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Old 05-19-2010, 09:37 AM   #1  
Healthy is Beautiful
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Default Has Anyone Else Read Skinny Witch (Ahem) (Link for maybe vegetarians)

I picked up this book last weekend and was really excited to read it. I'm always looking for little suggestions to tweak and adjust my diet and lifestyle...think I might have grabbed the wrong book for that!

I found this book to be completely condescending, over the top, catty and just annoying. It's like a book of one liners aimed at people who eat anything that isn't organic...that's quite a few of us! To me, the book has no flow...seems like they just came up with phrases they thought were funny and straight shootin' and stuck them all together with no thought: "Come on girl, let's be honest, how much are you putting in your mouth and how much is coming out of your _ _ _?" "No wonder you're a fat _ _ _, you're eating rotting corpses!"

Um. I'm all for honesty. I'm all for telling it like it is, but come on. I don't need to read a book that calls me a fat _ _ _ every three lines. I just wasn't expecting it! And it seems so impractical. They refer to people who eat donuts and smoke cigarettes and drink coffee...and honestly suggest overhauling their lives to eating vegan and organic. Seriously? Sure, in an ideal world, we'd all eat like that...but alas the world is not ideal and most of us are going to eat some things now and then that didn't come straight out the ground.

I will say one good thing about this book is that it inspired me to go back to vegetarianism. They suggested that the reader check out www.humanekosher.com and...it has turned me off to meat. And I was a meat lover. I am a Southern girl...a ribs and roast and fried chicken eatin' Southern Girl. After watching the videos of how these animals are treated...the thought of meat turns my stomach and makes me angry. I know it's not for everyone, but I'm definitely vegetarian now.

So, did anyone else read it? What did ya'll think?
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Old 05-19-2010, 10:32 AM   #2  
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I too was so excited when I bought this book since I rarely spend the money on books. I agree with you completely...I thought the book was inappropriate and somewhat foul. Come on, there is a huge difference between eating clean and what they suggest!

There are so many othere encouraging books out there ladies...don't spend your money on this one!
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Old 05-19-2010, 11:16 AM   #3  
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I personally really liked the book! I know some people who didn't like it and found it offensive. I changed multiple things about my lifestyle and diet after reading it. So it was VERY helpful for me. I think its what I needed to hear, even if it is harsh lol. I think you have to understand their sense of humor

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Old 05-23-2010, 09:24 PM   #4  
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Being a veggie organic-lover, I probably wouldn't be bothered at all by it, and actually might keep my eye out for it :P
It's probably just an activist trying to get more people to go veg and buy organic
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Old 05-23-2010, 10:11 PM   #5  
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I read it. I struggled with an eating disorder for 7 years, so maybe it's added sensitivity, but I'm going to have to agree that it was entirely too condescending. To be honest, it sounded exactly like the "eating disorder voice" that was in my head when I was very sick. I can't imagine that it would be healthy for ANYONE to encourage negative self-talk to the extent of what was in this book, but I think it could be especially harmful to a woman who already feels bad about herself, which is why a lot of us are dieting in the first place.

As I said before, maybe that is just me, and that style of writing motivates you, by all means go for it, but I was really upset by it. I agree with the message of eating clean and whole foods, but there is definitely a better way to convey it.

That said, I got the box set with "Skinny B* in the Kitch" which is a cookbook, and the cookbook has some pretty decent recipes in it.
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Old 05-24-2010, 09:25 AM   #6  
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I bought the book about a month ago, and at first I was a little put off by the way the book was worded. I couldn't put it down and finished it the same night. I'm proud to say that it's now been over 2 weeks since I've eaten any meat or fish and I couldn't be happier. I feel much lighter on my feet and my body feels healthier, and I owe it to that book.
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Old 05-25-2010, 02:10 PM   #7  
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I actually liked the tone. I don't want to be babied--I need my butt kicked. I don't take offense to it because it's not personal--it's just her method of giving advice, and I think it's good for a lot of people. I also started reading it just as I decided to go vegetarian, and it cemented my decision.

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Old 06-22-2010, 03:37 AM   #8  
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I loved it, I learned a lot from it. and it came with the swift kick to the @$$ i needed! ive read it 5 times and everytime i read it i go through it with a highlighter and always find new things i want to incorporate into my life. It made me even laugh out loud once when it said something about "...its so good itll make your nipples hard" lmao. I loved it.
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Old 06-22-2010, 02:32 PM   #9  
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I haven't read it personally because of the reviews I've read about it. They also have a version for expecting mothers.

Many of the reviews I read were of people who felt insulted and looked down upon, and almost verbablly abused by the book. One pregnant woman was very upset with the fact that they were pretty much saying she was ruining her child's chance at a good life by not eating organic.

I want to look at eating healthy and excercising with a positive outlook, so this doesn't seem the type of book for me. As well as I do eat meat here and there, (mostly fish and sometimes chicken, rarely steak) and do not have an interest in giving that up completely.
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Old 06-27-2010, 08:13 AM   #10  
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I read the first few pages on amazon, and found it amusing. It definitely makes me want to change my eating habits, but organic is just too darn expensive.
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Old 07-05-2010, 12:43 AM   #11  
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Oh haha. I really, really like that book. And if you are on the fence about becoming a vegetarian or vegan it definitely might help sway your decision. Doubt it would convince a die-hard meateater though.
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Old 07-06-2010, 02:45 AM   #12  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ParadiseFalls View Post
I actually liked the tone. I don't want to be babied--I need my butt kicked. I don't take offense to it because it's not personal--it's just her method of giving advice, and I think it's good for a lot of people. I also started reading it just as I decided to go vegetarian, and it cemented my decision.
Same here. I agree completely.
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Old 07-06-2010, 07:47 AM   #13  
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I didn't care for the tone on that one. I prefer "The Vegetarian Way" by Virginia Messina and Mark Messina. I also have their dietitian version, but the "lay version" is really all that is needed.

I swing back and forth on the veg eating style. I've found it very helpful for health management for myself but in a mixed eating family I sometimes just go with non-veg to make it easier cooking all around.

A.
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Old 07-07-2010, 08:44 PM   #14  
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I had been a vegetarian for several years before reading this book, gotta tell ya, I absolutely loved it. It is a little harsh and *****y, but for me that's effective. My sister was a meat lover before reading it, she's now a pescatarian who eats mostly organic.
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Old 07-07-2010, 09:25 PM   #15  
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I just read the first few pages on Google book search and I found it to be too crass. And lemme just say that I am NOT a girl that is easily put off. That big C word that most women will slap you for saying??? Doesn't bother me. But yeah, calling people who need their morning coffee to function *ahem* kitty cats is pretty bad. You can be harsh and truthful w/o being vulgar.
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