Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The Little Book of Thin

I’ve been reading Lauren’s Foodtrainers blog for years, and when she announced that she was writing a book I was excited. Lauren is the founder of a New York City nutrition practice, and I really enjoy reading her blog, which covers nutrition as well as other topics.

Her brand-new book, The Little Book of Thin, was just released and when the opportunity arose to review the book I jumped at it. The book did not disappoint - from the look and feel of it to all the countless weight loss and maintenance tips and strategies, I enjoyed them all.

LittleBookofThin

I love that the book is truly a “little” book and that it is filled with useful information without any extra “fluff.”

Lauren starts off by pointing out that it often isn’t lack of nutrition knowledge that keeps us from being thin. She states, “we know what to eat until life gets in the way” (x). Her solution is one I wholeheartedly agree with and that I have been using myself: planning and anticipating food obstacles.

The book starts off with 10 steps to svelte where she suggests for example eating a protein breakfast within two hours of waking up, enjoying one fruit daily – but no more, limiting grains, carbs, and starchy vegetables to once a day, and doing “dunch” (eating a bigger lunch than dinner).

After explaining the rational behind each of her ten steps, Lauren provides a checklist that lets you evaluate where you fall short on the list.

Next Lauren dishes out some tough love and says there are three No’s on her plan: no negotiation, no excuses, and no exceptions. She has a list of foods she never wants us to eat or drink, such as soda, “diet” food, and gum.

But rather than focusing on the No’s, there is a much bigger section on what you can eat and a convenient “LBT Cheat Sheet” that lists all the foods that are allowed. There are “regular” foods that are grouped into protein, carbs, vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, and healthy fats, salad accessories, condiments and flavorings, and beverages. Lauren also has convenient visuals for portion sizes, such a lipstick tube or less for cheese (something I have to remember!).

Lauren is big on planning and suggests spending some time on Sundays to plan, purchase and prep meals, something I have been doing for years and know works. To make things simple, she has a list of five easy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that you can easily put into a meal plan. At the end of the book, there is a recipe section.

Next she gives many useful tips on how to deal with the “witching hour,” some time in the late afternoon when many of us tend to overeat. Again, it comes back to planning. Lauren also has a “pre-snacktual agreement” that she wants you to fill out – a great idea as you agree what to eat when you get hungry ahead of time. Again, it comes back to being prepared.

Another important section of the book is treat training. It’s not realistic to never have a treat, but treats can easily get out of hand, and Lauren has some good strategies – once again it comes back to planning and being prepared.

The book covers pretty much all imaginable food scenarios from kids’ birthday parties (no reason to eat the pizza and cake!) to dating to eating out to holidays and gives the reader practical tips for each situation.

One of Lauren’s strategies that I really like is to not “over-accessorize” your salad (as I tend to over-accessorize mine once in a while…). That is, you get to choose only one of the following: avocado, cheese, nuts, seeds, olives, dried cranberries, raisins, or bacon. If you think about it, it’s really not necessary to have more than one of them at a time…

The last part of the book contains simple recipes from anything from quinoa to kale salad to how to boil perfect eggs (it’s the way I do it too) to date-night salmon. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet, but they sound good and easy to make.

I really enjoyed reading the book and picked up several things I’ll incorporate into my life, such as some detox teas and herbs she suggests, the “not-over-accessorizing rule,” and keeping a closer eye on my carbs and fruits. I’ll also try some of her recipes soon.

I think The Little Book of Thin is a great book for anybody looking to lose some weight as it gives no-nonsense advice that includes planning, strategizing and having firm rules. That’s certainly what worked for me in the past when I lost weight. In addition, I love that it’s a small book that is packed with information, including a section on how to lose weight quickly in special situations, like before a vacation.  If you are looking to lose some weight or fine-tune things a bit, you'll find many useful strategies and tips in The Little Book of Thin. You can order a copy of The Little Book of Thin here.

Questions: Do you have any “treat rules?” If so, what are they? Do you plan meals, snacks, and treats? Why or why not? Share any tips!
 
Be well,
Andrea

[Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of The Little Book of Thin. All opinions in this review are my own.]