Never Say Diet
Never Say Diet by Chantel Hobbs
What they Say:
Chantel Hobbs, a mother of four, recounts her struggles with obesity, body image and health in Never Say Diet. Realizing that choosing to live well was one of the best gifts she could give her family, Chantel is so excited to encourage YOU this Mother’s Day to take the small but meaningful steps towards a healthier life. Ditch the diet! Buy some new skinny jeans! And don’t forget to read the five tips to get your family fit this spring.
What I Say:
I’ve been exercising regularly for several years now, but with each birthday came a few extra pounds. I had to face facts. I was getting older and my metabolism was slowing down. No matter how much I exercised the scale fluctuated five pounds. I could never break the invisible barrier. I guess part of me didn’t think I could unless I really cut back on my food. But my draw to food was still strong and I was still eating more calories than I seemed to be burning.
Then I got Never Say Diet in the mail. I thought, “what the heck, it really couldn’t hurt.” My heart was desperate to shed the last 20 or so of my baby weight, but my mind just gave up on it ever happening. When I started to read Chantel’s story of weighing over 300 lbs. and getting a healthy, lean, I started to get encouraged. Her no nonsense writing style was refreshing especially since it came from someone who was severely obese and not a skinny, size zero personal trainer. The one thing that Chantel said, that I had known, was that I needed to change my brain about food. I don’t know whether it was her book, or summer and not really feeling like cooking big meals, but I started to see a change in my appetite. I didn’t really feel like eating as much as I had been, plus I started increasing my workout intensity and I actually saw a drop in the scales.
I remember, before this book, telling my friend how it seemed to try and diet and that I really needed a gift from God. A gift of weight loss to get me motivated again. Well, it only took two pounds and I felt my hope rise. Maybe I can actually lose the weight!
Though this week has been wrought with one birthday party after the other, and I did indulge in cake and ice cream several times already, my normal meals have been less, and I’m sticking to what Chantel said to do. The first month of her commitment to get fit, she only concentrated on exercise and still ate the way she used to. So I’m still on track. I’ve been working out 20-30 everyday with increasing intensity and it feels good to sweat a little more than usual.
I’m not all the way through the book, but I’m excited to be on this journey in hopes and anticipation that I’ll never say diet again!
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I’ve already figured out that eating healthy has to be something I do for the rest of my life, not just a diet to follow temporarily. But it’s a struggle to lose that weight, and yet another struggle to keep it off. What holds me back is that I don’t like to exercise, and also that I’m drawn to foods like Starbucks lattes, pizza, etc.
All that to say that I like Chantel’s idea of starting with only one thing - exercise. I’ll try to start back on Monday. Best wishes with your program and keep us updated on how you’re doing, Gina!
May 24th, 2008 at 12:30 amHi Gina
I’ll look for the book. Two months ago my best friend invited me to coffee to “talk” about something (don’t you just love a mystery?).
She chatted about this and that for twenty-five minutes about nothing and I finally asked, “So, what did you want to talk about?”
“Our weight,” she whispered. “Why Ann? Why are we fat? We are both well educated, intelligent women. Why are we fat?”
We decided that we needed to do something, NOW! We both joined The Daily Plate (google it). We’ve ditched the diet idea. We count the calories, we exercise, we encourage each other.
I won’t lie and say I’ve dropped tons of weight or that I’ll be running a marathon next week - BUT - I am thinner (at least one dress size) I weigh a little bit less, and I am stronger!
I blogged about the daily plate on my blog and write about exercising and how funny it is to watch me run…snicker.
Okay, I’ve taken up too much space. Be encouraged though!
May 24th, 2008 at 6:31 pmThe Daily Plate site looks great. I’ll have to look at it more closely and since I’m at my computer all the time anyway, what a great way to record my progress!
May 24th, 2008 at 8:17 pmGina, sounds like an interesting read.
I need to get back on my treadmill.
And stop the late night snacking.
May 24th, 2008 at 8:46 pm