I had just returned from a European trip where I had watched many (skinny) women eat with abandon when I saw this book highlighted and decided to pick it up.
Having experience working with individuals with eating disorders, I will admit that I have a bias when I see someone partaking in large amounts of rich food — I frequently assume there is something else going on that keeps them thin and it may not be of the healthy variety.
Since I have been cable-less for my entire life, I have no clue who the Real Housewives of New York City are, one of whom is apparently Bethenny Frankel, so that held no intrigue to me and was not a factor in me reading this book.
A bit surprised, I did find a book right up my belief-system alley. This book focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors because, let’s face it, if you have explored weight management at all, you probably already know all the advice on nutrition you’d ever need to know (and if you don’t, you can go find a zillion books pronto). And it is what goes on inside our heads that regulates the choices we make — whether it be our actions, words or food we put in our mouths.
Bethenny writes this book based on her own experience, which did, in fact, include an eating disorder when she was younger. And she was also impressed when she observed European women not making a huge fuss about what they can and can’t have and just eating “smart” while staying, for the most part, thin.
The premise of this book surrounds ten points that Ms. Frankel makes and revisits throughout the book. A few of them are: your diet is your bank account, you can have it all — just not all at once, and taste everything eat nothing.
Included in the book are recipes and a week long “plan” in which she walks side by side with you for a week sharing what choices she has made for the week and why, and what rule she’d like you to concentrate on for each day.
I read through the entire book and by the end have found that some of her guidelines have really stuck with me. Why? Because they make perfect sense, which I find liberating after hearing time and time again exactly what, how, and when we should be eating.
If you read it, we would love to know your thoughts.
In addition to writing for The Voice of Mom, Becky can also be found writing for her own blog, Beckoning Balance, and MOMSthatROCK!.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I just bought this book yesterday after checking out a number of health and nutrition books at B&N. Love the idea of it! I have too many years behind me of dieting. I can tell you for sure–diets usually lead to food obsessions and “disordered eating.”
It’s very hard to work past that, but a “how to” book like this helps loads! I find that what I call “prescriptive eating”–you need however many grams of protein at each meal, etc.–sets you up for rebellion.
I love Frankel’s suggestions–balance your food picks, “taste everything, eat nothing,” listen to your food voice–and the 3-week food diary at the back of the book, which shows this eating style can work without requiring perfection.
June 16th, 2009 at 8:42 am
I agree with you comment re. dieting leading to food obsessions. It’s been about 3 weeks and counting and I still have her guidelines come to my mind when making what I would have considered to be “difficult choices” in the past. I do think there is something in her delivery that helps the concept be “cemented.”