Customer Reviews

The Secrets of Skinny Chicks: How to Feel Great In Your Favorite Jeans -- When It Doesn't Come Naturally

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

****
Very enjoyable and motivating book. The point of this book is that women who look good and are fit usually work very, very hard to be thin and in shape. The first part of the book is filled with detailed examples of very fit women, exactly what they eat each day (a sample food diary), exactly what exercises they do each day of the week, what their attitudes towards food are, what their personal philosophy of weight loss is. This was my favorite part of the book, because it was very eye opening. Most of the women eat between 1200 and 1600 calories a day. And yes, as other reviewers have mentioned, they exercise often up to two hours a day. It was eye-opening to me, because it helped me to see how much I ate compared to how much these women eat; it's no wonder I'm overweight!

All of this work and effort might seem unrealistic to most of us, but the rest of the book is chock-full of ideas of how to put over thirty of these women's "secrets" into practice in the real world. The good thing is that after reading about what the fit women do, it doesn't seem so overwhelming to exercise a half hour or an hour a day---it seems doable. There isn't a lot of new information here, it's true, but this book is a great motivator packaged in an inspirational and entertaining way.

If you are a beginning dieter, you'll find much that is enlightening here. If you're a veteran (as I am), you'll find a nice shot in the arm of motivation and a good review of all of the latest information on diet and exercise and healthy body image. I'm excited about ways of creating a healthy lifestyle for myself again.
****

Although over 50 diet books grace my bookshelves, this truly is one of the best. Skinny Chicks profiles a variety of women and allows the reader a glimpse inside their lives to view "the cost" of being slim. And make NO MISTAKE...to get (and remain) slim usually takes a LOT of effort and work. Yes, there are a very very few women out there who seem to be "naturally" slim, but the vast majority of women who stay slim have learned approximately how many calories they can eat and still stay slim and how much they must exercise.

I don't believe that this book sets the expectation that all women need to be a size 2-8. Our society (unfortunately) has already done that. However, if you feel that you need to be this size, this is a great book. It should be noted however, that the author in no way advocates that everyone needs to be (or should be) that small.

That said, this book was such a breakthrough for me. Even though the author specifically says that you do not have to be "on a diet" for the rest of your life, I FINALLY got the message that - "Yes. I DO need to be on a diet for the rest of my life. And so does ANYONE who has lost weight...IF they want to remain at that weight. THAT "DIET" MAY NOW INCLUDE 1800 CALORIES A DAY, RATHER THAN 1200 - BUT NEVER ARE YOU GOING TO JUST MINDLESSLY BE ABLE TO EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT WITHOUT HAVING SOME IDEA OF HOW MANY CALORIES YOU ARE CONSUMING." And that "diet" may also include being able to "cheat" or having an off day or two. But the absolute truth is that if you want to remain at the slim weight that you have worked so hard to get to....you can't cheat for weeks at a time or continually eat foods you shouldn't. You have to STILL diet....except you CAN have more calories, but you are STILL going to have to exercise and do the things that helped you reach your goal. This sounds so utterly SIMPLISTIC, but I can't be the only one who didn't "get it" before - because something like 90+% of people who lose weight, gain it back! I am about 1/3 of the way with my weight loss and I KNOW that I will keep it off THIS time. (I just wish that I had read this book the LAST time that I lost weight!) Definitely a book worth reading and quite different from the usual array of diet books!

Okay, so maybe this isn't rocket science, but I have read most of the fad diet books out there and I did enjoy reading this one. Although I already knew all 50 of the "secrets", I found it to be a great reminder of what I SHOULD be doing. It was just enough to get me motivated again to get back in my healthy routine that I have managed to blow off the past 9 months and now have the too tight jeans to show for it. This book probably wouldn't be too interesting for people who already know how to maintain their dress size, but might be very beneficial for those who don't.

I am a size 6-8 mom who has struggled with preoccupation with food and episodes of binge eating. I have sought professional help in these areas and as I enter my 40s I think I have a handle on things. In order to keep my eating under control, I have unwittingly used the techniques in these books (pack your own food, plan your meals). I was glad to read that these secrets are effective and used by others rather than only my own idiosyncracies. I am surrounded by junk food, fast food, and unhealthy eating habit of others and these situations are hard for me to handle. The secrets in this book helped me know I am doing the right things and gave me even more ideas for how to stay away from unhealthy eating situations.

Helpfully, this book absolutely does not pretend that you can be a Size 6 US wihtout considerable deprivation; we're talking 1200-1600 calories a day AND a two hour cardio and weights programme, ladies. It's also honest about wishing it could hate food; this is really not the book for anyone with much gusto about mealtime, as most of the skinny chicks subsist on LA nonfoods like protein bars, despite the wails of dieticians appended to their eating 'plans', while the author wishes people could be pumped full of food like cars, with no tiresome food pleasure. I find this a pitiful excuse for a life, but then I'm a size 10 with no lower (or higher) aspirations.

The book is pretty much a monument to our tragic times, in which perimenopausal women feel obliged to suffer and deny themselves so they won't take up an intimidating amount of space in a room. And by this I don't mean size 20 women, but size 12 women who are made to feel hefty. I'm not talking dieting for health here, guys - I'm saying this book is seriously advocating a nearly unachievable goal and if you want to spend your life on that, fine. Or not. But no-one who chooses to enjoy a piece of toast instead of new jeans should be made to feel worse for it. You can learn to be skinny so you can make an honest choice; is it worth it? For some, the answer will always be no.

I found the book to be a really good reminder of just how VERY disciplined most of us need to be in order to achieve and maintain a slim, good looking physique. Yes, it's true - there's nothing new to learn from this if you have always been someone who has paid attention to diet and exercise. But it IS a good motivator to see how much work and effort other women are prepared to put in to maintain an attractive body. After reading it, I felt reassured that almost everyone has to work as hard as I do to fit their sexy jeans. It was also a reminder that if they can, I can, too. Remembering that every bite counts and recalling the need to plan ahead as to how to manage your food intake when you are going to be at major food-focused events are helpful and practical tips. I recommend the book highly.

There are some women out there who are naturally, and without much effort, a size 4, 5 or 6. For the rest of us, there is working to achieve that goal daily. And, the 30 women represented in this book have chosen to make being one of those sizes their goal.

This isn't for everyone. For some women, a double digit size is how they are most comfortable. But, for those who want to achieve a "model" body this book gives the "secrets"...planning each day, planning ahead for holiday/vacations, making exercise a daily habit, chosing to eat less to have a thinner body.

As someone who has to work out an hour every day, eat a low fat/high fiber diet, and moniter calories, to stay fit and healthy, I applaud the author's accomplishment: demonstrating flat out that a healthy, lean body isn't the result of "luck" for most women...it is making exercise, healthy eating and saying no to unhealthy foods a daily commitment.

...how true this book is. in a nutshell: unless you are a genetic freak (and i mean that in the best way) you will have to dedicate way too much time to being a 'skinny chick'. so i guess i already knew that i'd have to slave away on my elliptical and eat portions the size of marbles, but it was reassuring (albeit sad) to see it reiterated in this book. chapters were clear and informative; writing was smooth and pleasant, and even a bit encouraging. no gimmicks, no ridiculous 'get a size 00 hiney while eating whatever you want and never getting out of your recliner'. i liked it.

I'm a fan of fitness books. But, at this stage of the game, after thirty+ years obsessing, a new offering has to teach me something new. It has to focus on balance and philosophy, not another form of abuse. I want to stay young and vital, and I'm convinced much of that is about holding down the weight.

The Secrets of Skinny Chicks, by Karen Bridson, was written for me. I loved the premise of her book from the very first page:

While I was strong and fit and healthy fifteen pounds ago, I wanted to see just how fit and fabulous I could get....I studied...for details on what the chicks with fabulous bodies actualy did to look the way they do....What I hadn't expected, however, was just how hard it would be...I marveled at just how ill-informed the rest of the world is about what these women with fabulous bodies do to look that great...Behind every pair of size 5 jeans is a woman who exercies daily and counts her calories. She is conscious of what she needs to fuel her body properly and how to feel good about herself every day, even when she slips up...You may look at these women who work out two or more hours a day and eat just 1600 calories most days and say " I will never, ever be willing to live my life that way."

So, Bridson went out and interviewed spectacular women-- body doubles and supermodels and beauty pageant competitors. These women work hard--have to work hard-- at perfecting their bodies. Compiling all the data, Bridson pinpointed 50 "secrets" to their success. If you want to be successful, model successful people. Here are a few tips that have really made the difference for me:

Plan meals and shop to fit your plan.
Now, for someone who doesn't know what she's doing the next minute, the concept of planning ahead for the week is downright alien. But I have learned that this trick works. Every Sunday, we choose a week's worth of healthy recipies. Then we go to the grocery store. And we buy exactly what's on our list. Because what you put in your cart is what you put in your mouth.

Which feeds into the next tip.

Keep a clean food environment

If I don't buy ice cream. I won't eat ice cream. The kids didn't die when I stopped buying Oreos. When my husband insists on M&M's, he buys a bag and then hides them in a cabinet. If it's left where I can see it, I will eat it. Just as surely as winter follows fall.

Find yummy replacements for the bad stuff.

I love chocolate ice cream. Stonyfield Farms makes chocolate yogurt. Shake it up, stick it in the freezer, and you've got the perfect replacement. If you don't do dairy. Soy yogurt is a fabulous alternative.

Think ahead about risky outings.

My husband and I travel all the time. We're rarely home. Vacations, restaurants, parties, they happen all the time. Odd as we may seem, we bring our own food to events. We look up restaurant menus and the calorie counts online before we dine. And we carry bottled water in our hands so we don't pound cheese.

Learn what your body's metabolic rate will allow.

When I became a runner, I made a common mistake. I thought, hey, I'm a runner, and runners can eat what they want. Years went by before I understood the truth. That a three-mile jog burns a measly 300 calories. No wonder I wore hot fudge sundays across my butt. Now that I realize what it actually takes for me to hold a weight, I don't feel sorry for myself, the way I did.

Make salad your friend.

I stopped eating meat. And dairy. And wheat. Not 100%, but pretty damn close. The beauty of salad is that I can eat loads and loads. I add chickpeas or white beans, avocados or nuts. I discovered the most amazing recipies in the Moosewood cookbook. There are ideas online to match every taste. When dinner is primarily salad, the weight falls off.

And the secret I think is the most important:

Set a goal, create a plan.

Without a goal, we just meander along. Two steps forward, and then we find ourselves somewhere bad.

For much of my life I've been perfectly aimless. Wishing things were better, without naming specifics. How powerful I feel when I define what I want. Then pencil in an action plan. And check the tasks off. It's like Karen Bridson says:
"Self-esteem comes from accomplishments. Self-esteem often comes from an awareness that the requirements of a sought-after goal have been mastered."

Get fit and healthy. Stay young. The Secrets of Skinny Chicks: How to Feel Great In Your Favorite Jeans -- When It Doesn't Come Naturally

I have read this book twice in the last couple months and it motivates me.
A lot of the info. is stuff we already know (as I have read almost every diet book under the Sun and then some) but it was written in a fresh way. I really like this author. I want to get her running book now as I am a runner and would like to read more books by her.
Some of the info. is extreme exercise 2 hours a day and eat 1600 cals a day or less to be a size 2. But she also says you do what you are comfortable with. If you want to be a size 10 it is unlikely you need to workout that much and eat so little. It is up to you. I for one cannot work out that much and eat so little. Not gonna happen and I am not an actress so do I really need to do anything that extreme??? But I still love the book. It is very interesting, with a few things I did not know and written very well and it motivates me to run more and eat a little less. So I am pleased and would recommend to those who like reading books with diet tips and such and like to workout a lot or are willing to be open to the idea of really increasing their exercise. I am still working on the food issue...I like to eat!