I was attracted to this book because of the subtitle, "How an Average Middle-Aged Woman Took Back Her Health" as that is to an extent what I'm doing. However, I didn't end up having a lot in common with the author: she wasn't aware for most of her life about healthy food, she drank and took drugs, had horrible shoulder injuries and was very overweight and inactive when she started her health programme. Yoghurt was something "exotic" to her that she didn't consider eating, for example, and she felt hopeless about changing. When she does start to eat better and take exercise, the things she finds out are fairly simple and weren't really what I was looking for, although it did help me realise I'm on the right track and haven't slid so far back that it will be a big effort to get fitter and healthier again.

HOWEVER, it will be a very inspirational read to anyone who is "stuck" and doesn't have the basic knowledge to sort themselves out, and the personal and no-nonsense approach will also be relatable to a lot of people.

Blog review published 13 June 2025: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/06/13/book-reviews-books-on-improving-your-health-by-devi-sridhar-and-kathy-bauernfeind/

Part biography, part self-help book, Kathy Bauernfeind begins by telling the story of her younger years and the shoulder injuries that plagued her. She details how she fought to get her life and her health back and while, obviously, there is no one-size fits all route to heatlh at any age, she does provide inspiration for those looking for a role model of a similar background.

An interesting read on the importance of taking charge of your health at any age, and easy and sustainable tips to follow through.

Don't Give In describes a lady in later life's personal journey to good health from a past of excess and health issues.

As a middle-age woman on my own personal health journey, I was intrigued to see if I could gain any inspiration from Kathy's story. And while there was a couple of things I may look up/mull over, I knew a lot of this already. I would recommend this book to those just starting on their health journey.

However, be aware that each health journey is different for each person and what may work for Kathy may not necessarily work the same for others, even if the principles are the same. The writer also does not seem to have anyone else to look after or to answer to other than her work place. It can be hard to fit in a new regime and mindset around external stressors.

It was otherwise a quick, diverting and inspirational read, even if a little repetitive in places (and with the odd typo).

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy.

What an interesting and honest woman Kathy is! I whizzed through this book, finding it a really easy read. I enjoyed the tales of her food, pot and poor thing the shoulder surgeries when younger. And then reading about how she found the resolution to sort herself out physically. It's not a how to book, more the tale of one woman who decided a plan of how she was going to sort her physical self out and went for it. As a woman of a similar age I found it inspiring!

If you've been in the fitness world at all, you'll know most of the information presented in this book. However if you're an older lady, and have struggled with your weight, fitness and food, you'll enjoy reading about this experience. The first half deals with growing up and her struggles with her shoulder injuries. The second half is more advice for things you can change to create healthier habits. She really changed her life! Thank you NetGalley for the read!

A very straightforward self-help book in which the author shares her struggle to get into good shape. Her advice generally sounds reasonable and her story is quite optimistic, but we should not forget that in many cases pure grit and strong resolve are not enough - for example, recent scientific evidence proves that some of our cravings come from our microbiome and have nothing to do with our free will, and it is difficult to switch to a healthy diet if you live in a food desert. It is worth keeping this in mind during your reading.

Thanks to the publisher, Köehler Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. The author's style is very chatty and conversational which I enjoyed. I do think the book could be ordered slightly differently so that the writer goes on more of a journey. At the moment it feels very much like we know the outcome and then there are some stories along the way of how she got there.

An easy read with a casual flow that felt like I was talking to an old friend. Don’t Give In! (You’re Not Just Getting Old) is an inspiring tale of how Kathy has turned her life around starting with a history of her past difficulties and finishing with what she has done to take back her health.

I needed this book..

I helped me highlight a few places where I need to do better and set me on a path of enlightenment.

It helped to know that I wasn't the only one going through 'old age' and I felt the author spoke as friend.

I like this book. The author is very relatable and there certainly some similarities in past excesses. To be honest I don’t know if reading this told me anything I didn’t know - but it is a fascinating insight into a life’s journey towards healthiness. Definitely worth a read to get you inspired.

I am 35, so probably not the target age for this book, but it was great. It contained several helpful reminders that have inspired me to get back to working on my physical healthy.