Customer Reviews

The Skinny: What every skinny woman knows about dieting (and won't tell you!)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This book was obviously written tongue in cheek and everyone who has reveiwed this book previously needs to calm down. i am a size 2, 105 pounds and think this book is great. it does have some ridiculous ideas in it, but you wanted to know how skinny women stay skinny, thats why you bought the book. well, how we stay skinny isnt always "healthy" or god-forbid "american." this book wasnt written as a HEALTH book or a NUTRITION book, it was written as a good old fashioned DIET book. It is not warm and fuzzy to overweight people who want to hear they can eat the food pyramid and lose weight. this book, unfortunately is based on reality, like it or not.

I read this not knowing whether to laugh or gasp. There are some tips in this book that range from the interesting (chewing gum as an appetite suppresant) to the odd (salting your food to the point where you wont eat it; chewing your food but not swallowing it) to the absolutely insane (Tylenol as a weight loss trick to speed up your metabolism, BLEACH on your food to prevent you from eating it). I wouldn't recommend this as a way to go, but if you want to at least expose yourself to some truly unconventional weight loss ideas, I guess this is the place to start. My sincerest suggestion to anyone who reads this is to be careful; this book screams of eating disorder potential.

This book tells it like it is. If you aren't discerning enough to be able to tell that some things are bad for you then you are probably the type that is having trouble in other areas of your life and should seek professional help.

The one thing that this book is, it's FUNNY. I lost about 35 pounds by reading it A LOT. Why? I ate less and I worked out. I did not do anything drastic. It helped me see that I didn't have to "address my psychological food issues" or "keep food diaries" or any of that other distracting drivel. All I had to do was stop shoving a bunch of crap down the old piehole and get off the damn couch. It is funny, it is honest, and I could relate to it. Buy the book to laugh and realize that being fat is not a huge lifelong, crybaby deal. It's something everyone deals with. And just think, in the time you read this review you could have eaten like a million calories.... I stopped you from doing that. Unless, you were eating while you read the review.... in that case you should get the book.

Have a borderline eating disorder? Want a full blown one? Want to start smoking to curb your appetite? How about fasting for a few days? Pure liquid diet? Abusing ephedra? Getting depressed on purpose so that you will lose your appetite and not eat? Swallow tape worms? If you find these ideas appealing then by all means, read this book. If you have EVER even considered the idea of starving yourself or bingeing and purging, then do not read this miserably, sickening, twisted, self-defeating book. Written by a bunch of sick women who are self-proclaimed gossipers, diet junkies, and bitter at the world, this book revolted me. I was expecting a "tongue in cheek" book that reflected how silly we women can be when it comes to weight obsession and our health. Instead, my ideas that we as women are our own worst enemies, was deeply confirmed. I am truly disgusted.

This book is good, I laughed, I was amused and entertained. This is satire, permeated with truth. As a forever 'wannabe' skinny and never actually 'wannado', at some point most of the ideas( not all, in truth) offered occurred to me, they are just thougths in the twilight of reality. That's what makes the writing so readable, that is why one can identify with its absurdity. I can't really entertain the idea that someone thinks this is a diet book. It is all about laughing at ourselves, and benevolently forgiving our occasional stupidity by making light of it.

My sister (who is 32, weighs 100 lbs at 5'2) bought and read this book and suddenly developed a fascination with how and where she could obtain tape worms. I thought she was kidding at first. One day, out of the blue, she asked me, "Do you know where I can get a couple of tape worms?" She seemed to be half joking, but admitted later that she wasn't and that this book had prompted the idea. She was always concerned with gaining weight (aren't we ALL?) but this book seemed to take her over the edge. I then read the book and was astounded. I admit, even I felt myself being lured into a self-loathing trap. Hating my body and feeling an overwhelming pressure to go on a crash diet. I even considered some of Patricia Marx's methods (not the tape worm- but close enough). I was AMAZED at the content of this book. I threw the book out before I could even read the last few pages! If my sister's daughter (or her friends) found this book and read it my sister would never forgive herself. But how can they avoid it? It is available in bookstores all over the country! I am sickened. I am in shock! Really! Patricia Marx needs help. Serious therapy. But more than anything, she needs to stop spreading disgusting and deadly messages around. If she wants to self-destruct, fine.. but on her own time. Don't perpetuate this disease, Patricia, and DON'T drag the rest of the world down with you.

I bought this book, and although it is humorous, I feel it is downright irresponsible. It makes a small disclaimer in the beginning about not using the book if you are a teenager or have an eating disorder. My guess is, if you follow much of the advice in this book, you will end up with an eating disorder. There are a lot of suggestions that are potentially dangerous to your health, and don't offer almost any of the risk factors involved. Of course it is meant for a mature adult to read, and decide for themself, but there are many other books out there that have much better ideas about getting skinny. By the way I have many friends who have healthy, lean, and strong bodies who simply eat healthfully and work out a couple times a week. If your smart, you will know that moderation in eating and moderate exercise is the way to go.

I don't know if this book is supposed to be a joke or what, but I was a little scared to see that some people are taking the advice. This book contradicts basic health and sanity. If you want to live a life that revolves around a scale and can only make you unhappy, then read this book and make yourself some soup with ketchup. If, on the other hand, you DO want to be happy, read "Intuitive Eating" (look it up here). I came across this book a year ago while I was looking for something like "The Skinny" and it changed my life forever. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want - and at 105 lbs, I AM SKINNY!

These woman have looked fearlessly into the heart of total food craziness and are here to help. Wise, witty, good-humored good advice from people who have been there, lost that, and are willing to tell you the truth about it. The advice is completely honest (what to do about cellulite: keep your pants on) and thoroughly researched (from the lowest-calorie item at Baskin-Robbins to the real skinny on all kinds of "miracle" diets). And it is a total hoot to read.

I bought this book as a joke to give to my mother. She and I, over the years, have tried, and tried again, every new diet under the sun. This book covers the multitudinous ways and lengths women will go to to lose weight (I say women because that is my frame of reference). Buy this book and read it with a grain of salt. Read it with a sense of humor about the subject matter. Unfortunately, the authors have really hit this one dead center. Most women I know will do anything to get skinny.