Week 6: #18 Read a self-help book

When I initially sent round my list to the people I trust to know me and give me honest feedback, this was one that my friend Phil decided was not worth it. From what I can remember, she thought self-help books were boring, generic and patronising and I would not gain anything from the experience. So far in my life, I would agree with her. If I want to learn something from a book, it's generally non-fiction about psychology or social issues (that makes me sound like an arse, doesn't it?).

I think the one I chose was not your typical self-help book, however. I think if I had plumped for a Men are from Mars, or The Secret, or one of the millions of ones written in the same ilk (or God forbid that terrible one about the different messages men and women read into text messages that scraped the barrel recently), I would have had the exact experience that Phil was describing. I actually read 101 Things to do Before you Diet by Mimi Spencer, which I found funny, insightful and revealing.

Presented as a list of, you guessed it, 101 things to try instead of dieting, it had some useful advice. It was also easy to pick up and put down, as it split handily into sections. There were pointers on cutting calories where you won't even notice them going (like in ketchup, or switching to skimmed milk). There were tips about which clothes to wear, why you should dress for who you are, not who you want to be. Why you should buy quality food and clothing rather than the false economy of cheap things (though, sadly that would mean me saying goodbye to my beloved H & M and Primark, and frankly, I am not paid enough to switch just yet).

Generally, I enjoyed the read and would recommend it to anyone. However, there were a few points that I thought were probably aimed at middle-aged women and people with kids rather than someone like me. I don't really throw dinner parties, or eat at fancy restaurants (unless the 'classic combo' of Quavers and Worcestershire Sauce flavoured Walkers that my friend Hannah always orders for us at the pub counts as 'eating out'). There were some things that are just impractical for me - she advises never really wearing flats as they make you look dumpy. Yes, I know this, but a combination of never perfecting the art of high heel walking and the pins holding my ankle together mean I really don't want to be prancing around in stilettos just to make my legs look longer. She also advises never having a hangover, and while this is very good advice, it's just not a practical reality in my life as it is at the moment.

So I came out of my first brush with self-help books pretty unscathed, and will keep the book to revisit some of the points at a later date, no doubt. Will I be reading any others, though? I doubt it.