Lots of good tips.May 30, 2009 B. Webb 61 out of 72 found this review helpful
I'm a big Real Housewives fan and I bought this book because of that. I'm glad I did. A lot of it really makes sense too. I know that many people don't agree with a lot of the advice that Bethenny Frankel has to offer, but if it works for her then it'll work for others too. The recipes are also really good. Another great book that I read that has some really good weight loss and maintenance tips in it is Goodbye, Fatty! Hello, Skinny! How I Lost Weight And Still Ate The Foods I Loved-Without Dieting. Like this book, it not only has some really good information, but it's also an entertaining read.
What I needed to hear, how I needed to hear it.March 14, 2009 Baker Girl(Oakland, CA) 52 out of 65 found this review helpful
I have read every weight loss book on earth. I myself could write volumes on how to lose weight...what I could not do is follow someone else's rules on what, where, when, and how much I should eat and exercise to drop my extra pounds.
This book combines all things rational and real regarding "normal" eating. It calls on you to be an adult, make your own choices, be accountable and responsible, and enjoy your meals without obsessing or over restricting.
Betheny has most likely never been overweight, but she clearly understands the daily battle with her food choices. Will I be virtuous today, or sneaky and hide my consumption?
I have been applying her 10 rules for the last week or so and have already dropped 5 pounds EFFORTLESSLY. I am just checking in, balancing my choices, and including more fruits and veggies. I haven't been able to give up eating in fromt of the T.V. yet, but this gentle approach to eating has taken the charge out of certain food. It is true that when everything is allowed, it evens the playing field.
So far so good.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who struggles with their food choices and wants to end the constant battle with food.
Excellent, Intelligent, FUN!March 21, 2009 Rebecca R. Wright(Michigan) 19 out of 22 found this review helpful
Ok, so I know Frankel metions in this book that you won't neccessarily lose weight super fast with her program....but I must share that I've been reading it for two days and I'm only on chapter 5 but I've already lost three pounds. This has been a factor that has made me realize what a pig I have been! I have often thought to myself it's a wonder I don't weigh more because of the way I eat! Umm HELLO what a stupid thought. The 10 pounds a year I was gaining should have been a wake up call....but no. I was the girl who was always done eating first, shoveling into my mouth without thinking. My plate would be empty and I didn't even remember eating, so I'd just reach for more. If I was bored, happy, sad, tired, out with friends, lounging, going working, whatever I was doing I was eating. If I let myself get hungry I would really over do it. I was out eating my husband.
But now I'm changing. Yes, this book is commons sense, but Frankel puts it all in order to make it easy for you to make better use of your own common sense. Her annalogies and cleaver "rules" make it so much easier to "Check yourself before you wreck yourself" as she says. Here's an example of how my eating has changed.
I work late on Friday nights closing down the gym I work at (yes I am the chubby girl who works in a gym which is embarrasing itself). I close the place late Friday night and have to open it back up early Saturday morning. I never give myself time to make breakfast in the morning, so it's my routine to drive through Tim Hortins and order their biggest sugar filled cappucino and bagel with cream cheese. I would usually down it all about 5 minutes, feel miserably full for 2 hours, then the hunger would come back. This week, I bought my usuall breakfast (except the smallest cap. this time), but I sat down to concentrate on my eating and use Frankel's methods. As a result I ate about 25% of what I usually would, eating only a quarter of the bagel and drinking a few sips of the cappucino. I felt satisfied and I knew that if the hunger came back I could have a few more bites of my breakfast, I wrapped it all back up and ended up giving it to a co-worker because the hunger did not come back!
I feel great. Before, I would leave the table three times a day feeling bloated and tierd for hours, untill the next meal came so that I could do it all again. Now I feel light and full of energy....I really feel like I'm thinking like a Naturally Thin person and I fully intend on sending Frankel a thank you letter for finally telling me that it's ok that I'm a pig on the outide because my inner skinny girl was just waiting for someone to help her unleash!!
this book is good if you approach it with the right attitudeJune 8, 2009 st louis reader(saint louis, mo USA) 9 out of 9 found this review helpful
i really liked this book and found it helpful in my own struggle to be happy with myself and make better eating decisions. in turn, this has allowed me to lose weight and finally give up all the diets and find some peace with my eating habits. i gave it 5 stars not because it was deep and perfect... it is not... but even so, it really changed some of my thinking and habits. perhaps it was just the right time to read the book for me... but if that is also the case for you... then it is a 5 star book... if not... then you probably would not give it 5 stars as i did... but i was ready for what this book had to say and for that reason, it worked for me and i think it can work for others.
i can see why some reviewers felt that the book was promoting the idea of starving oneself as the author herself eats very little... but i have to say if you can get past the list of what she eats (which only comes up at the end of the book) and focus on your own dietary needs as she suggests... and if you read the messages and ideas she is trying to teach in the book rather than trying to duplicate what the author herself actually eats on a day-to-day basis, that you will may just come out ahead with some new tools to help easily change your eating habits. most of us will never be a tv celebrity and most of us will never be size 2... but we can use her approach to become what is healthy and right for our own body... it is all about perspective.
in my opinion, the book really promotes some useful ways of thinking that can help any of the hundreds of thousands of americans who have gotten caught up in the trap of overeating to reprogram their attitude towards eating and meals and really focus on their behavior. at heart, the book is trying to teach you to listen to your own voice and eat only when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. it does so in 10 or so simple lessons that are given in short mantras that are easy to remember and apply to daily life and many situations... whether you are a stay at home mom or full-time business lady.
after reading it, i personally disregarded the authors own food journal (which i felt was not needed since the whole book is telling you to listen to your own voice) and instead focused on my own body, my own hunger, and my own level of satisfaction with each meal. i am not aiming to be the same size as the author... i am just aiming to be a healthier and better me... the best i can be. and that is the attitude one needs for this book... as i already stated, most of us will never be a tv celebrity and most of us will never be size 2... but i can be a happy size 8 or 10 which is just right for me... and this book helps.
the simple mantras made it easy to remember and once i started reading, i found myself thinking more about my habits and eating more reasonably and losing weight without really trying. the more i did this, the more it became natural... and the more i naturally started to slim down as the book suggests... at heart, most of us are naturally meant to be healthy... and that includes a healthy and active body weight.
i really appreciated the idea in the book of listening to your own "food voice" versus listening to the "food noise" that goes on in your head. the food voice would be like the good angel on your shoulder while the food noise is like the little devil telling you to finish off the entire bucket of buttered popcorn at the movies... by tuning into this, i naturally started only eating when i was hungry or really wanted something... some days it would be more food... some days less... but it all balanced in the end.
i also think the author is sympathetic to women out there who struggle with eating... and that is a lot of us... so the book made you feel good about yourself... and i learned that if you listen to your own voice, you won't starve yourself, and you won't gorge yourself... you will just naturally eat what you need and be the size that you need to be to live a healthful life.
Life changing, realistic, refreshing,... thank you Bethenny!March 18, 2009 booklover123(Louisiana) 30 out of 37 found this review helpful
This book is awesome! I have a shelf FULL of books like Bob Green, Dr. Oz, Atkins, etc. This book, by far, is the best book concerning what you eat and how it can fit into your everday life. I was always amazed at how some of my friends seemed to eat whatever they wanted and stayed so thin. Now I realize that they were just practicing what Bethenny is preaching.
This is NOT a diet, this is NOT deprivation. I can actually have a cupcake if I really want one! SERIOUSLY! I know you're thinking, "Well, how can I actually lose weight if I can eat what I want?". But this book is not about a diet, it's not about losing 20 pounds in a month. If that is what you looking for, this isn't the book for you (and good luck with that). I tried all the lose weight fast stuff, and you know what? It doesn't work. Even if I lose the weight, I gain it right back, because I never fixed the real issue, which is my terrible eating habits.
I am the girl who goes through drive-through everyday for lunch, who eats a pint of icecream in one sitting, and who loves the big plate of spaghetti with garlic bread. I've finally realized that this is disgusting, and I'm eating like I'm a starving child from Africa. I thought to myself, "Grow up and take responsibility. This is stupid. It's just food, and you have control over it." I realized that I can still have those things in moderation without feeling guilty (not to mentioned bloated). The other day I really wanted a snickers, so I got a snickers easter egg (hence, it being close to Easter). I sat down and slowly ate my egg and savored every morsel. And you know what? I was good, I satisfied my craving. Normally, I would devour an entire Snicker's bar! I could've eaten five of those eggs, but I didn't, because there is tomorrow. If I really want another one, I will have it tomorrow. THAT is what this book is teaching you.
If you are sick of dieting, if you are sick of feeling deprived, if you are sick to death of dealing with your weight, get this book. I love it!
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