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Book Review of Skinny Is Overrated: The Real Woman's Guide to Health and Happiness at Any Size

Skinny Is Overrated: The Real Woman's Guide to Health and Happiness at Any Size
reviewed on
Helpful Score: 1


I was a vegetarian who gave up dieting and ate nothing but delivered pizza and soda for almost a year and a half. I finally had gotten sick of it (not to mention the fact that I just didn't feel good and was going broke), but I didn't know what to eat. I grew up learning that fat was bad for me (in the '80s). Then, as an adult, I learned that carbs were bad for me. Now, there are actually vegans saying that you don't need fat or protein. Honestly, I knew fruits and vegetables were good for me, but that was about it. And I didn't like vegetables. I was so confused.

I actually don't remember why I ordered this book. I believe I was searching for a book with a similar title, which wasn't available. Well, it was one of the best purchases I've ever made. Even though it's about five years old, this book reinforced my belief that any "real food" (including full-fat dairy products) are okay. Indeed, when food tastes good, you will need less of it to be satisfied.

I've been gradually incorporating the strategies in this book (It's not a diet book!) into my eating for the past month. I don't have a scale, but I'm thrilled to just be able to eat real food and maintain my weight. If my metabolism eventually adjusts down the road, that will be great. If not, I'm happy to be free of the food obsession.

Remember when people ate bacon and eggs for breakfast but were still thin? Yeah, they moved around more, but they also weren't eating other processed foods. They probably slept better and had other things working in their favor. So just eat unadulterated food. If you trust your body, it will straighten itself out eventually. I'm down to one can of soda a day. I am no longer a vegetarian. I eat salad, vegetable soup, tuna with mayo, sardines, turkey sandwiches, alfalfa sprouts, seaweed, fresh fruit, and lots of other things that taste good to me.

If your body and mind are ready, this book will help steer you back onto the road to health.