Skinny Bitch -- Book Review
[ 16 September 2007 ]
Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin catapulted to the top of the best-seller lists shortly after Victoria Beckham was seen toting it around town. I am just as susceptible to hype as the rest of you, & so I added it to my Amazon wishlist. I was THRILLED to receive a copy of it for my birthday (thank you so much, Song!) & read it in a couple of days.
Unfortunately, I was really disappointed by the whole thing. Basically the premise is that the authors, Rory & Kim, think the best way to lose weight is to eat healthily. Their definition of healthy is vegan. That is the agenda they push all the way through the book. I wish I had known this before I put it on my wishlist!
The content was a let-down because I have been vegan. It made me feel really good, & my body functioned incredibly well. But you know, I already know that dairy is bad for you. I already know that my body doesn’t need meat to function, & that it actually works better without it in my system. If you’ve never experimented with vegetarianism or veganism, reading this stuff might come as a shock to you — but to me, the whole thing felt like a case of “Tell me something I don’t know”.
Here is a breakdown of the book. The first three quarters are scare & shock tactics about how the meat & dairy industries work, what additives are in your food & how they affect you. The rest of it is a food list & some resources.
The first part of the book seems to be written with the intention of shaming or scaring you into being healthy (aka vegan). Here are some choice phrases: You need to exercise, you lazy shit… You are a total moron… You are a gluttonous pig… Don’t be a pussy… Don’t be a fat pig anymore. You get the picture. It was quite off-putting, as you can imagine. I am not keen on being insulted by something that I bought (or someone else spent their hard-earned money on for me). I am not one of those people who needs a personal trainer who tells me how worthless I am. I felt that their tone was pretty unnecessary. Besides which, I have learned that people respond about a million times better to encouragement & positivity than insults & nastiness. Who needs that, seriously?
However, the second half of the book is all about loving yourself & being good to yourself. Um, what? Is this a misprint? You can’t be a “fat pig” & love yourself! You can’t have it both ways, ladies! Either you like yourself or you don’t! Either you accept insults or you have self-esteem! Aaaargh. So frustrating. Talk about a mixed message. Maybe their publishers forced them to include some pleasantries for fear that everyone who bought the book would have their last Big Mac & then throw themselves off a bridge!
I have read reviews of Skinny Bitch that say it’s like reading something written by your best girlfriend. If that is true, we are in worse trouble than we thought. In real life, I wouldn’t give someone who spoke to me like that the time of day, never mind the accolade of being my “best girlfriend”! Hopefully you wouldn’t either!
Another problem I have with the book is that there is a lot of information about specific foods to eat. This would be great — if I lived in America. But I don’t. The brands mentioned are only available in the United States (& maybe in Canada). The section devoted to delicious vegan treats is a complete waste of paper for anyone who doesn’t live in those two countries.
I don’t think people realise that it’s entirely possible to be vegan & still be overweight. Frankly, it doesn’t matter WHAT you’re eating if you don’t burn it off with exercise or some kind of physical activity. (My favourite vegan food was fudge I used to make. The ingredients were dark chocolate, vanilla soy milk, peanut butter & dessicated coconut. It was not healthy.) There is a paltry mention of how you should “go for a run”, but it’s almost an afterthought. Even after all the abuse in the first half of the book, I would have felt like it had some redeeming qualities if they had put some thought into writing about possible exercise plans, or fun ways of getting your dose of physical activity.
Okay, so that’s a long way of saying I give this book two (vegan) cupcakes out of five. Those two cupcakes are for the comprehensive guide to veganism & the demonstration menus in the back. But really, if you’re interested, borrow your friend’s copy — Skinny Bitch is such a huge phenomenon that you’re sure to know someone who owns it.
Love & love & love,
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I own it, and am half way through it. The descriptions of the meat industry made me cry – I used to be vegan, like 7 years ago, and I did it all wrong. I have not eaten meat in 11 year, or poultry in 7, and I just re-gave up seafood.
The tone of this book doesn’t bother me – I can see it bothering sensitive people, but the book IS called Skinny bitch. There are lots of books out there with a nice tone. I found a lot of it quite amusing, actually.
I understand what you are saying, however. I actually like this book because it sort of gave me a kick in the butt to try veganism again, not to mention a lot of the things they wrote about, I didn’t consider or realize about the meat/dairy industry. Most people don’t sit around wondering where their food comes from. I got this book on a whim, not because I saw reviews or knew anything about it, I just thought it would have diet tips – I was surprised when it turned out to be vegan.
just to your comment about meat eating and how its better for your body not to eat meat. Well i strongly disagree… maybe for you it works but for others like me for example ..it does not … i was a vegetarian for 2.5 years untill i was put on iron pills, injections every 3-4 days, folic acid etc… in the end of my vegetarianism i was drained of all energy could not function normally woke up at 11 am and went to bed at 8-9pm and when doctor prescribed me all that plus told me that my iron stores were drained ..i decided the hell with this bullshit atleast some of us were meant to eat meat. I dont know what about you but since i got on the meat again and just normal( not fat free not carb free) organic home cooking i feel at my healthiest and best weight ever.. i am 178cm and a size 10 and dont feel the need to cut out food to be happy.
it was not meant to be offence to vegans and vegs its just people reallty should check first if their body can handle it.
for opium .. by the way.. I actually wrote a term paper on eating disorders and such… one interesting fact.. it has been proven that dieting heavily increases chances of obesity in women..the more you diet the more musscle mass you lose, which when you finally binge gets replaced by fat..so instead of searching for dieting tips.. maybe lead healthier lifestyle with excersise and home cooking???
becoming a vegan or vegetarian just to lose weight is very not smart…it has to be for reasons higher than just getting skinny…. I dont know what is the fuss around being size zero but if you really want to and believe that you can be size zero..dieting is not the way to go about it because it ultimately takes fun out of your life and makes you food fixated. not fun. goodluck opium in your quest.
Opium — I’m sure the book will be a wake-up call for some, but the thing is that the extremely negative tone will put a LOT of people off. The overall message is good, but they’re not conveying it very effectively. It just seems like they didn’t really think it through & decided to go with “shock” tactics. Of course, people respond to different types of stimulus, but there are a large amount of people who don’t need (or want) to be belittled or ridiculed to jump into action — & they’re going to miss all of those people. Do you know what I mean? You can bully people into doing things, but it is not necessarily the best way of doing it.
mmm — I didn’t say veganism was for everyone, just that it worked for me. There are a lot of nasty additives & hormones in both meat & dairy though, that’s a fact. I agree with you re: dieting though. Constantly denying yourself food makes you crazy & obsessive & it doesn’t work, anyway.
This is really interesting. I bought the book, because I’ve been a total slacker recently (partly because of this winter weather), and thought: well, if I’m not going to exercise, I might try to at least watch what I eat and know more about food. I saw a mention of this Skinny Bitch in a Cosmo page, and thought ‘Hm, I’ll give this a whirl’. So, I found it quite amusing in some places, and disgusting in other bits of the book. I’ve tried being vegan once before, but I got really sick because all I ate was lettuce and pulpy o.j basically. But now, I’ve started veganism again, and I’m much more active, happier, know tons more about food and I’m also healthy. I’m one of those types who are also a tad aggressive when it comes to fitness, I should be in the army! ‘get down & give me 20!!!’ lol
Sounds like The China Project wrapped in a fancy cover with a smattering of hip words and pushy phrases! Interesting!
Am excited to read the comments here that will follow, everyone has a different belief about what they should or should not be putting into their body – fascinating.
The thought of having meat anywhere near me, my mouth or my insides sickens me! We have no meat/seafood products of any description in our diets or our house. I would rather eat off the floor of a Shibuya train station bathroom than off a counter top that had meat on it. I am not obsessive I NEVER deny myself anything, I simply know my digestive system screams in pain and anger when I shove dirty shit into it.
Our veg (95% vegan) diet gives us super powers. We both exercise up to 2 hours a day, live an overly fast paced exciting life in the middle of Tokyo, work full time, run a successful business, enjoy wild nights with friends, have a hectic social calendar and know 100% that if we ate meat and an excess of diary products we could NEVER keep up!
For us it is about understanding that all the vitamins we need come far more easily from fruits, veg and soy than they could ever from animal products. We are lucky in that we adore greens, the most powerful source of iron, calcium and brain/body boosters.
Of course this is not to say we are health nuts, far from it! We never deny ourselves, we never obsess, we never stress about our food, it is all a natural and easy choice.
I am looking forward to reading what works for other people. This topic fascinates me.
HOWEVER! Gala, I understand completely about some of the language in the book. Some of it is very rude and I feel sort of obliged to censor it when reading it aloud to my peers. (They could have at least said ‘breasts’. Ugh.)
i sympathise with ‘mmm’ – I became extremely anaemic (sp?) while vegetarian. Every womans’ body works in a different way and i learnt that mine needs more iron than the average person which is very difficult to get from veges alone with a hectic schedule.
This book seems to be written in a bully-tone, whether it’s funny or not. I mean, why is V Beckham ‘reading it’ anyway? She only just started looking healthy after that horrible period of looking so thin she might just topple, it was so sad!
Then again, it’s a fad-book & personally i’d rather read something enlightening or a real vegan recipe book than spend my hard-earned money on this!
x
I just bought this book a few days ago and have only just started reading it, I find that the “you fool” and “stupid moron” bits are added on to the end of sentences just to keep up with their title & hype. None of the information is particularly new.
Apart from that, when I bought it, the guy in the bookstore grimaced (half jokingly) and offered to put the book in a brown paper bag for me. I did take him up on his offer.
mmm – I don’t really need to lose weight, I was looking for ideas for healthier eating, meals, etc that I might have thought of – I would never be a vegetarian to lose weight, I have done so because it is healthier and a moral issue for me. By the way, I am 5’8 and 136 lbs, hardly overweight, and I don’t “diet” – more like change my eating habits. I have a sweet tooth, otherwise I eat a LOT of healthy food. I just want to lose a little around my belly :)
I hardly want to be a size zero, I find that pretty repulsive actually – I am more interested in being toned and healthy than a toothpick.
This is a controversial subject.
While I respect other’s choices about what they eat, I really dislike the way many vegans/ vegetarians prostelytize about how terrible meat is. First, they sound like fanatics and spout illogical or erroneous info. Second, it is factory farmed meat that’s bad for you, not all meat. There are plenty of ways to be a conscious meat eater; I only buy organic, free- range, grass- fed meat and wild, sustainable seafood. I also buy locally- grown produce as much as I can. It’s pretty easy to find this stuff- farmer’s markets are a great place to start and more of them are popping up everywhere.
I’m in culinary school and sustainable farming is something I have discussed and studied quite a bit. I refuse to apologize for being a meat- eater, but I feel that we should all try to be more conscious about where our food comes from and the effects our eating habits have on the world (if everyone in the US ate one locally raised/ grown meal per week, it would save more than 1 million barrels of oil PER WEEK).
There are guides to being a conscious food consumer online. I could post links, but I’m sure anyone who is interested can find the info. I will say this: read “An Omnivore’s Dilemma”, and think about how much oil it took to transport those vegan brownies from wherever they were made to your plate.
bullying: not acceptable in our schools, but perfectly acceptable in the rest of our society (especially when women and fat people are concerned). i have no energy or interest in any of this, plus the last time i checked being vegan meant a bit more than (possibly) losing a bit of weight. oh, and i don’t actually believe victoria beckham has actually read the book, as we all know she “doesn’t read books”...
nana- I totally agree! Don’t get me started on the way fat people are treated. It’s the last accepted prejudice.
how disappointing :( i’d heard of this book but i didn’t really know much about it at all. if you’d like someone to ‘tough love’ you into losing weight, why not just go back to highschool- i was called all the above names and more during highschool which caused me terrible pain and in the end i was half the happy,confident bubbly person i used to be- in more ways than one.
women need to be develop the confidence for themselves. its all good and well wanting to lose weight and look gorgeous- but why would you want to do it using the help of people who’ve called their book ‘skinny bitch’? i thought it was funny at first, the title, i mean … but really, if i thought becoming a skinny bitch was the product of reading this book then ill never touch it with a ten foot pole.
it took me a really long time to get to where i am. i feel truly sorry for the writers of this book- they obviously have some deep seeded issues about their self confidence that need addressing pronto. ta for the review gala- ‘t has pretty much cemented in me that i am truly grateful i was never seduced into the lane of the skinny bitch.
VICTORY — Good for you! Yeah, I must say that reading the book has reminded me that I need to be careful about what I put in my body. It had some good info about things like aspartame, which is totally nasty & I didn’t realise how bad it was. I think that as long as people are eating a balanced diet, that is really all that matters, whether vegan/veggie/omnivore. Oh, & re: the language, I don’t mind people using “naughty” words, I personally swear like a sailor on a regular basis! It’s more people being derogatory that really gets me, I just think it’s so pointless.
tokyomade — Yayy! It sounds like you guys really know what you’re doing & it is awesome to hear that you can get so much energy & sustenance from vegetables. I agree that it’s an interesting topic. I would really like to go back to a primarily meat & dairy-free diet, just because I know it’s good for me personally. It’s hard to do when you hit a new country though, & it makes social eating quite difficult because your options are so severely limited. I think I will make an effort to avoid meat/dairy, but not be hardcore about it, since (to me) there is no point in being miserable just to avoid milk!
Tasj — I know what you mean about getting enough iron etc. when your schedule is hectic. I am just not interested in spending a lot of time in the kitchen or spending a lot of dough on food. It’s just not a high priority for me, so really it is tricky. I just need to find a balance & get back in control of things! I agree on spending money on a good vegan recipe book though, that’s definitely the way forward if someone wants to give it a go!
JakJak — Yeah, I’m with you! I do think it is a good primer on veganism though & given the popularity of the book, it will reach an entirely different demographic than your usual vegan or person with an interest in veganism. Information is good, people can choose to accept it or reject it as they please!
Opium — I am keen on being toned, too! I’m about to sit down & make myself an exercise plan & work out some food I can eat which is good for me & not a major hassle to prepare or obtain. A bit daunting but I know it’s worth it!
Ruth — You make some excellent points :> I think, thankfully, people are becoming more aware these days of the way everything they do impacts on the environment. I am really happy, for example, that I walk everywhere & don’t have to commute anywhere, but on the other hand, I travel via air quite a lot so it’s never entirely even!
nana — I know, isn’t it ridiculous? People put so many energy into being “anti-fat”, it is so harmful & cruel. Totally judgmental, like “fat” people are automatically unhealthy & “thin” people are automatically healthy, super-human & the ultimate ideal. Aaaargh.
MJ — Ugh, I’m so sorry to hear that you had a hard time in school. That’s incredibly uncool. I’m glad that you have been working on your self-confidence since then though, it’s so easy to accept defeat & go around feeling like crap for the rest of your life. So, good for you. I think if we all truly accepted & loved ourselves, we wouldn’t feel the need to go around slinging insults & making judgments of one another. It’s such a massive reflection on our own emotional state, people don’t seem to realise that.
Thanks Gala – I was going to read this book. But being insulted like that would not do a thing to motivate me.
When I write a book I will definitely send a copy to Victoria Beckham though. Anything she is seen with seems to rocket in sales.
You should get Victoria to comment on your blog.
i am a recovering anorexic, and the insults up there sound quite a lot like the ones i used to say to myself every time i considered that apple or that slice of bread. what a healthy way to encourage people to lose weight.
i was a vegan for about eight months (i’ve been vegetarian for most of my life), and actually put on weight because i was living on carbohydrates.
xoxo
Wow this really is interesting. Everyone’s view of and experience with veg/veganism is very different. For us a vegan diet means purely fruits and vegetables with huge chunks of soy for yumminess and some added herbs and spices for zest. Brownies, oily foods, meat substitutes and a ton of carbs wouldn’t work for us but are often advocated on veg recipe sites which we think can be misleading. But we all have differing needs so…it is about finding what is right for you and gives you the most joy and vitality.
We have found, living in Tokyo, diet is very environmental. Often I am unaware of where processed or packaged foods originated due to a language barrier so we just steer clear. Most of the stores label their fruits and vegetables, as they are VERY expensive here and people like to know exactly what they are buying. For us a veg diet is a safe choice, we can make a relatively educated decision about our food purchases.
I do agree Gala, social eating can be tricky sometimes, particularly in a fishy/meaty city – and there are so MANY tasty treats on offer!!!
I am still not convinced that animal fats and proteins are good for my body/arteries/blood/brain no matter how clean and happy the cows/chickens/ducks/pigs were.
Ruth I agree with you also, no one should ever apologise for the food choices they make – ever. I would never comment on or judge another’s eating choices just as I would not want anyone to judge mine. Each of us have a different body system, we all live in different cities with various foods available to us, differing beliefs/careers/education/lifestyle. It is super important to eat whatever it is that our bodies need and love!
Gala thanks for writing this summary! I have heard of the book, however the title alone put me off!
I totally agree with you that insulting people is NOT the way to help them lead a healthier lifestyle! Positive re-enforcement is miles better.
It sounds like the authors have tried to make this book different from all the other books about dieting – this they have achieved – and while it will appeal to some, it certainly won’t be everyones cup of tea.
Having said all of that, it will probably remain pretty popular, even if it’s just for the fact that Posh has been snapped carrying it around!
Are you still a vegan?
I read this book while in Maui and ended up sick for the entire vacation. I found myself only able to stomach pancakes with macadamian and coconut syrup and mai tais due to the graphic descriptions of the meat industry. I vomited and cried a lot. Not a great way to spend a vacation. I am well aware of how much healthier a vegan diet is but I didn’t need it shoved down my throat in such a militant way. You’re right to point out that eating vegan doesn’t mean you’ll be thin but adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes lots of organic veges and fruit, and for me, some fresh wild-caught fish, and an exercise plan, can still result in looking like a skinny bitch.
Gala, Im not sure if you (or your readers for that matter) exchange regular dairy products for the “healthy” alternative of soy but in doing some snooping around the net myself looking to better my diet, I found these links that cast a new light on soy and hopefully it will interest you.
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/
http://www.dldewey.com/columns/soyupdf.htm
It was interesting to me at least because as the vegan diet grows in popularity its just accepted that soy is this wonder food and substitute for so many other “bad foods” so I suppose to every positive there will be people who disagree and perhaps they deserve a listen.
I posted a little while ago on my blog about the Dove Campaign for real beauty – it’s a topic close to my heart, as I’m raising a nine year old girl who recently asked me if I thought she was fat! I find it so sad that these kind of books are still being published, as it means, of course, that there is a market for them. Surely the message that needs to be told and retold is love yourself, love your body, and eat healthily, whatever that means for you, vegetarian/vegan/omnivore/dairy free. The bullying tone just compounds that this is one book which will not be gracing my (many!) bookshelves. Thank you, Gala, for delivering such a succinct and responsible review of it!
i was vegetarian for a few years and i got very very sick and my immune system stopped working…to the point where i got something i had been vaccinated for as a child (whooping cough).
now i eat meat sometimes, and a lot of dairy, but vegan food still makes me feel the best and gives me the most energy. i’m thinking of going vegan cold turkey but this time monitoring my diet very carefully, making sure i eat enough, and stopping when i see warning signs that my body is not doing well (which i ignored the first time around).
i just have to give up mac and cheese. :(
i think it’s interesting that the book is a vegan book. i would never guess by the cover! i confused it with the “rich lady diet” or something similar to that name, where you eat caviar and salad and buy yourself things when you lose weight…ha.
Well, I dont think there is danger in consuming soy. I was conflicted about this for a while, and then I read about the Okinawans in Japan.
It’s the kind of life led by Okinawans who, on average, live longer than anyone else on earth — 81.2 years, versus 76.8 for Americans. There are six times as many centenarians per 100,000 people in Okinawa than in the United States, and 97 percent of their lives are spent free from disability (as compared to 91 percent for Americans)
-http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/06/03/LV239731.DTL
There is plenty of research which has been done on the Okinawans and one of the things which stands out is that they consume a large amount of soy.
Check this site out: http://www.okicent.org/index.html
I’m glad someone mentioned that soy is not quite so benign as people think. I’d like to add that it is one of the foods people buy that is most likely to be genetically modified.
GMO’s do not have to be labeled (at least in the USA), and the health consequences have not been studied that well. In fact, research has been suppressed or discouraged by companies like Monsanto.
wow- it has been so interesting reading everyone’s opinions here! Thanks Gala for the review- I also really wanted to read this book, but I think I may hold off now. Honestly i really just don’t have the willpower to be vegan. Here in Texas, you have to look really hard for places to eat that cater to that lifestyle. Texans love their beef! I think the best course of action is just to eat less and exercise more. Boring but true
very interesting. i’m a meat eater and won’t ever be vegetarian/vegan, but have SO many friends who are vegans and vegetarians. it’s totally a personal choice and i get so tired of vegans pushing it on meat eaters, or meat eaters pushing their views on veggie eaters. as long as you’re healthy and functioning, do what you feel is right!
anyway, if something’s been proved time and time again, it’s that no matter what your view is, being an asshole and bullying someone, like this book seems to be doing, isn’t the way to get someone to see your point of view.
great article!
I could never personally be vegetarian or vegan (I love my meat), but I really respect and know a lot of people who are. I don’t like how you said this book puts it – a bit pushy, the wrong attitude. We all just need to accept that people eat different things, and find whatever works for you & keeps you healthy!
I got this booki over the dummer in scotland. I enjoy’d the book, but like you knew everything it taked about. But I thought it was great to read more information about some of the things it meantioned.
Ruth – You said earlier ‘I really dislike the way many vegans/ vegetarians prostelytize about how terrible meat is. First, they sound like fanatics and spout illogical or erroneous info.’
I totally agree with you, my roommate is one such vegetarian, who joined it as a ‘fad’ when all her friends started. She has even told other people in public that they should convince me to become vegetarian – in front of my face. I think it is just as rude as pushing your religion onto someone else.
Everyone has their own lifestyle and choice of foods that work for them. I got anemic too, when I tried vegetarianism some months ago, and definitely do not want to swear off meat if I have to ingest iron pills and multivitamins every day in return. Plus some of us are super busy (and poor) and can’t afford all these special soy products and organic potatoes or chicken. It’s easier to just cook what you can, lay off the sodium and junk food, and exercise.
Anyway, I eat veggies and meat and dairy and fruit and work out 3 times a week and bike to uni and am busy busy busy and I’m pretty happy.
And if you gave up dairy, what would you dip your chocolate chip cookies into? Water?
I don’t understand why people need to buy books to learn how to lose weight. Everyone knows that you SHOULD eat fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy, right? No processed gunk, sugar, etc. And do some form of exercise at least three times a week. If you do that, you will have good health. Maybe you’ll be a size two, maybe not. But health is the most important thing, don’t you think?
Also, I disagree with your statement about meat and dairy. I think they are very clearly beneficial – they have helped to sustain mankind for its entire existence. I’d say that nowadays people are just doing it wrong, in that they don’t eat enough fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, legumes etc like our forefathers did, which adversely effects our health. And of course all the hormones and processing the meat and dairy goes through doesn’t help it, either.
It’s too bad that healthily processed foods are either nonexistant OR pricier.
Oh well, as long as I have milk for those cookies….XD
Guys, why are we trying to go against nature and deny our condition of mammals and omnivores? This vegan, vegeterian talk is just non-sense. Let alone the argument of “we already know that meat and diary products are bad for you” what? hello??
I dont think I need to add anything more to what Ruth said. Buy organic, grow your own vegies, herbs, support local produce, and eat a balanced diet of vegies, fruit, cereals, grains and meat and water.
I believe the soy debate is really important to take note of! Thinking that something is healthy just because the supermarkets/food stalls/delis/companies/TV tells us can be scary. What scares me the most is that I may never really know the truth. I often joke to my friends that I am going to become a breatharian because I just don’t know what to believe sometimes.
I often wonder what our soy intake would be like if we moved to another country. In Japan we have access to unmodified soy beans and are able to make our own milk/tofu/tempeh/yuba (although rushing home from work I often opt for the prepackaged block of yumminess)
(I also heard once, but have never confirmed it, that the largest crop destroying forests these days is not the cattle variety it is the soy variety gasp Can anyone confirm or dismiss this??) EEEK I found this http://www.grist.org/topic/deforestation/2
See what I mean?! Is there anything that isn’t damaging?? aaarrgh
Again (for me) it comes back to being aware of my body and how it processes certain foods – watching the signs in my skin/hair/nails/eyes/stomach/energy levels/muscle tone/breathing (blah blah blah)
Food essentially is an energy source (although I have been known to use it as many other things – a comfort/a calmer/an upper) I learn each day more and more about the foods that provide my body with sustained, natural energy – that is not to say I don’t love a good hard kick in the bum with sugary treats. (but without fail feel like a half sucked plum afterwards – ooooo but they are SO good at the time!!)
Writhing on the floor in pain afterwards for me does not a good meal make, so even if I craved meaty goodness or oily treats my poor old body cannot digest them. So I choose what is right for my “temple”.
How is that exercise plan Gala? You are a stronger woman than I!! Have you found some yummy classes in your area yet? What about the pole? You wait, when you come hoop it up with us in Tokyo you will be hooked!
Really want to read the book now! I am sure it is causing this much and more hype the world over. Clever marketing, packaging, concept for a simple message – it has worked on me, I want to see how ridiculously brutal they are! Will be sure to look for it in the bargain bin in a couple of months! Thanks Gala xx
Catherine Lawson — Yeah, that would definitely raise iCiNG’s profile! ;D
sophie~ — Exactly! It’s just so detrimental. I haven’t heard much buzz about whether the book is actually changing people’s eating habits or not, so I wonder whether it’s working. I think the concept of bullying people into eating vegan is ridiculous.
tokyomade — When I was vegan I was all about fake meat, but really only because I can’t cook & I lived across the road from a vegetarian cafe which did the most incredible ‘chicken’ nuggets in the world!
Melanie — I think the title has made it stand out, as has the veganism thing, which is not really that popular or well-known. But really, healthy eating is about balance & exercise, it’s not that crazy a concept! People always want a shortcut, though…
Pinup_Girl — Nope. I was until I went to America last year & then at Burning Man I had to eat beef jerky (ewwwwwwwwww) to get enough protein. (The desert is a harsh environment, & I didn’t have the supplies to eat well & vegan there.) Also America is the land of fat & chocolate so I couldn’t stop myself. Eeek!
Toni — Boo, that sounds like a horrible holiday! Yes, the meat industry is horrifying & killing animals to devour them is pretty sad however you look at it. Sounds like you have your eating & exercising all worked out though, good for you! I am yet to get to that stage :>
once again,c — Yeah, I’ve heard about how bad large amounts of soy can be, etc. But you know, it’s just a risk you take. I know that milk is bad for me, it stifles my breathing & blocks my sinuses & that is definitely not how my body is meant to feel! Like tokyomade say above me, how do you ever really know? It’s really hard to make these decisions but I think ultimately we all have to go with whatever makes our body feel best.
amypalko — Argh, that is heart-breaking! I agree that the message needs to be changed, but unfortunately (like I said above) a lot of people are crazy for a quick-fix. People don’t want to be responsible & look after themselves, that’s why diet pills etc. are so popular. Very unfortunate.
rachel — I think it’s definitely a good call that you monitor your body very carefully. It’s so easy for us to make ourselves sick just because we’re not listening to our bodies! We’ve almost been trained out of it. I know that when I eat Burger King my body revolts, but we are so driven by our tastebuds that it’s almost like that doesn’t matter. Our tongue is more important than our digestive tract. Know what I mean?
francheska — Ahh, very interesting! Thank you!
carrie — Yeah, Texans love their cow! Hee! I think it must be hard to be vegan in the States where everyone is soooo mad about meat! On the other hand, given your enormous population, there are also a lot of vegan options. It’s much harder in countries like New Zealand or Australia!
audrey — Anyone who preaches their opinion is total bore, I agree! xx
emilyyy — Amen!
ghost — There is definitely some interesting information within its covers, yup!
etoware sora — I think there are a lot of people who are crazy about their cause (animal cruelty, veganism, meat-eating, christianity, baseball) & it really damages the sane people who are into the same thing. Christianity has such a bad rep but that doesn’t mean they’re all bad people! Know what I mean? There are also a lot of people who buy into any hype that fits their agenda, which is why they end up sounding so crazy & defending things in any way they can…
url_elf — Yeah, I think the idea that size is somehow directly related to health is an erroneous one. Also, I don’t think cavemen drank milk from cows! Breast milk, yes, but only as an infant. Drinking cow’s milk is a pretty recent thing.
eugeniah — People’s opinions & personal statements about how their bodies function, are not nonsense…
if anyone is interested a very educational diet/lifestyle book, in my opinion, is dr. joel furhman’s book called eat to live. he advocates a very healthy diet and gives you choices of vegan, veg or meat eating options. my mom, brother, sister-in-law and myself have all done variations of the diet/lifestyle that the doc recommends and we all have had sustained success.
i also read skinny bitch earlier this year and it kicked me hard! but i liked it. my best to all. xoxo~ami
One of the best diet books I’ve read is ‘French Women Don’t Get Fat’. In summary, it’s all about how no food is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ as long you eat a moderate, balanced diet. The author advocates real butter, real chocolate, wine with meals, fruits and vegetables in season and making every meal a pleasurable event – a philosophy much more appealing than ‘carbs are bad for you’ or ‘you must eat spelt & buckwheat’ or whatever.
I know that in chinese medicine, a vegan/vegetarian diet is considering ‘cooling/cleansing’ which is meant to be great if you need cooling (say if you suffer from heart disease, high cholesterol etc) but not so great if you suffer from being ‘too cool’ e.g. anaemic etc. They advocate a diet balancing ‘hot/building’ (meat etc) and ‘cool/cleansing’ (fruits & vegetables) depending on where your body is at which makes common sense.
I don’t think there is any shortcut for taking the time to understand what your body is saying to you about what it wants and needs. What’s true for one person is not true for the next and carbohydrates/proteins/dairy/etc seem to go in and out of fashion quicker than.. well.. fashion.
Bon appetit to all…
Yes Maxine! French Women Don’t Get Fat is a great book. I got that and Entre Nous (another cute French lifestyle book) in a great deal off Amazon. But I am pretty sure they sell it here in Australia….? I am all for any book that encourages me to stay smart but still live the good life! :)
Kx
Sorry .. vegan does not mean healthy!! I am vegan, and I can eat junk food ALL DAY LONG IF I WANT TO!! HEE HEE! It CAN mean healthy though, for sure.
It bothers me that they take such a negative tone.
Just popping up to chime in and say the “French Women Don’t Get Fat” book is my favorite! I need to read it again (I find reading it once a year keeps me on track!), but I really love the author’s sensible approach to enjoying the fruits of the earth and managing your weight! I’m sorry, but as a recovering anorexic, being called a “fat pig” or anything remotely negative isn’t what I need or feel that I should be subjected to! I feel that “Skinny Bitch” (from the summaries I’ve read) is kinda indicative of what is wrong with celeb/fashion culture nowadays and advocating anything in order to be “fit/thin” (and in so many cases, sadly unhealthy)!. Perhaps it just me, perhaps I’m too sensitive still (being at that stage where I’m still reteaching myself to eat and not freak out), but that is mho. ;)
I can’t say I agree with you on the vegan lifestyle, but that’s not why I commented on this post. The way I see it, Skinny Bitch is barking up the wrong tree. It may be that I’m inclined to sympathise with overweight people, having once been very overweight… and very conscious of it. Insulting overweight people, calling them “lazy, gluttonous pigs” and the like, isn’t “tough love” — it’s just fatphobia.
The title of the book alone sent up red flags for me. “Skinny” is not “fabulous”. Plus, if my “best girlfriend” told me I was a lazy, gluttonous pig, she might consider herself demoted!
hello, thank god for all your comments i only bought the book yesterday and have only read half of it and was completely traumatised by what i read, the negatives comments didnt bother but the content of meat and dairy did!! I felt i have brainwashed my entire life by government and regulating bodies, that I have been poisoning my body my entire life!! to a certain extent this true, but being a brand new mum to a 10 week old baby after the first couple of chapters I had been convinced to only give my child 100% organic vegan home cooked food for the rest of his life! how unrealistic is that, only after reading the above comments i could go and make myself a coffee i have wanted all morning! whilst i do recommend this book because it is already making me really think about what i eat, its scare tactics are extreme and for someone like me who already constantly worries and obsesses over everyday stuff, it should definately come with a large warning sign on the cover< not for the faint hearted!
hello, thank god for all your comments i only bought the book yesterday and have only read half of it and was completely traumatised by what i read, the negatives comments didnt bother but the content of meat and dairy did!! I felt i have brainwashed my entire life by government and regulating bodies, that I have been poisoning my body my entire life!! to a certain extent this true, but being a brand new mum to a 10 week old baby after the first couple of chapters I had been convinced to only give my child 100% organic vegan home cooked food for the rest of his life! how unrealistic is that, only after reading the above comments i could go and make myself a coffee i have wanted all morning! whilst i do recommend this book because it is already making me really think about what i eat, its scare tactics are extreme and for someone like me who already constantly worries and obsesses over everyday stuff, it should definately come with a large warning sign on the cover< not for the faint hearted!
I guess I should have warned you – I read reviews of it ages ago and thought it wasn’t for me. Glad you got something out of it at least.
Thanks so much for your card too – definately one for the postcard pin up board.
Really late, but my mom just bought this book today.
And to be honest, I’m backing up your opinion on it too.
After reading the first 2 chapters, I feel the need to get angry and defend myself against them.
Too bad she bought this, ‘cause I was really lusting after “French Women Don’t Get Fat”. Basically, goes back to tell me what my body’s natural eating habits are (French Canadian, with French French too).
I read the book and I liked it! I didnt mind the tone, it was funny and of course Im not going to take a book’s “insults” personally! I liked the whole “stop being a pussy” bit, it made the book more entertaining!... I mean when I bought the book i wasnt looking for a self help love yourself nonsense. I mean Im totally fine with who i am i just want to feel healthier, I dont need someone to go easy on me and tell me to love myself, Im not that soft. The book has a lot of info that i didnt know about (for example about specific ingredients like citric acid or whatever)and its really helped me kick sugar (when im tempted i just tell myself to stop being a pussy haha). Sometimes i think its a good, healthy thing to be a little hard on ourselves (to a degree of course). I think way too often ppl give in to unhealthy temptation and self pity when they should just toughen up. I mean i know some over weight ppl (and Im sure this is not the case for everyone who is fat, and i dont mean to offend anyone) that complain that they dont eat that much and its not their fault, but if you break it down and look at what they eat, damn straight its their fault for eating too much crap and not moving their ass! xoxo
I’M really late but I just bought this book yesterday and Im already on page 47 (for me, thats good) Now, I had no idea that this book was about being a vegan,(which Im not, nor will I be) however I find this book HILARIOUS! I was cracking up after the first page where they write “smoking is so 1989 and uncool” I had no idea they would be so vulgar, but I must say Im truly enjoying it. Its different. I dont have to be cauddled (sp?) I know that Im 60 lbs overweight because of ME! Im the only person to blame and I dont need someone telling me otherwise, and I dont need someone telling me its whats on the inside that counts. What counts is the way you feel about yourself, and I dont feel good about the way I look at all. Anyway, I agree that this book isnt for everyone, you definitely need to have a certain sense of humor and just be able to laugh! Kudos to the authors, thanks for giving me something so entertaining to read for once! And CAT I agree 100% with everything that you wrote!