The Big Skinny

Title: The Big Skinny - How I Changed My Fattitude
Author: Carol Lay
Pub Date: 2008
Pages: 195
Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir, Health & Diet
Challenge: Graphic Novel

The Big Skinny might initially look like a memoir. I mean, it *does* say memoir on the cover, people. But it's a lie. A small lie. But a lie nonetheless. The Big Skinny's only memoir-ish contribution is maybe the first twenty or so pages where Lay briefly talks about her weight issue (and I say briefly because she's fifty and how can you not be brief if you're writing about your overweigh existence for fifty years in twenty pages or so).

TBS is more like an up beat diet book that tells you the oldest truth in the book when it comes to weight loss - eat less calories and you'll lose weight. But Lay does it all colorful-like with cutsey little funnies like, "George Clooney at the door with Girl Scout Cookies? Pshaw! Who needs that!?!"

Lay also does an amazing job at pointing out hidden calories. (There's this funny little excerpt where her friend is spray that no-calorie buttery cooking spray on bread because she wants a inexpensive caloric snack, when in fact, it adds up to 400 or so calories because nothing's really "no calorie").

There are even recipes in the back and a long list of foods and their calories.

So as far as a memoir goes, I'd give it an "eh". But as a diet book, a total two thumbs up.

Oh and check out a chapter here online.