Podcaster and former TMZ host Van Lathan Jr. writes a sharp, funny, and brutally honest, cultural critique of the unspoken obstacles and extreme anxiety that keep us from maintaining good health in America's "wellness waistland," explored through vignettes about his mental health and weight loss journey as a Black man. A formerly chubby kid who self‑identified for much of his life as "the fat friend," media personality and podcast host Van Lathan Jr. has struggled with physical and mental health his entire life. He was used to being his besties' wing man on the dating scene, the slack bench‑dweller at the gym, and his mother's biggest fan at every meal, especially whenever she served up her infamous mac and cheese with five different kinds of cheese. At 365 lbs, Van hated being fat so much, he found it harder than being Black! After dedicating years to improving his physical and mental health, with many ups and downs, in 2020 Van found himself in a shared slump with other Americans when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the George Floyd video was released--suddenly he was surrounded by carbs galore, binge-ing everything, feeling non‑stop exhaustion, and crippling waves of anxiety and depression. Fat, Crazy, and Tired isn't just about Van's ultimately unsuccessful journey to an Instagram‑able body and zen; it's about the unspoken personal battlefield of attaining and maintaining what Americans deem as good health. He explores the real reasons behind our unending physical and mental health battles--culture, family, and the baggage of life--and demonstrates how we can better understand our bodies by better understanding ourselves. He takes it back to his southern upbringing in Baton Rouge, opens up about how being "the Black guy" at work at TMZ overshadowed his identity, and shares how he holds up to survive the madness. "Detox" cleanses? Weight loss pills? Celery juice? No, thank you. Unlike the self‑help gurus that push you to go "all or nothing" and "keep it 100," Van wants you to be happier and healthier at 50% without totally admonishing yourself to get there. Packed with double doses of humor Fat, Crazy, and Tired shares abrutally honest cultural critique of mental health and our weight loss obsession in what he dubs America's "wellness waistland."

Podcaster and former TMZ host Van Lathan Jr. writes a sharp, funny, and brutally honest, cultural critique of the unspoken obstacles and extreme anxiety that keep us from maintaining good health in America’s “wellness waistland,” explored through vignettes about his mental health and weight loss journey as a Black man. A formerly chubby kid who self‑identified for much of his life as “the fat friend,” media personality and podcast host Van Lathan Jr. has struggled with physical and mental health his entire life. He was used to being his besties' wing man on the dating scene, the slack bench‑dweller at the gym, and his mother's biggest fan at every meal, especially whenever she served up her infamous mac and cheese with five different kinds of cheese. At 365 lbs, Van hated being fat so much, he found it harder than being Black! After dedicating years to improving his physical and mental health, with many ups and downs, in 2020 Van found himself in a shared slump with other Americans when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the George Floyd video was released—suddenly he was surrounded by carbs galore, binge-ing everything, feeling non‑stop exhaustion, and crippling waves of anxiety and depression. Fat, Crazy, and Tired isn't just about Van's ultimately unsuccessful journey to an Instagram‑able body and zen; it's about the unspoken personal battlefield of attaining and maintaining what Americans deem as good health. He explores the real reasons behind our unending physical and mental health battles—culture, family, and the baggage of life—and demonstrates how we can better understand our bodies by better understanding ourselves. He takes it back to his southern upbringing in Baton Rouge, opens up about how being “the Black guy” at work at TMZ overshadowed his identity, and shares how he holds up to survive the madness. “Detox” cleanses? Weight loss pills? Celery juice? No, thank you. Unlike the self‑help gurus that push you to go “all or nothing” and “keep it 100,” Van wants you to be happier and healthier at 50% without totally admonishing yourself to get there. Packed with double doses of humor Fat, Crazy, and Tired shares abrutally honest cultural critique of mental health and our weight loss obsession in what he dubs America’s “wellness waistland.”

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 My father had congestive heart failure, which was caused by his heart not moving nutrients properly. Whenever my dad went into heart failure, the marathon pissing would come about. This time, he eventually stabilized, but then came the doctors. #2 The Health Fairy visited my father and gave him some advice that completely changed his life. He was lean, and it bothered us. We were afraid to listen to his spiel, but we did anyway. #3 The reason so many people are overweight is because of the diets and habits they were given as children. They received them from their parents and the culture around them, and because of that, they believe they are too weak to put down the package of Twinkies and do some push-ups. #4 The movie shows how Will, after being arrested for assault, is saved from prison by a superhard equation he solved while working as a janitor at MIT. He is then released on the condition that he sees a therapist. He stops blaming himself for the past that was created for him.

From Tanisha Thomas, co-host of Crazy Talk and star of Bad Girls Club, a searingly honest, laugh-out-loud funny memoir of life, love, and rolling with the punches. Tanisha Thomas is best known as the hot-headed, larger-than-life diva from Oxygen’s hit show Bad Girls Club. Confident, successful, and never afraid to speak her mind, Tanisha seems to have it all. But appearances can be deceiving. After years of battling the dreaded scale, seeking self-acceptance in the public eye, and struggling to find The One--or at least one who will pay for dinner--Tanisha is F.A.T.: fed up and tired. On the heels of a toxic breakup and the devastating passing of her father, she decides to throw out her vision of a picture perfect life and make peace with herself. Life might be sending her lemons, but Tanisha is determined to make lemonade . . . or find some chocolate. In this compelling and wildly entertaining memoir, Tanisha dishes on her journey from Brooklyn to Hollywood and her ongoing search for happiness and fulfillment. From the ups and downs of her reality TV career to her search for love and well-fitting shapewear, Tanisha shares a hilarious, behind-the-scenes look at her unbelievable life story, urging fans to laugh along the way—and learn from her mistakes.

A candid, witty, and inspiring collection of essays from The Bachelor’s first Black Bachelorette, exploring everything from relationships and love to politics and race “The Bachelor gave me an opportunity, but I created my own happy ending.” Rachel Lindsay rose to prominence as The Bachelor’s first Black Bachelorette and has since become one of the franchise’s most well-known figures—and outspoken critics. But there has always been more to Lindsay than meets the eye, and in this book, she finally tells her own story, in her own words. In wide-ranging essays, Lindsay opens up about her experience on ABC’s hit show and reveals everything about her life off-camera, from a childhood growing up in Dallas, Texas, as the daughter of a U.S. District Judge, to her disastrous dating life prior to appearing on The Bachelor, to her career in law, and the decision to become a reality-TV contestant. She also brings a sharp wit and keen intellect to weigh in on issues such as the lack of diversity in reality television and the importance of political engagement, protest, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Told in the down-to-earth, no-nonsense voice she’s become known for, Lindsay’s book of essays provides an intimate look at the life of one of reality TV’s most beloved stars, as well as advice and inspiration that will make her a role model for anyone who has ever struggled to find their way in love and life. As she says, “Contrary to popular belief, the best gift I ever received was not a wedding ring. It was the permission I gave myself to be imperfect.” And if you don’t believe her, you know the saying: Miss me with that.

You’re probably picking up this book because you’ve tried or thought of trying countless plans to lose weight and get in shape. It’s NOT your fault! It seems like every month there is a buzz about "this new fitness trend" or "that new diet." Think about how many times in the past 20 years you’ve heard about a new diet or exercise plan: It’s impossible to count! If these gimmicks actually worked there would be no reason to have to switch to the next trendy new plan. Aren't you tired of it? These quick-fix programs are a distraction from what you really need to learn in order to take back control of your body. Fad diets come and go, but after two decades of working as a trainer, the principles I teach on how to get in the best shape of your life have stood the test of time. This book contains 199 unique tips that you can apply today—no waiting around for your own personal transformation to start! By following even just a handful of these simple suggestions you can improve your health and finally lose weight for good. You can achieve these results without hunger, without feeling deprived, without having to work out for hours each day and without waving bye-bye to your social life. I teach you how to find the right “weigh” for you. I tackle the beast from a number angles including: --How Friends Can Affect Your Weight (this tip alone can be worth at least 20 lbs!) --Which Supplements are Actually Worth the Money (watch your weight drop while your bank account rises) --How Much Strength Training is Really Necessary for Toning (get more results by doing less!) --How Much Cardio Is Overkill and What to Do Instead (Little-known metabolism hacks revealed.) But beyond the physical, this book will help with the emotional piece too! No more food obsession. No more wondering what you’re “allowed” to eat. These 199 proven tactics will invigorate your motivation day after day. And the best part is...You can do it all with your own food and with simple workouts that can be done almost anywhere. If you too are sick of jumping from one 30-Day program to the next only to gain all the weight back and then some more for good measure, this book will be your final weight loss destination. It’s time to change your life. Your journey to putting all your fitness struggle baggage in the rearview mirror begins right now--if you choose to purchase this book today.

Jim Gaffigan never imagined he would have his own kids. Though he grew up in a large Irish-Catholic family, Jim was satisfied with the nomadic, nocturnal life of a standup comedian, and was content to be "that weird uncle who lives in an apartment by himself in New York that everyone in the family speculates about." But all that changed when he married and found out his wife, Jeannie "is someone who gets pregnant looking at babies." Five kids later, the comedian whose riffs on everything from Hot Pockets to Jesus have scored millions of hits on YouTube, started to tweet about the mistakes and victories of his life as a dad. Those tweets struck such a chord that he soon passed the million followers mark. But it turns out 140 characters are not enough to express all the joys and horrors of life with five kids, so he's now sharing it all in Dad Is Fat. From new parents to empty nesters to Jim's twenty-something fans, everyone will recognize their own families in these hilarious takes on everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to growing up in a big family ("I always assumed my father had six children so he could have a sufficient lawn crew") to changing diapers in the middle of the night ("like The Hurt Locker but much more dangerous") to bedtime (aka "Negotiating with Terrorists"). Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.

Fat City is a vivid novel of allegiance and defeat, of the potent promise of the good life and the desperation and drink that waylay those whom it eludes. Stockton, California is the setting: the Lido Gym, the Hotel Coma, Main Street lunchrooms and dingy bars, days like long twilights in houses obscured by untrimmed shrubs and black walnut trees. When two men meet in the ring -- the retired boxer Billy Tully and the newcomer Ernie Munger - their brief bout sets into motion their hidden fates, initiating young Ernie into the company of men and luring Tully back into training. In a dispassionate and composed voice, Gardner narrates their swings of fortune, and the plodding optimism of their manager Ruben Luna, as he watches the most promising boys one by one succumb to some undefined weakness; still, "There was always someone who wanted to fight."