Tuesday, June 7, 2016

"The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl: The Hilarious and Heartwarming Tale of a Real-life Superhero who got Happy from the Outside In" by Shauna Ried

  It's been a while since my last post.  Sorry about that.  My reading pace has greatly decreased now that we've entered into the summer months, but that's not to say I haven't been doing some good reading! 
  Beach season always makes me start thinking about all those winter months I spent wrapped up in covers, eating chocolate, instead of prepping my body for summer by exercising.  This year in particular was a struggle to get up and do anything, so now with summer here I find myself behind the eight ball in the health department.  But it's better late than never and so I've jumped back on the healthy bandwagon and decided to start my journey off by reading about someone else's weight loss journey!
  Shauna Reid is an Aussie who started her journey around 350 pounds. In the beginning she shares how she's a homebody who doesn't seem to like herself very much and has let the stresses of a parental divorce get the best of her in terms of emotional eating.  Then one day she comes to the realization that "the only one who can rescue (her) from this big fat mess is (herself)" and thus she begins on her journey of weight loss and health.
  There are so many things I liked about her journaled story.  Not only was it funny and engaging, but it was very real.  The book takes you through all 5 years of weight loss.... from her heaviest to her final landing place.  There are years when the weight just falls off, but then also times of gain or nothing at all.  Sometimes she is a gym rat whose caught up in the battle of the bulge and other times you can sense her struggle to reign her eating habits back in!  And then there's her fist jump into romance and the effects that has on her weight.  It's all so relatable and really draws you, the reader, in!
  Shauna also makes some really poignant statements.  She says regarding weight loss, "You know what's funny about losing a stack of weight?  Nothing really changes.  All that you happens is that you lose the thing upon which you use to hang all your neuroses.  Fat has shape and substance; you can poke it with a stick.  It's a scapegoat and a handy excuse.  Once you start to lose it, you realize you're stuck with the same moronic core". How true is that!  It's kind of like the idea that no matter where you go in life, you're always there.  Basically you have to deal with the inner issues...not just what people see on the outside.
  Then regarding the weight loss industry, she shares, "I need to remember that the weight loss industry exists to make money, whether it's a diet book or weight watchers or slimming magazines of crazy bob's blunder busting pills.  They all could help me lose weight, but none of them is a substitute for thinking for myself".  For me, that was a reminder that I can have all the knowledge in the world, but unless I put it into practice, none of it really matters.  I have to make my own decisions.  I have to decide if I would rather veg out on the couch or workout, or if I would rather have a gallon of ice cream or fit into my skinny jeans! Really it comes down to us!  Great point!
  But of all the things Shauna shares in her 400 plus pages of writing, some of her final thoughts hit me the most.  They are things like..."I'd always been desperate for approval and validation from others, but now I know that the real pleasure comes from impressing yourself" and "The true reward is finding peace and acceptance and embracing my own skin, with all it's quirks and charms"!  So encouraging and such truth!
  So, like I said,  I went into this book looking for motivation from someone else to get me started on my own journey, and I have to say that I found that and more!  If you need a little boost in the right direction, I would consider picking up a copy of this book for yourself!  Thanks Shauna Reid... aka Diet Girl...for being brave enough to share your story with the world!

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