, i find her very funny on the tv show anyway.

Jillian, Jillian, Jillian... what to say...

Well, the first couple of chapters I was like YEAH! This is going to be good! Then it started to get complicated. It was like it went from optimism to you MUST do this, you MUST do this fast, and you MUST get fast results. I know the industry demands it and she is trying to put forth a full "life" program... but if I have to calculate that much every single day of the rest of my life I will vomit everywhere. So needless to say, about half way through it I was ready to chuck it out the window...

But THEN there was some redeeming qualities! All of a sudden I was provided with page after page after page of how to's on weight lifting exercises. It was actually helpful! I started to feel the positive vibe again...

And then that mouth... she couldn't help but get one last word in. It was okay. My review may be slightly tainted with my love/hate relationship with Jillian Michaels... buuuut meh. Overall, I think it was just okay.

I watch her on TV and listen to her podcast all the time, so there is nothing in this book that I haven't heard her say already, and in at least 10 different ways on various TV shows and podcasts.

Make the commitment.

Count calories.

Workout.

Self, Science, Sweat.

She's very big on counting calories, which, I'm sure has it's virtues, but I don't like it. I also think a lot of it comes down to estimation anyway; estimates of how many calories are in what I just ate, estimates regarding how I think my body is going to metabolize something that day, estimates on how many calories I burned at the gym etc. There are so many variables to consider, and keep track of. A person could really make themselves nuts with the calorie counting, and a lot of people do. I've kept a log of my calories for a few days to get a general idea of things, but I just can't make myself do it long term. I do think that it is a realistic approach to weight loss; however, and one that works for a lot of people. I just don't particularly like it. It's true. If you want to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit - I just don't want to do the math.

I like what she has to say about the emotional and psychological things that go into gaining and losing weight. She has some great tips too, like pouring salt on your food when you are done eating, but are still finding yourself eating more food anyway.

I think she is fantastic, and sure, I'd recommend the book - even though I am, decidedly, not a fan of counting calories.

quite motivational, a good refresher

this has a huge amount of useful information, and a lot of repeated information. not sure how to compare it to other books... it allows you to provide yourself with a personal dieting and exercise plan

Easy read and useful tips. What more could a girl ask for?

A good book. I wish I had purchased it rather than checking it out from the library. I had enough time to read it but not try out the exercises. I love her 30 Day Shred dvd, so I definitely think she knows what she's talking about.

A great resource from famous trainer Jillian Michaels about starting a diet and sticking with it. This book takes you through the mental and physical aspects of dieting, providing full support for those of you who are just starting out. Some of my favorite things about this book were:

a) The math components. Jillian makes losing weight seem just like a mathematical equation which I like because to me, dieting should be black and white. Eat right/workout = lose weight. Jillian helps you figure out how many calories your body burns on a typical day and how many calories you need to eliminate from your diet in order to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week.

b) Learning about nutrition. Jillian takes you through a typical Nutrition Facts chart on a food item and shows you what to look for, including calories, fat, carbs, protein, sodium, and fiber. She shows you what good carbs and bad carbs are, why fat (even saturated fat) is good, and how much sodium is enough for a day. After reading this book I really started to take a serious look at the foods I eat and I am much more aware of what I am putting in my body which is a great feeling of power and self control.

c) Workouts. Jillian provides detailed instructions and photos of exercises for the whole body. Jillian believes in working both the muscles and heart so that your heart is pumping while you are building strength. She even gives you specific exercises to do every day for 12 weeks. I am definitely more familiar with the different muscles in the body and how to work them safely.

To conclude, I would recommend this book to those who are just starting out dieting and even those who are already dieting. For someone like me who has been dieting for over a year, I really needed the expertise of Jillian to jump start my workouts and become more aware of my metabolism and what nutrients I need to keep my body running smoothly.