This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
With January and February being such hard, cold months, it's rather bizarre that we insist on punishing ourselves with New Year's resolutions to eat less and exercise more. No wonder many of us give up in the first week.
For those who wish for a healthier life or for those that have already started but are feeling their inspiration beginning to wane (yep, that'll be me), maybe books can help us out.
I've put together ten books. Some books are memoir, some are fiction. And yes, most involve weight loss. But the message is not lose weight to be happier. Instead we find the protagonist learning something about herself or gaining something more valuable, whether that be friendship, a better life or self-respect.
1. Jemima J by Jane Green – Vintage chick lit. Jemima is seven stone overweight and unhappy. She undertakes an extreme diet for a man she meets online. Her obsession with food goes from one extreme to the other – but has becoming thin made her happier?
2. The Boot Camp by Kate Harrison – Steph, Darcy and Vicki each want to change their lives. They have seven tough days ahead of them…
3. The Desperate Bride's Diet Club by Alison Sherlock – Violet is overweight and insecure. She joins a diet club but finds the leader secretly despises overweight people. So Violet forms a new club and finds a quiet confidence in herself which she shares with her new friends.
4. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning – while William has been in LA for three years, Neve has been working on a new, slimmer and improved her. She wants William to fall head over heals in love with her when he returns. She started off losing weight for a man…but again, learnt something about herself and what she wanted, on the way.
5. Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster – a memoir where one woman, rather refreshingly, actually likes herself and her body, but realises she needs to lose weight or she'll have a number of health problems later in life. No self loathing in this book, just common sense and making sensible choices.
6. Sweet Temptation by Lucy Diamond – three women join a weight-watching group. Their new found friendship helps them on their quest to lose weight.
7. Tales from the Scale by Erin J. Shea – a collection of essays on weight loss and self esteem from various bloggers.
8. The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl by Shauna Reid – It is 2001. Twenty three year old Shauna is twenty five stone and has decided to do something about it. She starts a blog and a weight-loss spreadsheet and loses half her body weight. A truly inspiring memoir.
9. The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens – This novel is about a woman who has eaten her way through life. Then her husband leaves her after twenty five years. Mary learns to love herself despite her weight.
10. Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer – Maggie and Olivia were the fat girls at school. But now, years later, Olivia is a size 6 (post surgery) and Maggie is still over weight. Weight is a theme but so is confidence and just enjoying yourself.