I have heard people say that following these rules is unrealistic, but I disagree. Bethenny's whole point is that you don't have to be on a diet, you can eat whatever you want. But, you have to do it in moderation and balance your food choices. For example, if you go out to eat and want a steak....get a steak. BUT, if you get a steak and a salad and a bowl of soup and a baked potato you need to only have a few bites of each, or eat the whole bowl of soup and have a few bites of everything else. OR, if you want the entire steak, EAT THE ENTIRE STEAK, but balance it with a side of broccoli or a small salad. If there's one thing I took away from this book it's BALANCE! Balance what kinds of foods you're eating (protein, carbs, fruits, veggies, sugar....) and balance when you eat them. If you want to have 3 glasses of wine, fine, but then don't get dessert. Or, get dessert and only have one glass of wine. Balance.
It's really quite simple, and just common sense if you think about it. For me, this book was eye opening because I always thought I'd have to deprive myself of what I loved and really wanted in order to lose weight, and that's probably why I've never succeeded. For the last 5 days I have been eating what I want or what sounds good but in smaller portions or with less "other junk."
There are a couple of tips that really stood out in my mind that I am trying to remember and use on a daily basis.
*Downgrade! Bethenny suggests using smaller plates and bowls while eating. If you have a small (or what should be normal) sized portion of food on a huge dinner plate it's going to look pathetic and you're going to think you're being deprived. But, if you put that same amount of food on a salad plate, it's going to take up the whole plate and look like more. Plus it will keep your portion size in check.
*Plan ahead! This is one of the things I really wanted to work on. I bought a bunch of smaller sized tupperware containers to pre-pack meals in. For example, I made some amazing food this weekend (more on that later this week) and I split the leftovers in to several small containers, this way I can just grab one of them and have a pre-made reasonably sized meal for lunch!
*Use what you've got! One of the things Bethenny mentions quite a bit is using leftovers to create new meals. I used this one this weekend and am super excited about it! I had a ton of leftover sauce from one meal, and normally I would have just tossed it. Instead, I saved it and figured I could find some way to use it later. Then, I had a bunch of leftover vegetables from a different meal I made....so I saved those and am going to combine them with that yummy sauce and make a delicious side dish!
If you're trying to make a lifestyle change and get healthier I highly recommend Bethenny's book. Even if you don't follow it to a T (which I'm not) there are some great ideas (and recipes!) that can help get you on the right path.