Product Description
Carnie Wilson's story is a journey from the darkness of a lifelong struggle with emotional rejection, compulsive eating, and morbid obesity into the light of health. Born the daughter of pop music royalty (Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys) and gifted with her own talents that brought her fame and fortune, she came to feel that none of this mattered. She would never be whole and happy until she achieved a healthy weight and body image.

Heavy since age four, Carnie tried countless diet and exercise regimens, but the weight loss never lasted. With her success in the multiplatinum pop group Wilson Phillips, she became the darling of overweight activists, defining a larger-than-life, A no-apologies sense of style for big women. However, behind the bravado were feelings of shame, self-hatred, and desperation.Carnie's weight gradually climbed to more than 300 pounds, threatening her life. Faced with the prospect of disease and early death, she turned to weight-loss surgery, broadcasting the procedure live over the Internet in August of 1999. An estimated 2.During that period, Carnie lost more than 150 pounds, married the man of her dreams, and embraced a new life of health and reenergized possibilities. Carnie's story has inspired millions of morbidly obese people worldwide to investigate weight-loss surgery as a tool to help develop a healthier life. Beyond that, she has become a symbol of hope, working with Spotlight Health to help those who suffer from the stigma, pain, and dread that morbid obesity visits upon its victims.

For anyone who feels lost, out of control, or needs help finding the way to a better tomorrow, Gut Feelings is Carnie Wilson's beacon. The darkness will never be the same.Amazon.com Review
A blend of rambling biography and encouraging success story, Gut Feelings will take you right into the nitty-gritty of Carnie Wilson's life and the mysteries of gastric bypass surgery. If you think a similar surgery may be in your future, there is a lot to learn from this book--Wilson presents the gory details unflinchingly, and separate appendices from four specialists address more general questions and answers. Wilson's casual tone and conversational asides will make you feel like you're getting to know a new friend; that is, a new friend with a roller-coaster life and a habit of using curses as adjectives. She's frank and animated, with no real illusions about her strengths and weaknesses, but the repeat discussions of matter-of-fact drug use may distract some readers from the real story. Ultimately, the surgery is an interesting success, and professionals in health-related fields, as well as prospective patients, may find the specifics of one person's experience useful. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Okay, Carnie, now stop whining
As a person interested in WLS, this book helped me make the decision to go ahead with it.However, there is a lot of "extra" crap in here that has nothing to do with WLS...how she is so horny all the time, the drugs, the whining, the vulgarities.Please.If this book was just for WLS, why include the other crap?Just make it about the WLS and reasons for it.Otherwise, market it as a plain ol' biography of a wannabe star.

Having said that, I think Carnie was brave to put a public face on a previously barely-heard-of concept.Kudos to Carnie for that.

A postscript...what will she name her next book?"Oops, I did it again!"?

I"m not the only one with the same thoughts about one's self
I'm still reading the book, I read while I exercise on the bike.
But I can relate to most of it so far. I am having the surgery sometime in April 2009. I can't wait to read the 2nd book "I'm still hungrey"
which I am always. The cookbook is also interesting especially the names
of the recipes how true they are.

Gut Feelings:From Fear and Despair to Health and Hope
Ms. Wilson's presention of her history, and how her weight affected her life in every area, speaks to many overweight people.Sharing this lets others know they are not alone in their struggles, both health-wise and socially.

I thank God for my parents
Wow - I don't even know where to begin with this book. I bought it because Carnie is an intriguing character - and no disprespect at all - but she was the heavy girl with two beautiful girls. I was curious to her life andher surgery.

Well, what a vulger read we had here.Aside from the expletives everywhere - we learn she lost her virginity at 13 or some too young age - at a parent sanctioned sleep over with her boyfriend.That falls under way too much information.

Carnie has a beautiful voice and she mentions quite often she didn't get the respect she deserved.We get it.Quit whining.

But the coup de gras was what she whispered to her surgeon prior to him slicing her open.I'll save that for you to read for yourself.

Bad.

Inspirational and informative
Great book. It tells Carnie Wilson's story of her long term struggle with being overweight and her journey through the weight loss surgery process.It has great information on the topic, a realistic perspective of what to expect and is very inspirational. She really opens herself up and here honesty is appreciaated. Another highly recommended book! Good going Carnie! ... Read more

Product Description
Author and entertainer Carnie Wilson brings you To Serve with Love, a beautiful, inspirational, lifestyle cookbook that’s a celebration of our love affair with cooking, as well as the enjoyment we get out of eating meals that have been prepared for us. This book will stir up universal feelings about food, life, love, and having the "home-plate" advantage because—yes, it’s true—anyone can be a good cook! In other words, dinner out is fine, but the real culinary adventure starts in our kitchens.

The recipe portion of this cookbook is suited for anyone who loves comforting, delicious meals. It also features lower-fat or lower-sugar variations of some of these outstanding dishes. Of course, a cookbook shouldn’t just be just a list of meals. Carnie also sets the entire scene with music, candles, and flowers—the little, inexpensive, but meaningful touches that round out the perfect dining experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

What a special book!
This is a great cookbook. There are alot of beautiful pictures and each dish has a cute name.
I actually had a chance to meet Carnie and taste one of her yummy dishes.
This book is a wonderful representation of the sweet and sincere person she is in life.

Brimming with charm and personality, good recipes, and at a great price
I remembered Carnie Wilson from the heyday of the Wilson sisters' group (Wilson Phillips?) - in the music videos, she was the one who was startingly heavy compared to her cohorts. I felt a bit sorry for her; WP was a fine little group, but they had the commercial life span of a may fly, and I couldn't help but wonder how the typical "post success doldrums" of the typical pop star would affect a young lady who already obviously had health and emotional issues with food.

Well, here's the answer: she got her act together, changed her life for the better, and seems to have carved out a niche as a writer and spokesperson for life after gastric bypass surgery. And an excellent job she does of it too.

This isn't really a diet book, and only it's only partially a book about how a person who has had the surgery continues to deal with diet and food issues (Wilson has dealt with that at length in two other memoirs). This is a book about the love of food, and cooking, and how they contribute to the quality of life. As such, I love it. Wilson's prose and recipe texts may gush a little too much (she makes Rachel Ray sound like a Hindu penitent by comparison), but it's a real pleasure going through these pages.

This is a good looking book too. Simple, uncluttered layout and design, great food photography...it just feels "generous" somehow, and I was amazed at the low cover price - even with the limited number of recipes here, I expected "To Serve With Love" to cost at least another $5.00 to $10.00.

All of the recipes here are worth making, but I have to point to one special recipe, an appetizer titled "Robin's Hot Meat" (no dirty jokes please), which is worth the price of the book practically by itself. It's simple but brilliant, and a lot of people are convinced I'm a brilliant cook (and trust me, I'm not) just because I've brought it to a pot luck or a birthday party, where it tends to evaporate in about 5 minutes.

A very nice book to have in your collection.

Surprisingly VERY GOOD!
This is a great cookbook!Interesting recipes (Viva Las Veggies, Dreamy Creamy Baked-Tomato Crostini) yet basic ones too (mac & cheese, split-pea soup).Yummy too!I'm looking forward to making the banana wonder bread w/banana frosting.Many recipes come with a story from Carnie.Lots of pictures of the food.Nice glossy paper.Great price for such a nice book.I will note, this is NOT a low-calorie, low-carb, low-fat book.I didn't buy it for those reasons.I love good tasting food, I don't have a weight problem, I just don't overeat.So don't knock Carnie for not writing a "diet cookbook".

Not what I hoped it would be!
I looked through this book at a local bookstore since I figured it would have at least a section on post op gastric bypass surgery recipes.Well, unfortunately, it did not.All recipes looked wonderful but definitely not low-carb.Might be at least part of the reason why she has gained a lot of her weight back?!

Creative, varied and good for entertaining
Excellent for someone having a dinner party or holiday dinners/brunches. I am really pleased with this book, many varied recipes with lots of useful dishes categorized by course; appetizer, breakfast, dessert, etc.. Internationally influenced comfort food with companion "skinny" recipes for the very rich ones (and there are lots of those). Very attractive presentations in a beautiful book that belies its tiny pricetag. Full of color photos, fun to read and well organized. Nice Christmas present. ... Read more

Product Description
Three years ago, Carnie Wilson was 300 pounds, unemployed, depressed, and sitting in a doctor’s office being told that she probably wouldn’t live much longer. At night, she had terrible dreams of her mother getting a phone call from the police saying, "We’re very sorry, but someone found your daughter in bed, and she’s gone." Knowing she had to do something to save herself, Carnie opted to have gastric bypass surgery. She woke up the next day in the hospital determined that she wouldn’t just work on having a new body, but also a new life.

That’s the story we’ve already heard. In I’m Still Hungry, Wilson picks up where she left off in her 2001 book Gut Feelings. She takes readers step by step on her weight loss journey, which wasn’t just a road to reaching 125 pounds. It was a mental trip where she had to conquer all of her fears and insecurities, including issues with her father, Beach Boy Brian Wilson—which made her gain the weight in the first place.

This book offers a unique way of showing the progression of weight loss, with one section serving as a diary of sorts. It details Carnie’s weight at specific times so that readers can use this part of the book to find their own weight and see how Carnie’s life lessons got her head in the right place so the pounds could keep falling off.

Wilson also offers a humorous look at her own weight loss, asking: What’s better—sex or chocolate? (Answer: "Sex followed by chocolate.") She also discusses re-establishing her career as an actress and singer in Hollywood. It wasn’t easy when the National Enquirer was practically staking out her house to catch her on "a fat day," or when fans e-mailed her to chastise her for flashing "some arm flab" on Entertainment Tonight.

And, of course, the book includes Carnie’s minute-by-minute description of posing for the June 2003 issue of Playboy magazine, with the inevitable questions: Can I eat breakfast before posing nude? Why do I have my period this week of all weeks? and Do I look fat? Carnie also gives readers a glimpse of what spurred on the much awaited 2004 regrouping of the Wilson Phillips band and how she is in perfect harmony again with her partners, sister, Wendy Wilson; and bandmate, Chynna Phillips.

Finally, the last part of the book reveals the specific weight-loss plan that Carnie still uses to keep slim—and anyone can follow this plan to lose weight whether they’ve had weight-loss surgery or not. Carnie even includes a few of her favorite desserts.

Wilson is still hungry for knowledge, love, acceptance, and yes, a chocolate chip cookie or two. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

love it
I enjoyed my purchase, it was easy great product and arrived early. The seller discribed it well in the write up so I knew exactly what I was geting and was happy on the transaction.

Bought this for gastric bypass patient. She LOVES the book!
I bought this for my mother who underwent gastric bypass surgery about 6 months ago. She loves the book and told me that it is VERY informative. She says that it explains alot of the symptoms and issues she's been having with her surgery, so she didn't feel alone in knowing that someone else had the same issues as well. She says this is a GREAT book and she is constantly quoting things that she read from the book. Very helpful, very informative.

Proud to be a male fantasy, thus helping to put all women back another hundred years
My synopsis:Girl is fat, fat, fat.Girl is sad to be so fat.Girl has WLS.Girl is thin(ner) and happy, do you hear me, HAPPY, dammit!Except that Girl cannot stop thinking about food, even dedicating her "How I Got Happy" book to a friggin' donut.But Girl is SO liberated she decides to throw her clothes away and pose completely naked for a trashy men's magazine, because it will help to perpetuate the myth of women's entire existence as male's fantasy sex object.But she is now free, do you hear me, FREE, dammit!And BTW, Girl is married to the most perfect Man ever.The End.P.S. Girl is now fat again, but it is okay because it will probably help her sell another book in the near future...

Her first book was okay.This book mainly focused on her posing for Playboy.Wow, I am SO happy for you, Carnie!Like, you weren't making enough money before, so you better completely prostitute yourself some other way.Honestly, some people will stop at NOTHING to stay in the public eye.Please don't waste your money on this book.

weight loss
This book gives a great insiders view of weight loss surgery...the high's and the low's.

Book's Title Says It All
First, I admire Carnie Wilson. She is talented, gutsy and outspoken, as well as intelligent and poignant, not to mention very humorous. She prides herself on telling it like it is, which I really appreciate. She's been through a very public ordeal with her weight (and is still going through it, and probably will for as long as she remains in the public eye). I find Wilson's weight struggles to be fascinating, and some of that is because she is almost brutally honest about her failures (as well as her triumphs), not to mention her extremely complicated, extremely deep dependence for, and love/hate relationship with food. I can certainly relate to much of what she has gone through.
But, the fact is, "I'm Still Hungry" is, at heart, a very shallow book. I have to ask myself why, since Wilson, herself, is anything but shallow. I can only conclude that Wilson, having undergone the very drastic, life-altering surgery of gastric bypass, must now feel that it is simply Not possible to allow herself to view this operation as anything but wonderful. Oh, sure, she Does talk about several of the downsides of the surgery, but she always gets back to how *great* it was to have it, and have *fabulous* it is to now be so much thinner (despite some conflicts). I believe her - but not completely. Her giddy tone cannot hide something even more trenchant: the deep and abiding love of food she (still) harbors. Weight-loss surgery has *not* taken this love away, nor, one feels, an even more troubling desire to binge on the very goodies she is not really permitted to have anymore, save for the tiniest of amounts. The book's title says it all: Carnie Wilson is *still* hungry and, lest you believe the form this hunger takes is mainly symbolic (for new life experiences and so forth), the book opens with a striking dream Wilson had, in which she is running through fields and streams of...food. I've had similar dreams, myself (prior to going on major bingeing sprees). Not only that, but Wilson dedicates her book to the "old fashioned buttermilk donut". She's tongue-in-cheek about it, which, for me, only serves to undermine her seemingly flippant, jokey dedication. The fact is, Wilson is strongly attached to food, always has been and, I think, always will be. Therefore, I take great interest in her struggles and the road she is on. She chose gastric bypass because she truly felt she had no other choice. I honor that, of course, (and the courage it took) but I also think that for a person who loves food as much as Wilson does, it might end up being a decision that comes back to haunt her. Perhaps WLS was the Only decision that she *could* make, if she wanted to survive (Wilson's first book, "Gut Feelings" definitely paints this portrait). "Gut Feelings" is, in many ways, a much more serious, in-depth book than this one is. Yet, Wilson is much further along on her gastric bypass journey at the time that this book came out. She knows, in fact, that she really Is still hungry (very hungry), and frankly, all the glee and glamour (and dishy photographs of Wilson) in this book Cannot disguise a sense of something very much like desperation coming through. A woman who is desperate to control and reign in her driving appetite for food. A woman desperate to believe that she really Really has made the absolutely Right decision by going for the surgery (and, perhaps she Has, but the right decision does not always mean that things, in fact, will always turn out just right - or even close to it). Yes, she lost the weight, but now she must eat really tiny portions - much more so, than if she had been able to lose weight by being not bingeing on food. Of course, without this operation, she probably would not have lost 150 pounds. Or got to pose for Playboy (I'm certainly ambivalent about this particular "triumph", but I can well understand a formerly fat girl's desire to "show them all" that she can be beautiful and desirable...and *thin*). I'm sure she honestly believes that the surgery has been completely worth the pain and setbacks. I really hope, for her sake, that it will continue to be so. She is now, at the time of this review, struggling to stop gaining more weight, and trying to lose the weight she has already gained. Clearly, gastric bypass does Not take away cravings - not for life, anyway. I came away from this book with a hollow feeling inside. It's almost like the after-effects of a food binge. There is crazy/giddy energy, and then: a real let-down. Carnie Wilson truly got to have the thin body she always wanted (it must have often been hell to always be the "fat sister" next to slender, fashionably-attired Wendy, whom she loves dearly, it must be noted). Carnie Wilson got to pose for a famous men's magazine. Moreover, Carnie Wilson knows what it is like to lose half a person, in terms of weight. But now, Wilson has to struggle with regain (something whcih almost All morbidly obese people experience after weight loss) and she also has to force herself to eat like a mouse. For life. This, for a woman who could and did eat with gusto. She is *still hungry* and I think she always will be, even if she manages, somehow, to get back down to her lowest weight, after the surgery. Gastric bypass is, after all, at the end of it, just another diet. And we know that diets more often fail than not. I think her story, far from being the bon-bon of glee this book tries to present, is, instead, a very sad one in many ways. I think Carnie Wilson is a strong, strong woman and I admire her for that. However, I wish that someday, medical science will have alot more to offer fat people than the miseries, compromises and limitations of gastric bypass surgery. ... Read more

Product Description
Jenna & Heidi from SURVIVOR'S & CARNIE WILSON from WILSON PHILLIPS Pictorials ... Read more

Product Description
For the first time, everything you need to achieve weight-loss surgery success, physically and emotionally After undergoing gastric bypass surgery nearly four years ago, not only did Melissa deBin-Parish lose more than 100 pounds and regain her health, she also began a new life as a trusted source of support and information for other weight-loss surgery patients. In The Weight-Loss Surgery Connection, deBin-Parish explains what to expect and how to succeed before, during, and after surgery. She also provides the human connection so necessary to building a healthy relationship to food and health. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

a must have book
i got this book a few months ago. i had gastric bypass in feb. i only wish i had gotten it sooner. so imformative, and real. lots of great tips too. i have read alot of wls books and i believe this is the best.

A Keeper!
I bought this book after my gastric bypass surgery.I was a member of the website already and Melissa and Dan helped me with all my questions and concerns-even more so than my own doctor!(who was difficult to reach sometimes)When I bought the book I read it in one sitting.If I was someone considering gastric bypass surgery this book would address all fears,concerns and doubts.Iloaned it to a friend who is considering the surgery.All I know is Melissa and Dan are kind,giving dedicated people who give their lives completely to helping people considering or who have had gastric bypass surgery.They have a huge following and they do their best to answer every single question posted-an exhausting undertaking. I loved the book and plan to share it with anyone it may help.
Kim Ledoux

THANK YOU!
Thank you for writing such an informative book.It is a "must have" for family members to read. We have gained so much information and appreciate the honesty and compassion that is reflected in the pages. The support that is given through the website "Weight Loss Connection" is a blessing!

A must have if you are considering weight-loss surgery!
Reading this book was like having the author sitting right in front of you having a conversation.I wish I had had this book before my surgery.I have however gotten to know Melissa Parish (the author) from joining her website that shares the same name as her book (Weight-Loss Surgery Connection).I have been so pleased with the uplifting comments and help provided by Melissa and the rest of the group on-line.There (and the book as well) you get honest support and feedback from people who have actually gone through the surgery.Not a book written by a surgeon who while they may have performed hundreds of surgeries has never personally gone through what I go through on a daily basis.
I highly recommend this book!

I know what went into this book
I and many others shared in this journey with Melissa and also know what a labor of love this book has been for her.She cares so deeply about the patients and the support group family and she actually answers every single email she receives (10,000+ per month) from patients all around the world.This book came from her heart and from the hearts of so many of the support family that shared their stories.It also is founded in solid information with bariatric professionals as the sources (ongoing too in answering questions) to make sure the answers are the correct ones.It's important to be an informed and proactive patient and look at perspectives and info from all angles.You can never have too much information or too many people that care enough to be there long term along your journey.If you haven't checked out the message board that goes with the book, please do!You'll find a fantastic group of people that will be your friends for life.[...] ... Read more