Finding It

And Satisfying My Hunger for Life Without Opening the Fridge

By: Valerie Bertinelli

Narrated by: Valerie Bertinelli

Welcome back to chez Bertinelli, where life is as crazy and comical as ever. In revealing talks with her longtime boyfriend, Tom, Valerie gets even more personal about her inner worries: her maternal anxieties about her son, Wolfie (he's fallen in love and, as she writes, "getting your sex talk from Eddie Van Halen wasn't recommended in any of the parenting books I read"); the challenges of dealing with a blended family; her mother's own new diet adventure; and a craving for a deeper relationship with a Higher Power ("I have experienced days of inner peace and connectedness with a larger spirit -- twice," she writes. "Why not more often?").

And as if these everyday challenges weren't enough, Valerie is work-ing to maintain her own very public weight loss. She even gets to thinking she might kick it up a notch, shed more weight, and get so buff she can wear a bikini -- in public.

In this new, inspiring memoir from the beloved actress and author of the best seller Losing It, Valerie tells the story of what happens after you change your life. It's not all peaches and cream, or even non-fat yogurt.

In Finding It, Valerie comes face-to-face with hard questions of family, faith, and beachwear, and realizes that she's hungering for another transformation -- to become better, not just thinner. Forget the scale; the real change is happening inside, and Valerie realizes that this is the part of dieting that no one ever talks about - the reality of keeping the pounds off. Dieting fixes one problem, she discovers, but to maintain that weight loss, she has to work on everything else - all the reasons she got fat in the first place.

Warm and friendly, honest and self-aware - like a talk with your BFF - Finding It tells of the common worries and frustrations, the funny and fabulous moments in Valerie's publicly private life. Humorous and humble, it is also the emotional story of family and the deep bonds and patterns that persist through generations.

©2009 Tuxedo Ltd (P)2009 Simon & Schuster

Love Valerie but ...

Few things are more tedious than talk of workout routines, and for all the relatively interesting meanderings about her thoughts and life, I lost interest when Valerie started obsessing about the number on the scale. After endless detail about her trainer and goals and the gleeful "I'M A RUNNER - I'M REALLY A RUNNER!!!" pronouncements, I grew weary of the whining about what amounted to 1 or 2 pounds on the scale. And for all the accomplishment and the fact that she looked fabulous in the bikini, it's a little misleading to suggest that's a reasonable expectation after joining Jenny Craig. Yes, they do talk about diet & exercise together - but that body also had the benefit of obsessive workouts and a personal trainer - hardly likely for most people. So even if it isn't explicitly stated, the clear message they want you to take away from the bikini ad is "join Jenny and you can look like me." I loved "Losing It" but was disappointed in this one.

Great Bio

Having been a child in the 70's and 80's, it was a combination of nostalgia and learning listening to this audiobook.

It was interesting listening to some of the struggles, challenges, and accomplishments of Valerie.

Making your Visions come true

Valerie’s honesty and humbleness is very charming. This book is like her other books, welcoming and interesting.

How weight loss led to her Spiritual Awakening

This is a great second part to Valeries story of how she ended up on the cover of People in a bikini! But also what it taught her along the way! Such respect for her working to so hard and navigating emotions as they came up!

Too preachy and political

Love her, but the first book was much better. This one was just too preachy and political for my personal taste.

Val is someone to admire by all women

I thought the comment about her being politcal would affect the way I thought about her book - but it really didn't. I don't agree with her on those views, but - I love how she puts herself out there and lets face it - it's hard to do. I admire how she talks about not only her struggles but her family, and her personal thoughts - I wish she would write some more! I admire how she read her book, not all authors do that either. I think she's a great person, and even if you don't agree with her politcs, she's so relatable on so many other levels. You Rock Val!! I think your awesome, inside and out! I so loved listening to this and will listen to it again when I need to be lifted up!

Inspirational

Thank you for opening up and sharing your heart with the reader. You are such a blessing....

A great read

It was an authentic personal account of a life transformation. It might reasonate with any mother and wife in mid life

Barely Started. Can’t Finish.

I listened to “Losing It” yesterday and was only mildly put off by the small political inference. Unfortunately before even completing chapter 1 of “Finding It”, I cannot continue to listen due to the political jargon. Audiobooks are my escape from the nonsense. Even though it is an autobiography I expect to be entertained by their life story, Not their political preferences.

Too much political talk and image obsession!

I really liked Valerie Bertinelli's first book, "Losing It" and found it very entertaining to listen to. But in this follow up to it I felt like I was listening to her spout on and on about how much she loves to give her political opinion and that her whole universe would have collapsed if she didn't get below 130 lbs to get in that bikini. I am sure it is in part because she works in an industry that values image above all else and that she lives in one of the most liberal states in the union. She, like the rest of Hollywood, has no idea what it's like to live day by day, juggle work and a family and not have the convenience of a personal trainer at your beck and call. Sure if we all had time and resources like the Hollywood types then we would not have a weight problem in this country.
If you want to find out how she has been doing since the weight lose then read it. But really this made me feel like I had something wrong with me since I was not under a size 6 and I happen to think that Obama has not saved our country.