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

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 have lost 80 pounds! The problem is, it is the same 20 pounds that I've lost four different times, with every diet imaginable. It's not terribly difficult to lose the weight, but it creeps right back on, because I can't stay on a DIET regimen, forever. Frankel helped me realize I just need a different mindset; that basically, I haven't learned to adopt a new relationship with food---or to reinvent the one I had when younger, when weight was never an issue. Frankel's book takes me back to the basics---those times when I did not obsess about food, nor did I linger over it, or eat when not truly hungry. And, I almost always left something on my plate. I was on to the next exciting life adventure, not eating myself into a stupor over adult responsibilities and challenges.After reading Frankel's book, I started interviewing 'naturally thin' friends and family. My findings were consistent, with my 89 year old mother being the best example of Frankel's theory of success. She has consistently weighed 112 pounds (at 5'0") her entire life. I asked her how she managed to stay 'naturally thin.' Her comment: "I eat the best foods available, I never deprive myself of anything I want, but I know when to push away from the table." Yes, this is a woman who really CAN eat ONE cookie for dessert and actually feel privileged, not deprived. Her very simplistic comment summarizes Frankel's theory for becoming 'naturally thin.' It is a common sense approach, and one so important with the growing obesity epidemic. Humans were never meant to be so gluttonous. Early humans were faced with feast, or famine---a natural regulation that we no longer have. They also didn't have drive-throughs, or processed foods, that Frankel feels robs our bodies of their natural balance.Frankel is NOT a nutritionist and her book is NOT a 'diet' book. It is a book reminding the reader when to do that, 'push away from the table'---when to stop eating at what she calls the, "point of diminishing return." How many times have we all left restaurants feeling we needed to be wheeled out on a stretcher, because we've overeaten so much, berating ourselves all the way home. We can stop this madness!Frankel admits she loves fatty steak, so she will indulge in a few bites, while enjoying a lot of healthy veggies and salad with it. She doesn't say to throw the leftovers away. She remarks that leftovers are great for sharing, or for making next day's meal. She remarks that thinly sliced steak over a healthy salad is a great lunch. She reinforces to never be ashamed to ask for a doggie-bag---that we NO longer need to be members of the clean-plate-club, particularly when most meals served are of super-sized proportions these days.There are many great tips, and some interesting healthy recipes to get started, but basically it's a no-brainer. It's more about the psychology of eating, or mindful eating. It's about creating balance. In one week's time, I have already dropped a couple of pounds. I did a calorie count for a few days and I was taking in a sufficient quantity of calories, at not less than 1,200. All with just a little mindfulness, adding more veggies, salads, and soups, and avoiding those 900 calorie fast food burgers. But if I just have to have a burger, I'll get a smaller version, and eat half of it with a garden salad. I will have what I want, but in smaller portions. This results in a natural calorie reduction, without all the counting and weighing, that none of us can continue for life. I'm hoping that with Frankel's tips, that I can finally remove the four letter word, diet, from my life---forever.I don't think there is any information in Frankel's book that would lead to anorexia, if the reader didn't already have a developing eating disorder. I've never heard of an ED starting from reading a book---an ED involves deep psychological issues. The fact is, that the majority of us have difficulty maintaining our weight loss, with obesity becoming epidemic, while serious EDs remain statistically low by comparison. The majority of us are also content with a reasonable weight, since we are not up for constant public scrutiny, the way TV personalities are, allowing for much more flexibility. As Frankel says repeatedly---'modify the rules for yourself and your lifestyle.'