ANYONE INTERESTED?!? Looking for answers!

RayRayofSunshine
RayRayofSunshine Posts: 6 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm thinking about writing a book on how to lose weight even if you have no money and no time.

A lot of it would be based on 10 minute meals, and doing things to achieve results in the easiest possible way. The people I had in mind were people who are overweight, work long hours at their jobs, and don't earn a lot of money. They barely have time to shower and their not interesting in having a pile of dishes in their sink or a ton of prep work to do.

They simply don't have the ENERGY to even DEAL with all the learning and everything it takes to lose weight. They need something that can accommodate for their utter lack of money, time, and energy.

My question is, is anyone even interested in this sort of book?

The books I see topping the charts over at amazon are things like Whole30 and Paleo. And while I definitely think they're great health-wise, that's just too much work for a lot of people, right? I feel like healthy eating and lifestyle is a spectrum, and I want to fill the gap between Fast Food - Whole Foods. Is this something people want? I'm DYING to know what anyone's thoughts are!

Thanks so much,

Rachael
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Replies

  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    There's really not that much to learn. Eat less, move more. Calories in vs calories out. Create a caloric deficit. Exercise is for fitness not necessarily fat/weight loss.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    CICO! end of book.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I'm curious what makes you think you're qualified to write such a book? And if people are cash and time poor, they're probably not going to buy a book!
  • Unknown
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  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Uh, no. CICO is not rocket science.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    There are ten million cookbooks out there. Your best bet at getting one published is to get an agent.

    Even then, everybody and their brother is writing weight loss books and cookbooks. There is a lot of competition.

    Good luck.
  • RayRayofSunshine
    RayRayofSunshine Posts: 6 Member
    Wow so many replies already! My browser crashed! Hahaha.

    What about something like 10 Minutes Meals, but specifically for people trying to lose weight? There are so many people I know personally who get discouraged losing weight because they have no idea what to do and the world shouts a million different things at them, and they don't want to learn paleo, they don't want to lift, they don't want to food prep, they have no time, and no desire. I feel like there's a huge group of people that are kind of swept under the rug. What about the people who don't want to be an instagram transformation, they just want to lose weight and get it over with?

    I'm not saying I'm a dieting guru by any means but that's the point! I've worked with so many lovely women in my life who have basically given up on themselves and their bodies because they could never successfully commit to a healthy lifestyle change, because it's just too much for them. My idea is to make the process super simple as a stepping stone to other changes.

    Thank you everyone for your insights, I really appreciate your feedback!
  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
    I think if you could compile every diet hack you could find there might be some interest. There is a ton out there that is way too complicated! Too much time or money, when people just need SIMPLE.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    RayRayofSunshine wrote: »
    Wow so many replies already! My browser crashed! Hahaha.

    What about something like 10 Minutes Meals, but specifically for people trying to lose weight? There are so many people I know personally who get discouraged losing weight because they have no idea what to do and the world shouts a million different things at them, and they don't want to learn paleo, they don't want to lift, they don't want to food prep, they have no time, and no desire. I feel like there's a huge group of people that are kind of swept under the rug. What about the people who don't want to be an instagram transformation, they just want to lose weight and get it over with?

    I'm not saying I'm a dieting guru by any means but that's the point! I've worked with so many lovely women in my life who have basically given up on themselves and their bodies because they could never successfully commit to a healthy lifestyle change, because it's just too much for them. My idea is to make the process super simple as a stepping stone to other changes.

    Thank you everyone for your insights, I really appreciate your feedback!

    If you google certain things (like 10 minute meals), you'll see just how much that's already been covered. A lot of it, in so many ways, has been covered, twisted, sold, overcomplicated, etc.

    As others have said, it boils down to CICO.
  • bac0s
    bac0s Posts: 48 Member
    edited July 2015
    Are cookbooks really selling much anymore? I'm an avid cook but I usually adapt from recipes I either get from friends/family or find online. You may have better luck with a blog.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    The thing is, good, homemade meals will usually require more than ten minutes to make. People who can cook know this. People who can't cook don't buy a lot of cookbooks.

    Rachel Ray made it big, so I'm not saying it can't be done, but be realistic. Write the recipes, test the recipes. Get others to test them. Get an agent.

    If you want to do it, try. Just keep your hopes in check. Weight loss and cookbooks - very saturated with wannabes. Very, very. Uber. Everybody and his brother writes Weightloss books. And cookbooks - OMG.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Alright, I think I may sort of be one of the people you're targeting. I have a chronic mental illness, I function pretty poorly at life in general. I can't do much in the way of meal prep, planning ahead etc and my budget isn't huge. You know why I'm losing weight? Because I'm tracking and staying within goal. It's that simple. People don't want to hear it. I eat what I am capable of preparing, be that pre-prepared veg I chuck in a steamer, chicken I chuck under a grill or take away or ready meals. I eat whatever I am capable of but instead of mindlessly shoving it down my pie hole I weigh and log it.

    That's the secret. There isn't one. CICO. I didn't need a book for that, I just needed to catch up with and get a grip of myself.
  • SolotoCEO
    SolotoCEO Posts: 293 Member
    What are your credentials? Cooking in 10 minutes? That sounds like heating pre-made stuff - not cooking. You can't develop flavor in 10 minutes.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Oh and one more hack for emotional eaters, don't keep it in the house and never shop hungry!
  • RayRayofSunshine
    RayRayofSunshine Posts: 6 Member
    I dunno I guess what I'm saying is, I love my momma and she lost faith in her ability to get back down to a healthy size a looonnng time ago. I want to express something on paper or video or something that holds your hand during the process.

    As for calories in vs. calories out, I think that's a wayy over simplification of a multi-faceted problem. Yes, it does boil down to that, but what do you eat? For many women I know, they try to cook healthy meals they see in popular books and whatnot but a lot of these don't take into account money or time or energy. Or, they try to eat what they always eat but wind up with super tiny portions and get really freaked. I think if it were that simple, everyone would be thin.

    I know there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. People also have to deal with food addiction problems, using food to cope, and all the psychological aspects behind losing weight, but if the physical steps could be easy, if the food was cheap, delicious, easy/quick to cook, and doable, it'd be one less hurdle.

    So yeah, those are my thoughts on the matter.

    Thanks again everyone for your feedback! :)
  • RayRayofSunshine
    RayRayofSunshine Posts: 6 Member
    Hahahaha and I DEFINITELY agree with never shopping hungry!
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    I think when you feel the need to write a book than do so...specially when you feel the need to tell people something.
    A lot of research is good and look into which group you want/will target.

    Asking if people want this is not the right question, the reason to write is in my first sentence.
    Just be aware there is a lot out there, you have to be renewing/fresh and have "something" that will make people buy your product ( in this case your book).

    Weight loss books for sale by the thousands...so up to you how you are going to marketing this and how good you are ( in other words your product is)
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    edited July 2015
    TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »
    I think when you feel the need to write a book than do so...specially when you feel the need to tell people something.
    A lot of research is good and look into which group you want/will target.

    Asking if people want this is not the right question, the reason to write is in my first sentence.
    Just be aware there is a lot out there, you have to be renewing/fresh and have "something" that will make people buy your product ( in this case your book).

    Weight loss books for sale by the thousands...so up to you how you are going to marketing this and how good you are ( in other words your product is)

    To add on to the above - experience or/and credentials may end up coming into play - both with consumers as well as those that would be looking at why they should consider publishing your work.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I was just at the book store today and took a look at the Cooking and Diet section (or what ever it's called at Barns and Nobel) and all the cook books just looked lame to me because I'm calorie counting and none of them had calorie information. I wouldn't care about the 10 minute prep as much as I would care about the calorie count.... Maybe you could do both?
  • kittywrangler
    kittywrangler Posts: 81 Member
    I see a lot of e-books offered on Instagram which are essentially what you are describing. Some are free, some are not. I think the market may be hard to break through.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • themonstermash
    themonstermash Posts: 71 Member
    How about vlogging instead of a book. Easy to watch, quick.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    It sounds like a blog would be a great starting point for you. Your reasons for wanting to write and share information are admirable.

    You did mention wanting to write about a simplified weight loss approach for people who (quote) have no time & no desire. That's a problem, because if there's no desire to lose weight, there goes your audience!
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    Ten minute meals: An untoasted sandwich. A bowl of cereal. Any pre-packaged protein, breakfast, diet, or other bar. Any pre-packaged microwavable dish. A handful of nuts. Yogurt, jello, pudding, or fruit cups. I could go on and on, but I won't.

    Cookbooks rarely sell anymore because it's too easy to get recipes from the internet. I LOVE cookbooks, and can buy much better cookbooks than 20 years ago at 1/10 the price despite inflation. So you want to write a cookbook? Do it, but a blog would probably be better read. You won't make money with either unless your blog explodes and you get advertising dollars rolling in. Which has actually happened to a couple of people I know! Not for cookbooks, but other talents.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I can see a good book out of this. I have a little book called "the ten minute gardener", showing the beginner gardener the simple tips to put together a low maintenance garden.

    Enough people come on here asking how to put together a simple meal, trying to figure out what is a reasonable portion.

    A local cook put together an entire series of "Company's Coming" cookbooks deliberately laid out with easy to find ingredients. Lots of people don't have a basic set of skills or core recipes.
  • fattymcrunnerpants
    fattymcrunnerpants Posts: 311 Member
    I think the problem with this is healthy food that tastes good, that's not laden with salt takes more than 10 mins to prepare. Hell, my egg white sandwich on whole grain this am took me 15 from start to finish. At the end of the day you can have healthy food that tastes good, or you can have convenience. You really can't have both without a little prep.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Include simple prep like roasting your own chicken, and creative use of leftovers. Not every meal has to be made from scratch on the day.
  • zaxx1953
    zaxx1953 Posts: 389 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    CICO! end of book.

    That books been out for 50 yrs now, and we keep having more and more obese people....

    The body isn't a simple gasoline engine; the type of fuel matters as does CICO.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    RayRayofSunshine wrote: »
    I'm thinking about writing a book on how to lose weight even if you have no money and no time.

    A lot of it would be based on 10 minute meals, and doing things to achieve results in the easiest possible way. The people I had in mind were people who are overweight, work long hours at their jobs, and don't earn a lot of money. They barely have time to shower and their not interesting in having a pile of dishes in their sink or a ton of prep work to do.

    They simply don't have the ENERGY to even DEAL with all the learning and everything it takes to lose weight. They need something that can accommodate for their utter lack of money, time, and energy.

    My question is, is anyone even interested in this sort of book?

    The books I see topping the charts over at amazon are things like Whole30 and Paleo. And while I definitely think they're great health-wise, that's just too much work for a lot of people, right? I feel like healthy eating and lifestyle is a spectrum, and I want to fill the gap between Fast Food - Whole Foods. Is this something people want? I'm DYING to know what anyone's thoughts are!

    Thanks so much,

    Rachael

    People who barely have time to shower really don't have time to read a book and probably wouldn't. Someone else suggested a blog and I think that would be a better way to reach your target audience.
    I think quick, easy, inexpensive recipes are fine but you should emphasize that people should choose appropriate portion sizes for their calorie needs no matter what they eat. No excuses for not doing that.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
    I also think blog would be a better idea. And I'm also wondering why everyone I'd so hung up on the 10 minute part. I very rarely spend over 10 minutes preparing my meals. Cooking chicken, shrimp, salmon, or steak all take less that 10 min on a BBQ. You can steam any vegetable I can think of in less than ten min. Pasta = 10 min. Microwave baby potatoes= 5 min. Eggs < 5 min. There are a million dishes you can cook in a crock pot while you're at work with less then 10 min prep. What are you guys cooking that is taking so long? I think you should get rid of the time factor and instead focus on the quantity of calories in a particular meal. <400 calorie cookbook. That might sell.
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