This round in the book club, we're discussing Jennette Fulda's Half-Assed. She's been interviewed on blogs across the Internet, and even The Today Show, and now, we get to talk to her a little bit about half-marathons, the surprises that come along with weight loss, and what her Super-Secret Secret is.

Anne: So hi, Jennette! We are very happy to be a stop on your online book tour. Though I really think you ought to jog to Utah and have sushi with me while we talk.

Jennette: That might be a choking hazard.

Anne: We will take turns talking, while the other chews. I promise also to not remark on what you're eating.

Jennette: Thank you.

Anne: Do you ever worry about that? Do you get that, now that you've lost so much weight?

Jennette: I used to be concerned about it, but I figure there's no way to win. If I eat a salad, people might think I look down on people eating burgers. If I eat a huge cheeseburger, people might think I shouldn't be eating that. So I've decided not to care and just eat whatever I want to.

Anne: Is that a big change from when you were actively trying to lose weight? Or a benefit of being able to do awesome things like half marathons?

Jennette: I can definitely get away with eating crappy foods in public with less worry of being judged now that I'm not morbidly obese. Last year I bought a mini-pound cake at the Whole Foods market and ate it right in the middle of the store. I never would have had the balls to do that when I was fat.

Anne: It's one of the completely screwed up societal side-effects of being morbidly obese--it still makes me mad how much easier it is to be normal-sized than overweight.

Jennette: Yeah, but I figure every minority has its problems. It's much easier to be white than black. As a girl I get to be more expressive with hair and makeup than a guy does.

Anne: You talked a little bit about fat acceptance and having been morbidly obese over at Big Fat Deal. Have you been following the comment thread?

Jennette: No, but I've gotten some emails from people which have made me wonder what's going on over there. If anyone wants to organize a good old-fashioned book burning, autographed copies are still available for only $15.95. I'll sign it in lighter fluid if you prefer!

Anne: I don't think anyone wants to burn your book! But your interview did bring up some really interesting, heated issues, regarding fat acceptance versus size acceptance--people are passionate about the subject.

Jennette: I think it means I definitely hit on something. There was a line on The West Wing once that was something like "If they're shooting at you, you must be doing something right."

Anne: Exactly. One of the most interesting things in the book, to me, was how you never were self-loathing, that being fat wasn't something you hated about yourself--though it was something you wanted to change. Didn't you know that loathing is supposed to be de rigueur in weight-loss memoirs?

Jennette: I remember reading someone's blog or book where someone threw trash at them and thinking, "Damn it! Why didn't anyone throw trash at me?" I felt weird not having tons of horrible fat stories to tell. It really wasn't the worst thing that's ever happened to me. It sucked in a lot of ways, but I've had a charmed life, really.

Anne: And you are very charming. But you've also worked pretty hard, to accomplish what you have. I think that's why people throw around the word "inspiring."

Jennette: Yeah, and you never get to stop working either. If I stop eating well and stop exercising I'll just get fat again. And, aack! Not the "i" word!

Anne: Do you ever get tired of it? Does it get exhausting, or overwhelming?

Jennette: Sure. There are times when I don't want to go to the gym or run. I just try to set new goals to keep things interesting, like running a half-marathon or taking a new class. I try to keep it fun, and if your work is fun it's easier to do.

Anne: What's your next goal, after the half marathon?

Jennette: Right now I'm researching bikes so I can start riding one to work. After that I'm still deliberating between learning to rollerblade or taking some sort of dance class. It depends on what kind of shoes I want to get.

Anne: You can ride your bike to rollerdance classes.

Jennette: While chewing gum!

Anne: And thinking deep thoughts! I bet that's your weight-loss secret.

Jennette: Deep thinking?

Anne: Yes. It's aerobic.

Jennette: The mind IS a muscle.

Anne: You can tell that to the people who bug you for your Secret Weight-Loss Success Plan.

Jennette: I should tell them I eat books and they need to buy a dozen copies.

Anne: That is also a Secret Marketing Plan. Multitasking! But do people still ask you for your secret plan? What do you generally tell them?

Jennette: People do ask me what I do. I usually just tell them I eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. I figure you can't go too wrong with any of that. I doubt that advice will kill anybody. I always dislike telling people what to eat because I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's health.

Anne: You were very careful about that in the book--telling people to do what's right for their body, and to consult a doctor.

Jennette: Yeah, don't sue me, please!

Anne: Does anyone ever insist that there MUST be an answer?

Jennette: I haven't run into anyone who's kept dogging me about it. But there have definitely been some desperate emails from people who have hit bottom and are in need of help. I don't really know what to tell them. I think you've got to walk the road yourself. I can't carry you, even though that would be a good workout.

Anne:: Even if you don't have answers, we're back to the inspiration/role model thing. You talked a little in the book about how that made you uncomfortable. Now that the book is out, does that happen more often? And are you getting used to it?

Jennette: I suppose I'm used to hearing it from people. It sometimes hits me when I meet readers in real life who tell me they've made changes in their lives because of the blog. There's something about actually meeting someone and seeing the emotion on their face when they talk about how their life has changed that makes it seem more real. It's got more impact than the faceless emails and comments I get. If anything, it just gives me a greater sense of responsibility, to be honest and not to lead people astray.

Anne: It's really impressive to me, how seriously you take that responsibility. And avoid being sued.

Jennette: I guess I also believe that everyone needs to take responsibility for their own lives. For a long time I wondered why no one had ever confronted me about my obesity problem. I was like, "Why hasn't anyone done anything about my problem?" Then if finally occurred to me that I was the one who had to solve my problem. No one was going to rescue me except for myself. So, I don't think I can really rescue anyone else either. At most my experience just allows them to see what they were capable of all along.

Anne: You've always stressed how it is a personal experience--your weight, your perception of it, your decision to lose it, and your methods. Did you have any personal revelations when you were talking about it? Anything that surprised you?

Jennette: When I was writing about the early years in my book, I kept dodging around the reason why I'd gotten so fat. I hadn't really thought about it much, and by then I'd lost the weight so I hadn't seen a point in looking at it. I went through a lot of revisions until I finally had to admit, "Hey, I used to eat like a maniac!" Once I started thinking back on everything I used to eat and looked at it all at once instead of one memory at a time, I realized I ate a lot of junk. Which is probably obvious to everyone else since I weighed 372 pounds.

Anne: It's amazing how easy it is to ignore things until you're forced to step aside and really take a look at yourself.

Jennette: Yeah, that's what an editor is good for. She made me look at some of my blind spots.

Anne: Has that revelation changed anything for you?

Jennette: Well, when I was morbidly obese I probably would have been more hesitant to admit it. It's a bit easier now that I'm normal-sized. Other than that, not really.

Anne: Did that surprise you, that it's easier to admit when you're smaller? And hey, did anything surprise you about losing weight? Being a smaller size?

Jennette: Not really. It's a lot easier to talk about bad shit when it's no longer happening. At least for me. I can joke about it without having to feel the personal pain or shame of it because it's over. The one thing that surprised me about being a smaller size is that all the clothing in the Misses section did not magically fit me. Even if things are the right size, they can hang weird or make my butt look saggy. I used to always bitch about fat girl clothes, but there is plenty to bitch about thin girl clothes too. You just have a wider supply to pick from, so you are more likely to eventually find something nice.

Anne:It seems deeply unfair, though. For everyone.

Jennette: Yeah, we all need to learn to sew. And be contestants on Project Runway.

Anne: So what's next, ma'am? Are you going to write another book? Run around the world? Iron Man? Wrestle angry alligators?

Jennette: I have been thinking about it for a long time and I have no idea. I think one of the challenges in life is that as soon as you achieve a goal you have to go find another goal to work toward. Otherwise things get dull. I will definitely keep blogging. I might write another book. No matter what though, I feel like I can do anything. More than losing weight, that's the most important thing I've gained from my experience.