Day Three-Slow down!!!

Kind of forgot I was doing this "naturally thin" thing! I literally have to remind myself to think before I put something in my mouth! Crazy, huh? For instance, my husband brought home a fresh Italian bread from the market and before I know it I was grabbing a piece and putting in my mouth. I wasn't even hungry. Naturally Thin people don't do that, do they? I know I wasn't thinking about what I was doing, I was just doing it. I have to keep reminding myself to slow down! Oh well, you live and learn.

There's always tomorrow...

Day Two--Recap anyone?

I don't know about you, but I need a recap! Here are the ten "rules" in Bethenny's book "Naturally Thin Eating..Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of dieting."

YOUR DIET IS A BANK ACCOUNT: Eat a balanced diet. If you eat mainly proteins for breakfast, then have carbs for lunch. If you have oatmeal  in the morning, you should probably have a salad for lunch (as opposed to more carbs like a sandwich). It's all a balancing act. Just as you would balance a bank account.


YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, JUST NOT ALL AT ONCE: Need I say more? Take fast food for instance. Have the Big Mac if you must, just don't have large fries with it as well. Have it with a salad or fruit instead. Have the fries the next time. No need to have both right now.

TASTE EVERYTHING, EAT NOTHING: If you're really in the mood for those fries that I mentioned, have one or two of your friend's fries. Take a taste and move on.

PAY ATTENTION: Be conscientious at all times. Stay in the "now".

DOWNSIZE NOW: Eat from smaller plates. If your used to having a huge steak, downsize your portions.

CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN THE CLEAN PLATE CLUB: No matter what your momma says, don't eat every last morsel on your plate. It is so unnecessary!

CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF: Stop yourself dead in the tracks when you're on the verge of going "overboard".

KNOW THYSELF: Get to the know the real you. Find out what you are truly craving. Is it companionship? Sleep? Thirst?  or are you truly hungry?

GET REAL: Eat real food most of the time. Don't put alot of junk in your mouth or you'll end up with some "junk in your trunk".

GOOD FOR YOU: Do what feels good. Do what feels right. Take care of yourself  because you matter!

Holy Cow...day "I have no idea"

Holy cow does time fly by!!!! I cannot believe my last post was on September 20th. Today is November 2nd ! As far as the "naturally thin experiement" goes--I blew it. For the past month and a half I have been incredibly busy and my weight has suffered. This experiment has taught me that naturally thin eating is a life long endeavor. Naturally thin eating doesn't go away "just because I'm busy".  I'm sure we all are extremely busy. Bethenny Frankel is busy as well and she is able to keep her figure intact. I suppose she'll be writing a new book on how to stay "Naturally Thin" after having a baby. Congratulations, Bethenny, on your engagment and pregnancy!!

Back to me! : )   My NEW experiment starting today is eating the "Naturally Thin" way in a busy world! How does that sound? Sounds good to me.

Here's to fresh starts...

Naturally Thin Eating-sorry, day 49!

It looks like daily blogs about my eating experiences is a little too difficult these days. Too, too, busy!! Avon business is good and I am also working in a school so between that and my three children, well, you get the picture. Eating has been wonderful, thank goodness. I have been feeling really good. I know this has EVERYTHING to do with the way I am eating. I would not be able to function if I were to eat junk food all day. I have been sticking to my naturally thin way of eating and has become second nature. Am I thin body wise, per se, yet? No. However, I'm not worried about it, I know I'll get there soon enough.

Until next week...

Naturally Thin eating-Day fourty,fourty-one, and fourty-two

I've been extremely business since starting an AVON business and working in school so my posts have not been as frequent. The past couple of days have been okay, I guess. I gave in to non-conscious eating last night while socializing with friends. Today, as a result, my body is not even craving food. That's when I know I've overindulged!! It's 5:00 in the evening and the only thing I've eaten today is a handful of grapes, a peach, and a half bowl of wonton soup. It's pretty cool how my body balances itself after a couple of days of not so "naturally thin" eating. I just really wish these over indulgences of mine would stop, but as I have said in previous posts, I am confident that they will. It's just a matter of time.

Until tomorrow...

Naturally Thin eating...Day thirty-seven,thirty-eight, and thirty nine!

Sorry, busy week this week so no time for daily posts. I have to combine the past three posts into one! Thank goodness it's good news! I'm back at work and have been more conscious than ever about my food choices. The past three days have been spent not obsessing about food, but rather, keeping my mind at the task at hand (work, kids, school, etc.).

My family had chinese take out tonight because I was too tired to cook. I ordered a small wonton soup for myself, but when I got it I only ate half because it started to lose its appeal. The "old me" would have continued eating despite the diminishing desire just because it was in front of me. The "new me", the "naturally thin" me simply put the spoon down and that was the end of the soup. I ate a couple of teaspoonfuls of my daughter's vegetable fried rice and a couple of small pieces of the boneless ribs. I was tasting everything, but eating nothing, which is one of the rules in Bethenny's book. Once again, the "old me" would have eaten half the carton of rice and ribs, but the "new me" is making smarter choices these days. Yeah!!!!

Until tomorrow...

Naturally Thin Day!--Day thirty-six

Today was a really good day. I ate a banana in the morning, a turkey&swiss cheese on a roll w/let.&tom for lunch, nectarine for a snack, and broiled Salmon with corn on the cob for dinner.  I didn't obsess about food and I am making healthy choices more naturally these days. It has become a way of life for me; second nature in fact. This is really a big deal because for most of my life I only ate "good" when I was on a diet. How ridiculous is that?

Until tomorrow...

Naturally Thin eating-Day thirty five

I think I'm turning into a "food snob"! Bethenny talks about this on pg 55 in her book:

If you really pay attention to your food, you'll start noticing when it doesn't look appealing or doesn't taste very good. Then you'll be in a position to turn down food that doesn't meet your standards.

This happened to me today when I went to the mall with my kids. As a matter of fact, its' been happening a lot for the past few weeks, but I hadn't even realized I was changing. Today, the kids wanted to eat the food court. To me, the food court is synonymous with crappy food, but, once in a while I let them eat there (I always prefer eating in a restaurant). Anyway, two of my kids wanted Burger King and my youngest son wanted Blimpie. I really wasn't in the mood for either one but I hadn't eaten anything all day and was hungry. I chose to order a sandwich on a whole wheat 6" roll from Blimpie with mustard, letttuce, and tomato. Now I've eaten this sandwich on numerous occasions, but because I have been eating more consciously (never did before) I realized that I wasn't too thrilled with the sandwich. It was blah and mediocre to say the least. Since I bought it I ate it anyway, but I will definitely think twice before ever ordering there again. This is when it occurred to me that I have become a "food snob". This eating experiment is changing the way I see food and I don't think I'll ever be the same. If I am going to be eating the life of a naturally thin person, then I am going to have to consider my food choices a lot more carefully the next time I go to the mall!

Until tomorrow...

A day with a Naturally Thin guy--Day thirty four

My brother is a naturally thin guy. He has ALWAYS been thin, and when I say thin, I mean THIN. It's not something he tries to be, he just is. Unfortunately, I wasn't born with the thin gene! What I learned by being around him today, is that food is not really that "important" to him. His mind isn't "obsessed" with food, the way mine is. When it was time to eat a late lunch/dinner he made himself a small plate. He ate most of it, had something to drink and that was the end of it. I asked him what he ate in the morning and he said nothing. He said he wasn't hungry. He didn't make himself eat breakfast, he just didn't eat. The late lunch/dinner was the first thing he ate the entire day. An hour after we all ate, we had coffee and some cookies for dessert. He didn't have any cookies. He just drank the coffee. Once again, he said he wasn't hungry. I, on the other hand, drank the coffee and ate a handful of cookies. Was I hungry? No. I just wanted the cookies for the taste of it. This is when I realized the difference between a naturally thin person and a person who is not naturally thin. I think this is what Bethenny is talking about when she says anyone can BECOME naturally thin. If you are not born naturally thin, you just have to make a concerted effort to change the food noise that goes on in your brain. This is something that is not coming easily to me. This experiment is teaching me what it means to pay attention to the food noises in my head. It has taught me that I am the only one who can control this issue. No diet is going to ever change that. It is something that has to come from myself--from within. Knowing this, like I've said before, is half the battle!

Until tomorrow...

Naturally Thin eating-Day thirty two and thirty three

For this post I have to decided to re list the 10 Rules of Naturally Thin eating by Bethenny Frankel:

1. YOUR DIET IS A BANK ACCOUNT: no matter what you eat, base your choices on balancing throughout the day, so you don't eat too much of any one thing and each meal balances the others with complementary food choices.

2. YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, JUST NOT ALL AT ONCE: the most important concept of this rule is to fill up on high-volume, healthy foods like salads and soups; then pick the one or two things you really want.

3. TASTE EVERYTHING, EAT NOTHING: this is not about shoving food in your mouth, but about TASTING small bites of delicious food and stopping after the bite or two.

4. PAY ATTENTION: sit down and experience your food. do not eat on the run!

5. DOWNSIZE NOW!: eat from smaller plates, cups, bowls, glasses, etc. In other words small portions.

6. CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN THE CLEAN PLATE CLUB:either share a portiion of your food, save it for another day, or leave i on the plate to dispose of. Do not clean your plate (save that for the dishwasher).

7. CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF: No more BINGE-eating! You are in charge of you!!!

8. KNOW THYSELF: if you can't skip breakfast, then don't. If you need to snack then snack. KNOW THYSELF and eat the way that is right for you.

9. GET REAL: choose real, organic food as often as possible. your body will LOVE you for it.

10. last but not least, GOOD FOR YOU: whatever choice you make, keep your best interests in mind, take care of your mind, body, and soul.

I HOPE THIS HELPS! I KNOW I COULD SURE USE A REFRESHER COURSE!

Until tomorrow...

Naturally Thin eating--Day Thirty One

Today was a really good day. This is how it's been going these past few weeks. I have good days and then I'll have "bad" days. They're not really "bad" days, just no so smart investments! I balanced my meals throughout the day. I ate a banana for breakfast, had a slice of pizza topped with mushrooms for lunch, and a mixed green, cucumber, and tomato salad topped with thinly sliced chicken breast and one thin slice of swiss cheese for dinner. I had a nectarine for a snack and I feel good! A GREAT DAY of Naturally Thin eating (the Bettheny Frankel way)...

Naturally Thin eating--Day Thirty?

Wow. Day thirty? This experiment has taught me alot about myself and my eating habits. Although I'm not a hard core naturally thin eater (yet), I have a strong feeling I'm getting there. I have not lost the weight that I wanted to by now. On the up side, I am more in tune with my eating habits including knowing when my "food noise" is taking over or when I'm having a good "food voice" day. Knowing the difference between the two is half the battle. I really do consider it a battle, but it's a battle I REFUSE to lose. Until tomorrow...

Naturally Thin eating-Day Twenty nine

Still being affected by something that's bothering me. I don't know how to get over this hump I'm experiencing. Bethenny talks about stress in her book and how it is a part of the "food noise" so oftened talked about. I didn't realize this relationship between food noise and stress until now. On page 24 she describes the following: "food noise is your negative inner food dialogue, commenting on and criticizing everything you eat, or think about eating, or don't eat. Food noise berates you for eyeing that cheesecake...makes you feel powerless to change anything. Food noise is mean...food noise is a product of the past, as well as of current stress and anxiety."

That was a powerful statement! Tomorrow, after I research some more, I will talk about how to get rid of that stinkin' food noise once and for all,or at least knowing what to do to replace it with "food voice".

Until tomorrow...

Naturally Thin? A lot tougher than I thought--Day twenty seven and eight

This Naturally Thin eating is a lot tougher than I thought. I am under a lot of stress since starting my AVON business and I have been eating more as a result. What frustrates me is that I know I am over eating due to stress and yet I do it anyway. What's up with that? Once again, I won't beat myself up. I will make better choices my next meal (I won't say tomorrow).

Eating Naturally Thin-Day twenty six, I think I could get used to this...

For most of the day I opted for healthier versions of foods I used to eat B.B.(Before Bethenny). For instance, instead of eating regular bacon and eggs (like my husband did) I ate turkey bacon and egg whites for breakfast/lunch. For dinner we ordered KFC. I normally would eat original chicken, potato wedges, a large macaroni and cheese,and even a biscuit or two (I can't believe I used to eat so much). Tonight, the new me ordered 2 grilled chicken pieces, corn on the cob, and a small serving of macaroni and cheese. I love (yes, love) their macaroni and cheese. I ate the "downsized" portion, savored every bite, and was completely satisfied. The great thing is that no food is off-limits. I just balanced the macaroni and cheese (a high investment) with the grilled chicken (low investment). I ordered the corn on the cob, instead of a biscuit and potato wedges. The end result: My meal was delicious, I wasn't deprived, and it didn't feel like I was on a "diet".

PS. I wish I could say this post had a happy ending, but I can't! Later on in the evening I ate two pieces of the extra crunchy KFC chicken that was left over (whywasn't put away). I gave in to my stinking food voice after making healthy choices all day!

Note to self: IGNORE MY FOOD NOISE!!!!! I won't beat myself up though because after all, Rome wasn't built in one day...

Naturally Thin eating- to share or not to share? Day twenty five...

One of the rules in Bethenny's book is "Downsize now". This rule has helped me a lot throughout the day. Following the "Downsize now" rule, I no longer use regular size dinner plates when eating. I now use smaller plates to put my food on. A dinner plate seems so huge now! Another thing I've been doing as part of downsizing is SHARING. Bethenny suggests sharing food in order to downsize. I'm all about the sharing now. If only I could get my other family members to WANT TO SHARE :) Actually, my youngest son and I have been doing some sharing lately. For example, one of my favorite treats are Weight Watchers muffins (blueberry and chocolate). Now they are not huge muffins,but I've been splitting the muffin in half and sharing it with my son. It satisfies my "craving", I downsize, and I share a bond with my son (he loves to do this). It's a win-win situation all around!!! Until tomorrow...

Naturally Thin--Day twenty four

Today was a busier than usual day for me. I was running around all day and normally I(the old me)would make unconscious eating choices on the run. This was not the case today I am proud to say. I didn't have time to eat breakfast so I made a quick delicious protein shake, blended with strawberries, before leaving for a meeting. Lunch was a sandwich and dinner was a grilled cheeseburger with some cherries. Although I had a carb lunch I had the cheeseburger anyway because that's what I really wanted. If I would have denied myself I would not have been happy. It would have felt as if I were on a diet and that is not what this program is all about. No deprivation. No dieting. So far so good...

Day twenty three--over the eating spree!

Well for the past few days I've been hungry, hungry, hungry. I thought something was wrong with me and was beginning to think I couldn't be Naturally Thin. I was just so hungry and didn't make the best decisions eating wise. Today was a different story. I seem to be over my eating spree and I couldn't be happier. The main concept I am grasping is to listen to your inner self. It sounds weird, but when you think about it, it makes sense. Presence is key for everything you do in life. Too many times we get bogged down with the constant chatter in our mind. I now realize that there are going to be days when I'm hungrier than others and if it's true hunger then that's okay too. Bethenny even mentions this in her book. There are days when she is hungry and then they are days when she doesn't get hungry. Trust yourself and everything will be okay!

Naturally Thin Eating...Day twenty two- whoo hoo!

What I've learned from this experience so far is that Naturally Thin eating is not going to happen over night. It is truly a matter of getting rid of the bad eating habits we picked up growing up and in essence "re training" your inner food voices. There is no magic pill to swallow and no special diet to follow. It is simply a matter of making a deliberate inner change with your relationship to food and all that food stands for in your life. I have literally found this process to be a day to day, moment to moment way of balanced healthy eating. Isn't this what we all want? If so, why is it so hard for some people to do? Could it be that we do not think we are worthy of being healthy and happy? I have been asking myself this question for the past couple of days. After two and a half weeks of eating "properly" I found myself making the worst food decisions almost to the point of sabotaging myself. This is a vicious cycle that I hope to break sooner rather than later in life. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I refuse to lose this inner battle with food. I am a winner! Here is an excerpt from Bethenny's "Naturally Thin Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting":

If you wish desperately that you were one of those naturally thin people, but you don't really believe, deep down, that you are, guess what. It's all a misconception. Being naturally thin isn't some state of being beyond your grasp. You are naturally thin. You just have to make a few simple changes to let your natural thinness emerge. You will be one of those peope you wished you could be in high school. You will be one of those people that others look at and wonder... (p. 2).

Help! I need somebody, help, just not anybody! Day twenty-one

That old Beatles song is loudly ringing in my head today! "Help I need somebody, help, not just anybody, help, you know I need someone, help!" Bethenny are you there?! It's day twenty-one folks and I have not gotten back into the Naturally Thin way of thinking or eating. I wish I knew why, but of course if I knew then I would have written the book, right? Tomorrow begins week four of this "experiment" and with eight weeks to go I refuse to give up. I'm going to get my head back in the game starting right now. I don't believe in saying "tomorrow", because "tomorrow" never comes. All we have is right now so I am going to start right now...

Day nineteen and twenty--How am I doing?

Well, these past two days have been okay eating wise. I can't honestly say that I'm back on track yet. Eating the Naturally Thin way really takes true dedication; it's not something that clicks overnight (at least for me it isn't). I must admit I got a little cocky. After two weeks of following Bethenny's rules I thought I had a handle on this new way of eating and would be able to do it all on my own. Up until now I had been reading Bethenny's book everyday and I really thought I had the full concept. Come to find out I have a lot more reading to do! I still need Bethenny's "help" and will have to re read her book until I know it like the back of my hand. I am in this for the long haul--that's how much I believe in this "program". I refuse to lose (except weight, that is).

Day eighteen-ANOTHER not so Naturally Thin day

Day eighteen and I don't know what's going on with me. I ate way too much again today. I really don't know what else to say except that tomorrow is another day and I will "check myself before I wreck myself" (rule number 7)

This rule is an important one as far as overeating is concerned. Read the following from "Naturally Thin Unleash Your Skinny Girl..." regarding rule number 7:

This rule encompasses one of the most important things you can do for yourself: stop binge-eating. Never do it again. Just knowing you can have any food you want can keep you from going overboard, but until you break the binge habit, you need to stay firmly in the driver's seat and make your own rational decisions about what you will and will not eat, and when you will stop eating it. You are the master of your own life, so step up.

Day seventeen--a not so Naturally Thin day?

It's day seventeen and after two weeks of following Bethenny's rules, I did not have a "good" day eating wise. I don't know what's worse, knowing your making a bad decision and making it anyway, or not paying attention and making bad eating decisions. My morning was fine (banana) and my afternoon was fine (large garden salad). The evening--not so fine. I grilled steaks for my family and ate a whole one by myself (about a 7oz shell steak). Afterwards, I ate about a quarter of a bag of Goldfish crackers and then in the evening I ate about 5 oreos cookies. On the one hand it was a not so Naturally Thin day, but on the other hand, Bethenny writes about how they'll be days when you're starving all day and then there'll be days when your not so hungry. I'm not going to beat myself up. Could I have made better decisions? Yes. Can I make healthier decisions tomorrow? Yes, and I will.

Day sixteen-sweet tooth and the differential

Day sixteen-sweet tooth today! I was in the mood for chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate!!!!! That's okay because my diet is a bank account. I had my favorite breakfast this morning, which is turkey bacon and egg whites. I drank a whey protein shake with strawberries mixed in for lunch and ate an open faced turkey and swiss cheese sandwich on one half of a multi grain english muffin for lunch as well. I was CRAVING chocolate at this point so I chose to eat a weight watchers chocolate chip muffin and a small weight watchers brownie. These really satisfied my chocolate cravings and were a good investment for me. There were oreos and chocolate chip cookies in the cabinet, but I didn't really want those. I went with the better investment for me, the low fat chocolate muffin and brownie. This is what Bethenny refers to when she writes about the "differential". The lower fat muffin was a smarter investment and I felt good about it. Go me! No one else will cheer for me so I'll cheer for myself...

Day fifteen-some days you just don't feel like balancing!

For those of you who read Bethenny's Naturally Thin book you know just what I mean when I say some days you just don't feel like balancing! For the most part I try not to obsess about food now that I've read her book. But for some reason today was a day when I was afraid to make certain food decisions. For instance, I ate turkey with a thin slice of swiss cheese on a small Italian roll. This is fine and would be considered a carb meal. Because I had this carb meal for lunch my food voice(or was it my food noise-sometimes it's hard to differentiate between the two)was telling me I should have a salad with some type of protein for dinner (I also ate a snicker bar for snack). With this in mind I ate a little bit of shrimp cocktail but was not in the mood for salad. I was just not in the mood because what I really wanted was pasta. I went on and on with this fear in my mind about it not being good to have back to back carbs. Finally, I just decided to make the pasta. I made a tiny bit of whole wheat spaghetti with a bit of marinara sauce and one meatball because SOME DAYS YOU JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE BALANCING. All is not loss; tomorrow will be a better day. It was a small bowl of pasta because I was "downsizing" like rule number 5. Seriously folks, I ate the downsized portion of pasta and it was so good and satisfying. Before reading Bethenny's book I would have felt guilty about wanting the pasta and then binge on a huge mound of it in rebellion (meanwhile I was just hurting myself). Now I know that no food is off limits. This is what I wanted so I had it. I just ate a small amount because it wasn't the best investment. No deprivation, it tasted great, and that was the end of the story--binge free!

Day fourteen--made it to the two week mark!

Day fourteen and I made it to the two week mark. I am really excited about this because I feel good. All Summer my ankles have been SWOLLEN due to overeating and the heat. Honestly, they have not been swollen these past two weeks. It is definitely no coincidence. I have lost 7lbs and I have a lot more energy.All this without deprivation. Anything I've wanted to eat, I have eaten. It's great.

So far I give this "naturally thin" way of eating two thumbs up!

Day thirteen-getting accustomed to hunger?

Day thirteen and am I getting accustomed to hunger? At one point in the evening I was slightly hungry (not starving). This is when I realized that it's okay to feel a little discomfort. A lot of times this discomfort will pass as you move on to other things. This is exactly what happened today. Today was one of those days when I listened to my "food voice" and had no "food noise" in my head whatsoever! The food noise would have told me to satisfy that "hunger" right away!!! I've had this power all along and didn't even know it. It sounds weird, but true. When you are an adult you begin to realize that you have to make your own choices and live with the consequences. Today, I chose to eat like a naturally thin person and it felt great!This is NOT about starving yourself, but about breaking the cycle of overindulgence, binging, and a lifetime of dieting unnecessarily. It's about freeing yourself!





This is a picture of my kids, just because. Aren't they cute?

Day twelve-a little out of sorts

This picture was taken a couple of days ago. I was feeling "light" at the time and wanted to capture it on camera!

Today is day twelve and I'm feeling a little out of sorts. I'm not quite sure why. For the most part I made good food choices. By evening, however, I was craving chocolate. I think it must be PMS. I was exhausted and had a lingering headache throughout the day. Anyway, getting back to the chocolate. I decided on two chocolate chip cookies and watermelon. Looking back now I guess it was a good day after all. I didn't overindulge, yet I satisfied my chocolate craving. Although I didn't feel too hot today,I guess everyone is allowed to have an "off day" every now and then. Today was my turn.

Until tomorrow...

Day eleven-living in the moment

Day eleven and I'm still on this "program". Actually, it's really not a program but a way of life. So let me start over. Day eleven and I'm still leading a naturally thin life! I'm not quite naturally thin, yet, but I am confident that I will be pretty soon. With that being said, there are a few kinks I need to work on.

After balancing my diet "bank account" pretty good today, I decided to have an evening snack. I knew I wanted a little guacamole with a bit of organic tortilla chips from Costco (yum, yum). The problem was, or so I thought, was that it was still early in the evening. I wasn't quite sure whether the snack would "last" me the entire evening and I certainly didn't want to go for another snack later in the evening. I was telling myself that I shouldn't eat the snack now because then I would want a snack later and I would probably overeat, etc. Well, this dialogue went on in my head for a little while (good thing I was by myself) until I suddenly had a lightbulb moment. Why on earth was I thinking about later? This is now. Why wasn't I living in the moment? Constantly thinking about later will never ever be productive. Naturally thin people don't obsess about food because they live their life in the moment and listen to their "food voice". All that dialogue in my head was just "food noise".

Don't let "food noise" get in your way of living!


P.S. I didn't have another snack later.

Day ten-SkinnyGirl Margarita's are here!!!

Isn't this a cute logo? The official SkinnyGirl margarita's are here!!! Although I haven't gone out to purchase it, I hope to this weekend and I'll let you know how good it is.

Well today is day ten and I'm still feeling good! So far I've lost about 6 lbs eating the naturally thin way. Today I had a banana for breakfast (wasn't too hungry so I didn't force myself to eat). In the afternoon I had a leftover slice of pizza from last night's dinner with some watermelon. By the way, the reason I had a leftover slice of pizza is because I "checked myself, before I wrecked myself" (rule number 7)during last night's dinner and only ate one slice.

Before eating like a naturally thin person I would have devoured two slices of pizza without giving it a second thought (and then regret it after). Now that I'm "paying attention" (rule number 4)I am making better choices for myself.

Ok, back to what I ate today. Since my "diet is a bank account" (rule number 1)I decided to have a protein meal for dinner. I prepared and ate a nice mixed salad, some grilled bell peppers, and a tiny piece of my kids' grilled steak. The main focus of my meal was the vegetables and I felt great eating such a delicious and nutritious dinner!

Day nine-being conscious of ones food choices

Today I knew I would not be cooking (too hot) and that I probably would be ordering a pizza pie later for the kids. Just in case I decided to have a slice, I made sure my other choices were good investments. I had a protein breakfast (turkey bacon and one egg) and a protein lunch (my version of a chef salad). I am definitely becoming more aware of my food choices. I am still eating what I want to eat, but I am choosing more "consciously" in order to maintain a balance. Once again no deprivation. Bethenny makes a lot of sense when she says there will always be another day to make a different choice. No food is off limits. Remember, "you can eat it all, just not all at once".

Day eight-still going strong

Today was such a hot day here in New York. It hasn't been this hot all Summer. Went shopping today and this was a perfect time to eat the "Naturally Thin" way. I went to Applebees to eat lunch with my mother and kids. Usually I would order loaded mashed potatoes with bbq ribs and a Cesar salad and eat every last drop (regretting my decision after the stomach pains kick in). I decided to order a grilled chicken sandwich with portobello mushrooms and marinara sauce. I knew it was a Weight Watchers sponsored meal and even though I'm not on a "diet", it looked like it would be good and I knew it was a healthy choice (a win-win situation). I had a bite of my son's steak and one fry. It was just for a "taste" and was good enough for me. I made a salad for dinner later and had guacamole and a few tortilla chips for an evening snack. No deprivation here! I made an investment for breakfast and lunch and enjoyed the tortilla chips and guacamole in the evening guilt free! Yum!!! Oh, I forgot to mention Bethenny was on the "Wendy Williams Show" this morning. She was great. Check it out:

Day seven-you can have it all, just not all at once

Today was a good day. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this and I'm feeling pretty good. I don't feel deprived at all because I know I can eat anything I want, as long as I follow rule #2: "You can have it all, just not all at once". It's really a matter of changing your relationship with food. Realizing that you can have anything you want is a very freeing thought and it's been helping me this all week. I want to share a paragraph from Naturally Thin:Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting-


"Life is about choices. You can eat whatever you want, and you should eat a variety of things to make food as interesting and nutritious as possible; but at the same time, you need to keep it simple. Fill up on high-volume, healthful foods like salads and soups; then pick one or two things you really want. Have the salad, the pizza, and the wine. Or have the soup, the salad, and the dessert. Remember, you'll always have another chance to make a different choice. You've got plenty of meals in your future. Make your choice and go with it."(pg. 148)

Day six-check yourself before you wreck yourself

This is after a day at the town pool with my family. The day was pretty uneventful as far as food goes. I took cherries to the pool for myself because normally I'd eat potato chips or something like that from the concession stand. After eating the cherries I ate a few of my husband's sunflower seeds because Bethenny suggests eating protein with fruits because not only is it a healthy snack, but it will curb the hunger as well. After eating a sandwich for dinner (turkey and cheese) I decided to eat a donut. I knew it was the "food noise" talking and not my "food voice". Nevertheless, I ate the donut. My mistake was eating the whole donut. It really wasn't worth the investment. I even had a stomachache for a little while afterwards. The old me would have continued the bad investments for the rest of the evening because I would have told myself "I messed up" anyway. The new me, the naturally thin thinking me, followed rule 7, "check yourself before you wreck yourself" and just like that it was over. I was done! I ate it and it's over and that's that. Tomorrow is another day!

Day five-taste everything, eat nothing

This is me at the end of a busy Summer day with the kids. Boy am I wiped out! As far as eating goes, today was the first time I used the "taste everything, eat nothing rule". The whole day went well. I ate half a bagel with a tiny bit of vegetable cream cheese,a cup of cherries, and coffee for breakfast. For lunch I chose to have grilled chicken over a garden salad since I already had the carbs in the morning. For a snack in the afternoon I ate a low cal popcorn snack bag. Later, my family wanted Chinese food for dinner so we ordered take out. I would usually order one of the higher calorie dinners, but tonight I made the decision to have a small wonton soup. It was my choice and I felt great about my decision. My "food noise" wanted sesame chicken, but my "food voice" told me to go with the soup. My kids were eating boneless ribs and I would normally indulge in these (they're so good) but this time I didn't. This is when I realized I could taste the boneless ribs with out going overboard and then feeling guilty afterward. I took two tiny pieces and moved on. I followed the "taste everything, eat nothing" rule and it absolutely works. I savored the taste and I was able to walk away from it satisfied. It sounds like common sense, but for some reason it never dawned on me to just "taste". I'm really starting to think more and more like a naturally thin person!

Day four-cancelling my membership in the clean plate club

One of the many things Betheny (in her book) has taught me is that I do not have to eat every thing on my plate and that I should leave a little. It honestly never dawned on me to do this. I made two slices of turkey bacon and an egg white omelet for breakfast. I was enjoying it so much, but then I realized I hadn't been "paying attention" and almost ate every last piece on my plate. I had been doing this for so many years it became a habit. Well this is when I remembered Bethenny's suggestion to "cancel your membership in the clean plate club" and left a couple of pieces. Although you can't see the pieces I left because the plate is the same color as the food, trust me, its there.

Day three-listening to your "food voice"

Here I am eating breakfast. This morning I actually heard my "food voice" speaking to me (as Bethenny describes it). It was my intention to eat a banana and a couple of turkey slices for breakfast. In my head, this was all I was planning on eating. However, after about 15 minutes I still wasn't satisfied. I now know that my "food voice" wanted carbs. I listened to this voice and I toasted a whole wheat english muffin and added a very thin later of peanut butter and sugar free jelly. This is what I'm eating in this picture. I was then satisfied and felt good about my decision because I remembered, *Your diet is a bank account* This picture was taken by my 14 year old daughter, Naomi. It is really important to me that I set a good example for all my children (I have three), but especially for her, my only girl. For some reason, women struggle constantly with their body image. I am 40 years old and I am DONE STRUGGLING. I don't want to struggle any more and I don't want to set that kind of example for her. Bethenny Frankel's book came at an awesome time in my life because I just turned 40 this year and I want to really enjoy my life and stop the stinkin weight issue once and for all. Bethenny's no-nonsense advice is just "what the doctor ordered". I've always wanted to follow a thin person for a week to see what and how they ate and lived their life. Thanks to Bethenny's honest writing, I get to do just that now. She's not afraid to say that she sometimes skips lunch or that she sometimes doesn't make the right food choices and that's what makes her real and believable to me. I pray this works for me!!!!
Check out Bethenny on, "It's on with Alexa Chung" on MTV today. Click on the following link:
http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/424807/bethenny-frankel-on-catty-housewives.jhtml

Day two-"pay attention"

This is me, day two of Naturally Thin eating (the Bettenny Frankel way). I am about to delve into a delicious salad I made for myself. The "rules" I used today are: Pay Attention*Your Diet is a Bank Account* and Downsize Now*

Paying attention is something I normally didn't do when it came to eating. Bethenny suggests paying attention,savoring the food. In other words "be conscious". This goes for all aspects in life.

Your Diet is a Bank Account helped me to make the right choices. The choice is mine and no one else's. I drank a protein shake blended with a banana for breakfast (yum), and was about to make a salad consisting of mixed greens, a little bit of roast beef, swiss cheese, and oil and vinegar. I wanted to add a hard boil egg to the mix at first, but since my diet is a bank account, I decided that I had more than enough protein thus far and decided to nix adding the egg to the salad instead.

Downsize Now suggests we eat from smaller plates. Normally I would have had a larger plate to make my salad, but with this rule in mind I made the choice to use a smaller plate the way "naturally thin" people do. I was extremely satisfied after eating this "downsized" lunch.

Day one-"Before" photo

This is me weighing in at 150lbs (5'4")! My 8 year old took this picture of me today holding Bethenny Frankel's Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting. I wanted you all to see my "Before" picture as I begin this, what I hope to be, life-altering process.

What did I eat today?
-This morning I drank a Designer Whey protein shake blended with rasberries (yummy) and a banana.

-This afternoon I ate a small bowl of split pea soup with a mixed green salad. (so far so good)

-For an afternoon snack I ate a plum and a hard boiled egg.

-Dinner was one grilled boneless pork chop with two small ears of corn on the cob.

-Evening snack (because I was still feeling hungry) was a couple of turkey slices and one slice of swiss cheese


How did I do?
I think I had an awesome day eating the Naturally Thin way. Feeling good so far. I'm excited to be on my way to a Naturally Thin body. Here are the ten rules Bethenny lives by:

YOUR DIET IS A BANK ACCOUNT
YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, JUST NOT ALL AT ONCE
TASTE EVERYTHING, EAT NOTHING
PAY ATTENTION
DOWNSIZE NOW
CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN THE CLEAN PLATE CLUB
CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF
KNOW THYSELF
GET REAL
GOOD FOR YOU