Skinny Bastard: A Kick-in-the-Ass for Real Men Who Want to Stop Being Fat and Start Getting Buff [Paperback]

Rory Freedman (Author), Kim Barnouin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2009

What’s good for the bitch is good for the bastard. Hundreds of thousands of women have been inspired to “use their head” and get real about the food they eat after reading the best-selling manifesto Skinny Bitch. But it turns out some men have been reading over their girlfriends’ shoulders. Professional athletes such as Milwaukee Brewers’ Prince Fielder and the Dallas Mavericks’ Jerry Stackhouse have adopted a whole new eating plan because of the book. Now authors Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin think it’s time for the guys to have a book of their own. In Skinny Bastard, they’ll explain why the macho “meat and potatoes” diet is total crap, why having a gut is un-cool (and a turn-off), and how to get buff on the right foods. Eating well shouldn’t be a “girlie” thing—and the Bitches will whip any man into shape with their straight-talk, sound guidance, and locker room language.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Apparently fearing their market's reaching the saturation point, the latest iteration of Freedman and Barnouin's bestselling Skinny Bitch series goes after another demographic entirely-men-but without altering the strident, withering approach they've perfected in Skinny Bitch and its follow-ups. That may be a mistake-the kind of cutting humor that comes off as challenging when aimed at fellow women seems (rightly or wrongly) more chilling when aimed across the gender aisle, with the real possibility of turning men off. Still, those happy to take the scorn with the solution are invited to "strap on a pair...and get ripped." Much of the strict Skinny Girl regimen is translated directly: sugar, simple carbs, meat and dairy are out; fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and whole wheat are in. The authors also discuss evidence for and against soy, the male epidemic of hypertension and heart disease, and the failings of government health-monitoring departments (like the USDA and FDA). Helpful grace notes include a chapter of support for the big changes (titled "Don't Be a Pussy") and shopping lists of approved brands and foods.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Celebrity News Service, September 25, 2009
“…two hilarious females essentially grabbing men’s health by the balls and giving men everywhere the lowdown in a way I’m sure they’ve never heard it before.”

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Running Press; 1 edition (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762435402
• ISBN-13: 978-0762435401
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Men's Health

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eat Simply and Reclaim Your Energy, March 3, 2010

By 

Scott Dinsmore "Founder of Live Your Legend a... (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Skinny Bastard (Paperback)

Why I Read this Book: Health is a constant area of study for me. These women have done the research and have a simple lifestyle that works. I've experienced it.

Review:

I know what you're thinking..."What on earth is Reading For Your Success doing posting a review on a book with a title like this?" How could that possibly be related to true health or success? Well, as my mom taught me early on not to judge a book by it's cover, it took me a couple years but I finally got past this one. And I'm glad I did. The books written by Rory and Kim have turned out to be incredible wealths of information. Useful, empowering tools that can dramatically change the way you feel and look-as they have for me. Not to mention they're about as entertaining as a nutrition book (or any book) can be.

After some deliberation, I decided to post the review. I wrote this based on having just read Skinny Bastard but it fits just as well for this book's testy older sister, Skinny Bitch, too. They're equals, just one for the ladies in your life and one for the guys. The message is the same (which I'll get to in a minute). After reading them, I believe the Skinny books are one of the most useful and easy to digest books on health that I've seen. In Defense of Food takes the cake but these gals are a relatively close second.

They obviously chose these titles to ruffle some feathers-and you know what they say, it takes something out of the ordinary to really break a pattern. This book will likely disturb you, maybe even disgust you, but in an informative good way. It's a very in your face way of saying something pretty simple-eat your fruits and veggies and stay away from just about everything else. That's the skinny.

This approach to eating first hopped on my radar at a Tony Robbins Unleash The Power Within event. He spent one full 12-hour day dedicated to energy, health and vitality. After 30 years of research he found that the diet most consistent with high energy, low disease and longevity is one that involves nothing but whole grains, fruits and a lot of veggies, especially the leafy green type. After two more years of self study and a few personal experiments on my body, I must say the data is pretty compelling. And this is coming from a guy who didn't use to be able to have a meal without some form of meat on my plate. I will spare you all the details for now but there is plenty of science behind this stuff both in the 1,000+ sources these girls cite and the books listed below.

"But what about getting enough protein??"

This is the first thing 99.9% of people ask in response to someone who labels themselves as a vegetarian or a vegan (which I am neither). If I had a nickle for every time I heard that, I'd be laying on a hammok in Tahiti somewhere. This was my major limiting belief before switching to mostly plants and I believe it is the biggest roadblock to sustainable eating for most folks. Guys especially are convinced that they need a ton of protein to get through life and especially if they want to pack on a bunch of muscle.

I couldn't have agreed more. I was as skeptical as they come. So what did I do? I decided to test it. One of my goals last year was to put on a few pounds of muscle-5 to be exact. So I picked a pretty rigorous program, P90X. I did the full program-13 weeks straight (I highly recommend it by the way-perfect workout for at home too). But I decide that I wouldn't eat any meat and next to no dairy during the program just to see what was possible.

I set out to gain 5 pounds of muscle, and at the end of week 13 I had put on 9.8! I was sold. Society has brainwashed us on this whole protein myth. Try it for yourself if you don't believe it. And don't worry, even if you stop your protein shakes and 20 oz of white chicken breast a day, you will still get your fair share of protein from all the things no one pays attention to-legumes, veggies and fruit. What are you afraid of anyway-suffering from protein deficiency? Have you ever even heard of that problem in our country?

If you're stuggling with what "your plate after meat" will look like, take advantage of the dozens of delicious recipes in this book. You'll never know the animal is even missing.

And if my little anecdote wasn't enough, you would not believe the list of vegan olympians, pro athletes (including NFL players) and body builders that these girls list. There must be a full page. There is comfort in numbers-especially big, fit and strong ones.

Here are the main things to keep in mind:

1. Keep your food sources simple: Think about where most food and meat really comes from. It is scary if you ask yourself too many questions. If you can pull it from the ground, it's not too hard to figure out where it came from. The graphic descriptions of the sources of some of our foods and meats will make your stomach churn.

2. Trust no one: We spend our lives reliant on others for health advice-doctors, commecials, FDA, food industry. Every one of these either has a huge conflict of interest or has little to no nutritional training. The only one to trust is yourself. Do your own research and know exactly what you're putting in your body and where it come from. You'll find whatever program you choose much easier to stick to if you understand what's behind it.

3. Alkalinity=Health and Energy: The pH level in your body has a great deal to do with your health and energy levels. Your body thrives in an alkaline environment. Most fruits and veggies (especially leafy greens) are incredibly alkaline. Dairy and meats are very acidic. According to the studies, in an acid environment your cells retain fat to protect themselves from the acidity. Diseases and viruses also thrive in acidic environments. Why do you think most cancer patients are told to adopt a vegan diet?

4. Sugar is the devil: This shouldn't be much of a surprise. The stuff jacks your body up like crazy and leads to a ton of health problems, not the least of which is major weight gain. Avoid added sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup) whenever possible, and stick to the natural stuff like stevia, molasses, honey or agave nectar when you need a fix.

5. Don't drown yourself in protein: I think this was covered plenty above. Ask yourself why you believe you need so much protein. Who taught you this? Have you ever tested whether or not it's true?

6. Moderation in moderation: This is my favorite. While these girls are hard asses about what to put into your body, they spend plenty of time letting you know that everything in moderation is crucial. Including moderation. Don't beat yourself up if you don't follow everything perfectly-no matter what you're tackling, life's just not that fun when you totally stick to the rules. When in doubt, just adopt Pareto's famous 80/20 rule. Do what you know is right for your body 80% of the time and the other 20% just go with the flow. Before you know it you'll be so accustomed to and enjoying that 80% lifestyle, that it will become the norm and flow of the rest of it.

So what do you say you take the time to explore your body a bit? It's our most magnificent and powerful tool. When nourished properly it can be unstoppable. Test some things out and let me know what you learn. And of course, moderate your moderation.

What have you learned while exploring a mostly-plant diet? What surprised you? How did you feel? Share a fun story (or recipe) with us.

~Reading for Your Success

Other books and articles you might enjoy:

In Defense of Food
Eating Our Way to Death, Literally
The pH Miracle for Weight Loss
Skinny Bitch
The China Study
Food Rules
Your Bodies Many Cries for Water
The Omnivore's Dilemma

40 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book changed my life!, July 14, 2009

By 

Roy Kranz "glowingrock" (Midland, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Skinny Bastard: A Kick-in-the-Ass for Real Men Who Want to Stop Being Fat and Start Getting Buff (Paperback)

I used to eat meat with every meal. I thought I was eating healthy and I worked out regularly but kept gaining weight. I picked up this book by chance while stuck in an airport 6 weeks ago and haven't eaten meat since. I now eat as much as I want (but choose the right kind of whole food plant based things to eat) and I continue to lose weight, 10 pounds so far. I also read one of the sources the authors of this book rely on (The China Study) to confirm that what they were saying was true. That is a book about the most comprehensive nutritional study ever done and is also an excellent read. Bottom line: you can substantially reduce your chances of cancer, heat disease, etc. merely by cutting meat, dairy, and eggs out of your diet. It is much easier than it sounds. There are many tasty substitutes for the things you cut out. Also, this book is very entertaining (lot of swear words) and a very quick read.

My wife, who was originally upset when I told her of my decision, is now a vegetarian too after reading my copy of this book. The weight loss for me is an added bonus.

Get this book. Change your life. Live longer. Be healthy. You won't regret it.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Shock a Meat Eater, February 1, 2010

By 

W. Patrick Mcginty "Redondo Pat" (Redondo Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Skinny Bastard (Paperback)

My daughter read the Skinny Bitch Diet by the same authors and began to change her eating habits and behavior. Within a week of her reading the book, I ordered Skinny Bastard and read it with much interest and skepticism. Now my whole family is primarily Vegan and loving the results. I wish I could justify my prior faith in our government and the food supplies that are offered by farmers, distributors and grocers. Restaurants are no better. I can no longer trust that the normal food supply is healthy and not killing us! Great read with vital information.