101 Things to Do Before You Diet - Mimi Spencer

Earlier on in the year, I read in passing a review of a new diet book on the market. Well . . . strictly speaking "101 Things to Do Before You Diet" is NOT a diet book. As it professes itself on the back . . . "a live-it, not a DIE-t".

The review I read was positive and seemed to back up this idea, so I decided it was worth giving it a go. After all, I have tried TONS of diet books which have not been a success. Or ...
...sneaky read myself. There was the one co-written by India Knight which i had high hopes for - it turned out to just be a slight twist on the Atkins. Or the one where you ate tons of creme caramel for some unknown reason - I can't even remember what the point of that one was . . .

But this one . . . I liked the idea of the "101 simple, essential tips for making the most of who you are." Particularly the "simple" part. ... more

Earlier on in the year, I read in passing a review of a new diet book on the market. Well . . . strictly speaking "101 Things to Do Before You Diet" is NOT a diet book. As it professes itself on the back . . . "a live-it, not a DIE-t".

The review I read was positive and seemed to back up this idea, so I decided it was worth giving it a go. After all, I have tried TONS of diet books which have not been a success. Or bought them for my mum as presents and had a sneaky read myself. There was the one co-written by India Knight which i had high hopes for - it turned out to just be a slight twist on the Atkins. Or the one where you ate tons of creme caramel for some unknown reason - I can't even remember what the point of that one was . . .

But this one . . . I liked the idea of the "101 simple, essential tips for making the most of who you are." Particularly the "simple" part. I liked the idea of NOT having to go on a diet. Don't we all? When it comes down to it, a diet just sounds like waaayyyy too much work, so the idea of taking a short cut around that whole idea is definitely worth a go.

Here's the vital problem though. The theory mentioned in this book? It's NOT a short cut. To me it sounds more like a diet FOR LIFE than anything else.

Which is one of the most terrifying things I've ever heard . . .

Now, don't get me wrong, the book is full of useful tips and it does cover a wide area of topics relating to losing weight. For example, it discusses the psychological approach to losing weight ("body brilliance starts in your head"), and how to dress thin, as well as the usual subjects of exercise and food. I like that it doesn't just focus on the obvious, but let's face it, it's the diet and fitness stuff that I was interested in myself.

And it was the food tips which I mainly found useful - but which also got my goat more than a little. For example, one of the suggestions is that we decide what our favourite five foods are . . . and never eat them ever again!!! Now, that would be the best way to make me want to eat them even more!!! There is a method to this madness, a reasoning behind it, and she does explain it . . . but even then, I can't get on board with it. A diet means I can't eat certain foods for a while, I know this. So if I'm NOT on a diet, but am forbidden from eating certain things FOREVER . . . how much is THAT going to motivate me, knowing I can never have these things again??? I don't think so.

Another thing you're told to do is throw a glass of water over any bread that is brought to you in a restaurant. Well, that's a waste of bread for a start but also, a little embarrassing - talk about making a fool of yourself in public.

That being said, there are a couple of interesting recipes provided in among the food sections which I'm definitely going to try out, and some recommendations for particular food items which will help in your quest to fight the flab. There is even a section of how to make your own yogurt - I didn't realise this was possible! There is advice on a wide range of topics that you may not have thought of yourself, such as how to give good photo or how to locate the perfect pair of jeans. There are tips to help to motivate you, fascinating facts and useful information that may make you think twice before reaching for the junk food, and the the author (a fashion and beauty journalist by trade) herself is a witty and at times hilarious writer, meaning that reading about food has never been so entertaining.

Here are some things I WILL be doing as a result of reading this book:

• Eating more soup (apparently people who have soup on a regular basis are likely to have a lower BMI than those who have it rarely or not at all)
• Buy more fresh food
• Eating out less frequently
• Drinking less alcohol

All fairly obvious choices, yes, but her arguments for doing these things are what has won me over.

So would I recommend this book to others? Surprisingly, I would. I'm going to lend it to another friend who is on a diet, and I'm also thinking of buying my mum a copy as I think she will enjoy it. As I said, it is an entertaining book, and Mimi Spencer herself claims in the process of writing the book she managed to drop half a stone simply by following her own tips.

I have no doubt that following the advice will help people to drop the pounds, as the tips are fairly obvious in a lot of cases and are backed up by research. So, by all means, by the book, read it, enjoy it, follow the advice.

But don't for one minute think it isn't a diet. Because it most certainly is . . .

"101 Things To Do Before You Diet" cost 12.99 and is available from amazon.co.uk.

 

...less