Molly Morgan - The Skinny Rules

THE 101 SECRETS EVERY SKINNY GIRL KNOWS

F irst and foremost, I have to thank my husband, who put up with my long hours at the computer typing away to get this book written, and our little guys, who were as understanding as a baby and toddler can be about their mommy needing to work.

This book became a reality thanks to Holly Schmidt: I cant thank her enough for her time and dedication bringing this project to life and to Sarah Pelz, my editor from Harlequin who helped to guide the writing and corrected every page of this book.

Last but not least is a thank-you to the numerous outstanding experts who provided tips and content for this book, who are all listed in Appendix A. Their time and effort in providing expertise is much appreciated.

I was writing this book at the most ironic point in my life. To make a long story short, I signed the publishing contract when our second son was only three weeks old, at a time when most women feel the furthest thing from Skinny. Which brings me to my first pointwhat does it mean to be Skinny? Society has defined Skinny as what size clothes you wear and how you look in them. The medical community defines Skinny by your body mass index (BMI)the ratio of your height to your weight. And the dictionary defines Skinny as: being thin.

Yet, as a nutrition expert, I have my own definition of Skinny. I believe that Skinny is actually defined by the lifestyle you lead and not by the size clothes you wear. Lets say your BMI is in a healthy range and you appear visibly thindoes this mean you are healthy? I say maybe. If you are eating well, exercising and taking care of your body then, yes, this is living a healthy Skinny life. If you are filling your body with garbage foods, smoking, and are inactive then, no, even if you appear Skinny, you arent living a Skinny life! My goal is to challenge you to think of Skinny in a new waythink of it as living a healthy and active life, rather than defining Skinny simply by the size clothes you wear.

Now take a moment and ask yourself who are you trying to be Skinny for? Here is a piece of advice that I love. It comes from Alison Sweeney, host of The Biggest Loser, who told www.fitnessmagazine.com, Do it for yourself! If youre trying to lose weight for your husband or mother, it wont work. If you are trying to change your lifestyle for someone else, you arent going to have the true motivation you need to change. Challenge yourself to change your mind-set and focus on getting Skinny for younot someone else!

As a registered dietitian, people often ask me what I think about the obesity epidemicwhy the rates of obesity and overweight individuals are soaring worldwide, and especially in the United States. I dont think there is just one factor; there are lots and lots of factors. As my husband says, You dont catch fat! What he means is that it isnt as if one morning you wake up 50 pounds heavier than the day before. Gaining weight happens over time and losing weight takes time. There arent any magic pills or powders or potions that will do the work for you; instead, there are Skinny rules you can follow to adjust your lifestyle to take the weight off.

Did you like those choose your own adventure books as a child? I certainly did! As I was writing this book, it struck me that losing weight and becoming a healthier version of you is kind of like choosing your own adventure! You can even think of this book as your choose-your-own food, nutrition, cooking, fitness and fashion rule book, filled with tips, tricks and secrets to get you on a path to a healthier and Skinnier you! Let the adventure begin!

T he first Skinny rule is that you must believe you can be Skinny. This is one rule that all Skinny girls followthey dont question whether or not its possible to be thin and stay that way. They just do it.

You must know that losing weight is possible! Every day, were bombarded with depressing statistics and numbers about how many people are overweight, but what we really need to be hearing is less about the saddening stats and more about what you can actually do to adopt a healthy lifestyle! Throughout this book you will be reading rules that can and will help you meet your goals in a healthful way.

This rule was inspired by Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, CSSD, a New York Citybased registered dietitian and the bestselling co-author of Flat Belly Diet! As she explains, So often we hear that diets and exercise dont work, but Ive worked with hundreds of people over the years who have lost weight healthfully and kept it off. Her motivating tip is this: Dont give upits about finding what works for you and choices that make you feel good both physically and emotionally that you can stick with.

Skinny Rule #1 is all about your frame of mind. You have to start talking positively to yourself and psyching yourself up that you can do this! This component is crucial. Because even after you read this book, you will have lots of ways101 waysto shape up your lifestyle and become a thinner version of you, but you are the one who has to do the work. So before you read on, start telling yourself that its possible! Believe you can be Skinny. Whenever you feel that it isnt possible, jump right back to this page and read it again! This one simple rule can make all the difference for you.

As a reminder, jot down, Its possible or I believe on a sticky note and post it on your desk, your bathroom mirror or, better yet, on your refrigerator, reminding yourself throughout the day that it is possible to drop pounds healthfully and keep them off. You wont find any crazy powders, pills or promises in this book, but you will find all the to-the-point tips, tricks and rules to guide you on the path to a healthier, Skinnier version of you. So now that you know you can do it, lets get started!

T his is one of the most surprising Skinny rules, as it has nothing to do with what you eat or how much you exercise, but believe it or not, sleep is just as important! Skinny girls think of sleep as a necessity, not a luxury, and they never miss out on any precious ZZZs. Thats because sleep is a Skinny essentialit plays a crucial role in controlling your appetite.

Getting less than the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night increases your odds of being overweight and having a higher body fat percentage. It even puts you at risk for type 2 diabetes. Why? Research shows that sleep affects the levels of leptin and ghrelin in the body, two hormones that control and stimulate hunger.

Leptin is a Skinny secret weapon because one of the key roles it plays is to tell your brain: Hey! Stop eating, Im full! When you sleep, your levels of leptin increase, letting your body know that it has plenty of energy and theres no need to trigger the feeling of hunger. Scientists are still trying to understand more precisely how this hormone works. So while science tries to further explain it, what is known is that when you arent getting enough sleep, your body winds up with lower levels of this Skinny, appetite-controlling hormone, which leaves you feeling hungry even when you really dont need food!

While more leptin means you feel less hungry, the opposite is true of ghrelin. Ghrelin tells your brain when you need to eat and while you sleep, levels of ghrelin decrease because sleep requires less energy than what is needed when you are awake. When you arent getting enough sleep, you actually wind up having more of the appetite-stimulating hormone in your system, which makes your body believe it is hungry.