I bought a book online recently called "Ditch the Scales", whose title appealed to me because it seemed that it would be similar to my values and might give me some fresh inspiration. Well, I was sadly disappointed. I can't say I read the whole thing, because I got about 2 chapters in and I had to stop. Yes, the grammar and syntax were terrible and seemed a bit unprofessional and self-published. But that didn't stop me completely because I thought if the content was good it wouldn't matter too much. Unfortunately I got to a section about weight loss myths and that put me off altogether. From what she was saying, it sounded like she didn't know what she was talking about. For example, one of the "myths" was that when you get older your metabolism slows down and it is harder to lose weight. Another was that it's not possible to have the body you had when you were in your 20s when you are in your 50s. The thing is, both of those things are true! And how would you feel if you read that, and you were in your 50s? It would probably make you feel like a failure. I don't think it's wise to give people unrealistic hope and goals. I think you should try to be the healthiest you can be for yourself, at your age. Another thing I did not like was that she was very derogatory in her language towards the way she used to look, saying she was so "fat and obese" etc. I don't think I have to explain why it would be bad to put yourself down in this way.
Anyway if anyone could recommend me some books they have read which they know to be good, similar to "If not dieting, then what?" that would be great.
One other small thing to say - I read a certain women's health and fitness magazine and although I like reading the health and fitness articles I do get annoyed that every month on the cover they have the same old headlines yelling out at you. Stuff like "Lose weight, FAST!" and "A fitter you in 2 weeks!" which seems to be very focussed on getting super fast results. Well not only is that unlikely to happen, but if you do lose weight that fast it's going to be through drastic, intense measures which I don't think are sustainable. Also littered throughout the magazine, and also other similar magazines, are variations on the word "burn" when talking about fat. I think these journalists must sit their sifting through the thesaurus to come up with phrases like "torch those kilos" and "blast that pesky fat". To me they have become very tired cliches. (Do you think "tired cliche" is a tired cliche?!) And also it makes one imagine that fat can just be blasted away so easily. I guess I'm just sick of the emphasis on losing weight really quickly when really it should be about making behavioural changes that will lead to lifelong, sustainable health and fitness.
Hi Genevieve,
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand how that book would not be of interest to you or me for that matter. Rick recommended a book to me called 'Health At Every Size' by Linda Bacon. I just ordered it from his website. I went to Dymock's bookstore only to be told it's out of print in Aust./USA/UK. so was thankful Rick has some copies. Must admit I haven't started to read it yet but have thumbed through it and it looks pretty comprehensive. I also checked out her websites.
As for magazines, about the only one I read any more is 'Diabetic Living'. I'm not a diabetic myself but I find the recipes to be very healthy and varied. Also the articles written in it are pretty sensible too.
It seems to me, as a generalisation, that people today are always in a hurry - to loose weight, get fit, drive somewhere, etc. etc. I know the pace of life is faster than it was but I think we put ourselves under so much pressure to achieve everything NOW that it takes it's toll on our general health. And to promote instant weight loss or instant flat stomaches is sending the wrong messages. Like you said Genevieve, it would be nice to have some emphasis on behavioural change for the longterm.
Cheers, Janelle