Infomercial in book form
If this was the first book of inspiration I had ever read, I might be a bit more impressed. I got as far as the first two chapters and then tossed the book into my pile of stuff to sell at a garage sale.
This collection of weight loss tales is pure formula non-fiction. What to expect:
My name is _____. I overeat because _____. I realized I had to lose weight when _____. Then I joined Weight Watchers. My tip to lose weight is _____ (typically something like don't eat before going to bed - yawn).
Folks what I'm saying is there is nothing new here. If the concept of losing weight is not 100% new to you, you've heard all of this before. Each fluffy tale of weight loss success is only about two pages long, and to me, said nothing substantial. The book "Body for Life" provides much more genuine inspriation to make lifestyle changes.
Inspiring
Its good to read about people weight-losses and how they achieve. That is an inspiration for me.
Encouraging reading
I ordered this for my husband who is struggling to lose weight but likes filling out his weight watchers form on line each night (which is an excellent way of tracking how much you eat, and showing you where you are falling short!)
He liked it and read it, finding it encouraging. It's not deep, and you can dip in and out of it, like a magazine, but it's much better for you than a candy bar, and that's how he avoided fattening treats at the airport, he sat and read this instead!
This should motivate you to eat healthier and lose weight!
START LIVING, START LOSING - Weight Watchers
Rating: 4/5 stars
April 12, 2008
START LIVING, START LOSING is a collection of short inspirational pieces written by people who have had success with Weight Watchers and lost and kept off the weight. What I especially liked about this book is that it gave me ideas on what I was doing wrong with my own weight loss program, as well as help motivate me to change my current eating habits and try something different. A lot of the advice is common sense and obvious but I think to have it written down on paper makes it all more valid for me. Stories came from 'average every day people' to celebrities such as the Duchess of York, and the amount of weight loss varied from 10 lbs. to hundreds of pounds.
So for those who feel that they only have to lose 10 lbs. and yet feel bad that it's not what is considered conventional in terms of joining Weight Watchers (many in this book had hundreds of pounds to lose), this book will make you feel that it's all relative. It's just as hard to lose a measly 10 lbs. as it is to lose 100. It's a matter of eating right and exercising. And for those who have to lose hundreds of pounds, START LIVING, START LOSING is what can motivate you to change your bad habits and find inspiring ways to lose the weight and be healthy. It's not all about looks, but it's an issue of healthy living.
I recommend START LIVING, START LOSING to anyone trying to make a life change and wanting to lose some weight. There are a lot of great ideas in this book. It's fast reading, too, so for those who aren't big readers shouldn't be intimidated by it. Read a chapter a day, if that's what it takes.
Motivational and practical
This is one of the best weight/diet books I've read yet.
The stories are from real people who are very honest with their struggles. No rah-rah pep talks from enthusiastic people who make me feel tired just listening to them--these people are authentic, down to earth.
The stories themselves are very encouraging and motivational without seeming canned or falsely cheerful. I really enjoyed hearing people's stories about their weight loss struggles.
The best part is the short practical tip at the end of each story, outlining a different tip for weight loss. It makes the book not just encouraging, but also useful for my own weight loss struggles.
The short stories are perfect for reading on the go, for when I have only a few minutes to kill in the car or waiting for something on the stove or in the oven.
The stories are also varied enough that it's nice to only read one or two stories a day, for that little pick-me-up in my attitude about my weight loss program or just something encouraging to carry me for the next few hours.
I especially liked that the stories applied to me even though I do NOT belong to Weight Watchers myself.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a bit of daily motivation for weight loss.
