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The Skinny: On Losing Weight Without Being Hungry-The Ultimate Guide to Weight Loss Success
Tried diet after diet and still can’t lose weight? It’s time to call the expert. In The Skinny, Dr. Louis Aronne, America’s top weight-loss specialist, shares the plan that has worked so well for his many patients. Through his friendly guidance, you’ll finally learn how to:
stop the weight-loss, weight-gain cycle
learn the strategy for feeling full with fewer calories
teach your brain to stop craving food
learn to put down your fork and automatically push away from the table—without counting a single calorie
learn what common medications and medical conditions can make you gain weight
lose the weight—even if nothing else has worked
Dr. Louis Aronne is the expert whom doctors refer their toughest cases to. For more than twenty years he’s worked on the front lines of obesity research and treatment. The founder and director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York–Presbyterian Hospital /Weill Cornell Medical Center, he has helped thousands of people achieve lasting weight loss.
In The Skinny, Dr. Aronne shows you how to fix your internal biology by adjusting your eating and activity one step at a time. Including comprehensive menus, restaurant options for every type of food, a do-it-at-home strength plan and exercise plans, more than fifty low-calorie, high-satisfaction recipes, and extensive advice that helps you put the plan into practice, this is the only book you’ll need to learn how to defeat your hunger and cravings, and make the changes to your biochemistry that will keep the weight off for good.
Are you tired of yo-yo dieting? Tired of the pain and discomfort of being overweight? Do you finally want to feel good about the body you’re in? Is long-term weight loss as important to you as initial short-term loss? Then you’re ready to commit to The Skinny.
stop the weight-loss, weight-gain cycle
learn the strategy for feeling full with fewer calories
teach your brain to stop craving food
learn to put down your fork and automatically push away from the table—without counting a single calorie
learn what common medications and medical conditions can make you gain weight
lose the weight—even if nothing else has worked
Dr. Louis Aronne is the expert whom doctors refer their toughest cases to. For more than twenty years he’s worked on the front lines of obesity research and treatment. The founder and director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York–Presbyterian Hospital /Weill Cornell Medical Center, he has helped thousands of people achieve lasting weight loss.
In The Skinny, Dr. Aronne shows you how to fix your internal biology by adjusting your eating and activity one step at a time. Including comprehensive menus, restaurant options for every type of food, a do-it-at-home strength plan and exercise plans, more than fifty low-calorie, high-satisfaction recipes, and extensive advice that helps you put the plan into practice, this is the only book you’ll need to learn how to defeat your hunger and cravings, and make the changes to your biochemistry that will keep the weight off for good.
Are you tired of yo-yo dieting? Tired of the pain and discomfort of being overweight? Do you finally want to feel good about the body you’re in? Is long-term weight loss as important to you as initial short-term loss? Then you’re ready to commit to The Skinny.
219 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 12, 2009
The only diet book you'll ever need. Just ask David Letterman. What can I say, it works! Don't read the Kindle version, however, the charts and illustrations are very readable. It's the only drawback to the Kindle. Buy the hard copy of the book instead.
March 21, 2025
The book starts out with the hook: "It's not your fault - it's biology, it's genetics. Some people can eat anything and not gain. We did tests on twins and overfed them, and everything melted off their bodies within six weeks without dieting. It's biological, and not anything you did!"
Then he delivers the hope: "Your food fullness meter is broken or was never there, unlike theirs. But we can CHANGE that!!"
Then he gets to the regurgitated BS that every diet gives us: "The way for you to lose the weight and keep it off? Is to EAT LIKE A RABBIT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!! You eat only egg whites for breakfast, salads for lunch, and 'lean' meat with veggies for supper. For. THE. REST. OF. YOUR. LIFE!!! And that will fix your fullness meter!!"
Like EVERY OTHER DIET BOOK IN THE WORLD doesn't say this? So... basically, my genetics say I get to forego pleasure that the skinny people have in eating chocolate brownies, pasta, cake, starches, and ice cream if I want to be like them? Gee, thanks. That's a REAL fix, there, bub.
You realize this is NOT BEING LIKE THEM, RIGHT?!?!?!?!?!?
Screw this. I get more pleasure out of the '3-Day Military Diet' than I would out of his oh-so-innovative approach of deprivation for life. At least the 'Military Diet' lets me have ice cream, and have four days off, and STILL lose weight while I'm on it.
This guy's pitch/delivery sucks, and I threw his book against a wall.
Thank God I only spent 25¢ on it.
Then he delivers the hope: "Your food fullness meter is broken or was never there, unlike theirs. But we can CHANGE that!!"
Then he gets to the regurgitated BS that every diet gives us: "The way for you to lose the weight and keep it off? Is to EAT LIKE A RABBIT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!! You eat only egg whites for breakfast, salads for lunch, and 'lean' meat with veggies for supper. For. THE. REST. OF. YOUR. LIFE!!! And that will fix your fullness meter!!"
Like EVERY OTHER DIET BOOK IN THE WORLD doesn't say this? So... basically, my genetics say I get to forego pleasure that the skinny people have in eating chocolate brownies, pasta, cake, starches, and ice cream if I want to be like them? Gee, thanks. That's a REAL fix, there, bub.
You realize this is NOT BEING LIKE THEM, RIGHT?!?!?!?!?!?
Screw this. I get more pleasure out of the '3-Day Military Diet' than I would out of his oh-so-innovative approach of deprivation for life. At least the 'Military Diet' lets me have ice cream, and have four days off, and STILL lose weight while I'm on it.
This guy's pitch/delivery sucks, and I threw his book against a wall.
Thank God I only spent 25¢ on it.
Read
February 1, 2017Back in 2009, while watching the Late Show with David Letterman, I learned about the The Skinny on Losing Weight Without Being Hungry. Letterman introduced Louis Aronne as the author of the book and his personal physician, who had helped Letterman keep his weight under control after open heart surgery. Aronne's premise is that obese people have difficulty losing weight, not because they don’t want it badly enough. It's because they battle strong biological signals driving them to eat–hormonal signals which obliterate their sense of fullness. That’s why dieters often say that the more they eat the hungrier they get.
As a super fan of David Letterman and a dieting junkie, I went out and purchased the book the next day. After following the diet for two weeks, I had lost six pounds.
In the Introduction and Part One, Aronne says that weight loss is not about will power or priorities or wanting it badly enough. It’s about biology. Those who struggle with weight loss do so because their weight-regulating system is broken. The area of the brain that should act as a fuel gauge, much like the gas gauge on a car, can no longer receive information from the sensors in the stomach, intestines, and fat cells that normally would relay messages back to it, to let it know how many calories have been consumed or how much fat is stored in the cells. Since the messages are not getting to the brain, the needle on the gauge stays on empty, resulting in a feeling of hunger rather than satiety.
Aronne explains that the breakdown in the brain’s regulating system is triggered by a diet laden with certain types of foods consumed in excess. Such a breakdown results in a condition of obesity, one that affects two thirds of the adult population. That’s why so many people have a predisposition to gaining weight. Aronne calls this predisposition a “powerful force, a health problem you must fight.” But, he warns that will power and portion control will not work unless you first override the internal biology and fix the broken gauge. In the chapters that follow, he outlines a plan to help any dieter lose weight and fix the gauge by adopting a number of behavioral and eating strategies that have proven successful with his patients. The strategies are based on Aronne’s research indicating that obesity is not a motivational or psychological issue, but a disease, that like heart disease or cancer, can be treated.
At this point, I know all you diet junkies are saying, “Just get to diet part. What can you eat?” That’s always the bottom line for me, too, so I’ll get right to it. It’s in Part Two.
The diet, or food plan, is highly structured, but with enough flexibility to adapt to individual taste and lifestyle. The dieter is encouraged to restructure meals and snacks according to a Skinny Makeover Plan.
Breakfast is based on a healthy serving of protein. The main options are egg substitute/eggs cooked with veggies or lean meat, or a protein shake. The shake can be commercially prepared or one from the recipe provided in the book: 2 scoops of protein powder, 2T ground flaxseed, 1.5 cups frozen strawberries, water or skim milk. Other options include low fat cottage cheese, turkey sausage, hard boiled eggs, low fat yogurt, or apple with 2T peanut butter.
Lunch begins with an appetizer, which could be a cup of commercially prepared vegetable or bean soup, or soup prepared from a recipe in the book; a green salad with lots of raw veggies, oil and vinegar or low cal prepared dressing; or, a shrimp cocktail. Next, comes a side dish of low carb vegetables, steamed or grilled. The main course is lean protein, up to eight ounces, as needed to satisfy hunger. The courses can be eaten separately to control hunger, but it’s also alright to combine everything into a big salad topped with protein.
Dinner is similar to lunch, with the appetizer, side dish of low carb veggies, and a protein serving. It also includes one serving of high-fiber whole grain beans, rice, pasta, sweet potato, etc. Optional dessert can be fat-free jello with whipped topping or fat-free, sugar-free pudding-1/2 cup.
Snacks–two per day– are included, with at least one required in the afternoon. Dessert at night can take the place of the morning snack. If breakfast is eaten early, Aronne advises taking something before lunch. Some options for snacks are: 1 cup berries, 6-12 almonds, 80z. fat free yogurt (100-120 cals.), 2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese with celery sticks, apple with 2 tsp. peanut butter, etc. Unlimited raw veggies are permitted, and in cases of extreme hunger, it’s okay to eat lean protein or more soup.
As the weight comes off and the breakdown to the brain is restored, the food plan expands to include limited amounts of higher carbs and fat. Aronne addresses both stubborn weight loss and maintenance in Part Three of the book.
In Part Four, Aronne includes Skinny Recipes and Skinny Resources to make the plan easier to follow. I included the shake recipe above, which is my favorite. However, I have also tried the Lentil Soup and the Pork Chops with Cherry Glaze, both of which I found to be delicious.
Although Aronne published this book in 2010, his research on obesity as a disease resulting from a breakdown in the brain’s regulating system, has been borne out by recent studies as well. The principles behind the diet are as up-to-date as they were seven years ago. The only section that may need revision is the last one, in which Aronne lists commercial products and fast food items that comply with the Skinny Diet guidelines. But if you are looking for a plan that will help you manage hunger and lose weight in the process, I highly recommend this one. Copies are available through Amazon on Kindle and paperback
As a super fan of David Letterman and a dieting junkie, I went out and purchased the book the next day. After following the diet for two weeks, I had lost six pounds.
In the Introduction and Part One, Aronne says that weight loss is not about will power or priorities or wanting it badly enough. It’s about biology. Those who struggle with weight loss do so because their weight-regulating system is broken. The area of the brain that should act as a fuel gauge, much like the gas gauge on a car, can no longer receive information from the sensors in the stomach, intestines, and fat cells that normally would relay messages back to it, to let it know how many calories have been consumed or how much fat is stored in the cells. Since the messages are not getting to the brain, the needle on the gauge stays on empty, resulting in a feeling of hunger rather than satiety.
Aronne explains that the breakdown in the brain’s regulating system is triggered by a diet laden with certain types of foods consumed in excess. Such a breakdown results in a condition of obesity, one that affects two thirds of the adult population. That’s why so many people have a predisposition to gaining weight. Aronne calls this predisposition a “powerful force, a health problem you must fight.” But, he warns that will power and portion control will not work unless you first override the internal biology and fix the broken gauge. In the chapters that follow, he outlines a plan to help any dieter lose weight and fix the gauge by adopting a number of behavioral and eating strategies that have proven successful with his patients. The strategies are based on Aronne’s research indicating that obesity is not a motivational or psychological issue, but a disease, that like heart disease or cancer, can be treated.
At this point, I know all you diet junkies are saying, “Just get to diet part. What can you eat?” That’s always the bottom line for me, too, so I’ll get right to it. It’s in Part Two.
The diet, or food plan, is highly structured, but with enough flexibility to adapt to individual taste and lifestyle. The dieter is encouraged to restructure meals and snacks according to a Skinny Makeover Plan.
Breakfast is based on a healthy serving of protein. The main options are egg substitute/eggs cooked with veggies or lean meat, or a protein shake. The shake can be commercially prepared or one from the recipe provided in the book: 2 scoops of protein powder, 2T ground flaxseed, 1.5 cups frozen strawberries, water or skim milk. Other options include low fat cottage cheese, turkey sausage, hard boiled eggs, low fat yogurt, or apple with 2T peanut butter.
Lunch begins with an appetizer, which could be a cup of commercially prepared vegetable or bean soup, or soup prepared from a recipe in the book; a green salad with lots of raw veggies, oil and vinegar or low cal prepared dressing; or, a shrimp cocktail. Next, comes a side dish of low carb vegetables, steamed or grilled. The main course is lean protein, up to eight ounces, as needed to satisfy hunger. The courses can be eaten separately to control hunger, but it’s also alright to combine everything into a big salad topped with protein.
Dinner is similar to lunch, with the appetizer, side dish of low carb veggies, and a protein serving. It also includes one serving of high-fiber whole grain beans, rice, pasta, sweet potato, etc. Optional dessert can be fat-free jello with whipped topping or fat-free, sugar-free pudding-1/2 cup.
Snacks–two per day– are included, with at least one required in the afternoon. Dessert at night can take the place of the morning snack. If breakfast is eaten early, Aronne advises taking something before lunch. Some options for snacks are: 1 cup berries, 6-12 almonds, 80z. fat free yogurt (100-120 cals.), 2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese with celery sticks, apple with 2 tsp. peanut butter, etc. Unlimited raw veggies are permitted, and in cases of extreme hunger, it’s okay to eat lean protein or more soup.
As the weight comes off and the breakdown to the brain is restored, the food plan expands to include limited amounts of higher carbs and fat. Aronne addresses both stubborn weight loss and maintenance in Part Three of the book.
In Part Four, Aronne includes Skinny Recipes and Skinny Resources to make the plan easier to follow. I included the shake recipe above, which is my favorite. However, I have also tried the Lentil Soup and the Pork Chops with Cherry Glaze, both of which I found to be delicious.
Although Aronne published this book in 2010, his research on obesity as a disease resulting from a breakdown in the brain’s regulating system, has been borne out by recent studies as well. The principles behind the diet are as up-to-date as they were seven years ago. The only section that may need revision is the last one, in which Aronne lists commercial products and fast food items that comply with the Skinny Diet guidelines. But if you are looking for a plan that will help you manage hunger and lose weight in the process, I highly recommend this one. Copies are available through Amazon on Kindle and paperback
December 19, 2025
A waste of a read. This just felt like another worthless Atkins clone. Doesn't the author know that he died obese?
May 27, 2012
This was a fad-diet book with very few redeeming qualities. Pretty much all the good information was researched (and written about) in Rolls' Volumetrics books, and at times the author would say things like, "I can't quote you many studies to prove that..." (p. 70, first time) which makes me wonder why this Dr. is writing a book in the first place. He also claims, "I'm a numbers guy and a research guy..." (p. 114), which with the previous quote makes no sense. Furthermore, later in the book it sounds like he's promoting set-point theory, which I disagree with wholeheartedly.
January 11, 2011
Superb book. By a scientist. If only losing weight was this simple? Actually it is. This book if taken to the mainstream would almost certainly stop the diet" products and systems market. It really is that simple. Common sense based and working around evidence and basic rules of hormones etc. This really is a life changer
June 4, 2009
Dr. Aronne offers a high protein, low carb, healthy eating style that also emphasizes the order in which food is eaten. I particularly like the concept that the extra pounds are not my fault! There are interesting tips and plenty of recipes.
May 4, 2010
I kept coming across this book at the library and checked it out twice and I think it's a book worth owning. It walks you through the eating process and how it effects your hormones and your hunger level which made a lot of sense.
Currently Reading
March 30, 2009This is supposed to help us change eating habits and learn to know when you are full. Good luck to me!!
Read
April 13, 2009Skimmed. Took a few good tips from it.
April 17, 2009
Great tips, very readable and inspirational, has recipes, easy exercises and every option you can think of. This book has something for everyone.
May 26, 2009
This is a great common sense guide to losing weight and keeping it off. I will attempt to take Dr. Lou's advice on the foods to avoid and which to push to avoid being hungry.
June 15, 2010
Excellent book. Straight forward advice with easy-to-implement techniques for successful weight loss and goal weight maintenance for real people who have busy lives.
June 18, 2011
Starting the new year....I'm so on this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 2, 2012
Had to read this for work.
Read
May 15, 2010Very strict low-carb diet.
Read up to pg. 74
flagged p. 17, 22, 26, 30, 35, 40, 47, 57, 70
Read up to pg. 74
flagged p. 17, 22, 26, 30, 35, 40, 47, 57, 70
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews