Thinspired: How I Lost 90 Pounds -- My Plan for Lasting Weight Loss and Self-Acceptance Paperback – December 29, 2015

She had me at sleep being a key to weight loss. She says sleep is the glue holding the rest of the pieces together. How can you not love that? Mara is down to earth and has great advice on how to lose and maintain weight loss. She's the real deal and although her methods are things we've all heard before. As she states "stick to the basics, the basics always work," she has adds her unique voice and personal experience to them. Highly, highly recommend.

I love this book! I am so against weight loss books and in general lifestyle "inspiration" books because they are usually full of crap and give little to nothing real advice or experience. It's usually the very bad and ugly side of emotional eating stories that want you to go off and eat yourself to oblivion or the impossible "you can't have anything and exercise till you drop for your entire life" approach. I can't drink? Nothing? Ever?!! Please. I stumbled upon Mara's story at a daytime talk show the one day I wasn't at work waiting for the cable guy and it was like one of those moments when out of the noise you pick up an epiphany message that sticks with you. Mara was sharing recipes and talking about her weight loss when to my astounding she said – “You can't exercise yourself out of a bad diet. Exercise is good for you but won't change your body. The change starts in the kitchen. “ I stopped for a second and applauded at this REAL comment without the bull. Weight loss is hard and it is 90% related to what you eat (or 70% according to her book). It just resonated with me - I have been guilt exercising all my life and have been a closet eater for just as much. It was inspiring to hear someone say - it's the food you eat, it’s hard to lose the weight and get over it! Needless to say, I read the book in one sitting and I was beyond inspired. I didn't expect that her relationship with food and her struggle to fulfill a parent's unrealistic expectations of body image would be a carbon copy of my own struggle with food and weight. I cried and I laughed with her and I felt so refreshed to see my story on the pages of someone else's book. It has never happened before and it was like a divine intervention. By the time I picked up the book, I have already started on my own journey of meal prep and her book helped me solidify what I already knew was necessary to lose weight. I have lost 13 lbs. and I have never felt happier. I am making a lifetime change and her book inspired me to do it. If you are an emotional guilt eater or someone who struggles with weight fluctuations (30-40 lbs. in my case), you need to read this book. I beyond recommend you change your life with a few simple truths! I am not sure if Mara wrote the book herself but I have to say it is also beautifully written - like a weight loss novel of all the mistakes you make with food, body, and weight and the simple formula to change that! Totally LOVE.

I was impressed with the author's candidness. She sounded like the girl next door, from my neighborhood, and even from my own family! She gave researched facts about the key reasons for obesity, and also offered practical ways to get the weight off. I loved her honesty and vulnerability. Because I read this book, I have begun my own quest to get the baby fat off, even though my daughter turned twenty-nine this week😊 Thank you for sharing such a powerfully provoking story.

This book changed my life. Since I finished reading it a week ago, I think I've recommended it about 20 times. To my trainer, to my friends, to my family. This is a great book. When you've been on a diet for 25 years, you don't need any more recipes and how to's. You need straight talk. I have truly been THINspired. Once I finished reading it, I wanted to read it again. I want my husband to read it. I want my 14-year old daughter to read it. That's how good it is.

I love this book. It has been very inspirational. It really helps put into practice what I've known all along but needed to hear how it went for someone else before I could commit. She is unapologetic. She makes mistakes and is accountable. She celebrates the weight loss itself instead of a lose and reward. It's not necessarily step by step how-to, but it put my most basic knowledge of nutrition and exercise into perspective. A great book for those who know the basic principles but don't know how to implement them into their lives to a novice at weight loss.

I'm still only in the beginning chapters of this book, but it speaks to me in ways no other book has. It is smart, relatable, easy to follow, informative, just plain enjoyable. I highly recommend this book to others. It has shined a light on my own personal issues and i have complete faith that by using the guidelines in this book i will be able to change these areas of my life for the better.

This book is very inspiring and informative. I enjoyed reading out Mara's experience which is so similar to mine and probably thousands of others, I venture to say. Her stories, anecdotes and suggestions are encouraging and most of all applicable. I look forward to trying some of the recipes she suggests and she has given me some audacious and auspicious tools to utilized in my journey.

Loved, loved...LOVED this book. I feel so inspired by Mara's words and I feel like I know her personally! She's real...she's funny and she's right! In my opinion however, the "Sistas" chapter could have been an Afterword...I really couldn't relate to that chapter. I will totally recommend this book to anyone who is looking for some "Thinspiration"!!

This is a nice read and definitely inspiring, and hats off to the author for her accomplishments. #I could see how this could help someone start their own journey.

This book is "must read" book , i loved it so much , I have finished reading it twice , still can't get enough of it. It has everything , analysis of each and every habits , motivation , knowledge , jokes as well as inspiring life story . Brilliant book.