It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life – by Lance Armstrong (2001)
Lance Armstrong’s personal memoir is a truly inspirational story, that not only discusses the strategies and mindset of a seven-time Tour de France cycling champion, but how he survived metastatic testicular cancer, the toughest test of them all.
This book is largely the story of how his life changed after being diagnosed with cancer. Having to fight cancer gave him profound insights into himself as a cyclist and athlete, but also into life itself. In fact, when asked about his experience with cancer Lance said it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He turned a seemingly negative event into something extremely positive and then he used it as motivation to get back on the bike and win seven Tour de Frances in a row.
The important lesson here is turning a negative into a positive. If you have quit in the past you need to promise never to do it again. Or, if you come up against a situation where you feel like quitting in the future you need to look inside yourself and say “Well this might be tough but I’m not going to quit. I will be a better person if I try.” You can apply this to fitness, weight lifting, sport, marriage, life… anything. Don’t be afraid of failing. Don’t be afraid of pain. The pain of regret is much worse.
Here’s the editorial review from Amazon.com
The Best Life Diet – by Bob Greene (2006)
What I really like about Bob Greene’s “The Best Life Diet” book is that he well explains some of the common misunderstandings about exercise physiology, and why and how our bodies react to exercise. Also – Bob challenges the reader about their eating and lifestyle habits – and really gets to the underlying emotional reasons for being overweight or out of shape. In fact, one of the earliest conversations he had with Oprah (which is discussed in the book) was about the question he posed to her very early on in their relationship – “why was she fat”?
Bob also has a lot of great tips about minor changes that can make a big difference in becoming healthier – such as limiting any food intake within a few hours of bed, and how to slowly increase your exercise and physical activity, to achieve the next level of fitness. Overall, I think this book introduces important information to consider for changing your lifestyle. I’m not a huge fan of following specific diets, but Bob’s recommendations provide safe and compelling options.
Here’s the editorial review from Amazon.com
No More Excuses! Choose to be Fit, Healthy, and Happy – by Tawni Gomes (2000)
I think Tawni Gomez is such an amazing individual, and her story is really inspiring. Often, she’s been on the cover of sports & fitness magazines and a few times on Oprah’s couch. I found her story, specifically her honesty about her many struggles to change and her enthusiasm to do so, refreshing. In her daily emails, which I don’t think she is doing anymore, she used to tell it like it is and how difficult it was getting up early to exercise, her afternoon pity parties when all the guests were food, and her wrestling matches with her underlying emotions and reasons for eating. Truly a great, motivational story!
Here’s the editorial review from Amazon.com
Shrink Yourself: Break Free From Emotional Eating Forever – by Roger Gould (2008)
This book was recommended by one of our clients. I have not read it yet, but It’s on the list, as I personally believe that emotional eating is at the heart of being overweight. I’m a huge advocate of understanding our feelings about how and why we eat, and learning how to regain control over food. This step, along with the recommended daily exercise is a sure path to a successfully achieving weight-loss goals and a healthy lifestyle.
Here’s the editorial review from Amazon.com
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner – by Dean Karnazes (2006)
Dean’s story is fascinating. By day, he was in corporate marketing, developing forecasts and strategic plans. By night, he was transforming himself into a world-class athlete, adventure seeker, and ultra-marathoner, running more than 100 miles at a clip, and pushing the limits of physical (and mental) endurance.
Anyone who runs or is interested in running will be motivated by this story, and how running transformed Dean’s life. When he hit 30, he was bored. Bored with the day to day monotony of life, and was greatly in need of a change. However, he had no idea that one late-night post-drinking run would change his life forever. This was a fascinating and uber-motivational story!
