"This is the book I wished I'd had to turn to." --Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is one of the most successful British musicians and
songwriters of all time, but 15 years ago, as he himself admits, he hit
rock bottom--he was out of shape, out of work, depressed. Food for him
had become an addiction, a means not only of comfort but almost of
self-medication as he grappled with the cruel twists of fate of musical
stardom. In 2003, as he struggled with the disappointment of an
underperforming solo career alongside the tireless media taunts; Gary
turned to food. Relentlessly. In the space of nine years he had been on
20 diets in the hopes of a resolution to all his woes. After asking the
doctor what the "cure" for obesity was, it sunk in that he was the only
one who could take control of his health. Gary describes this
realization and the task that lay ahead--"it was like being at the foot
of a massive mountain." So how did he go from an obese, out-of-work and
depressed pop icon, to a superstar of music and TV and an accomplished
musical songwriter and producer who is full of vitality, fitter,
happier, and more successful than ever before. What happened? In his
extraordinarily honest memoir A Better Me, Gary tells of his journey
back to professional success and mental and physical health. From
reforming Take That to critical and commercial acclaim and reigniting
his own legendary songwriting career; to overcoming his weight problems
and crippling obsession with food; to TV judging panel stardom on The X
Factor and Let It Shine and at last finding balance in both his
personal and professional life. A Better Me is a remarkably frank
memoir of Gary's life as he battled with weight, stress, fitness, and
depression, and staged one of the most thrilling professional comebacks
in years. In his warm, witty, and authentic voice, he recounts his story
with compelling insight, captivating honesty and a human side that
people rarely see. Here is one of the UK's most beloved pop stars open,
honest, and raw and as we've never seen him before.
