I ACTUALLY READ A BOOK: Naturally Thin

I finished a book, I DID IT!  If you read my other blog you'll know it's one of my goals to read a book each month.  Last year I had categories I wanted to read from but I totally failed.  This year I just wanted one book a month.  And look, it's only February 4th and I've read one.  Go me.

Anyway, on to the book...  Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel -- you might know her from the Real Housewives of New York or her other spin off, Bethenny's getting Married/Having a Baby.

Anyway, I liked her show so I thought I might like the book, and I did.  Now, don't go looking to a Real Housewife of New York for serious dieting advice.  She's not a doctor, she did go to cullinary school and I think she has a lot of sound advice.  Also, she's really cute and skinny, so she has that going for her.  She has a few "rules" which she refers back to the entire book.

1.  Your Diet is a Bank Account -- this really rang true to me.  You can splurge at dinner, but you need to conserve the other meals.  I mean, it totally makes sense.

2.  You Can Have It All, Just Not All at Once -- kind of referring back to rule #1 but isn't it freeing to know that you truly CAN have it all, but really -- you can't have it ALL right NOW.  Or, you shouldn't.  That, apparently is how skinny girls feel.  FYI.

3.  Taste Everything, Eat Nothing -- so the next time you're out to dinner share dinners with someone, let people have tastes of yours.  It makes it more of an event.  OR, if you're at a luscious buffet take little nibbles of everything and really savor the taste, don't have a full plate of everything.  I like this rule a lot.

4.  Pay Attention -- You really can't diet if you're mindlessly eating.  Also, eating is no fun.  If you're just eating to stay alive feel free to blithely eat whatever... so far, my body could love DAYS on what's stored in my stomach alone. :) I eat for fun (and for nutrients).

5.  Downsize Now!  -- Smaller plates, smaller meals.  Smart.

6.  Cancel Your Membership in the Clean Plate Club -- this one's a problem for me on weight watchers, as I portion what I can have and I eat the WHOLE thing.  I think once I'm off WW I need to remind myself of this one.  She says she always leaves 2 bites of anything when she goes out to eat, just to remind herself.  This is a rule I really need to work on.

7.  Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself -- This means don't binge eat.  I don't have a big problem with this... but if you do.  You need to keep it in check.  fo. real.

8.  Know Thyself -- if you're not hungry, don't eat.  Don't let set meal times dictate what's best for you.  Also, if you really CAN'T eat just one, don't have any -- know what you CAN and can NOT do.

So, that's about it.  I do like how she goes through a whole week and her mental thoughts as she decides what she can and can not eat. She also has a lot about drinking and what you can and can't do when drinking.  That didn't apply to me, but if it's a problem for you, that might be really helpful.

I liked the book, it wasn't really life changing but it has helped remind me that I truly CAN have it all, just not now and not if I really want to be thin more than I want to eat that pizza.

Have any of the rest of you read this book?