At first glance, the title to Vivianne Messier’s HOW I DID IT!: Gently, Simply, Realistically and for Good! My Weight Loss Journey From Type 2 Diabetes to Optimal Health may seem pretty self-explanatory. But as Messier points out, HOW I DID IT is far more than just another self-help/weight loss book. By sharing her life experiences with a down-to-earth, conversational tone, the author retraces the steps of her weight loss journey, illustrating how she achieved optimal health across all facets of her life. Like so many others, Messier’s journey toward her breaking point was a long and winding road of denial and over-indulgence, one fueled by a steady stream of yo-to diets. But her turning point came by way of a sobering double diagnosis–type 2 diabetes and Forestier disease, a painful disorder that often results in a lack of mobility. While a part of her wanted nothing more than to retreat into the safety of denial, the scale, the increasing bouts of debilitating pain, and a newly prescribed medicine proved to be a sobering combination of irrefutable evidence that the time had come to make a change.
Her mind made up, Messier dove head-first into what would eventually become a life-altering transformation of diet, body, and mind. She began by making a list of ‘achievable’ goals and then put in place a personalized program that would not only eliminate the need for medication but also preserve her quality of life for years to come. Key to this journey is ‘optimal health,’ a holistic concept that the World Health Organization described as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’ Forgoing any mention of fad diets or lofty, life-altering promises, Messier’s transformation story is one based on good ol’ fashioned, science-backed advice such as establishing goals, cutting out junk food, and exercising. Be it tracking your food intake, cutting back on carbs, and eating more fiber, most of Messier’s suggestions are simple to understand and easy to implement.
To her credit, Messier begins this book with a disclaimer saying as much, advising readers to consult with a health-care provider before engaging in any sort of lifestyle change, but the lack of a more thoroughly researched (most information looks like it is taken directly from first-page Google searches and some graphs are presented without any citation at all) approach feels like a miss. That being said, there are a million weight-loss books out there, so Messier’s decision to focus on her personal journey definitely sets hers apart from the rest. Perhaps the greatest takeaway here is the value in establishing a personalized plan for attack when it comes to the pursuit of optimal health, a point that Messier succeeds in illustrating.
Much of the advice contained in Vivianne Messier’s book might fall squarely into the ‘what worked for me’ category, but HOW I DID IT! is bolstered by a charming, inspirational narrative that illustrates the power of hard work and determination.
~James Weiskittel for IndieReader