What do you think?
Rate this book
The Skinny: How to Fit into Your Little Black Dress Forever
Eat what you love and love how you look! Let the girls show you how it's done. If your two favorite girlfriends wrote a hilarious, insightful book about how to look and feel fabulous without denying yourself the pleasure of great food, it would look just like this! The authors bring their unique perspectives (girl-about-town and mother of twins) to show how, whatever your lifestyle, you can balance eating smart and eating rich, and still look amazing in that little black dress. No strict rules, no boring talk about glycemic index, just savvy advice, complete meal plans, and more than 75 amazing recipes, plus an emergencies-only The Little Black Dress Diet-how to eat when you absolutely must fit into your dress by the weekend.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published December 26, 2006
4 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Clark
78 books132 followersMelissa Clark is an American food writer and cookbook author. Since 2007, she has been a food columnist for The New York Times. She has written more than 40 cookbooks and in 2018 won a James Beard Award.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 8, 2015
I'll start by saying that I love Melissa Clark's cookbooks, and her NYT recipes. Love, love, love. So I was looking forward to this book. I was quite disappointed. The main problem? Clark and her friend eat out at restaurants a LOT, so they recommend picking the thing on the plate you like the most, eat it, and only take a bite or two of the other things. Sounds reasonable. But. There is no mention whatsoever of taking the leftover food home. Nope, it gets discarded. There is something truly horrible in that, wasting massive quantities of food over time. And it just seems so spoiled, American, over-the-top self-centered and selfish to waste so much food constantly, and without giving a single thought to what that waste means. (And I'm a fairly spoiled American myself, so I'm not casting national aspersions.) People living in their own little bubble in which the only thing of importance is being skinny.
As for the rest of the book, it is mostly common sense and conventional wisdom. Nothing that you probably haven't heard many times before, or can easily figure out for yourself.
So I'm going to try to forget about this book, and cook some more of Clark's wonderful recipes :-)
As for the rest of the book, it is mostly common sense and conventional wisdom. Nothing that you probably haven't heard many times before, or can easily figure out for yourself.
So I'm going to try to forget about this book, and cook some more of Clark's wonderful recipes :-)
July 12, 2007
Before reading this book I already knew what I needed to do to be successful with my weight loss/body improvement efforts, but I always have had issues with just HOW to do it... especially with my busy busy schedule. This book has been very helpful in showing me how to do it - it's all about the method - and since living on "The Skinny" I've lost 6 lbs and counting....
FYI: Although the book is called "The Skinny" the authors make it quite clear that they are not trying to push anyone to be skinny, literally - it's all about what works best for the reader - their own individual "skinny." Mine is a size 10.
FYI: Although the book is called "The Skinny" the authors make it quite clear that they are not trying to push anyone to be skinny, literally - it's all about what works best for the reader - their own individual "skinny." Mine is a size 10.
June 4, 2011
Holy cow! If I eat "less" calories, I can LOSE WEIGHT?! Shut right up. Not to mention I should eat more fruits and veggies!! Sorry. I plan on eating A WHOLE ENTREE when I go out to eat. Is there some rash going around I should be aware of, this "don't ever eat a whole meal" epidemic? PLEASE!!! Their version of "eat whatever you want!!" is eat maybe 2 fries of your side of fries, a slurp of a milkshake (NOT AT THE SAME MEAL!!! heaven forbid!), and never EVER a whole dessert of anything. Why did I read this? Am I a TOTAL sucker? The one star is because the ladies were (kind of ) likeable and the "skinny book" was cute. Barf. (surprised there wasn't a tasteful chapter on purging. Since one recommends "skipping meals" before a big meal. Faaaabulous, ladies. Rock, rock on.)
August 26, 2012
Read it on the beach within the day. Good reminders, great points, and recipes I can't wait to make!
February 3, 2024
Melissa Clark changed the way I cooked when I read Dinner: Changing the Game. I really love what she has done for my table and palate... yum.
I am a full-time educator for a food co-op, so I teach a lot of cooking classes at the store and in the schools. Also, I experienced and recovered from a pretty nasty eating disorder about 10 years ago. I love to learn everything I can about nutrition and its impact on physical and mental health. So, when I saw that Melissa and Robin had written this book awhile back, I decided to give it a whirl despite some pretty critical reviews.
It is a fun read. It is chatty, friendly, and conversational, just like Clark's cookbooks. Kind of like reading a magazine, sans perfume samples and excessive advertising. It took over my reading time for the past week. There is definitely a place for it on my shelf. :)
My favorite books on this topic are The Four Day Win (Martha Beck) and Glucose Goddess (Jesse Inschaupe). However, not everyone absorbs information in the same way, and some folks might just take in The Skinny more easily.
Speaking of individual differences, there is so much variety in the foods people need to thrive. I can't eat like Melissa and Robin. I need to eat much more protein and fewer carbohydrates than they recommend.... and I also have some food sensitivities. I love my veggies, but fruit is by and large too sweet for me. So although their recipes look tasty, they would throw me into craving loops. So, I'm not going to use them.
However, in reading this book, my eating has changed for the better. I was already eating really well, but now I'm eating more spontaneously and with more joy. I grumbled when Melissa said to "get out of your food ruts," because it seemed pleasant to be able to make breakfast and lunch on autopilot. However, this week, most of the meals I've made have had me in raptures. It seems absurd that I used to read while eating.... that would be kind of like reading while having sex! Meals should be just as intimate and enjoyable.
A couple of times this week, I have set my lunch aside when I felt full (something kids do all the time, but I almost never do). And then later, I've been glad to have it around to eat as a snack.
Many readers were highly critical that Melissa and Robin will throw food away. I find it depressing to put food in the garbage (think methane, climate change) but I'm lucky to live in a municipality where food scraps are composted. Honestly, for me, getting rid of food that I know will trigger addictive-type eating is the best thing for me all around (including financially). Folks are also critical of Melissa's choice to skip some meals on occasion. With all the research that is coming out about the benefits of Intermittent Fasting, I really am not that worried about it. I think because of my background in nutrition, I felt really comfortable using what worked for me, and setting aside what didn't.
Thanks for the fun and useful book, Melissa and Robin!
I am a full-time educator for a food co-op, so I teach a lot of cooking classes at the store and in the schools. Also, I experienced and recovered from a pretty nasty eating disorder about 10 years ago. I love to learn everything I can about nutrition and its impact on physical and mental health. So, when I saw that Melissa and Robin had written this book awhile back, I decided to give it a whirl despite some pretty critical reviews.
It is a fun read. It is chatty, friendly, and conversational, just like Clark's cookbooks. Kind of like reading a magazine, sans perfume samples and excessive advertising. It took over my reading time for the past week. There is definitely a place for it on my shelf. :)
My favorite books on this topic are The Four Day Win (Martha Beck) and Glucose Goddess (Jesse Inschaupe). However, not everyone absorbs information in the same way, and some folks might just take in The Skinny more easily.
Speaking of individual differences, there is so much variety in the foods people need to thrive. I can't eat like Melissa and Robin. I need to eat much more protein and fewer carbohydrates than they recommend.... and I also have some food sensitivities. I love my veggies, but fruit is by and large too sweet for me. So although their recipes look tasty, they would throw me into craving loops. So, I'm not going to use them.
However, in reading this book, my eating has changed for the better. I was already eating really well, but now I'm eating more spontaneously and with more joy. I grumbled when Melissa said to "get out of your food ruts," because it seemed pleasant to be able to make breakfast and lunch on autopilot. However, this week, most of the meals I've made have had me in raptures. It seems absurd that I used to read while eating.... that would be kind of like reading while having sex! Meals should be just as intimate and enjoyable.
A couple of times this week, I have set my lunch aside when I felt full (something kids do all the time, but I almost never do). And then later, I've been glad to have it around to eat as a snack.
Many readers were highly critical that Melissa and Robin will throw food away. I find it depressing to put food in the garbage (think methane, climate change) but I'm lucky to live in a municipality where food scraps are composted. Honestly, for me, getting rid of food that I know will trigger addictive-type eating is the best thing for me all around (including financially). Folks are also critical of Melissa's choice to skip some meals on occasion. With all the research that is coming out about the benefits of Intermittent Fasting, I really am not that worried about it. I think because of my background in nutrition, I felt really comfortable using what worked for me, and setting aside what didn't.
Thanks for the fun and useful book, Melissa and Robin!
February 10, 2020
The writers lay out a plan for losing and maintaining weight without having to deny yourself good food that basically boils down to eating less and moving more. I like the friendly tone but there is nothing earth shattering here. It is pretty much common sense and conventional wisdom that any doctor or dietitian will tell you about losing and maintaining weight. Everything the authors share isn't probably anything you haven't heard many times before, or can easily figure out for yourself. Still, it has some good tips and recipes that are helpful for weight loss and maintenance.
May 14, 2020
Conventional wisdom delivered in a new way !
February 3, 2022
Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2022- a book with a recipe in it
I like Melissa Clark's recipes in the NY Times food section so thought I'd try it. Nothing earth shattering here.
I like Melissa Clark's recipes in the NY Times food section so thought I'd try it. Nothing earth shattering here.
September 20, 2022
Classic and practical advice.
July 2, 2012
The tone of this book was great - two women who love food, work in the food and publishing industry dish on how they stay thin. And guess what, they exercise and eat less! While it's nothing radical, it's a good, chatty pep talk if you're looking to trim down. One of them does skip meals before special occasions, and I don't think that all of their advice would pass muster with a dietician or doctor, but it's like getting diet tips from two foodie friends.
The recipes are good, though Clark doesn't cook with things that most people would keep in their homes. Also, there isn't any nutritional information for any of the recipes! That really got to me - while they don't use diety ingredients, I think that any book claiming to be about a healthy diet should include the nutritional information on any included recipes. So, they lost a star for that.
Not really a diet, just a healthier living pep talk by two women who love food and have been successful at keeping off weight. It's a quick read if this kind of thing is up your alley.
The recipes are good, though Clark doesn't cook with things that most people would keep in their homes. Also, there isn't any nutritional information for any of the recipes! That really got to me - while they don't use diety ingredients, I think that any book claiming to be about a healthy diet should include the nutritional information on any included recipes. So, they lost a star for that.
Not really a diet, just a healthier living pep talk by two women who love food and have been successful at keeping off weight. It's a quick read if this kind of thing is up your alley.
December 4, 2010
3.5 stars
Like any self help diet book you better brace yourself for the same old song and dance of "eating more fruits and veggies, portion control and more than 3 meals a day." This book goes beyond these concepts in that it suggests ways to do this in an easy one step at a time non-overwhelming manner. And it's all done without abusing the self esteem or questioning the intelligence of the reader with insults and unnecessary name-calling, like the authors of Skinny Bitch. Plus it's filled with more than a dozen great recipes in the end, some of which I am excited to try out.
If you need help with ideas on how to make eating healthy easier to approach then this book is a great place to start.
Like any self help diet book you better brace yourself for the same old song and dance of "eating more fruits and veggies, portion control and more than 3 meals a day." This book goes beyond these concepts in that it suggests ways to do this in an easy one step at a time non-overwhelming manner. And it's all done without abusing the self esteem or questioning the intelligence of the reader with insults and unnecessary name-calling, like the authors of Skinny Bitch. Plus it's filled with more than a dozen great recipes in the end, some of which I am excited to try out.
If you need help with ideas on how to make eating healthy easier to approach then this book is a great place to start.
August 13, 2007
I liked this book because it felt friendly in tone, like these were people who had walked down the emotional eating road before, and they had some stuff that worked, and they wanted to share their info with you. Half the book is recipes, which I probably won't make, but the other half is really good, albeit common sense, advice on eating. Eat what you want, nothing is forbidden, but just don't eat a ton of it. Eat fruits and veggies a lot more than you do now. Don't wig about that extra cookie, because you can always just eat a healthier meal the next meal to make up for it. Enjoy what you eat, and take time to savor it. It's good stuff.
January 9, 2010
This was a fun book. Mostly it's an outlook - anyone who has dieted already (or can do basic math) knows that the if you eat fewer calories than you burn in a day, you will lose weight. It's not rocket science. Also, Eat More Fruits and Vegetables makes sense. What's nice is that this isn't a diet - it's just motivating. Take what you do every day, cut your portions down, add some exercise, and forgo the extra cookie (note the word extra - you still get your cookie). So I enjoyed it. Several of the recipes look really good too, so making copies of those before returning this one to the library for sure.
March 21, 2010
Useful: ?
Recipes: ?
Writing: 3/5
Here is the basic message: Eat whatever you want. If what you want is good for you, eat a lot of it. If what you want is not good for you, have a little bit and move on to things that are good for you. The message is repeated in slightly different ways for many pages. Reading the book is like listening to a friend who talks a lot and both repeats and interrupts herself a lot. Maybe all of that repetition is required to make the mantra a part of your life... I'll have to update this when I've tried the recipes and the "skinny lifestyle" some more.
Recipes: ?
Writing: 3/5
Here is the basic message: Eat whatever you want. If what you want is good for you, eat a lot of it. If what you want is not good for you, have a little bit and move on to things that are good for you. The message is repeated in slightly different ways for many pages. Reading the book is like listening to a friend who talks a lot and both repeats and interrupts herself a lot. Maybe all of that repetition is required to make the mantra a part of your life... I'll have to update this when I've tried the recipes and the "skinny lifestyle" some more.
May 11, 2010
Eh. Just OK. I'm definitely not the target audience, but that's fine. I agree with some of the basic tenets as especially liked their insistence on truly enjoying your food- never eat on the run, always sit and eat w/ a placemat, napkin etc. But damn, these ladies do NOT eat a lot of calories. I'm way to active to get by on 4-5 MOUTHFULS of an entree. No way. Plus, I really don't need any "tricks" to make it look like I ate more of something than I did. Certainly a very fast read, with a few good points, but not worth going out of your way for.
August 2, 2008
I put this in the "cookbooks" category just because it has recipes in it, but it's not really a cookbook. That said, the recipes were a little high-brow for me. I'm a simple gal and a lot of the ingredients were too "grown up" for me. I mean, Lawry's is about as spicy as I get.
The actual content of the book wasn't anything I hadn't heard before: eat mindfully, don't eat in front of the tv, etc., but it doesn't hurt to hear a reminder. This was more of a skim than an actual read.
The actual content of the book wasn't anything I hadn't heard before: eat mindfully, don't eat in front of the tv, etc., but it doesn't hurt to hear a reminder. This was more of a skim than an actual read.
July 17, 2007
There were a few recipes that sounded good, so I wrote those down, but overall this book basically reiterates everything you have already heard about easy changes you can make in your diet to start your path to being healthier. For me, it was all the same stuff I have already heard or have already read in fitness magazines.
October 1, 2017
this book was helpful to me by giving me a healthier way of thinking about food. which was just what i needed when i picked it up. it is sensible and written with a lot of fun and examples.
in practicality, i need a few more guide lines than it provides, but still refer back to it occasionally for perspective.
in practicality, i need a few more guide lines than it provides, but still refer back to it occasionally for perspective.
November 11, 2010
This was an easy read but I didn't learn anything new that I already knew except the easy, yummy recipes in the back. It's a good reminder book and entertaining to read more than once. I think what I liked about it was the practical advice: eat vegetables, be conscious of your portions, etc. If you want to lose wait the steps are intuitive. This is a good read to remind and reinforce.
May 29, 2011
Just meh. The authors don't really give any life-changing advice, and it all seems somewhat amateur. All of the tips they give are basically common sense, so I haven't really gleaned anything new. I'm only about halfway through, so maybe it'll get better? I'm looking forward to the recipes they have included.
I finished the book and it still didn't have any inspiring advice. Do not recommend.
I finished the book and it still didn't have any inspiring advice. Do not recommend.
December 19, 2012
gives simple useful advice that can be outlined in a couple of lines:
Be selective of what you eat, only eat when hungry and the thing you really want to eat and train to eat a sufficiently smallest portion of food you need. Exercise regularly and enjoy life.
It explain the outline above in detail in a sassy fashion.
Be selective of what you eat, only eat when hungry and the thing you really want to eat and train to eat a sufficiently smallest portion of food you need. Exercise regularly and enjoy life.
It explain the outline above in detail in a sassy fashion.
June 12, 2014
Not a radical diet, and this book isn't filled with exercise tips or calorie counting drills. Just a basic way to approach eating -including the things you love- in a sensible way that allows one to maintain a healthy weight, and a non-soul-destroying way to lose weight (when combined with exercise, of course; this isn't a magic bullet).
September 15, 2008
OK, I'm admitting I read this. At first, I didn't understand what the authors were suggesting, but then I realized the book is just a bunch of games you play with yourself to control your eating. The best thing about this book is all the recipes in the back... I'll definitely try making some!
February 10, 2009
This book really was... just ok. It's an easy read, and I like the down-to-earth language. No earth-shattering tips in here, just an encouragement to enjoy your food, and know when enough is enough. Blah. I want more chocolate :)
December 23, 2015
This book has some GREAT tips on being able to keep your figure but not feel like you're depriving yourself. It's all about moderation and I couldn't agree more! You can live a healthy lifestyle and still eat that cookie! Maybe just one though and not fourteen ;0)
July 31, 2012
I actually enjoyed this book, and I am going to take a lot of the advice that they give. It's nice to know that there are other ways to diet without depriving yourself. The book actually has it's funny moments, I thought it was great book, no complaints.
January 14, 2016
I picked up a few good recipes and tips here and there with this book. An easy read with cool color and graphics throughout. All the side notes and quotes make this perfect for the ADD generation, who like snippets of information as opposed to text-heavy pages.
July 22, 2007
Great book all about trying to eat better stay in shape and still look hot in that skinny black dress.. do u have one?
September 15, 2007
A better reading choice over Skinny Bitch.
July 11, 2008
Library book.
Good stuff in here. Lots that related to Intuitive Eating. I enjoyed this one.
Good stuff in here. Lots that related to Intuitive Eating. I enjoyed this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews