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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Fabulous on so many levels, 30 Dec 2007
This book was fabulous on so many levels! What Shauna achieved - to reduce her weight by 50 per cent - is remarkable and inspirational in itself. How she writes about it is wonderful, at times with great humour and at other times with great pathos. For me, as somebody who is slowly dealing with his weight, almost every page spoke to me, mirroring how I have felt over, not only over the last three years as I've lost four stone (and put one back on), but how I felt over the previous fifteen years of hating myself and my body. There were so many times reading the book where the thoughts she's put down on paper have matched what has been in my head, it was both staggering and comforting.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
"Oh my god, I've done that too!", 5 Mar 2008
If you've ever thought you were alone in your weight-loss struggle, this book is the funniest, most honest account of a journey that millions of people start, but very few finish.
Shauna is brave and I think it takes real guts (excuse the pun!) to send your experiences out on paper for the whole world to see. It's a relief to know I'm not the only person in the world who hides chocolate wrappers!
Shauna has motivated me to start back on the right track with my own weight loss (I'm considering taking up Vampire Technique jogging!)
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
I laughed, I cried, I snorted tea out of my nose, 16 Feb 2008
I will confess to a bit of bias here: I was a fan of Shauna Reid's writing long before I read this, her first book. I read both of her blogs including Dietgirl which from which the book grew. Shauna is, first and foremost, a really good writer. Just read the prologue to the book, where she is describing the moment of epiphany when she decided to embark on losing half her bodyweight (hanging up her enormous knickers next to her sister's skimpies in the Australian sunshine). She takes you there, not just in place but in terms of feeling the emotions she felt. You don't have to be interested in weight loss to enjoy this book because it is funny, well written, funny, emotional, funny, poignant and funny. It is a cracking good story of how a shy, neurotic (sorry Shauna!!) Australian girl found the courage to travel halfway around the world, tour most of Europe, meet a handsome Scotsman, get married 3 times to the same Scotsmand (sort of) and become an internet celebrity. The fact she is now literally half the girl she used to be is almost incidental. But if you are interested in weight loss, and particularly if you have a fair bit to lose yourself, this book is quite simply essential. Buy it.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
You Had Me At PANTS, 18 Feb 2008
I've just finished this book and I'm really excited about reading it all over again.
You know what it's like when you feel a certain way about a situation/person/yourself and if someone asked you to describe that feeling could you do it? It's something that Shauna shows an exceptional talent for.
In a few words she hits the nail on the head drawing out emotions in a matter of seconds. From the first page I was motivated, inspired, excited and amazed.
THE best book I've read in a long time. And I've read a lot of books.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
It should have been a trial but it was an adventure, 22 Jan 2008
I've been reading Shauna's blogs (plural) for a long time now and after reading an excerpt of her book in a UK magazine, I thought I'd get it - even though I'm not a dieter.
I read the book stunningly fast by my standards (over 3 days - despite an overseas visit while reading) and it was effectively a very well written adventure where you really root for the hero (Shauna AKA Dietgirl).
Despite not being into dieting (I was originally reading her Other blog) I could see so many similarities with my life - showing how you tend to try to use things (in this case weight) as an excuse not to live your life.
This book is optimistic and inspirational....and romantic too - this isn't just about weight, it's about romance and fun and travel and living. Mostly about living - it's easy to forget about that.
Highly recommended, nicely produced book.
It has to be noted that I have an enormous pile of books that I haven't got around to reading that I get FREE from my work - so the fact that I actually went out and bought this one and read it and loved it is certainly an endorsement :)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
A truly inspirational read, 19 Jan 2008
"I've got the biggest knickers in Australia."
So begins Shauna Reid's refreshingly candid, often humorous and hugely inspirational The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl, which charts her seven-year battle with the bulge.
Shauna's story, which first appeared in blog form, is an entertaining read reminiscent of Bridget Jones Diary. It is not a typical diet book. There are no recipes, no quick-and-easy solutions to fighting the flab. Instead it's an enthralling novel-like narrative that follows Shauna's ups and downs as she struggles to lose 12-and-a-half stone.
She battles depression, curbs her secret food binges and learns to love the gym. Along the way she finds the courage to backpack to the other side of the world and nabs herself a Scottish husband in the process.
I loved this book and kept turning the pages well into the early hours of the morning. It's enormously moving in places, but any sense of self-pity is tempered by a self-deprecating sense of humour which had me laughing out loud more than once.
The beauty of this book is that it shows how it is possible to achieve anything if you set your mind to it. Shauna's steely determination to succeed and years of hard work paid off handsomely in the end. For that reason alone The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl should be required reading for anyone wanting to change any aspect of their life who lacks the courage to do so. It's already made me want to cut my caffeine intake and ride my bicycle more often!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Dietgirl is the most charming superhero ever, 7 Jan 2008
I've been hooked on the Dietgirl blog for years, and so I expected this book to be brilliant, warm-hearted, and hilarious. It is! (For anyone who is wondering, most of the material is new, it's not just recycled from her blog.)
I was both laughing and crying from the first page, with her description of the Biggest Knickers in Australia, and her recounting of Day Zero, a heart-rending WW meeting and weigh-in. I could hardly read the print through my tears as she described the pain, the humiliation, and the anger. That scene will always signify to me the incredible bravery it takes to change one's life so much. This is about so much more than losing weight.
Shauna is always so very funny, so light-hearted and positive -- she brings much-needed encouragement and joie de vivre to what can be a very grim undertaking. Her story is inspiring, and so rooted in reality and everyday life one can identify with and understand her journey. This isn't a How-To slimming book, but it will help anyone to unleash their own inner superhero. She gives us a portrait of a person who turned wishing and dreaming into doing and having -- that's a priceless lesson.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
You'll love it!, 4 Jan 2008
This is not just a weight loss story, it's a story about self-discovery, love, life and so much more. Shauna writes about her struggles with her weight, her battles with depression and some sad events in her life and you might think it would be a dispiriting read - but it's not, thanks to her wonderful sense of humour and keen observational skills. There are many happy and uplifting moments too, as she walks the weight loss path, travels around the world and meets the love of her life.
I found myself alternately laughing and crying and nodding in agreement as the story unfolded. I literally could not put the book down and finished it in one afternoon.
This book isn't just for those seeking weight loss inspiration. It will appeal to anyone who's ever been overweight, anyone who's ever suffered disappointment or self-doubt, or just anyone who's ever been alive.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Calling all procrastinators, 21 May 2008
Firstly I do not have a problem with my weight and read this book to help me understand the plight of some of my nearest and dearest. I am glad I did. Aside from the humility and humour abounding in the book I was amazed at how much there was in it for me - an advanced procrastinator. I discovered that I was not alone. Shauna articulates the condition powerfully and her honest account of how she tackles her procrastinator leaves the reader without excuses (and mine worked reasonably well for years) and motivated to silence their own procrastinator.
This book helped me understand that I can be my own superhero and gently accept my off days without the need to judge and condemn myself and most importantly how to carry on with the task in hand.
My procrastinator continued to offer me excuses and plans of action but instead of thinking "Good idea" I found myself smiling "Nice try"
I recommend this book to anyone who is growing tired of their own excuses particularly if the thought change brings you out in a sweat.
Shauna's story encourages us to be gentle with ourselves and provides many useful methods to manage the transition from unable to entirely capable.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Entertaining and inspirational!, 3 May 2008
This book is fantastic! We should all applaud Shauna for being brave and honest enough to share her story with us.
There are so many moments in this book when you think 'wow, I've done that' or 'thats how I feel'. Shauna writes it in an extremely entertaining way. I lost count of the times I laughed out loud.
This book will brighten your mood and make you want to take on the world! It did me!
A must read!
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