Naturally Thin: Unleash Your Skinnygirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting (A Woman's Guide to Diet-Free Eating)

Life is too short to stress about what you eat. If you're the kind of person who starts diets only to give up after a week, or have tried all sorts of diets with no success, you have to read this book! Bethenny introduces the reader to her food rules, which are the kind of common sense rules that are easy to follow but we never really put in to practice. She encourages you to enjoy what you eat, gives tips on how to stop bingeing, how to tackle eating out and there are even some yummy recipes to try out. My one concern is that sometimes she does go too far, for example when reading her food diaries she doesn't seem to eat as much as she should. However, she also stresses that she isn't a nutritionist and doesn't always get it right. Her style of writing is engaging and friendly and never preachy, which makes the book very easy to read. I read it in one day and immediately started to follow her rules which I still keep to this day - enabling me to maintain the weight and dress size I want to be. A must read to any dieter, stop dieting and start enjoying food again!

I never normally write reviews but this book is something else! It has totally changed my thoughts about food and I am so much happier not beating myself up daily and having my day dictated by a calorie count or a number on the scale! I joined a slimming club two years ago and lost 21 lbs over a period of 18 months then I stabilised and decided to read this book I have now lost a further 16 lbs in 12 weeks and I am NOT on a diet! It's so easy. The first part of the book is wonderful and explains all the theory and application the second half I didn't really read just flicked through because it was receipes and example days but I felt that it was a bit of a 'book filler' and was able to sort the detail out myself applying the ten principles. I have lent this book to three friends, two are loosing weight easily and one read it then hasn't applied the rules so not surprisingly isn't loosing weight! If you are ready for something different get this book!

I am not american but having seen the real housewives on Living tv i took a liking to Miss Frankel. Having seen her plug this on the show and the good reviews it got i figured it couldn't hurt to try it. Having only read the first two rules the way i think about food and my body is already changing. It's like she has shown me the common sense i always had but was hiding behind my food monster. Its an easy read, some healthy recipes and some more indulgent recipes included. I would recommend this instead of a Diet brand to my friends any day. Really helps break the cycle if you struggle with your inner food demons!

BUY THIS BOOK, it's that simple and so is Bethenny's approach to eating well and feeling well for life, delivery is honest and simple, I'm only on rule 7 and already made several very simple changes to my life AND my relationship with food - through "dieting" I recently lost 3.5 stone but it was slowly but surely creeping back up, I bought this book and I'm so happy I did because I really feel the weight will stay off, in fact if I'd found this book sooner I probably wouldn't have bothered with the diet in the first place. Thanks to Christmas I put on 6lbs but I have already dropped 3lbs, it works, get this book

Interesting read, most of it is common sense eg. You don’t have to clear you plate at every meal, and if you splurge on one meal hold back with the next. Some good principles to live by with regards to food and some thoughts to take away. Wish I’d read before I knew Bethenny as a tv personality as I imagining her shouting her points at me as I read it ala real housewives!

I have only just started applying the principles I learnt from this book and have already lost weight! It's so simple and makes so much sense you wonder: how come this never occured to me before? Bethenny keeps it simple and user friendly- ultimately you have to change the way you approach food (YOU are in control, not the food) and listen to your body (or food voice) I started to ask myself: 'what do your really want to eat' and 'are you really hungry/desperate for that extra cookie/chocolate/wine,' etc The answers surprised me and because I took her advice to stop fearing food I was able to keep moving without feeling deprived, knowing that I was the one in control, if I truly wanted that slice of cake I could have (some of) it and there was always tomorrow; in fact there is a lifetime during which I can sample all the delicious foods the world has to offer. But on my own terms, savouring every single bite. Heaven knows, I loathe and avoid all self-help books as a rule but after watching Bethenny on RHNY and just seeing how authentic and unafraid she was in showing the world her real self, I thought to myself- I will buy her book, I sensed it would be as down to earth and honest as Bethenny herself and you know what? In my opinion, it is. What can I say? I love this book and I'm ready to unleash my inner skinnygirl.

Disappointing!

This book is great, as long as you pick out the bits that are relevant to yourself. Bethanney talks very honestly about food and cooking and also how to change your own mindset about what you eat and why. Its the kind of book that i keep reading again and again to reinforce the ideas she writes about when i slip back into bad habits. Its an easy book to follow and has plenty of great tips that are easy to include in everyday life. This book removes any of the guilt regarding food that you might get from other 'diet type' books that say carbs are bad or that you must excercise everyday for example. This book is more realistic and aims to stop the reader punishing themselves because they treated themself to a biscuit.

First let me just say that I have always liked Bethenny Frankel, and watching her work her butt off from Martha Stewart's apprentice show to the recent sale of her Skinny Girl line of drinks for $100 Million , has been a blast . What a tremendous acomplishment ! She has worked very hard to ghet there , so naturally I was interested in knowing how she does it all, balance Motherhood , work, wife, business entrepenuer , all while managing to keep her shape and find time to eat right . Working in a high stress job myslef and having just become a mother 9 months ago , ( also late in life like Bethenny ) I knew I had to read this book . Guess what , I lost 9 pounds almost instantly , ok , it was more like 4 weeks , but it felt instantly ; ) I have been lugging around this so called baby weight for long enough . I love Food , and so I loved that this book is NOT a diet , not some fad or new way to instantly drop 25 pounds , more, its just little tricks and secrets of the Skinny Girls you see out there all the time . Its Honest , down to earth advice on HOW to eat , not really WHAT to eat , because she does say repeatedly " You can eat everything you want , just not all at once " , and " Taste everything , eat nothing " . The book is filled with great , funny , personal stories and packed with various receipes, which are super easy to make and taste amazing . I bought this book at the same time as " Skinny Bitch " , and although I enjoyed that book as well, it just was not practical for me to give up meat, dairy , all cheese is waaaay to hard , no yougurt or even Skim Milk ?, no sugar , basically , you are just eating vegetables, fruits and seeds and nuts . No thanks . Like I said , I love Food . I tend to eat 90% organic , and eat quite healthy , but I do love carbs and I absolutely have a sweet tooth , Bethenny gets this , and her book , and approach to eating in order to get thin and stay thin makes much more sense to me . I would 100% recommend this book to anyone looking to lose the baby weight , lose weight in general , change their eating habits but without even noticing , or just simply to STAY thin if they already are . Its small , little tips and tricks that really do work . I look forward to continuing my Skinny Girl habits .

Ce livre est bon et donne une nouvelle perspective sur la relation avec la nourriture. Parfois je trouve qu' elle se répète un peu trop mais il y a des astuces qui peuvent être très utiles et de bonnes recettes qui peuvent être adaptés aux végétariens aussi.

UPDATE: I've lost 15 pounds since I wrote this review--in less than a month! And that's while eating real food--chocolate, BBQ, steak, ice cream etc. The trick is to be aware of what you are eating. Take small, slow bites. Enjoy your food. If you are eating mindlessly, you are not paying attention. Don't eat while reading/watching TV/talking--you take bigger bites and eat more than you realize. I have lost this weight never going hungry--because it's all in how we eat. This has completely transformed how I look at what I eat. ORIGINAL REVIEW: Firstly: WOW. This book has given me an entirely new perspective about how and what I eat. Let me preface this a bit by saying: I haven't read Part II of the book, which apparently helps you put into practice the Frankel's Ten Rules. I might go back and do so, but I wanted to leave a review ASAP for anyone pondering whether or not to get this book. GET IT FOR PART I, IF ANYTHING! I'm a 41-year old woman who has about 30 extra pounds on her--gained from a still-uncontrolled thyroid issue. As a nationally certified trainer, I used to be very, very fit but, due to hypothyroid-related some heart problems, in the last two years I have not been able to workout to lose the weight I've gained. I ALSO have had, since I was young, a serious love-hate relationship with food. I tend to eat compulsively under stress, or mindlessly when with family, etc. In my "work out" days, my "food issues" caused me to develop anorexia athletica. Sometimes, I would binge. I've read so many other books on fitness and dieting--I have a large bookcase devoted just to these kinds of books. So when I found this book, I didn't have much hope for it, but I thought, "What the heck." I began to read Part I and couldn't put it down! I've read Part I twice, and even took notes on what really struck a chord with me. This book, in four days, has completely changed the way I look at food. I sincerely never expected this. I've lost 4 pounds in three days--this, with my still-uncontrolled hypothyroid issues, is unheard of! Some of the Ten Rules she gives are sort of redundant, but here are the ideas, in summary, that have primarily led to a complete revolution in my thinking about food: 1) She talks about "The Law of Diminishing Returns" when eating--especially something not necessarily good for you, but that you enjoy. Anyone familiar with economics understands what diminishing returns means in business, but with eating, it comes down to this: the first bite you eat will be phenomenal. But have you ever noticed after a few bites, much of the enjoyment is gone? THAT is when Frankel recommends you stop eating it. Why waste calories on something of which you aren't getting maximum enjoyment? I have seen some comments here that state Frankel tells you to "eat only three bites and stop." To put it bluntly, that's not true. She states that for her, usually after three bites she notices she no longer enjoys something enough to finish eating it. She ALSO says that if you really never get to that point, then eat it if you want--you are in control. Just make up for your splurge somewhere else. 2) BALANCE your diet: she gives ideas for what you want to look for in meals if you've already had, say, high-carb or high-sugar items in your meal. She never tells you WHAT to eat, just how to balance your daily intake. 3) You don't have to clean your plate! I never realized how this impacted my thinking until I read this book. This, combined with the Law of Diminishing Returns has given me so much strength in being able to resist foods in quantities I'd otherwise eat them. For example, if hubby makes me a sandwich, I no longer feel like I have to eat the whole thing if I stop enjoying it after eating half. With this in mind, I've noticed I'm eating much less. I just offer the rest to my kids, and if they don't want it, the dogs get it. 4) ENJOY your food. Slow down and taste it. Really pay attention to the flavors. Savor it. Not only is it good for digestion, your body can tell you much sooner when you are full. Also, you'll notice that Law of Diminishing Returns kick in. I've used this law to great success: An example: I LOVE Starbursts. At night, if we have any, I'd probably have twenty of them after dinner before realizing what I'd done. Last night, I decided to bite them into small bites, suck on them and really just enjoy the taste. I had THREE, and shared the rest with my kids. I was so proud of myself! Let me be clear: THIS IS NOT A DIET BOOK. This is a book about how to break free from your compulsion to eat, your unhealthy relationship with food, your self-sabotaging diet, etc. Frankel NEVER tells you what to eat in Part I (though she offers lots of great ideas in Part II, apparently). She doesn't chastise you for eating things you love--in fact, she encourages it. She just advises you slow down, follow the "rules" for eating,and be good to yourself. With that in mind, you can eat anything and not gain weight. I love that! There is a lot of great, common sense information in Part I that, despite my fitness and nutrition background, I've never heard offered for those of us who want to change our relationships with food, eat healthier and either lose or maintain weight. I'm going to try it "my way" instead of doing Part II's example (especially since I have food allergies), but I might end up going back to it if my way doesn't work for me. For me to lose 4 lbs in 3 days with NO exercise and uncontrolled hypothyroid is simply astounding. I haven't been able to do this even when I force myself not to eat. For anyone who wants to completely reform their relationship with food, you cannot go wrong with this book. It's the best $12 I've ever spent. I actually LOOK FORWARD to eating now--and not in that compulsive, binge-then-regret way. I am finally in control, not some obsession with food. Good luck!

I love the tips and the food philosphy behind it. What makes this better than many other books with a similar approach is that Bethenny gives concrete exaples, shows you how to apply the "rules" in real life scenarios, recipes and even walks you through your first weeks of applying her method. It has completely changed how I view food and life. I have already lost 10 pounds, without depriving myself or obsessing over food nad calories any longer. Highly recommend it.

De bons conseil et rien que du bon sens dans ce livre. Je l'ai offert mais pas de retour de la personne. En même temps si on veut mincir ça ne dépend que ne nous donc pas de recettes miracles ici.