Skinny Chicks

I often read books about fitness and nutrition because there is usually something of value I can pull from them. One of the books I have enjoyed (but also wanted to throw across the room a few times) is called "The Secrets of Skinny Chicks: How to Feel Great in Your Jeans- When It Doesn't Come Naturally." The book profiles the diets and workout plans for several women who are very thin and work very hard at it.

What I like is that it stresses that even women who are very thin treat themselves to glasses of wine and chocolate; they just factor it into their daily calorie count. It is also interesting to see that women to whom we may think being skinny comes so naturally, well, in reality, it may not. The women in this book work quite hard at remaining thin.

That said, it is a frustrating book as well. Most women are not going to have the time to devote 4 hours a day to working out. It also often is not the best choice to subsist off 1200 calories a day. What I pull from this is that I need to make a choice about what it most important to me.

Do I want to avoid my favorite foods most of the time and spend most of my free time working out? No. I do not. I enjoy food and socializing outside of the gym too much. When I feel bad about myself, I try to remind myself of this choice and be satisfied with how I choose to live my life.