The Skinny: How to Fit Into Your Little Black Dress Forever

"The Skinny" by Melissa Clark and Robin Aronson isn't just a diet book - it is a lifestyle book. Filled with humor, personal anecdotes and recipes, this book is fun and practical at the same time. You're not going to find a lot of facts, numbers, calculations, calorie counting or any mumbo jumbo such as carbs and food combining. First, the authors encourage the readers to figure out what their 'happy skinny' size is (for Melissa it's a 2, Robin an 8). Then, they have a set of 'rules': eat what you want (and banish the guilt); Don't eat what you don't want; Build a skinny meal around the thing you want (add veggies, fruit, protein and a complex carb); Eat when you're hungry; Eat like a food writer (eat a bit then throw the rest away - which is rather indulgent and wasteful in my opinion); Control your portions; Enjoy your meal; Exercise some; etc. There is info on eating for every situation including dining out. The recipes are marvelous and everyone will find something here to satisfy them. I've always hated diets as I like having a little sweet every days - and that is a no-no in almost every book you'll read. All in all, it is a nice little book with tips that will help you to stay on track without starving yourself or subsisting on carrot sticks.

I was thinking this morning as I drove to work about what it was, exactly, about this book that has me so lit up about losing weight. I figured out that what it is, is, that the authors have every excuse in the world to weigh 900 pounds..Melissa Clark eats in every high end restaurant in New York about 5 nights a week, and she is a size 2. So, of course, I paid close attention. And, there it is...a strategy for every situation, every excuse that I ever thought of, used, and abused. It is the strategy, really, that I was missing. A diet, after all, is nothing more than some version of eat less, exercise more...we all know that already. It's how to deal, that we really get from this book. And, the spirit of the writing is so infectious, I just found it altered how I thought about the whole enterprise of losing weight. Now it is just a fun game. Plus, there are lots of great recipes, many of which I have already tried, and really enjoyed. I love to cook, love to eat, and finally have a book that is teaching me how to have it all. In five weeks, I have lost 6 pounds, effortlessly. I expect the next 20 pounds to come off just as easily.

The last thing in the world I ever feel like reading is a diet book but I picked the Skinny up at my hairdresser's and I couldn't put it down. Even my lovely but slightly paunchy boyfriend picked up the copy I bought and read a good portion of it in just one sitting. The magic of this book is its wonderful, funny, but quite persuasive writing. It puts out a collection of ideas, some of which may be obvious to you (like portion control), that really sinks in more than, at least for me, other health and dietary advice ever has. I think this is because the book avoids faddish nutritional advice and emphasizes finding real pleasure not in over-consumption but in the joyful appreciation of the food that we love, while learning to really listen to and take care of our bodies in a sane and balanced way. As a New Yorker without a clue how to feed myself or stock my fridge, I found the section on how to stock my fridge and recipes for how to feed myself (for breakfast, lunch, dinner AND snacktime!!) extremely useful. There are no illusions spun here, just great advice based on common sense, good health science, and a real love for food. And it's a fun read!!!

One of the women in my group of girlfriends gave us all a copy of this book for christmas this year. It's so great! It's a really fun read, filled with personal anecdotes and reader-friendly tips about monitoring your eating habits without actually going on a diet. And i love the recipes. They're all super simple dishes that i can knock out in 15 minutes and put in a to-go container for lunch. Losing weight wasn't actually my new year's resolution, but this book might just make it happen anyway...the funniest thing about it though, is that i keep catching my boyfriend reading it, and when we go out to dinner, he'll quote some of the writers' tips about eating, So i guess it's not just for the ladies :) Buy this book!

Who'd ever guess you could LOVE a diet book? Well, if you love to eat but also want to wear small-sized clothes, you'll adore this book. No faux foods, unsustainable deprivations or elimination of entire categories of food here, just well-thought-out approaches to handling a variety of eating situations. The ideas the authors present are psychologically sound; the writing is stylish and wry; and the recipes are knockouts. I have two homes and have purchased a copy of "The Sknny" for each. Now I'm going to order copies for my most fanatic food and fashion loving friends.