First Chapter Review: TRANSFORM: The Secret to Unlocking the Perfect You by Dede Barbanti

I am reviewing the first chapter of TRANSFORM: The Secret to Unlocking the Perfect You, a self-help/lifestyle/health book by Dede Barbanti.

BLURB:  Finally, a book that will provide you with the answers that change your body and your life! TRANSFORM really is the SECRET TO UNLOCKING THE PERFECT YOU. Once weighing over 200 pounds, Fitness and lifestyle expert Dede Barbanti not only gives you the tools to achieve your weight-loss goals, but helps you dig deep to fix the core issues that keep you from lasting success and your true potential.

This is not your traditional weight-loss book. Most diet books focus on the outside by changing your eating and exercise routines,but they fail to find the root cause of your bad habits: what, why, and where they all started. These band-aid treatments never treat the problem, only the symptom, and most people find themselves back at square one, frustrated and defeated. Dede’s no-holds-barred approach gets your booty into gear by tackling the real issues of your weight loss merry-go-round; so you can stop the madness and unlock the perfect you.

You can continue reading all of those other diet and lifestyle books that ultimately keep you repeating the same old story and never seems to get you anywhere, or you can get real with yourself and finally bring about the changes that you have always wanted…permanently!

COVER: Like most--if not all--books in this genre, an eye-catching photo of the author appears on the front. I guess it's to inspire the reader by seeing her results. I've just never really cared for that. What I do really love, however, is the choice of colors: the white background, bold pink letters for the title, and the pastel green of Barbanti's shirt work well together.

FIRST CHAPTER: As is usually the case for me with non-fiction, I read the Introduction prior to digging into the first chapter. Those intros really help to define the book, so they are important.

Barbanti's opening is strong because she hits on what I feel is one of the most important aspects of making a life change: you can't compare yourself to others. No one's life is perfect and it serves no purpose to compare your situation to anyone else's. Focus on your goals and make a change for your benefit alone.

Then there is a short section that talks about how to get the most out of the book. Great idea. This is followed by a testimonial from one of the author's clients and a section encouraging readers to stop self-destructive patterns and behaviors to bring about permanent changes in your life. Barbanti believes in "The Trinity of a Balanced Life": three areas in your life you must reflect upon and work on in order to make those permanent changes.

All of this is inspiring, but it's once you get to the actual first chapter that things get really interesting. With the first transformational exercise, the reader is asked to write down her "Defining Moment" and how it affected her enough to make you take action.

KEEP READING: Definitely! I love the author's practical, yet, no-nonsense style. She gets that it takes baby steps and that a transformation has to take place alongside bringing up kids and other responsibilities. But she also tells you that no one can do this but you. That's why isolating the "Defining Moment" is so important.

I'm glad I signed up for this virtual tour. This book will definitely help me as I work on my goals of eating healthier and exercising.

• TRANSFORM: The Secret to Unlocking the Perfect You is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This first chapter review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.