Ok. So this is what I felt. My problem, personally, is the shock when I realise the person in the mirror doesn't reflect how I look in my head. So self-help weight loss books aimed at making me feel better about myself as a person, or about addressing emotional eating aren't really suited to me. What I need, ultimately, is a kick up the backside. A lot of self-help and weight loss books in general tend to repeat the same things. Think positive. Imagine yourself as thin. Imagine your improved life. Learn to love yourself. Blah blah blah. Well, if those things don't work for you, then this book probably will. Think of it as a mental bootcamp for people who take the whole "love yourself and the rest will happen" mentality, and use it as an excuse to tuck into a nice cake as a reward for all that self-love. So what's the premise of this book? Well, the idea, is if you're like me, then you're fat. You're a lard ass. Stop dressing it up as love/hate, and be the only person who's going to be genuinely honest with yourself. It's about using that inner bitchy voice to motivate you. in terms of the layout and style... its really not straight forward. There's lots of memos, back and forth, from people the author refers to, including the grit doctor. There's "journal" type entries about the author's own motivational problems or back story. I can see how that interrupts the flow, but I liked it. The idea is stop faffing, stop making stupid excuses for not doing exercise. Stop saying things like "when my diet starts working" or "I need to buy the latest kit". This is from a woman who isn't a sports therapist, or nutritionist, or any of those things. She's just a believer in getting up and fixing it, and that there's no point in buying loads of expensive kit until you're into a regular routine. Everyone has to start somewhere, and few people start running from day one with all the kit ready and sorted. I love the no-nonsense approach of this book. I mean it really is no-nonsense. There are short snippets as well, which will stick in your head, just short and simple. Things like:No stuffing your face as a reward for yesterday's exertions. You do not deserve it. andRest days are not "reward" days. It talks about food, and drink, and that sort of nutritional diet. The response is simple: Eat less crap. There's no carb-free, eat according to your blood group, magical diets. It's not "why are French women thin" diets, or anything like that. It's simple, basic advice, that despite every weightloss diet programme that comes out and every A list celebrity tries, it's the simple method that's been around since time began, and actually works. Nor does it make any claims about running being fun. It's bloody hard work! that's why people sweat when they run, and get puffed out, and so on. Getting fit isn't ever going to be easy, or come easy, you just have to do it. What you do have to do it for though, is looking amazing, feeling incredible, and feeling just a bit smug at the end of a decent run. I know people talk about the routine of run for 2 mins, walk for 1, then build up, but I did that, and this is what I've learned: the book method is better. The idea of running (slowly) until you're tired and you have to take it to a walk is better. It's about being in tune with your body. And from experience, I think I run longer than when I'm waiting for that 2 minute to finish, if I'm waiting for a beep to tell me to walk, I start to think about it, and it makes the whole thing much more boring. Running until I'm tired feels better. I try and challenge myself to run a little further each time than I managed the previous run. There are no right or wrong ways to start running, I don't think, but this method works for me. So who would I recommend this to? I guess anyone who like me, doesn't need things to be dressed up for them, and actually needs to be given motivation and a kick up the backside; anyone who is prepared to give up making excuses; and anyone who fancies the idea of developing their own inner bootcamp running bitch. I've got mixed feelings on this book. I like her idea about just getting off your backside and doing it, but in the same respect, her actual methods are very different from the methods my personal trainer taught me.Her logic of walk, then run a little till you can't run any more is nice. However, I was taught to run for two minutes, walk for a minute, run for two minutes, etc etc.Then there's the total lack of editing. Certain sections are just repeated over and over. The book could have been half the size, including the fact it has inch long gaps around all of the text.The changes between fonts makes it tricky to read as well.Personally, the book taught me nothing I didn't already know. At times I think the advice is ill advised. It's poorly edited and relying on the 'shock title' to get people to buy it. I did, I was fooled. I don't recommend anyone else is.
What do You think about Příručka Dámy V Běhu (2012)?
I wanted to like this more but I found it a little annoying. Some of what she says is a bit OTT.
—Colinstogner
Well it sure got me off the couch, seriously ... love it!
—Rod
