Jami Bernard was fat and now she's not. In this riotously funny, intensely personal book she tells us how she did it. After trying countless diets and workout routines, she stopped dieting: She began enjoying food and life in a rational, healthy way and finally lost the weight. No foods were demonized, no fads embraced. As Jami discovered, lasting weight loss is about strategy not willpower. She charted her initial weight loss in the New York Daily News, where her editor came up with the column's title, "Our Incredible Shrinking Critic." It was a daring or foolhardy move- perhaps to make up for the denial that she'd basked in for so long. In effect, she put her body on display for a million or more readers. If she failed, it would be a very public and personal fall: Her stated goal was to lose 100 pounds. Jami tells readers how the shock of seeing the number 230 on the scale gave her the jolt she needed. Her goal, to lose one pound a week, seemed modest, but readers were so inspired by her column that many decided to lose weight along with her. They offered her help, sending her encouraging e-mails, and she passed along advice and information from experts in the field. This book is about big-time weight loss and about losing it for good. Even if you're just struggling to lose a few extra pounds, Jami's advice may help keep a slow creep of pudge from becoming a mudslide. For those who are considering serious weight loss, Jami suggests reasonable goals and ideas for long-term strategies. This book is about changing habits, eating responsibly, and becoming more active. Jami inspires readers throughout the book with tips, stories, and recipes. As Jami writes, "Every extra pound tells a story. It's a story of anger, frustration, old wounds, and carelessness. It's a story of misjudged portions, too-hasty celebrations, bad planning, misplaced optimism. It's a story of denial." Bitingly funny, moving, and sometimes shocking, Jami Bernard dared to waddle into the spotlight and make lasting changes.