I’ve shed about 30 pounds since beginning the SkinnySongs project — I guess it is true what they say about skinny rock stars! Seriously, I am neither skinny nor a rock star, but I have made a lot of progress, and people have asked me how I did it. So here are some references to resources that helped me. You should always use your own judgement about what fits for you, and consult with a medical professional before beginning any program.

For me, what finally worked was the combination of knowledge about what to do, and making a personal commitment to do it.

For knowledge, I find the books by Doctors Michael Roizen (remarkably, no relation to me) and Mehmet Oz to be chock full of great information as well as being enjoyable to read (can’t say that about most books like this.)

Here are my favorites:

		You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty (You) by Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz The body is the most fascinating machine ever created, and nobody talks about it in ways that are as illuminating and compelling as Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Most people think of the aging of our bodies the same way we think of the aging of our cars: the older we get, the more inevitable it is that we're going to break down. Most of us believe that at age 40 or so, we begin the slow and steady decline of our minds, our eyes, our ears, our joints, our arteries, our libido, and every other system that affects the quality of life (and how long we live it). But according to Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz, that's a mistake.
		You: On A Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management by Mehmet C. Oz, Michael F. Roizen For the first time in our history, scientists are uncovering astounding medical evidence about dieting--and why so many of us struggle with our weight and the size of our waists. Now researchers are unraveling biological secrets about such things as why you crave chocolate or gorge at buffets or store so much fat. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, America's most trusted doctor team and authors of the bestselling YOU series, are now translating this cutting-edge information to help you shave inches off your waist. They're going to do it by giving you the best weapon against fat: knowledge. By understanding how your body's fat-storing and fat-burning systems work, you're going to learn how to crack the code on true and lifelong waist management.
		YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger by Michael F. Roizen , Mehmet Oz If there ever was a pair of docs who can make the small intestine seem truly intriguing, here they are. Dr. Mehmet Oz is an alternative-medicine maverick and a cardiologist known to implement acupuncture during open-heart surgery. Dr. Michael Roizen developed the RealAge concept of calculating one's biological, as opposed to chronological, age. Here they've whipped up a witty guide to the workings of the entire body, appropriate not just for those who can't tell their pancreas from their pituitary. Even Cheers’ Cliff Claven types who think they know it all will likely be humbled by the 50-question "body-quotient" quiz that starts off the book.

For me, much of my weight issues stem from emotional eating. I was raised by a mother who used food as reward, and food for solace, and that pattern was planted deep inside me. There are a number of great books about emotional eating and how to understand why you do it and change your patterns.

Here are the ones that worked for me:

	Shrink Yourself: Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever by Roger Gould Emotional eating is by far the most common cause of weight gain. As you'll learn in Shrink Yourself, all the diets, exercise regimens, and surgical procedures in the world will not free you from this vicious cycle. Why? Because they don't address your reasons for overeating. Shrink Yourself, a supportive, unique, and ground-breaking guide written by a world-renowned therapist who has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off, gets to the heart of the problem. Shrink Yourself gives you the equivalent of eight expensive sessions with the best weight-loss therapist in the world for the price of a single book.
	If I'm So Smart, Why Can't I Lose Weight?: Tools to Get it Done by Brooke Castillo Innovative and inspiring, Brooke Castillo has been studying weight loss for over fifteen years. Always interested in helping people and in understanding what makes them tick, she studied psychology at Santa Clara University. Her own struggles and frustration with losing seventy-five pounds guided her into putting together her unique weight-loss program, which quickly showed astonishing results. A certified North Star Coach, trained by Dr. Martha Beck and her associates, Brooke has a thriving coaching practice where she works one-on-one with clients. Brooke Castillo also offers seminars and online weight loss packages.
	Breaking Free from Emotional Eating by Geneen Roth

Here's something else I've run across that I've found helpful. DietTV.com is the leading online community for people who share the goal of losing weight and leading a healthier lifestyle. The website provides its community of users with a network of peers, experts, information and tools that are available wherever
they are and whenever they need them. It is unbiased, simple and fun to use and
completely free to the user.

SmartNow - Feel Good, Look Good, Do Good (www.smartnow.com). This is a site I love that is founded and directed by a fellow ‘former tech entrepreneur’ and all around great woman, Julie Wainwright. Why do I love it? Well, do you take care of everyone, but you end up at the bottom of the list? Or did you already fall off your own list? If so, you will love SmartNow. SmartNow was created to give women who are into their 30s and beyond, a one-stop place for expert information and a vibrant, supportive community for dieting, Diet Buddies, a philanthropy section and lots of resources. The site's mission is “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” Check it out!

So, once I finally had my head around why I eat, and what to do, I had to reach the conclusion that exercise is critical. What worked for me? One, I started walking. Just walking around the neighborhood, 30 minutes to an hour a day. Second — and remarkably I believe, even more important — I started strength training. For the latter I recommend you see a health club or fitness trainer to put you on the right track. As for equipment, I use free weights most of the time when I exercise at home, they are not expensive, require little room, and can’t break! However, since I also travel frequently, I recommend a system like the OxygenFit system, which is pictured here:

You can purchase OxygenFit by clicking on the photo or at www.ShopOxygenfit.com.

I have made the financial investment in training with a personal trainer once a week (thank you Chris Mullen!) but for most of you unless you live close to me that isn’t going to be much help to you. However, I have also been a student of a remarkable program you can find at:

www.thehappybody.com

I put the time and money and COMMITMENT into spending six months on this program and it really worked for me. You might not have the budget nor be in the right geography for this, but you can learn a lot from their site, and if not already, they will soon offer a book and DVD program to spread their teaching to a much wider audience at a much lower cost thanthe personal sessions. You want some motivation — look at the the testimonials section. And I guarantee these are real people and unretouched photos. It works — but I will also tell you it takes time, discipline, and commitment. I thank Aniela and Jerzy Gregorek for being great teachers and motivators.

My favorite Skinny Jeans — SkinnyJeans.com! I ran across these when I was doing research on my first song, Skinny Jeans.I’ve tried many a pair, and trust me Hello Skinny Jeans makes awesome, slimming jeans, they look the best on my figure. You can order them at www.skinnyjeans.com

www.skinnyjeans.com

WildWords — I know you are thinking, 'what does this have to do with losing weight?' Well, not much (though maybe it will help if you play it far away from the kitchen.) Seriously, WildWords can give your mind some fun exercise when you're done exercising your body. It is the creation of my brother, Peter. Our family was into Scrabble™ for years, but Peter wanted a word game that had more variety and more opportunity for creative thinking — and less reliance on knowing odd two-letter words. Every word in English can be played, and the well-disguised bluff is a serious component in the game. Not just a hit in our family, he has sold over 3,000 of them and gotten rave reviews. You can click on the image to learn more and buy one if you would like.

www.wildwords.us

Finally, I LISTENED TO SKINNYSONGS!!! I cannot claim that listening to music helps you lose weight. But I tell you, when I put these on in the car on the way to dropping the kids off at school, I can tell you it pumps me up to stick to my plan. When I listen to them in the gym or on a walk, it just seems easier to get the job done. So don’t forget to buy our cd too!

Skinny Recommendations!

Food Scale: if you are serious about keeping track of what you eat, you are going to need tools to measure your food and liquids. Here’s a good and inexpensive food scale, by Polder, great for measuring small quantities (typical to my recipes) and you can’t beat this price! It is $4 as I write this.    Get It Here >

On the other hand, if you want the super-duper, know everything scale, this one, by EatSmart, is highly recommended and does nutritional analysis of your foods as well.    Get It Here >

Measuring cup: you probably have the pyrex beaker at home, and that works fine. Plus the set of spoons, which you will need. If not, I recommend this:

Measuring cup: this one from Wrapables is great, and again, at $5.99, a good deal too. It has both cup and tablespoon/teaspoon measurements, and lids for both sides so you can measure and seal something for later use. Love it!    Get It Here >

Oil Sprayer: this is like do-it-yourself PAM. Yes, you can now buy oil spray in various flavors, but with one of these puppies, you can use unusual oils like toasted sesame, or white truffle oil, or even make your own with olive oil and flavorings such as rosemary or garlic. Sprayers are superb at taking a densely caloric item (oil) and making a little bit go a very long way. I like this one, by Endurance, because you can see inside it, so you can see how much oil is in there.    Get It Here >

Another one for about the same price ($12.99 is the Norpro, which has the added benefit of having a filter so you can add herbs and not have them get caught up in the mechanism. Get It Here >

Honestly, having more than one of these is a great idea, so you can keep different flavors ‘on tap’ (my favorites: toasted sesame oil with ginger, lemongrass and lemon peel in it, and olive oil with garlic, basil and rosemary in it)

Blenders/mixers: I am going to presume you own a blender, so you are probably all set. That said, I have become a big convert of the Magic Bullet (yes, of infomercial fame) because of its ability to also chop and grind ala a small food processor, its great design (brilliant that you mix right in a cup, and then just pop the blade off) and the quantity of cups they give you with the base unit. I use mine for smoothies, salad dressings, marinade — in fact, it has replaced virtually all of what I used to use the blender for, except for the things I have to do in large quantity (like cucumber soup or mock mashed potatoes made from cauliflower.) Sells for about $55.    Get It Here >

For travel, this is also a nifty little blender for protein shakes or for those of you bravehearts who are putting algae in your orange juice, and at $5, another steal at $5.99. From Norpro. Don’t expect it to blend fruit or ice, but great for powders.    Get It Here >