...Then Just Stay Fat.

For a couple of years, Shannon Sorrels has wanted to put out a book about fitness and weight management, a book that’s entertaining, motivating and a tad bit pointed, sort of a Dave Barry and Erma Bombeck meets Dr. Oz and Bob Greene -- definitely not your traditional this-is-how-to-lose-weight manual.

A multi-degreed certified personal trainer and owner of an award-winning fitness training and nutrition studio in Phoenix, Sorrels has heard every excuse for not exercising and committing to a weight-management program:

I’m too busy

I’ve been out of town

TV was good last night

I had to go out to dinner a lot this week

I’ve been sick

The conference lunch had bad food choices

My job is stressful

I’m PMSing

I’ve been busy

I’m backed up (and I don’t mean scheduling)

They made me a cake

I’m too busy

I need wine

I’m genetically fat

My family is sick

I’m allergic to South African bee pollen

My car is at the shop

My dog is sick

These are new shoes

My metabolism thinks I’m starving

My child failed a test

Dunkin' Donuts had a sale

I usually weigh-in in the morning

The soft serve yogurt with Oreo toppings was for calcium

I’m too busy

My cat is sick

Beer helps me relax

My tree fell over

I forgot to wash my workout clothes

I’m tired

These are different clothes

My pinky nail fell off

My fridge died; I had to eat it all

The moon is out of phase with Jupiter

I’m too busy

And to the people who made those excuses, she has wanted to say, “…then just stay fat.”

Sorrels knows of what she speaks. The word “diet” has been part of her vocabulary since she was 9 years old. She spent many years upset, depressed, frustrated and confused. She lost weight and then gained it back. She read books, listened to tapes and joined programs. She fumbled around until she figured it out, and when she did she changed careers and started Physix.

She also found a way to share her thoughts and frustrations: writing.

This book isn’t a step-by-step weight-loss or fitness plan. There already are plenty of those, and Sorrels doesn’t agree with most of them anyway.

Instead, it is intended to motivate and entertain, spur some heated debates – and maybe even put an end to all of the excuses.