The Great Fitness Experiment by Charlotte Hilton Andersen is perfect for us goal setters who crave some variety but want to see if it's worth the effort. The premise of the book (and her accompanying blog) is that each month she take a different fitness craze and spends that month devoting herself to it to see if the buzz is worth it.
The book chronicles 12 months of different "experiments" and she talks candidly about what did and didn't work for her and what results she achieved during this time. The only thing I didn't really like about the book - though it was vital information to provide context to some of her struggles - was how she always returned to her own disorders around eating and over-exersizing. It does provide insight into the thoughts of someone suffering from a disorder, but may not actually put forth the message she is hoping in her otherwise witty and well-thought out book.
Loved it. It was a quirky fun read! I loved her candidness. I loved her wit (ok - the book was downright hilarious in many, MANY spots). I love the concept of the experiment. It gave me some direction on where to take my own new years resolutions this year. It's also a super fast read - only took me a couple of days.
All in all, I do recommend the book - especially as a January read. It could give some direction to someone looking to change their life - as long as you spend more time reading the experiments and the results and less on the personal essays that accompany each chapter.
And even if you don't read her book - you should definitely check out her blog at http://www.thegreatfitnessexperiment.com/
Thanks Cori! sounds like a funny, light read...might grab it!
ReplyDeleteMichele
Thanks for reading my book Cori and for the honest review! I'm glad you enjoyed most of it. The personal essays seem to be one of those you either love 'em or you hate 'em kind of things! Sorry! If it makes you feel any better, I've since mostly overcome those issues and am doing really well now:) And thanks for the shout-out to my blog!
ReplyDeleteHi there, Charlotte! Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to comment!
ReplyDeleteand you're welcome. I did really enjoy your book and, as someone who has had a few issues in the past, myself, I can appreciate the essays - definitely no need to apologize. I'm glad to hear you are doing better now.
And I must say - I am a huge fan of your blog and have been telling SO MANY people about it! Keep up the great work!