How to Diet Like Bethenny Frankel

In an age of diet books as plentiful as groceries, it can be hard for one book to stand out. Who is Bethenny Frankel, and why would you buy her book? She addresses that very question in the beginning of her book, "Naturally Thin," and she will have you hooked from the moment you read it. She is one of us --- and on our side. She wants readers to stop all of the negative self-talk regarding dieting and break free from the mental prison of a deprived way of living. If you appreciate no-nonsense, direct advice that really speaks to the root psychology of dieting, you will love her book.

Things You'll Need

• Organic foods
• Workout gear

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Dieting is like banking.

  Handle your diet in the way you'd handle a checking account. Think in terms of balance. If you take out $500 from the ATM, you won't want to take out $500 again that same day, or you'll go broke. With food, if you eat a large plate of spaghetti that day, don't go out for a steak, cocktails and dessert that same night. It's all about balance.

• 2

  Have a bite --- just not every single bite.

  Taste everything; eat nothing. Frankel reminds us that we can understand and appreciate the taste of something after a few bites. We can eat four bites of a steak and it is still going to taste the same if we continue on to have 50 bites, so the secret is in stopping after you enjoy just a little of the taste!

• 3

  Cut portion sizes to help keep your weight under control.

  Master your own diet destiny. Don't let a restaurant's serving size dictate what you should eat. Frankel shares her tip for dining out, saying that she cuts portions in half or shares an entree with her husband and fills up on vegetable side dishes. If she really wants dessert, she will order it and just eat a few bites.

• 4

  Natural foods are a key to weight loss.

  Eat real food, not processed foods. If the ingredients sound foreign to you, they are foreign to your body. Your body will utilize real food more efficiently. It is better for you and more satisfying so you won't need to overeat to feel full. Also, many natural foods contain fiber, which will fill you up without filling you out.

• 5

  Food is not your friend or your enemy.

  Don't make food good or bad, because you feed your obsession that way. If you spend your day saying you were bad yesterday so now you have to be good, you will perpetuate the cycle that keeps you overweight. Frankel suggests that food is not your friend or your enemy, so "quiet the food noise" in your head and just eat what you want in moderation.