100 Pound Loser: A Book Review

I first met Jessica in September when we both attended the dotMom event. I found her charming and sweet. She’s the kind of person you wish you could tuck in your pocket and carry around for those dreary days when you just need a little encouragement, which sounds a tiny bit creepy and stalkerish, so don’t tell her I said that, m’kay?

When I agreed to read and review Jessica’s new e-book, 100 Pound Loser, my intentions were simply to do a favor for a friend. What I didn’t know, though, was that her book would be exactly what I need right this very minute.

I am officially in the worst shape of my life. While I have always made health and exercise a priority in life, in the year and a half since we moved to Florida, I’ve allowed that priority to slip down to the bottom of the pile and I feel sluggish, tired and quite frankly I’m tired of my pants cutting off circulation to my lower extremities every time I sit down.

So what started out as a favor for a friend grew into encouragement for my soul.

Jessica’s book is witty, refreshing and encouraging in more ways than one. The before and after pictures alone motivate you me to get up off the couch and move. Pair that with the knowledge that she had four babies in four years and she still managed to lose and keep the weight off and you will understand the motivational aspect of this e-book.

But there is much, much more to this book than that. This e-book is encouragement for the soul of every woman who has ever looked in the mirror and not liked the image who stared back. This book is a reminder that our bodies were made for a purpose, and that purpose is not just to look good in a rockin’ pair of skinny jeans. You (and I) are so much more than anumber on a scale or the size of our jeans.

This was my favorite quote from Jessica’s book:You probably can’t run four miles, strength train, do Pilates, eat appropriate portions every three hours, and perfectly balance your carbs, protein, and fats at each meal every day. Frankly, I probably couldn’t do all that in a week! Remember, juggling the myriad things God has given you takes skill and concentration. He will certainly equip you, but it’s up to you to add, subtract, and balance the balls wisely…

…Truth: It’s more important to live life and enjoy our families than to obsess over weight. I’m pretty sure no child has ever said, ‘Gosh, I wish my mom had lost that last ten pounds when I was five years old.’Jessica Heights, 100 Pound Loser

 

It’s a new year, friends. A time when the slate is cleaned and we can all start fresh. While there is some humor (at least for me) in the idea of beginning a new weight loss/fitness routine in the beginning of January, the fact of the matter is this: There’s no better time to start than today!

Jessica’s book will motivate you to take that step in the right direction. Her list of resources at the end of the book will give you tools to succeed. What if we all took our health (not our weight) by the horns this year and decided enough was enough? What if we all believed that now was as good a time as any to start living freely in the body God gave us?

 

I’m up for the challenge…who’s with me?

 

To grab a copy of Jessica’s book, click here. (It’s a very quick read. You can finish it while babies are napping…or, in my case, while children are busy arguing over the Wii remote…) You’ll also want to head to the 100 Pound Loser Facebook page and click that little ‘Like’ button to receive bursts of encouragement in your Facebook feed (and we could all use that, now, couldn’t we?)

Happy Losing, friends!

PS: I did not receive compensation for this review and all opinions expressed are my own. I received a free copy of the book to read and I am grateful to Jessica for the opportunity.