Finally Thin How I Lost Over 200 Pounds and Kept them Off and How You Can Too

The ultimate companion to any diet—featuring ten steps that will give you the information and motivation to achieve your own success on any weight-loss plan.

Kim Bensen knows about weight loss. And weight gain. For decades, she tried every diet there was, but nothing seemed to work – for long anyway – and she yo-yoed her way to 350 pounds. But she never gave up and in 2001, despite years of heartbreak and discouragement, Kim tried again. This time was different and the results were phenomenal: 212 pounds lost forever, fourteen dress sizes, four ring sizes, one and a half shoe sizes, and 200 points of cholesterol gone for good! In the end, Kim not only changed her health and size, but also her career. The clamor of “How did you do it?” by desperately struggling individuals as well as the national media motivated her to sit down and pen into words what she had put into action.

In Finally Thin!, Kim Bensen recounts her own success story and then breaks down her success into a ten-step system, showing readers exactly how she accomplished her weight-loss goal. From choosing the right diet for your needs to setting realistic goals, finding support, eating out, recovering from a slipup, the keys to maintenance, and even 75 recipes, this book covers it all in an upbeat, inspirational, and approachable tone. A must-have for anyone trying to lose weight, Finally Thin! will help dieters break free of the yo-yo cycle and achieve their ultimate goal—once and for all.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Love Kim Benson’s Finally Thin!
I pre-ordered Kim’s book because I had read several things written by Kim on her website. I ordered the book for several reasons: 1) I wanted her wisdom for reading, re-reading and chewing on when I needed a boost of motivation 2) I couldn’t wait to read her whole story. I had seen her pictures and wanted the “behind the scenes” on her journey and 3) I wanted tips for hanging in there for the long haul. I got all of those things from Kim. There is no magic–it is hard work and diligence. She is a living testimony to God’s goodness, faithfulness and strength for the long hard journey! She has great recipes in the book and so many stories of her “before” life and her life now. It is inspirational!

3 Stars Dissapointed
I know I am probably going to get some flack for this review,but I want to keep it real.While I totally applaud the author for putting her journey down.And yes it is an inspiration what she did.I found the book,lacking something.I didn’t find any new info in the book,that I already didn’t know.I guess it was just not what I was looking for.I know there are no quick fixes for losing lots of weight.I have gained and lost many times in my life.I just didn’t find the book,really helpful.To all the people who were inspired by this book,kudos to you.I am glad it inspired people.I just felt like besides organizing everyhing wonderfully,it was regurgitated information.

4 Stars Uplifting
If you are having a weight problem, this is the book for you. Reading the things Kim says about her own struggle hits home. I almost thought I wrote the story of my life. Getting through some of the diet details is a litte tough but very enlighening and makes me really want to do it this time…I want to do her proud.

5 Stars What an Inspiration
I first found out about Kim Bensen through a Weight Watchers success story over two years ago. I printed her story out then because she was an inspiration to me. When her book came out I was excited to get to read the whole story, and I have to say that she is an incredible person for putting her story out there to try and help others. It cannot be easy to put your weight struggles out there for all the world to read, but I feel that she did this so that we could see the triumph she is experiencing now and of course to let us know that it can be done.

After reading Kim’s book, I went to her website and read her blog. I posted a comment there to tell her how she had inspired me to lose weight and she replied by posting on my blog.

I admire the fact that someone who is so busy with her own life and must have many demands right now on her time would take the time to let me know she was on my side through this.

I would recommend that everyone read this book.

5 Stars wonderful book and inspirating author!
Kim is a very motivation and inspiration person. Her book is wonderful and i would recommend it to anyone. She tells of her weight loss journey and how others can lose weight too.

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The Best Life Diet Cookbook More than 175 Delicious Convenient Family Friendly Recipes

A god meal is one of life’s great pleasures, but we all know that it can be difficult to choose foods that make us happy and keep us healthy. In his New York Times bestselling book The Best Life Diet, Bob Greene showed more than a million people that you can lose weight and eat delicious food. Now, in The Best Life Diet Cookbook he provides more than 175 recipes that taste as good as they are good for you.

With recipes like Flank Steak with Potatoes and Garlic and Sweet-and-Sour Stuffed Chicken, it isn’t hard to eat well while shedding pounds. Slimmed-down comfort foods like Sweet Potato with Turkey Hash and Beef Stew with Winter Root Vegetables make family dinners satisfying and healthful. Rotisserie Chicken Salad with Oranges and Pistachios comes together in a snap. Or try one of the recipes contributed by world-class chefs like Charlie Trotter or Suzanne Goin, adapted to fit the Best Life guidelines. Craving something sweet? You won’t believe that Pear and Banana Crisp and Apple Pie with Oatmeal Crust are low in fat and calories.

Also included are three sets of two -week meal plans: The Quick and Easy Plan for when you’re most time-pressed; The Family-Friendly Plan with meals to satisfy the whole gang; and The Kitchen Connoisseur Plan for those looking for more of a challenge in the kitchen. Whether you’re trying to drop some pounds or simply want to maintain your weight, these plans do all the calorie-calculating for you.

The Best Life Diet Cookbook is full of useful shopping tips and culinary information. Illustrated with dozens of beautiful black-and-white and color photographs, it is a book you will turn to again and again.

Bob Greene firmly believes that every meal should be a celebration both of the pleasures of food and your commitment to living your best possible life, and with The Best Life Diet Cookbook, you can reclaim your joy of eating and live the life you deserve.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Doable, Healthy Recipes
The Best Life Diet Cookbook, by Bob Greene, is geared toward the cooking shy/inexperienced. Greene seems to think that many Americans are not cooking these days, so he is careful to present a book in which most of the recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less and are technically easy to make.

He understands that many Americans are too busy to cook–or simply don’t make cooking a priority. In the introduction he writes: “You can reclaim the experience of eating as a celebration by sitting down to enjoy these high quality, delicious dishes without over doing it.”

The book is comprised of recipes plus numerous two-week meal plans.

I love to cook and do so frequently, mixing new with my favorites. I always cook healthy (although not necessarily low-calorie) and have tried several of Greene’s recipes. So far, all have been very good.

* Most unusual for a salad was the lamb salad with cucumber and yogurt. Quiet delicious.

* The chicken breasts with pumpkin seeds was also very good. Pumpkin seeds are tasty and very healthy.

* Roasted root vegetables is a variation on what I often make and this recipe was very good, including unusual root veggies like rutabagas.

* YUM on the raw garlicky kale. I love kale and am always looking for new recipes to make with this super healthy and delicious veggie.

I enjoyed the recipes and bios from the world-class chefs, although I will admit that some are too time-consuming for me to consider making. Some of the recipes were simply show-offy chefy stuff; other, quite doable.

If you are searching for healthy and tasty recipes, The Best Life Diet Cookbook will do the trick.

By the author of HARMONIOUS ENVIRONMENT: BEAUTIFY, DETOXIFY & ENERGIZE YOUR LIFE, YOUR HOME & YOUR PLANET.

2 Stars The very best life diet cookbook
I could not wait for my book to arrive as I was just starting a new eating plan that was devised for me through a dietician. The book arrived and I was immediately disappointed as the recipes were mostly things that I would never eat and the recipes were not made with ingredients that most people have on hand. I am not saying it is a bad book by any means I am just saying that it was not at all what I expected and I have no use for it.

1 Star Total Waste of Time and Money
While I respect that Bob Greene is trying to help many people if you are any where close to being a good cook don’t waste your money on this book. The layout and style is not visually pleasing to the eye and there is absolutely nothing revolutionary in the book regarding recipes. Very boring to read and from what I can tell very boring to cook!

5 Stars Great ideas!
I have seen this cookbook on Opera and was interested in trying it out for myself. I love most of the recipes, and can’t wait to try them all.

Easy, healthy, and tasty!

5 Stars A Healthy Diet Cookbook
Bob Greene begins this book by noting that (Acknowledgements page): “I wanted this cookbook to be something special. . . . [T]he collection of recipes that you’re about to experience employs innovative techniques and unique combinations of ingredients to create meals that are respectful of calories, nutritionally rich, and delicious.” In the Introduction (Page 1) he contends that “Eating is meant to be one of life’s great pleasures.” Hence, a cook book that claims that it has delicious meals that are also healthy and good for you. How well does it do at in meeting that high standard?

I think this volume actually does pretty well. Here’s, for example, a simple side dish–easy to make and still tasty. Marinated mushrooms (Page 189). Ingredients? Pretty easy. Button mushrooms, some lemon juice, chives, olive oil, and a wee bit of salt. What could be easier? Just toss the mushrooms with ingredients and enjoy. Simple–but yet tasty.

The soups section has a number of straightforward recipes. Chicken noodle soup is a mainstay in many people’s diets. Here, we see a pretty doable recipe that promises to taste good (Page 54). Chicken broth, chicken breast, carrots, celery, parsley, rosemary (always good in a recipe), thyme, spaghetti (whole grain). This looks like a good, simple, healthy recipe to me.

With respect to entrees, I have tried to move away from beef toward fowl and fish. In the category of entrees, Greene provides a recipe for Chicken with spring onions and mashed spring vegetables that looks outstanding. Another entree is vegetarian–Angel hair pasta with walnuts and peas. Looks simple to make and healthy to eat! And here’s another one that is quite tasty indeed–Chicken poached in white wine with tomatoes. Simple ingredients and a yummy outcome. . . .

Other featues: healthy desserts, some recipes from “world-class chefs,” meal plans, basic recipes (e.g., chicken and vegetable stock, vinaigrette), and techniques (such as how to slice beef, blanch fruits and veggies, and so on).

I wish that the pictures of the dishes were in color (while there are a few color plates, most photos are not), but that is hardly a major issue. Overall, this is a really solid cookbook, with pretty healthy recipes. A useful addition to my kitchen library. . . .

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Eat This Not That for Kids Be the Leanest Fittest Family on the Block

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Get Help Making Meals With Nutrition Guides From Eat This Not That For Kids (Click to Enlarge)

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User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Must-Have Book for Healthy Eaters!!
This is a great book and a must have if you want to know the truth about what you are feeding your kids! We can’t always provide our kids with the finest foods, especially when traveling or in other people homes, so this book provides valuable information to help you make wise decisions for your kids..Pick it up.. you will be glad you did!! It’s also a great gift for a new mom too!!

3 Stars Good switches for calories, some choices could be healthier!
As a nurse, I realize that this book could be very helpful in choosing lower-calorie options. However, there are some encouraged foods that aren’t much healthier than the “bad” foods (and some choices are not much lower in calories). It may seem like you can indulge all you want without consequences. Also, instead of costly processed foods, try simple, fresh foods (apple with peanut butter, cottage cheese with fruit); these are much healthier and cheaper!

5 Stars Great visual guide for children
I bought this book to read with my four year old. He’s not overweight, but, like most kids, he loves crackers, cookies, and pretty much any sweet. The potential to become overweight in the future is certainly there.

He thoroughly enjoys this book and has learned to point out the better foods in the grocery store. The bright pictures of the food are a great resource for little people who can’t read all the details. I highly recommend this book for PS/K children who need some help with making better food choices.

5 Stars Excellent
Can’t say enough great things! Full of great info and surprising info at that! A must read to anyone trying to make smarter food choices.

5 Stars Love this book!
I bought this book hoping to help me make better choices for my 11 year old son. He saw the book and now carries it around. He will consult it before we go into restaurants and makes sure we all order something healthier. This is such a great concept that I have bought the other ‘This Not That’ books as well!

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Flat Belly Diet