Monday, March 8, 2010

How to Never Look Fat Again by Charla Krupp


Product Details
Pub. Date: March 2010
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Format: Hardcover, 253pp

Synopsis
The new groundbreaking style-guide from bestseller author Charla Krupp on how to look 10 pounds lighter, 10 years younger and 10 times sexier every day, all year--in summer, winter, at the gym, even in a swimsuit!

You'll never get dressed the same way again once you discover:

*smart, easy ways to hide arm flap, a big bust, a muffin top, back fat, Buddha belly, a big booty, wide hips, thunder thighs, and heavy calves-and that's only half the book.

*which fabrics, colors, and styles make women look fat

*absolutely the best shades, shapes, and brilliant buys to make the pounds invisible

*clever solutions for special fashion situations--workout gear, evening wear, and even swimsuits!

*which products, fashions, and services you shouldn't waste your money on

*the top ten tips that will make you look thinner by tonight!

So, if you've ever put on a piece of clothing and asked "Does this make me look fat?" Finally, here is the book that will answer your question.

My thoughts:
How to Never Look Fat Again is so much more comprehensive than I was expecting. I hadn’t realized it was a follow-up book to another one entitled How Not to Look Old. While we all want to look good there are some simple mistakes women can make on an everyday basis that can make us look heavier and looking heavier even a little can affect a woman’s ability to get a better job or receive raises. She does qualify that this book is geared for women who are in their normal weight range or slightly overweight, not for anyone who is obese.

Krupp includes a list of clothing and fabrics that she considers high-fat, low-fat and no-fat as well as a quiz for the reader to use to see how the current clothes she has in her closet fit into this rating system. I have to admit I was a bit overwhelmed when I started chapter one and it was asking if your face shape, hair, or make-up was making you look fat. But the common sense is there and I skimmed areas that didn’t pertain to me. For example, while not having bangs might add weight to my face I can’t stand them, they drive me nuts, so I will take any extra weight it adds for me to be comfortable.

I did like her pages of vows of what not to do. Reminders about not parting hair in the middle or dying hair black or wearing cutesy hair accessories jumped out at me. Plus I like the swap outs in each chapter suggesting that instead of one thing you do another similar but slimming thing instead, like instead of a boat neck you try a scoop neck to elongate your neck. Also the use of the same model showing do’s and don’ts make more of an impression than just reading about it. Seeing someone making different choices and looking much slimmer was eye opening.

One trick I’ve seen before but have to admit needs repeating is get sized for a new bra in the correct size and make sure it is supportive enough. By making your midsection as long as possible (by having your breasts in the right place not down at your elbows) makes a big difference. I see this all the time when out in public and it is something I am very conscious of. One thing I disagree on is putting jeans in the dryer. I love my jeans when they are first washed because that is when they fit the best, by the end of the day they have stretched out again and I can’t wait to wear them from the dryer again. Because of that I try to buy them a little longer than I need so they have room to shrink.

One of her reminder messages to all of us is that as we age we can no longer eat as much as we could when we were younger. It is so hard to get used to eating less though. She tells her own story of how she used to be able to use the Weight Watchers plan and with 18 points a day she could easily drop extra weight, but she recently discovered that that plan wasn’t working for her anymore. When she saw her weight Watcher coach she found out that 18 points was now too many and that she needed less. This is particularly hard with eating out because at restaurants the portion of food is so much more than most of us need, but hard to resist when it is sitting on the table in front of us especially when you are socializing and not as focused on the food.

My favorite part of the book was at the end. While I know I should go through my closet and remove clothes that aren’t flattering I am a bit too frugal to do it all at once. I tend to wear things until they wear out (last month I finally threw away a pair of jeans that had a hole in one back pocket, a hole in one front pocket, and a hole in the knee. What landed them in the trash was that when I was folding them the button from the front fell off, at which point I decided they were beyond repair!). That said, I am going to be more selective next time I go through my closet and weed out more items that I rarely wear because I don’t like how they look. Back to the book though, she gives ideas for what to do with your cast offs (eBay, clothing swap, donate) and then 37 tips to be thinner. Who knew putting cinnamon on things helps to burn calories? I am making better choices at the grocery store, I keep walking to the pantry to find chocolate or chips but they are no longer there, so I am able to stop myself from eating them simply by not having them available.


I think I will be using her tips as I add new clothes to my wardrobe and as I decide what to discard from what I own, but I do not plan on replacing everything even if it isn't the most flattering. I wore a sweater today that probably made me look heavier than I am but that for some reason I just love. Since I really like it I am willing to look less than my best to enjoy wearing it, that balances out any negatives about it's appearance for me!

Biography

Charla Krupp has done more than 100 style segments on The Today Show and she has appeared on Good Morning America, Oprah, The View, Dateline NBC, and has been a regular on The E! Channel and Home Shopping Network. She was beauty director of Glamour, editor of In Style, beauty editor for People's Style Watch and executive editor of Shop Etc. Magazine. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, InStyle, Glamour, Shop Etc., People, Cosmopolitan, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and Time.



Book details: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446563956.htm

Excerpt: http://software.newsstand.com/bookrdr/hbg-live/BookBrowse.html?a=0U%2F1d9f4lZWEKnI3ui%2Fbuv2EE12V7wnaMtjPCXF5XXlFdAoq1a9CciorpvSARCliWfzn8G8W6wdSVPUefqOK487wwOe4LsmB2asdMzJtAYs7TVOtxvsdUMQX0YrFB0VZ&z=hbg

Video: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_swf/hbgusa_lightwindowFlvPlayer.swf?quickStart=true&swfPath=/_swf/hbgusa_lightwindowFlvPlayer.swf&flvPath=/_swf/video/adults/HowtoNeverLookFatAgain.flv&titleCard=&=&

Author Website: http://charlakrupp.com/content/index.asp

Twitter: http://twitter.com/charlakrupp

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/HOW-TO-NEVER-LOOK-FAT-AGAIN-CHARLA-KRUPP/289932520885?ref=ts

3 comments:

  1. I am going to the "How Not to Look Old" book. I am feeling frumpy lately with all my winter clothes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've heard a lot of that before, but it sounds very all-inclusive and organized. I shall check it out next time I'm in Borders.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am going to have to check this book out. Thanks for the tip. I so need to clean my closet out.

    ReplyDelete