"Skinny Bitch" was effective but challenging to maintain!

by Heather
(Springfield, MO)

After reading the book "Skinny Bitch" I decided to give veganism (which is essentially what the book encourages) a try.

I avoided all meat (easy because I was already vegetarian) all dairy, animal by-products, hydrogenated oils, and most refined sugars.

I did deviate a little bit from the diet: I did not follow the suggested meal plans in the book, and I did not eat a salad every day for lunch.

I was 130 lbs, and I lost 20 lbs over the span of 4 months. While the diet was a success, it made it challenging to go out with friends, prepare meals, etc.

No restaurants offer vegan options, so you must cook at home all of the time with the exception of a few very expensive TV dinners. When you do go out, you feel like you're irritating the waitress with all of your "exceptions"!

Going to work was also frustrating when people brought food in to celebrate something. When you're counting calories, you can have a small portion, but when you're vegan, you simply can't eat most of it.

The product list in the back of the book DOES help. I was able to satisfy some of my peculiar cookie and cake cravings by buying recommended products from health food stores.

Overall, the diet was successful, and I was not miserable. I can honestly say I was never hungry, just sometimes frustrated because I craved a huge slice of pizza or some fettucine alfredo!

I still stick to it most of the time (I do not eat meat, but I occasionally give into cheese, which is my favorite) and I have kept almost all of the weight off.

When I reintroduced small amounts of cheese, I gained about five pounds back.