The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl

I started following the Dietgirl blog a few months ago, and I've read through a number of the archives. "Dang!" I thought to myself. "This girl is *funny*!" I preordered the US book awhile back, happily received it on New Year's Eve, and spent the evening (and a few days after...only because of family/job demands, otherwise it would have been devoured in one sitting) reading this book. Totally missed tuning in for the 9 p.m. (PST) dropping of the ball in Times Square, which usually marks the high point of our personal festivities. (We're such the party animals.) This book is brilliant! (And not, I'm not just gushing about it because I was desperate for a read at all, let alone a good one.) Remarkably insightful observations of things I loved about the book: - Numerous laugh-out-loud funny parts - Parts that made me feel sympathetic, that I could relate to, and that made me ponder my own quest for fitness - It's *true*! - The themes: Fitness is not *only* about the scale or a pant size. Don't wait until you're at the "ideal" weight to do the things you really want to do. Don't let fear stop you. It's a message that a lot of people need to hear. (Like Oprah, for example. Girlfriend, pull your head out of Hollywood and plunk it into this book!) The drawbacks? - Being irritated at what or whom ever pulled me away during reading - Potential financial ruin from buying copies for family (especially the nieces) and friends - Having to *wait* until Shauna Reid (hope! hope! hope!) publishes another book! (Don't wait as long as that OTHER Edinburgh author, please!)

The plot of Shauna Reid's book sounds almost like a chick lit book...girl goes on weight loss plan looking for self-worth and conveniently finds a tender and caring Scottish man to sweep her off her feet who loves her just as she is. There are definitely aspects of Dietgirl that are Bridget Jones-esque, but knowing that it is a true story makes the book so much more meaningful. The book is laid out like a diary, with most entries including the date of the author's weight loss journey and her current weight that week. But what starts out as a book about weight loss becomes much more a story of how our past influences who we are, and ultimately, how we have to break free of the scars we bear from our childhood and take responsibility for our own happiness. A great thing about this book is that it is an honest account of weight loss...the author doesn't just start losing weight and keep going until she's a supermodel. She suffers setbacks along the way and is at times crippled by depression and self-doubt. But like the super heroine alter-ego that she assumes to write her popular blog, the author takes her kryptonite (in this case, chocolate) in stride and fights back, saving herself in the process.

I found this book entertaining and engrossing from beginning to end. It's a cliche to say that it made me laugh and cry - but the truth is that it really did make me do both. The book covers over 4 years of real-life 'diary entries' from Shauna Reid, an Australian in her early 20s who, in 2001, weighed 25 stone. The book follows her gradual weight loss over the next 4 years until she loses half her body weight and finally makes peace with herself. Needless to say, it is an inspirational story for anybody trying to lose weight. But what really makes the book stand out is Shauna's writing style. She is clearly a fine writer, and I whizzed through the pages thoroughly caught up in her feelings and emotions. As well as being a weight loss memoir, the book also covers topics such as bereavement, falling in love, travel and career progression. It was amazing to read how Shauna's confidence rose and fell at different stages and how she learnt to deal with insecure thoughts. Overall, the book has a very positive message in terms of weight loss and health. I loved the attitude that Shauna developed towards her body and fitness. We all need to show more appreciation for how wonderful our bodies are and stop being so critical of them! This book is compassionate and wise and funny - I highly recommend it.

This is a read-cover-to-cover-in-one-sitting book. While it is nominally about weight-loss, it's really a story about getting your priorities right and how to live life well. Indeed this presents as one of the keys to weight loss. It is therefore invaluable in that it implicitly exposes the futile, depressing and exploitative nature of fad diets while simultaneously showing you something far more positive. This book lingers with you long after reading, nudging you into asking yourself some powerful questions about the decisions you make everyday. The amazing thing is this is all done very subtly, and therefore generously. Unusual within weight-loss genres, Shauna is far from didactic, nor does she condescend to offer advice. In fact she is very humble, and you get the impression that she's got a lot going on. While the narrative travels smoothly and lightly, it should not fool readers into thinking that Shauna's journey was quick or easy. In reality readers will relate to some deep core issues about self-worth, body image, family, love, the self and other, change, self-knowledge and self-development. This is a moving story which causes you to reflect on your own values and has the potential to help you develop an enriched understanding of your place in the world. It affords a sense of clarity and determination that is addictive. Thankfully Shauna's blog of the same name means the narrative progresses online, where you can continue to follow the story of this remarkable woman.

You might think that if someone wrote the truth about living through the process of weight-loss, the book would be so much of a downer that you couldn't bear to both live that life AND read about it at the same time. Think again! Shauna Reid has been "lard-busting" for years and years with amazing success: not only has she lost half of her starting weight, but she's kept her sanity and her raucous sense of humor throughout. It's rare to find someone who is up-front and honest about the godawful process of weightloss AND who can still laugh about it. This is a book that covers Shauna's "transition years" between the day she reached her breaking point and started lard-busting in earnest, and the day that she found herself happy and comfortable in her own skin. We get to see huge life-changing events-- large amounts of weight lost!moving across the world! touring Europe! re-learning romance! hashing out last-minute ways to stay in her new home!-- complete with all the embarrassing details that make it both human and hilarious, as Shauna grins and shakes her head wryly at the whole ridiculous process of life. Read it. You won't be disappointed.