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

...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.

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!

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.

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.