Body for Wife: The Family Guy's Guide to Getting in Shape

Hi, James S. Fell,

Never mind O, I'll endorse your great book. Yes, my husband is certainly going to have a look at Body for Wife. Nope, no potatos hanging around here. I like your no-holds-barred (not candy bar) approach. Get off the couch and go, men, go.

Best and backed.

GK Stritch
CBGB Was My High School

I'm really excited about changing my life and becoming healthier. I want to be a gym babe! I like the pace of this book and am already adapting my diet by thinking about what foods I put into my body. I am repulsed by high fat foods now. I find that I use my car less because I'm more motivated to walk where I need to go. I'm looking forward to stepping it up a notch and appreciate that the book progresses at a rate that makes success attainable.

This is so funny, not at all what I expected. You've gone through every possible pro and con of every type on the shelf weight loss aid in a really detailed manner. So much so, in fact that I began to sonder what you do for a livig. Are you a nutritionist? I'm getting my husband to read it. However, I have to say, I do watch Oprah and yes I did love this... so there.

I like this. You are honest about the rubbish claims re: pills/potions and machinery. In this chapter alone you have set out how resistant we can be to change and how CBT can work; but slowly. I have no doubts that this would be bought and read.

James this is brilliant! I wrote a fitness column in the Sun Herald for 9 weeks that shared many of your same strategies. I only wish I could have written the piece in a humorous (and true)way you have! The premise is original and funny! I like it alot!
There is a huge market for such and I wish you the best with it!
Keep me posted!

Daxx Danzig

What a scream! I love this, and will buy a copy for my ex just as soon as it comes out! Very well written, helpful, funny and above all, motivational!! Consider yourself shelved. Best of luck. Straussy

Hi James,
THis is not a book only for men! - Its for all the women who want to turn their man into your photo. So its on their to buy christmas list.
Actually what appealed to me was the humour - the 'ability to oput down a donut' / 'Body for Woman you have a crush on....' / ' Gym etiquette...'
And more seriously as a mere woman I suspect that the tone is spot on for guys.
I've enjoyed sprinting through this - would be off to motivate my husband, except that I'm fighting to stay on eds desk just now, so need to keep reading books instead.
Onto my shelf,
Margaret
PLease can I ask you to take a look at Munro's Choice this week - have to ask.

Okay, yes your cover photo is an attention grabber. You have written the funniest motivation book ever. It is for women so they can tell their men what to do. Boys, they never figure out the system - but that's why it works so well. Great info. Well presented. Amusing. Great photo. I think I'll do some derriere clinches while typing this. Thanks, I'm placing you on my shelf. Good luck. Janet Marie

I'm the wrong gender to read this - but looked at it to see if my newly-retired brother (a farmer, now sitting about while muscles that once calved cows and sheaved corn become addled) might get inspiration from it.
There is nothing to quibble with in your premise - and I quite agree that men approach the whole getting fit/staying healthy thing very differently from women. However, what would put my brother off right at the beginning is your emphasis on the need for motivation, how difficult this all is, the sheer hard work of it all. That clearly needs saying at some point, but I wonder if there is a way to turn this round - begin with the lure of how great you can feel, the energy that comes with making an effort, throw in a reward or two? Start with something more positive than emphasising how tough it all is? just a thought. good luck with this, jo

You know, I've received a lot of feedback from readers on my website, and you're the first person to write this.

You want to know something else? I think you're right.

I think a simple change in the introduction, maybe just a sentence or two early on, would work. Thanks! I'll work on it.

I love this, and I am 'the wife'! About time we had someone who cut through the crap, made it funny but actually helped people who really want to get fit. I could do with the female version, but this will do for me at the moment. A highly original idea, and I'm backing this now. And I'll let you know if it works for me. Great stuff. Alexandra

Dear Alexandra:

I do intend to write a book for women after this one. A lot of Body for Wife applies to women, but the key differences, beyond writing style, are that the health data I quote are all stats for males, and the lifestyle / goal / strategic planning stuff is pretty male oriented.

Another difference is that I suggest men start their exercise regimen just with weights so they can get used to the idea of being regular exercisers before tackling aerobic activity. In my experience men have an easier time adopting weightlifting that aerobic sports. For women, however, I think the reverse may be true. I still strongly advise women to adopt weight training, but they might want to start with the aerobics first.

Thanks so much for checking this out and for the kind words!

James

James,

Welcome to authonomy! I've started reading your book, and think you are right on! It is going on my WL, and most probably upward from there.

Please forgive the fact that I am a woman, and am prancing into that much-whispered about secret society of men. But you asked for it! Saying this book is for men... tsk, tsk. They are some of my favorite people-- I couldn't stay away after a challenge like that! :o)

Best of luck to you!
Karen

Dear Karen:

Thanks so much for the feedback, and female readers are most welcome!

I am already planning my second fitness book which will be for women entitled: Lose Weight Slow: Every Woman's Guide to Getting (and keeping) a Hot, Health and High Performance Body.

On that note, I've got quite a few female readers on my website who seem to like the approach, even though I wrote it for the "male" mindset. I think my women's fitness book will be a little softened, although not much.

Thanks for reading!

James

James,

Welcome to authonomy! I've started reading your book, and think you are right on! It is going on my WL, and most probably upward from there.

Please forgive the fact that I am a woman, and am prancing into that much-whispered about secret society of men. But you asked for it! Saying this book is for men... tsk, tsk. They are some of my favorite people-- I couldn't stay away after a challenge like that! :o)

Best of luck to you!
Karen

Dear reader:

I realize that the formatting isn't perfect. The site does not seem to support bullet points or numbering, and I have a lot of this throughout the book. I appreciate you providing your feedback here, but you also have the option of reading a properly formatted version of this book at my site: www.bodyforwife.com

Best regards,

James S. Fell