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Becoming Fearless: My Ongoing Journey of Learning to Trust God
As the Season 6 winner of The Biggest Loser, Michelle Aguilar goes beyond her grand-prize victory to inspire readers to overcome fear.
In Becoming Fearless, readers will discover Aguilar’s motivation not only for winning the show, but facing her deep seated fears. ÌýThey will discover they have a lot to lose as well—whether it’s fear, weight, or insecurities that keep them from living a full life.
Becoming Fearless is a story of reconciliation between a mother and a daughter, a testament to the power of forgiveness, and a reminder that the journey is even more important than the destination. It is anÌýencouragement toÌý “feel the fearâ€� in any situation without being paralyzed by it. Will you have faith in God when you’ve lost faith in yourself?
Ìý
In Becoming Fearless, readers will discover Aguilar’s motivation not only for winning the show, but facing her deep seated fears. ÌýThey will discover they have a lot to lose as well—whether it’s fear, weight, or insecurities that keep them from living a full life.
Becoming Fearless is a story of reconciliation between a mother and a daughter, a testament to the power of forgiveness, and a reminder that the journey is even more important than the destination. It is anÌýencouragement toÌý “feel the fearâ€� in any situation without being paralyzed by it. Will you have faith in God when you’ve lost faith in yourself?
Ìý
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
144 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
January 10, 2013
Wonderful story!
June 1, 2012
I came across this book when it was a free download. I was intrigued by the fact that it was the journey of a Biggest Loser contestant and excited that she had walked it with God. I have only somewhat recently fallen in love with The Biggest Loser and started watching it from the beginning thanks to Netflix. I'm only in season five, so the fact that the outcome of season six has been ruined for me is kiiiiind of a bummer (okay, a huge bummer because I HATE knowing what is going to happen). But I love it too much to abandon it, and the book gives details but isn't a play-by-play of the season, so I don't feel like every episode has been ruined. Plus, I think it will be interesting to watch now that I know more about what Michelle was going through at the time.
Unfortunately, something is wrong with the e-book, and chapters two and three are M.I.A. I deleted it and redownloaded it several times, but nothing fixed it. I'm not sure who to contact about that, but I'm thinking that perhaps both Barnes & Noble and the publisher (David C. Cook) should be notified. So I read the book in its entirety, minus the two chapters that I was not given. Honestly, I know I missed some background info about Michelle's past, but it wasn't hard to move forward not having read them. She refers to the basics of what happened during the time, so I was able to put it together.
I struggled with how many stars to give the book. I liked it. But throughout the whole thing, it felt like there was something missing that I couldn't put my finger on. At one point, I thought it might be depth, but I felt like she did a good job of being open and honest about her struggles. So perhaps it wasn't emotional depth so much as it was depth into the situations. I like hearing details and descriptions, and sometimes it felt like everything was on fast-forward. One thing that troubled me throughout was that there was a lot of talk in the beginning about her strained relationship with her mom and what being on The Biggest Loser together would do for that, and I don't feel like that healing process was really discussed. It gets mentioned and wrapped up a bit at the end, but I was expecting more. Anyway, I'm not sure if the fast-forward feeling is the "je ne sais quoi" I've been wondering about, but I suppose it could be.
Just like the show, the book nearly made me cry a few times (well, the show makes me cry for real sometimes, I get pretty invested in it...). I'm a sucker for stories of transformation, particularly when someone else pours him/herself into the person (in Michelle's case, that would be Jillian Michaels). The scenes she describes with Jillian were particularly touching for me. Jillian's belief in and love for Michelle is admirable, and it was inspiring to read about. I'd like to be that kind of person, and I'd like to have someone like that in my life. I think we'd all do well to have a Jillian or a Bob encouraging us on daily.
Overall: a good book, fast read, inspiring. I'm glad it was free because otherwise I might never have known about it.
Unfortunately, something is wrong with the e-book, and chapters two and three are M.I.A. I deleted it and redownloaded it several times, but nothing fixed it. I'm not sure who to contact about that, but I'm thinking that perhaps both Barnes & Noble and the publisher (David C. Cook) should be notified. So I read the book in its entirety, minus the two chapters that I was not given. Honestly, I know I missed some background info about Michelle's past, but it wasn't hard to move forward not having read them. She refers to the basics of what happened during the time, so I was able to put it together.
I struggled with how many stars to give the book. I liked it. But throughout the whole thing, it felt like there was something missing that I couldn't put my finger on. At one point, I thought it might be depth, but I felt like she did a good job of being open and honest about her struggles. So perhaps it wasn't emotional depth so much as it was depth into the situations. I like hearing details and descriptions, and sometimes it felt like everything was on fast-forward. One thing that troubled me throughout was that there was a lot of talk in the beginning about her strained relationship with her mom and what being on The Biggest Loser together would do for that, and I don't feel like that healing process was really discussed. It gets mentioned and wrapped up a bit at the end, but I was expecting more. Anyway, I'm not sure if the fast-forward feeling is the "je ne sais quoi" I've been wondering about, but I suppose it could be.
Just like the show, the book nearly made me cry a few times (well, the show makes me cry for real sometimes, I get pretty invested in it...). I'm a sucker for stories of transformation, particularly when someone else pours him/herself into the person (in Michelle's case, that would be Jillian Michaels). The scenes she describes with Jillian were particularly touching for me. Jillian's belief in and love for Michelle is admirable, and it was inspiring to read about. I'd like to be that kind of person, and I'd like to have someone like that in my life. I think we'd all do well to have a Jillian or a Bob encouraging us on daily.
Overall: a good book, fast read, inspiring. I'm glad it was free because otherwise I might never have known about it.
October 14, 2015
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the small voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'"
My thoughts and reflections are too personal... :) Suffice to say, I will probably re-read this book over and over. It's filled with heart, raw emotion and true courage.
My thoughts and reflections are too personal... :) Suffice to say, I will probably re-read this book over and over. It's filled with heart, raw emotion and true courage.
July 31, 2015
Well, I really like this book, but let me say - Ali Vincet's book just hit me more.
Michelle is really open in this book and it's really interesting to see what life on the ranch is really about.
Check it out, if you are a fan of The Biggest loser....
Michelle is really open in this book and it's really interesting to see what life on the ranch is really about.
Check it out, if you are a fan of The Biggest loser....
July 10, 2012
Loved the message; the writing not so much. It was all over the place and redundant at times.
March 7, 2015
Uplifting and inspiring. I enjoyed it overall - listened to the audiobook version.
January 21, 2020
This book was in my list of Christian books that I hadn't yet read, and with the subtitle of "My Ongoing Journey of Learning to Trust God" that is the book I was expecting. Whilst that was surely delivered by this book, I wasn't expecting it to also be a book about weightloss. It wasn't until I started reading this autobiography, that I found out that Michelle had won the reality TV competition The Biggest Loser in the US, so it also chronicles her trials and triumphs as she aims to lose weight.
I really liked this book; it was much more than I expected it to be. There is a strong theme of trusting God throughout, as Michelle shares her history, her struggles and inner turmoil. It is about stepping out in faith, in order to do everything you are called to. Though there is a lot about her weightloss, the book is very clear that it was done in the bubble of a TV show, rather than the real world, and now she has to keep up the motivation to eat properly and exercise, now she is back in the real world. Ultimately, as Michelle learned to trust God, she was also able to learn to trust others and herself too.
I really liked this book; it was much more than I expected it to be. There is a strong theme of trusting God throughout, as Michelle shares her history, her struggles and inner turmoil. It is about stepping out in faith, in order to do everything you are called to. Though there is a lot about her weightloss, the book is very clear that it was done in the bubble of a TV show, rather than the real world, and now she has to keep up the motivation to eat properly and exercise, now she is back in the real world. Ultimately, as Michelle learned to trust God, she was also able to learn to trust others and herself too.
July 9, 2022
Good for her! This journey is not an easy one by any means. I hope she continues on the path. The thing that bothers me is what goes on in this television program is extremely unhealthy and most likely to ruin a person's health. Everyone knows that quick weight loss just means quick weight gain.
July 9, 2019
The biggest winner
We often wonder about the contestants on shows. In this book we learn about her background, thought processes, and how far she has come since the show. We also learn about her relationship with God and how even if we keep him at arms length He never leaves us.
We often wonder about the contestants on shows. In this book we learn about her background, thought processes, and how far she has come since the show. We also learn about her relationship with God and how even if we keep him at arms length He never leaves us.
July 5, 2020
Inspiring
This story of how she feels about it was inspiring and I commend her for baring her soul Please go read it for yourself.
This story of how she feels about it was inspiring and I commend her for baring her soul Please go read it for yourself.
October 13, 2022
This review first appeared at: .
Michelle Aguilar was the season 6 winner from reality show The Biggest Loser. In this book she shares stories about her growing up years, time on The Biggest Loser and where her journey has taken in in the year since the tv show. The way the book read it felt like I was having a personal conversation with Michelle. She shares about some of her biggest fears and struggles and works to overcome them daily. While my life experiences are not the same, I felt like I could relate to some of her struggles and was encouraged by her perseverance. There is a strong theme of trusting God as Michelle shares her struggles and inner turmoil. I found it encouraging to read about her struggles and inspired by her attitude. This book gave me hope. As I remember watching her season it was fun to find out some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that viewers don’t get to see. I absolutely loved the faith message and would recommend reading this.
Michelle Aguilar was the season 6 winner from reality show The Biggest Loser. In this book she shares stories about her growing up years, time on The Biggest Loser and where her journey has taken in in the year since the tv show. The way the book read it felt like I was having a personal conversation with Michelle. She shares about some of her biggest fears and struggles and works to overcome them daily. While my life experiences are not the same, I felt like I could relate to some of her struggles and was encouraged by her perseverance. There is a strong theme of trusting God as Michelle shares her struggles and inner turmoil. I found it encouraging to read about her struggles and inspired by her attitude. This book gave me hope. As I remember watching her season it was fun to find out some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that viewers don’t get to see. I absolutely loved the faith message and would recommend reading this.
May 16, 2013
Pros:
- I did relate on some points with her story. i.e. abandonment issues, people pleaser, John Wayne of the family...
- I enjoyed the inside look of TBL and that Jillian really is a genuine person.
- I love that her relationship with her father is so tight.
- I love her recommitment to God and her walk with Him.
- I love the family album.
Cons:
- The story jumped all over the place, time wise. We went from a breakthrough, to another breakthrough that happened before that, to after she won the prize, back to the ranch, back to before the ranch and then back to after the finale.
- I didn't like that the family album was in the middle of the book. I did love the pictures, but it showed her married to Micah, which is a chapter in itself after the photo album. So you know what to expect.
- Mothers and daughters are out there that have broken relationships, which is basically the underlying of this story. Yet, there was nothing more about the healing process. Yes, God can heal relationships, but we still have to do the work. A lot of blame was put on the mom, but there was no explanation on why did she leave? Maybe it's not the point of the story, or none of our business, but you brought it up. Maybe an excerpt from the mom to not defend her side but just to say where she was coming from, or why she didn't take Michelle, something.
- A lot of it was really vague, the struggle, the relationships. I wanted to feel the hurt, I wanted to feel the struggles, I wanted to feel the love, but it was too vague.
It is just my opinion. It is a good book and it did shed some light on stuff I got to work on. From finding my voice to trusting God and leaving my life path all up to him.
- I did relate on some points with her story. i.e. abandonment issues, people pleaser, John Wayne of the family...
- I enjoyed the inside look of TBL and that Jillian really is a genuine person.
- I love that her relationship with her father is so tight.
- I love her recommitment to God and her walk with Him.
- I love the family album.
Cons:
- The story jumped all over the place, time wise. We went from a breakthrough, to another breakthrough that happened before that, to after she won the prize, back to the ranch, back to before the ranch and then back to after the finale.
- I didn't like that the family album was in the middle of the book. I did love the pictures, but it showed her married to Micah, which is a chapter in itself after the photo album. So you know what to expect.
- Mothers and daughters are out there that have broken relationships, which is basically the underlying of this story. Yet, there was nothing more about the healing process. Yes, God can heal relationships, but we still have to do the work. A lot of blame was put on the mom, but there was no explanation on why did she leave? Maybe it's not the point of the story, or none of our business, but you brought it up. Maybe an excerpt from the mom to not defend her side but just to say where she was coming from, or why she didn't take Michelle, something.
- A lot of it was really vague, the struggle, the relationships. I wanted to feel the hurt, I wanted to feel the struggles, I wanted to feel the love, but it was too vague.
It is just my opinion. It is a good book and it did shed some light on stuff I got to work on. From finding my voice to trusting God and leaving my life path all up to him.
March 16, 2012
The author of is this book, Michelle Aguilar, is the winner of Season 6 of the Biggest Loser. You do not have to have watched or currently watch the television show to be empowered by this book.
Becoming Fearless: My Ongoing Journey of Learning to Trust God, is the title of this book. Learning how to become fearless can help change multiple areas in our life. Whether your need help with losing weight, or a difficult relationship or even a job that you are having issues at, this book will be a real encouragement to you.
Using examples from her life, the author shows that we can each work through issues we have that are holding us back by working on becoming less fearful. The fearless she talks about is being willing to trust what the Lord has planned for us and taking the steps of faith towards any goals we may have to better ourselves.
I enjoyed the personal stories and the easy manner in which they are written. It is a very open book, meaning she holds nothing back when talking about the difficulties in her family relationships and her issues with weight. Reading the book you can’t help but be encouraged to keep working towards your goals and remembering to learn and grow in the Lord everday.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
Becoming Fearless: My Ongoing Journey of Learning to Trust God, is the title of this book. Learning how to become fearless can help change multiple areas in our life. Whether your need help with losing weight, or a difficult relationship or even a job that you are having issues at, this book will be a real encouragement to you.
Using examples from her life, the author shows that we can each work through issues we have that are holding us back by working on becoming less fearful. The fearless she talks about is being willing to trust what the Lord has planned for us and taking the steps of faith towards any goals we may have to better ourselves.
I enjoyed the personal stories and the easy manner in which they are written. It is a very open book, meaning she holds nothing back when talking about the difficulties in her family relationships and her issues with weight. Reading the book you can’t help but be encouraged to keep working towards your goals and remembering to learn and grow in the Lord everday.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
August 7, 2013
This young lady teaches the world through her book on how to overcome the worst fears we might face on our daily lives. This is a true inspirational book. Her relationship with her mother goes wrong when her mother leaves her father and she feels abandoned, as her mother leaves the house by surprise taking her two younger sisters with her, but never asking if Michelle wanted to go with them. And from there Michelle lives a roller-coaster life and she learns to place her confidence and hope in Jesus. And the reconciliation and forgiveness is shown as a process and the parallel "Biggest Loser" contest is a tool God places in her life so she can demonstrate her will to overcome all difficulties and win her battle against her worst fears.
I recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that needs a boost in his/her faith. I bought this book from Amazon.com and I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinion expressed here is my own.
I recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that needs a boost in his/her faith. I bought this book from Amazon.com and I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinion expressed here is my own.
July 15, 2013
I enjoyed reading the book for the sake of learning about Michelle's journey. This is the story of one of the winners from The Biggest Loser. And that was the negative about the book. The drastic weight loss this program puts people through is not healthy in my viewpoint and it does not offer any caution about this approach. I wondered though how she managed to take so much time from work and manage financially. This was a free Kindle download. I do not think that I would have ever purchased this book.
I felt that her message was a good one about learning to overcome fear. As Michelle says in her book "You have the ability to face your fears and live the life you never thought possible. Go life life. God will be patiently waiting as you find out what becoming fearless means in your own story."
I felt that her message was a good one about learning to overcome fear. As Michelle says in her book "You have the ability to face your fears and live the life you never thought possible. Go life life. God will be patiently waiting as you find out what becoming fearless means in your own story."
January 24, 2012
I really respect that instead of placing this book in the biography section it was shelved in the 248 dewey range at the library. It is very religious and there is no seperating out the fact that she credits God with just about everything. Still I'm a big fan of the Biggest Loser and have struggled with my own weight issues so I had to read about one of the shows winners. I really appreciated how Jillian Michaels told Michelle to be kind to her "before" pictures, to remember to give that person credit for making the decision to get them help. There was enough in here to keep me reading even though sometimes I was rolling my eyes.
June 4, 2014
This was a quick read and was enjoyable. I am not a fan of the show The Biggest Loser, but I will watch on occasion. Not sure if I could do what the people on the show are able to do. They deserve a lot of credit for being on the show and doing what they do.
Weight issues are hard to deal with especially because it isn't just a food thing. I would say that over 90% of the time there is an underlying emotional issue that needs help in order for the work on the outside to become a permanent thing.
Michelle's story was inspiring. I have had this book for sometime on my Kindle and finally got around to reading it. Wish I would have read it sooner.
Weight issues are hard to deal with especially because it isn't just a food thing. I would say that over 90% of the time there is an underlying emotional issue that needs help in order for the work on the outside to become a permanent thing.
Michelle's story was inspiring. I have had this book for sometime on my Kindle and finally got around to reading it. Wish I would have read it sooner.
May 27, 2012
I thought this was an awesome book on many levels. You got to see a behind the scenes picture of what it is like to be a Biggest Loser contestant- the work out 8 HOURS a day!- you get to see her journey on the inside overcoming the scars of her Christian Parents unexpected divorce and abandonment issue from her Mom leaving and their journey towards healing that relationship and what life was like transitioning to the real world and her life now and how she learned to trust God and not have to be "perfect". I would read it again.
April 8, 2013
This book was a little "too Christian" for me. Instead of talking to people in her family she bottled it all up and made herself a miserable hot mess. I am trying not to be judgmental, since we all have our own struggles. But her life wasn't perfect. No one's is. And now she has a nice litte work at home job and while on The Biggest Loser, she was out of a job so she could take of 12 weeks! If I took off 12 weeks from my work, I wouldn't have one when I got back. This was more of an autobiogrpahy than a self-help kind of book. It was a good read though.
July 9, 2012
Along with Tara Costa, Michelle has been one of my all-time favorite contestants on The Biggest Loser. Reading this book certainly has not changed that. Being very forthcoming without being gossipy, this book recounts her life before, during and after the show. Incredibly motivational and spiritually uplifting. A quick and great read.
July 7, 2012
Recommended by a friend, I picked this book up at the library not expecting much. What a surprise to find a well-written, honest look at a strong, godly woman. There was so much "meat" in this book that I ordered a copy for myself before I was even half finished. It's a quick and powerful read, and has inspired me to becoming...
July 7, 2012
Inspirational journey of finding forgiveness, healing broken relationships, and fighting fears and insecurities. If you're looking for a book on the how-tos of Michelle's weight loss this isn't it. But if you're looking for an inspiring journey on finding freedom from the things that bind us, I recommend Aguilar's book.
January 10, 2013
I loved reading this book. The behind the scenes look at the contestants on The biggest Loser. Reading Michelle's journey and struggle with her faith with God was pretty amazing and pulled at my heart strings. Her insight to Jillian made me have a feel good moment I love Jillian and her tough exterior and to see her softer side was pretty amazing.
February 8, 2013
This story was so much more than a tale of the weight loss from The Biggest Loser - this story showed how God can transform your life in so many ways as soon as you welcome him in. I really enjoyed her personal story & felt really close to some of my struggles she described in my own life. Great read - I loved it & will likely read again.
January 23, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot more humanity to it than I expected. I thought it would be mostly about The Biggest Loser, but it wasn't. It was about Michelle's personal emotional journey and what she learned along the way. I did learn a little about how the show works, but mostly came to respect the woman Michelle is now. I found the story very encouraging.
February 6, 2017
A good honest book. If you are a fan of "The Biggest Loser" you'll want to read it. I am not, but enjoyed it.
May 23, 2012
An quick, inspirational read from a winner of the Biggest Loser TV show. It is not a book about weight loss, it is a story about how God used the show and process to help her become the christian she is today.
January 22, 2013
Inspiring!
This story was very inspiring to read. I am glad that I read her story. We can achieve so much when we let go and let God do His work. It is also a behind the scenes look and the behind the scenes of Biggest Loser and a reminder that all is not what you see on TV.
This story was very inspiring to read. I am glad that I read her story. We can achieve so much when we let go and let God do His work. It is also a behind the scenes look and the behind the scenes of Biggest Loser and a reminder that all is not what you see on TV.
October 19, 2015
I like that the focus of the book was on Michelle's spiritual journey rather than on her accomplishment or her celebrity. Although I can't identify with Michelle's family situation and particular challenges, I definitely identify with the weight issue because I face the same problem.
February 16, 2016
Inspiring storyline
This book is filled with opportunities to learn from someone who has gone through tough times but came through it closer to God and able to work on relationships to make them better.
This book is filled with opportunities to learn from someone who has gone through tough times but came through it closer to God and able to work on relationships to make them better.
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