Little Book of Thin

Ten years ago, I witnessed the power of Lauren Slayton’s nutrition acumen…

My fellow work colleague had undergone a major lifestyle transformation and had lost approximately 40 pounds.  When you’re pulling 8-10 hour days with an intimate group of people, it’s inevitable that you start to function as one unit. So, as my friends’ weight came off, we too picked up some nutritional cues and celebrated her milestones along the way. Little did I know at the time, my colleague was a walking poster child for Foodtrainers, Lauren’s successful nutrition practice in New York City.  Three years later, Lauren and I would finally meet each other in the lobby of a nursery school as our children embarked on their educational journeys (and that was 8 years ago!).

I was thrilled to have been asked to take part in Lauren’s blog tour in conjunction with the release of her first book, “Little Book of Thin.”  While I’ve never been a client, I am (obviously) a huge proponent of her work. I follow her Foodtrainers blog and read her posts religiously. I’ve read most of her features in Self, InStyle, Allure, Harper’s Bazaar (to name just a few).  Whenever she’s appearing on TV, I always tune-in for her nutritional nuggets of information. When Lauren’s recommending a new food product, I always jot it down on my “to try” list. Bottom line, Lauren’s nutritional advice is downright effective and applicable to anyone–whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds or simply want to ameliorate your lifestyle.

Little Book of Thin (LBT) is the ultimate healthy eating survival handbook! This pocket-sized book (small enough to carry around in your purse or briefcase—because you should have it at all times) doles out helpful tips and tricks to help you avoid any food-related booby traps.  You’ll get long-term weight loss lessons that will enable you to actually plan and prepare, and even to veer occasionally from your course- and still succeed.  And, it’s written in Lauren’s witty-yet-honest voice, which can sometimes seem harsh but is always coupled with an element of hand-holding.

When I sat down to read the book, I was happily sipping my mini Diet Coke after having convinced myself that a smaller version of Diet Coke isn’t so bad.  Ha. I immediately spit it out when I came across the not so subtle subtitle NO SODA: “diet soda drinkers have higher levels of abdominal fat, and diet soda, although “sugar free,” has been shown to raise blood sugar levels.  Soda=toxic relationship.” Yes, I felt like I had my hand slapped, but for good reason.  Lauren doesn’t pussyfoot around and often sets out firm rules.  I did feel like I was punched in the gut when I read her mandates (all of which I’ve broken on a daily basis): “No Cold Cereal,” “No Bagels,” “No GUM!!” “No Frozen Yogurt,”  “No Bottled Salad Dressing.”

I found myself dog-earring and underlining almost every other sentence in the book. I guarantee, reading this book makes you feel as though you’re stuck in one continuous “AHA” moment. It’s almost as if Lauren gets inside our heads and turns our burning (sometimes embarrassing) questions inside out with practical, actionable solutions. To start, we’re provided a “Ten Steps to Svelte” program to help us refine day-to-day behaviors holding us back.  Who knew we should eat two-hours of waking up?  Do you eat four fish meals a week?  Is lunch your biggest meal of the day as Lauren recommends?   Again, not to fret (as I did), while Lauren sympathizes that she knows we’re not doing all these things, she’s still optimistic that we’ll take pleasure in checking off the completed tasks.

We’re also given What-to-Eat Cheat Sheets where Lauren dishes her top choices in each category of food.  But again, while it my seem daunting to the average person, Lauren is still comforting and reminds that we “don’t have to be anxiety-ridden about selecting food, just be aware.”

As a person with a 4pm witching hour where I find myself rifling through our pantry for something to satiate my mid-afternoon munchies, I love Lauren’s Pre-Snacktual Agreement section, challenging readers to become “uniform snackers”.  And, in typical Lauren fashion, no nutritional rock is left unturned.  She provides us with an arsenal of food options to help us avoid fishing for that pack of cheddar bunnies lodged in between the car seats.

Lauren creatively investigates and tackles all other potential diet pitfalls: what workouts work (complete with a full sample Dream Exercise Week), how to healthfully eat out at restaurants, what to eat when you’re on the road traveling, how to avoid the holiday hazards, treat training, how to get beach and bikini ready, how to avoid the dreaded birthday party overindulgence, how to avoid picking at kids’ menus, how to survive eating on a “date,” emotional eating, best foods for sweet cravers, and even how to eat at weddings and funerals! Oh, and did I mention there’s an entire recipe section in the back of the book with healthy yet tasty recipes that even the most novice chefs can whip up?

Have I whet your proverbial appetite yet?

If you’re looking for a realistic approach to weight loss and healthy eating delivered in a fun and easy-to-read format, better order your copy of Little Book of Thin NOW so that you can live “thintastically” ever after.

 

To read more about Lauren Slayton you can contact her online at:

Foodtrainers.com
Blog: Foodtrainers.blogspot.com
Pinterest: Foodtrainers.blogspot.com/Pinterest
Twitter: @Foodtrainers
Facebook: Foodtrainers

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer:  I was not compensated to write this post.  I did receive an advanced review copy of the book.  All of the opinions expressed are (as always) my own.