Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love & Fashion Paperback – October 16, 2012

When I began reading the introduction I was ready to put this book down and write off the money as wasted because I feared it was a book about well bashing skinny people and saying only fat women are real women. I was just sitting there waiting for someone to mention how big Marilyn Monroe's pant size completely disregarding the fact that to make women feel better retail companies have been making what counts as a size 12 larger and larger. As I made my way through the stories however they were touching and wonderful stories about not putting off your life for that goal weight to roll around and just do it now while you still can. Which I do find empowering, but for some reason it is a book you have to be in the write mood to read. The stories were varied and told the truth about how they came to acceptance with themselves and that they aren't 100% happy all the time. Reading this book gave me something to think about, while I'm not morbidly obese I am a chubby petite girl with a relatively high muscle mass. It made me think that I really should stop putting off my life for my "goal weight" and I should start doing things that I have been putting off. I may not run out and buy a bikini and go sit out on the beach, I won't my body issues are run deep and they are powerful, but I will give myself permission to have fun, and to eat in public without shame that other people are judging what is going into my mouth.

I'm a fat woman who is comfortable with my size, but books like these are still important reading. Two stories in particular stuck out to me, "Shiny, Sparkly Things" by Erin Kilpatrick, which documents her survival in a car accident and how she began burlesque, and "On Dressing Up: A Story of Fatshion Resistance" by Kirsty Fife. The latter story resonated with me because I had some similar experiences with seeing real clothes on fat bodies and what a revelation it was, and what it felt like to wear things that I liked even though they didn't look "flattering" on me. It looks very simplistic to someone who hasn't been in my situation, but it was mindblowing at the time.I'm not a sentimental, touchy-feely, let's-all-hug type of person, but this book really did inspire a lot of feelings while I was reading it. Body acceptance is a journey and not necessarily an achievable end goal. Five stars, will read again because I still need reminders that my body is beautiful.

Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love & Fashion by Virgie Tovar was an interesting book. The essays, done by various authors, speak on topics that are influenced by our body image, and that means areas such as sex, fashion, human relations and self esteem. Some of the authors of the book provided "ah-ha" moments and, "yes, that is exactly how it is" moments. Other authors confused me or just came across as angry. Angry I understand because, if you have ever been overweight, then you have probably been mistreated by someone, or a host of someones. However, when anger seems to play out in what sounds like revenge sex or self abuse, then I have to question how far that person has come. Promiscuity, even with protection built to military specifications, is still risky behavior, and I would think that when you love yourself, you would want to protect yourself? I am also aware that I may not be the target audience for this book;I am probably too old or/and too conservative. I do want to say that I enjoyed some of the essays and parts of other very much. I just am hesitant to give a rousing thumbs up to a book that seems to send out mixed signals about self love.

I enjoyed the different perspectives that this book had to offer. The women had very different experiences with their weight throughout their lives. Some gave positive messages, some admitted they still struggle with accepting their weight. But the overall message of this book was to love yourself and your body, no matter your size or shape. We do live in a society that prizes a very specific body shape and to be outside that "norm" can be very difficult for many people. I think many of us struggle to accept our body type and this book was a great start as far as inspiration and assistance with loving what you've got.

I admit I bought and read this mostly because my daughter is one of the essayists therein. But I am SO glad I did!She inherited her fat body from me (and I from my beloved grandmother). I am proud that she is fierce and fat and fabulous herself, and had not even dreamed of that for my own self! until I read these essays. And now... it seems like something even I can aspire to!(This is especially pertinent at the moment, since I have to get Nice Clothes for an important family wedding, and I've been intimidated. And now I'm inspired!)Thank you, all of you, for writing such meaningful and heart-felt and inspiring essays. This significant;y older fat chick values her horizons opening up!

This book is comforting, warming, uplifting, inspirational and the only way I can describe the experience is that I felt at home while reading the essays. If you are fat or have someone you care about who is fat, this book really describes the experience well. If you think you might be ready to get off the diet wagon and start working on loving yourself as you are now, these essays help with that too. The body posi and fat acceptance movement are an amazing thing.

I could relate to almost every story in this book. I particularly liked the account of the Chubsters workshop where everyone spat on a BMI chart a and fired potato pellets at SlimFast cans. If your life has consisted of a litany of comments on how much weight you should lose and advice on how to do so, this is the book for you!

One of the most honest, life changing, and beautiful books on body positivity/ radical self love out there. It was a page turner from beginning to end. The detail, laughter, tears, and pure information was amazing and I am so proud to be the owner of this book!

I found the stories in this book absolutely fascinating. They are also very inspiring.

zunächst muss ich zugeben, dass ich die Autorin schon länger verfolge und mittlerweile sogar persönlich kenne. daher kann ich nicht 100%ig unvoreingenommen sein. In dieseem Buch erzählen über 30 fette (ja, sie sind fett und das meine ich nicht abwertend, sondern beschreibend in der besten Art und Weise) über ihre reise von Selbsthass zu Selbstliebe und Fett-Akzeptanz. Dieses Buch ist ein Manifest für Selbstliebe und eine Inspiration, die meines Erachtens in keinem Bücherschrank fehlen sollte. Allein die Anzahl der Erzählungen und ihre Unterschiedlichkeit - Nein, es ist nicht alles rosarot - machen es zu einem authentischen und darum so hilfreichem Buch. Uneingeschränkt empfehlenswert

Weil ich ein großer Fan von Virgie Tovar bin musste ich das Buch unbedingt lesen und es lohnt sich auf alle Fälle, es sind auch verschiede Lebensausschnitte geschildert die einen zum Andenken anregen, sehr schön.

Die Message war sehr gut und inspirierend aber es war so viele verschieden Kurzgeschichten, dass es mir schwer fiel alles auszunehmen und mich darauf zu konzentrieren

Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love & Fashion is a moving collection of essays celebrating the ferocity and fabulousness of being a fat girl in a fat-phobic world. Ranging from topics such as being the fattest girl at the gym, stories about dating and being naked in front of a new partner for the first time, beautiful love letters to one woman's own body, to the pivotal importance of fabulous 'fatshion', reading Hot & Heavy is much like a heart-warming talk with my best friend. Expect big fat laughs, big fat feelings of empowerment, and a big fat emphasis on self-acceptance and self-love. Truly an inspiring work, and I hope there is another volume to come.