I was recently sent a copy of the book Get Skinny Again by Sarah Dussault, a Boston-based blogger and YouTube fitness guru.

I have to admit that when I first heard about this book, I found the title extremely off-putting. I tend to avoid using the term “skinny” because I think it can send a not so great message and lead to a lot of body image issues. I generally prefer the terms fit and healthy instead. My goals have never included “getting skinny.” For me, it’s always been about how I feel and reaching fitness goals. However, the very first page in Sarah’s book has a bold header addressed “to the 99% who are not naturally skinny.” She explains that she is writing her book for the people out there who were very active in their younger years, but then went to college, started a career, began a family, etc. Basically her book is geared toward those who put on weight after life happens. It’s for those people who want to get back on track with self-care and feeling great about themselves like they once did. So while I do wish the title of this book was different, Sarah addresses it upfront and states that “it’s not about getting skinny again for vanity, it’s about feeling good about the way you look, and maintaining your health for a long and prosperous life!” <—That I agree with.

The book is divided into three different sections:

The first part is called “time to get on your fitness” and includes Sarah’s favorite exercises to do with both minimal equipment and on her favorite machines. There are so many instructional pictures, including examples of bad form to show readers what not to do. While a lot of the exercises in this section were already familiar to me as an instructor/trainer, I did get a few new ideas to teach in my classes, and I  think the moves ARE appropriately geared toward the average person who may not know what to do in and out of the gym.

The second section is called “time to eat clean to get lean” and includes recipes with reasonably priced ingredients, the pros and cons of cleanses and diets and how to try one safely, and tips for eating healthy at restaurants and drinking at parties without being awkward. Any book that talks about being awkward is fun in my book, but I love how truly SIMPLE each of the recipes is in this section. For those looking for time savers in the kitchen, this part of the book will definitely appeal to you.

Finally, the last section is called “time to live the fit life,” and Sarah talks about the importance of planning for success and shares her own story for creating a name for herself in the fitness industry. I found this section the most interesting, especially as I’m on my own journey to do the same thing!

I do want to share with you one of my favorite recipes from part 2, the no bake energy balls! I’ve made these a few times since receiving the book, and I am really enjoying how filling they are for such an itty bitty snack.

Sarah Fit Energy Balls

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 cup protein powder (I prefer vanilla, but chocolate works too)
• 1/4 cup oat flour or 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (you may need more depending on protein powder)

Directions

If you do not have oat flour, you can grind the oats in a food processor to make oat flour. Combine all the ingredients except for the almond milk in a bowl and mix together with a spoon. If you need to, add almond milk or water a teaspoon at a time until mixture is no longer crumbling. Scoop out about 1 tbsp of batter and roll into a tight ball. Repeat with the remaining batter. You can eat these right away or place in an air-tight container in the refrigerator to harden up a bit. This is a basic recipe — you can add chocolate chips, coconut flakes, chia seeds, or flax, if you like, for your own spin.

Word to the wise: do not substitute almond butter for this recipe. Lesson learned! These are perfect for a pre or post workout snack, but I find I prefer them before my morning workouts.

I am definitely looking forward to trying some of the other recipes in the book!

—Let’s chat–
Have you read Get Skinny Again? Which section of the book sounds the most interesting to you? Have you ever made a no bake energy bite before? Have you ever checked out any of Sarah’s fitness videos on YouTube? What are your feelings about the word skinny?

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this post, but I was provided this book free of charge in exchange for writing about it and sharing a recipe. As always, all opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links within this post.