Skinny Bitch
by Kim Barnouin, Rory Freedman
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Book Reviews of Skinny Bitch
Book Review: If you must read this, borrow it from the library
Summary: 1 Stars
The blurb on the front says: a no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous! Unfortunately, that's not what this book really is. The blurb and the title are meant to manipulate people into reading it. It acts like it's about how to eat healthy, but the message gets lost in its PETA-like scare tactics to convince you to be vegan.
I'm not saying every single thing in the book is garbage (although quite a bit of it is), but the bit of good advice (like soda is crap, drink water, eat fruit, eat vegetables, make sure you're getting enough fiber, exercise, don't eat lots of processed crap) is buried inside pages and pages and pages that go on about how meat is just rotting flesh and dairy is evil and eggs are evil, and then more and more pages about the horrors of how animals are treated on factory farms (seriously, i did *not* need to read quote after quote from workers who shoved rods up cow butts, just because they could, or cut off pig snouts from live pigs, just because they could). If you want to read a well-written book about that topic, I recommend The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals instead of this book.
This book also may appear to some to be well-researched and truthful by having lots and lots of footnotes. If you actually look at the sources though, most of them look like random websites and articles and books - not exactly what I'd call super credible sources from which I'd like to take medical advice.
So basically, this book tells you that you can't be a healthy, skinny person unless you're vegan. Unfortunately it doesn't really go into too much detail about how a vegan diet is healthy for you, it spends way more time going into details about how the animals that our meat, milk, and eggs come from are horribly treated.
Don't even get me started on the whole section on "detoxing" and "fasts." I have yet to see any medical information that says starving yourself for one week a month is in any way healthy. I know some people claim they are wonderful, but I haven't seen that claim backed up by any sources I believe.
If the point they *really* wanted to make in this book was that you shouldn't eat meat/dairy/eggs because the animals are treated cruelly, that's what they should have said the book is about instead of trying to trick you into thinking it's the only healthy way to live.
Alternatively, if they *really* wanted to make the point that being vegan is actually healthier than not being vegan, they should have spent all their time talking about what's healthy about being vegan and what's not healthy about eating meat/dairy/eggs *and* backed it up with real science and not sort of just say it's not healthy and make references to milksucks.com.
As a vegetarian myself, I do believe eating more plant-based foods is a healthier lifestyle than eating a lot of animal products, but I also acknowledge that it's not impossible to eat some meat or dairy or eggs while also still being healthy. Besides, being vegan does not automatically make you eat healthy; there are plenty of "junk food vegans" out there.
I do give the book one star, because there is the little bit of good advice in there if you know how to find it, although because of the manipulative tone of the book, I kind of wish there were negative stars.
Again, I definitely recommend reading The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals instead of this book.
Book Review: Vegetarianism+No white/brown sugar or corn syrup+reduce white flour foods+join OA
Summary: 2 Stars
I've lost over 100 pounds and kept them off for ten years. I am at my "goal weight" thanks to:
1.) Becoming a vegetarian, which means no meat, chicken, lamb, veal or fish (now and then I will eat shrimp when I go out; I'm not a strict vegan); 2.) Swearing off sugar - white, brown, corn syrup - for fifteen years; 3.) not having white flour products at home and restricting my intake of bread and pasta to an occasional meal when I eat out, which I used to do all the time but now find there are very few restaurants with foods that don't taste "adulterated," so I've learned to be a good cook at home; 4.) trusting that by eating in the above manner I would naturally lose all the weight I need, even when, on occasion, I might "overeat" my vegetarian meals; 4.) recently taking off my final ten pounds with the help of Emergen-C 1,000 units with Acai berry(1-2 packets in ice water per day) purchased at your local health food store - it truly is miraculous; 5.) Attending Overeaters Anonymous regularly for sixteen years (a joy on every level, body, mind and spirit). 6.) Oh, yes, and contrary to what it might seem, NOT micromanaging my eating. I now love to eat because my food is nourishing and delicious. I have no fear of food. I eat a wide variety of foods - three times a day. (However, I rarely eat food I "lust" after; that is called, in the parlance of food disorder recovery, "trigger foods." I keep them at bay. Never have them in my house. Pizza is one of those foods for me, as is pasta with rich sauces.) I used to follow the low carb diet religiously, and still believe Dr. Atkins gave us a great gift when he told us that processed carbs like chips and bread and sugar-loaded foods are bad for us and put weight on us. He's right. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that animal protein and fat, dairy, etc., can also be addictive. When I feel a little out of sorts about my weight or food, I keep a daily food plan, to stay on the path, but I am not a "skinny bitch" type at all. I don't want to EVER be skinny. Men like curves, contrary to what the fashion media would have us believe. And I don't find it attractive to be "frail" looking. (Ever hugged a "skinny bitch"? Feels like hugging a corpse. I don't want to be "beautiful" in that sense - haunted and hungry-looking. It's the "fashion," but if you do moderate exercises like upper body weights and swimming, walking, etc., you will look gorgeous just being a "normal" weight." I wear all kinds of fashion now, but I am not skinny.) I used to be a "grazer" - ate all the time. No more. However, eating yummy, nutritious foods with loads of vitamins and minerals in them, minus the sugar, plus the Acai berry - these things reduce one's appetite and when a meal is over - it's over. However, I cannot emphasize enough the power of a support group with a spiritual (not religious) base. One more thing: EVERYONE'S BODY IS DIFFERENT. THERE IS NO ONE EATING PLAN FOR ANY PERSON WITH OR WITHOUT AN EATING DISORDER. So take everyone else's, including mine, with a grain of salt. These are TOOLS for you to look over and take what you need - leave what isn't right for you. I am just giving my personal opinion here. The problem with books like this is that they imply everyone should do it their way. That is just wrong. Do it your way - but keep trying methods that appeal to you until you have your very own way of eating in a balanced, sane manner. One more thing: drinking for anyone who tends to overindulge in food is a no-no. If you think you absolutely cannot refrain from drinking, then join AA. Alcoholism and food addiction often go hand in hand. People love to eat with their drinks and drink while eating. Sorry. Just the way it is for some of us.
Book Review: A complete shock to me
Summary: 5 Stars
This book was definitely NOT what I was expecting. I had never heard of it, but happened to be browsing Barnes and Noble and saw it sitting there in the bestseller nonfiction section. Of course, the cover design and title did the job intended because I picked it up. The design of the cover and the title does NOT look like a health or nutritional book...it looks like Chick Lit. I half expected to pick up a fictional book that had been placed in the wrong section. I glanced through it and immediately picked up on the author's writing style....we could call it "no nonsense" but that really isn't adequately describing it. It's laced in profanity, but at times reads more like a cup of coffee with that "Friend" we all have...you know the one that doesn't care what people think...doesn't mince words...and could give a bleep less if people like it or not. I found it amusing, and it held my attention. So I bought it. I did NOT expect to find anything other than the same general diet info we always hear from weight loss books. I was WRONG.
First of all, this book is not fluff, which unfortunately most diet books are mostly full of...fluff. Inside of this chick lit looking, profanity laced book was a very well researched, informative and fully referenced literary work. There are more references in this book (scientific studies, research studies etc) than I have seen in many diet/health books. Also, it includes plenty of other resources like web sites, books, cookbooks, magazines etc. It may look like fluff, and it may read like a truck driver wrote it, but that is just clever marketing. At times it reads like a textbook because it carries so much serious information. So don't be fooled. They just knew how to get their book noticed, and it worked.
Last but not least, they are hard core vegetarians. This was another shocker. There was no way to know I was getting a book about animal cruelty and vegetarianism. The cover did not give it away and glancing through it quickly didn't do it either. They waited to approach the subject for several chapters into it. Another smart marketing move, as I may have put it down had I seen that initially.
I have never read any hard core detailed information on how animals are killed for food. They cited workers, quotes, insider info...it was disturbing--an understatement...for a moment I thought I had picked up the diary of a serial killer. It was just sick. Obviously I know animals have to die for me to get a Big Mac, but are we seriously killing them in the ridiculously sick and twisted manner described in this book??. If that is true, then I am horrified. I assumed it was like what happens when you take a pet to the vet and it needs to be euthanized. I mean, you wouldn't take your pet into the veterinarian to be put to sleep if you thought that first they were going to slam it against the wall a few times, shove something up its rectum, paralyze it from the neck down and poke its eyes out...just for fun...THEN put it to sleep. Any veterinarian doing that kind of unnecessary behavior would lose his license. So what is going on?? According to this book, prisoners sentenced to the death penalty get far nicer deaths, than the animals. If you read the info in this section it will definitely be a 'what the hell' moment....leaving you to wonder why it's necessary to be that horrific in the killing of the animals.
I guess this book left me feeling nauseated. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the info, but I'm definitely going to do some more research. I don't feel you can just dismiss people as being one of those crazy vegetarians. If what they're saying is true, then I need to know that.
Book Review: One of the best books I've ever read
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted to get healthier. Having sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, insomnia, no thyroid, no gallbladder.......it's difficult to say the least. Hell, I got a medical discharge from the Navy and will get at least 75% disability from the VA. Due to thyroid cancer, I had ballooned to 186lbs on my 5'4 frame. I was eating better, but couldn't lose the weight no matter what. And it was difficult to exercise because I was in so much pain from my fibromyalgia that medicine didn't help much.
I was at my wits end.
My friend Dorothy suggested the book Skinny Bitch and told me that I would never look at food the same again.
I was VERY skeptical at first but I said what the hell. I researched the book and saw the reviews were extremely mixed. People were offended by the language.....People were pissed because they were "not prepared" for the information on slaughter houses, etc. I heard about it but still wasn't prepared for it.
I was nervous. But from the first page, I was hooked. I actually stopped eating meat and I KNEW that wouldn't happen when I first started reading it. LOL While I think PETA is very radical, they actually have the right idea. If you had any idea of what happens in slaughter houses and factory farms, you wouldn't eat meat either. Ok, maybe you would, but it sickened me enough to stop. I stopped drinking cow's milk and drink Silk Plus. It took a week after I bought it to try it. Like I said, I was skeptical.
It is a fact that factory farms put diseased meat in with fresh meat. Why do you think there are so many meat recalls?
It is a fact that young girls are going through puberty earlier than ever, partly due to the growh hormone given animals and we eat that.
It is a fact that factory farms take baby cows away from their mothers in order to take the milk that the mother cow produces.
All of that disturbs me greatly. I don't want to eat growh hormone. I don't want to eat antibiotics. I don't want my children being exposed to it.
So I changed.
In the first 10 days, I lost an inch in my waist. By the 12th day, I had lost 6.5lbs. I have never gotten those kind of results before.
I feel so much better....so much healthier.
This book is for anyone who is looking to feel better. For those who are offended and get mad at the book, these ladies are basically saying look at what you're eating! Yes, they think it would be better if you were vegan, but they also tell you to make up your own mind and if you get nothing from the book, at least read the ingredients on what you're eating.
They also say that they conceived the title to get attention and sell books. They specifically say you need to be happy with yourself, not "be skinny". They want people to be healthier and to pay attention to what their eating. That's not a bad thing I think. I think the naysayers just don't want to give up their McDonald's and Burger King. LOL I'm partly kidding.
I didn't want to give any of it up. So I tested myself (like they suggested). When I did eat meat and dairy (after stopping) I got heartburn and acid reflux. I tried ice cream for the hell of it and got nauseous. That was my body telling me that I needed to not eat that crap.
I even got my husband to read the book. And while he likes to play devil's advocate and questions everything, he enjoyed the book and agreed that we really needed to try to eat better. He hasn't stopped eating meat just yet, but he has cut down and changed other eating habits and feels better.
Good enough for me.
Book Review: Great starting book for veganism
Summary: 4 Stars
A lot of other reviewers complained that this book has too much vulgar language, but what I don't get is...if profanity offends you so much, why did you buy a book that has the word "BITCH" in the title? Were you expecting a Shakespearean sonnet? This book obviously has quite a bit of vulgar language and if that turns you off then you probably shouldn't buy it. I personally thought it was quite amusing. Also, this book is straight up all about how you should become a vegan, despite the fact that the word "vegan" is not mentioned anywhere on the front or back cover.
I was one of those girls who loved my meat and dairy. I ate a steak once a week, ate meat at most meals, and guzzled milk through high school hoping it would make me taller. I picked up this book at the airport on a whim, thinking it would be a humorous and light look at healthy eating. Boy, was I wrong. I started this book a meat-eater, and halfway into my flight when I was done, I was ready to become a vegan.
From the very beginning this book tells you that everything you have been putting into your mouth is slowly killing you (unless you're vegan, in which case you're safe). No chemical, processed, fatty food is safe from these women. I was shocked to learn the truth about animal products, stuff I'd never heard before. All my life I was told that meat was good because it has protein, and milk was good because it makes your bones stronger. This book tells you the TRUTH, that you've been duped. The longest chapter in the book is the one that bashes the very government organizations that are supposed to be watching out for our health. You finish the chapter with a distinct impression that the USDA and the meat industry are, for all practical purposes, the same entity. I didn't want to believe all of it, but as soon as I got home I did some more reading and it turns out it's all true. And the part about how animals are treated in the meat industry was especially difficult to read, but I'm glad they included it because people need to know. I had no idea it was that bad, but that knowledge is enough to not buy anything that contains animal products in it.
Having said that, there's a couple of things I didn't like about this book. First of all, I wish this book had the word "vegan" somewhere on it so I would have thought twice about reading it, but I guess it's better to know the truth and NOT get cancer or hearth disease before i'm 30, right? Chances are, if you have half a brain, you will not be able to voluntarily eat animal products after finishing this book.
Also, this is not a good vegan source by itself. It's a good starting point, because the in-your-face writing style will kick your butt in gear and help you change your ways. But it does not go into detail about planning healthy and balanced vegan meals. You will need other resources to help with that, or else you will get lost pretty fast and you may end up giving up. (I really like "Becoming Vegan" by Brenda Davis.)
Another thing I didn't like was that the authors really tout the fake meat products. It's good to know they're out there, but becoming a vegan opens up a whole new world of foods and recipes that you would never dream of if you were still a meat-eater. I wish the authors had put more emphasis on healthy, fresh foods instead of packaged tofutti and fake hot dogs.
In the end though, I am glad I read this book. It's a bit of a dichotomy. I really love my new diet and the way I feel...but whenever I see a commercial telling me that drinking three or more cups of milk a day can help me lose weight and prevent osteoporosis, I just feel lied to and insulted.