*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Worthy Publishing in exchange for this honest review. Weight loss. For some that evokes the seemingly insurmountable task of trying to get in shape. Cutting calories, hitting the gym, weighing in daily. No sweets, no fun; no life. Who wants to live like that? Crystal Dwyer Hansen understands and has written a book about such matters. Skinny Life gets to the heart of the weight issues so many people face: your mind and its accompanying thoughts. Hansen teaches that you must first change your mind before the body begins to change. She does this by ending each chapter with an affirmation. Each affirmation puts positive thoughts into the mind with the intent that the body will follow. This does not mean that her readers can eat whatever they want. On the contrary, Hansen gives some examples of food that aids the mind and helps create mental optimization. From there the body begins to do what it was created to do: efficiently use food. This is a unique health and fitness book that I found insightful and refreshing.  You may recognize the author's name.  She is the wife of Mark Victor Hansen who co-authored Chicken Soup books. What sets apart Crystal's message of health from other books of this genre I've read is that she focuses on the entire body, mind, physical, and emotion.  In the first chapter she actually encourages the reader to throw out the bathroom scale and instead get to the root of what is causing us to choose "Thief" foods over "Saint" foods, and choose only healthy food absent of sugar, refined flour, and process. This author is honest, asking the reader thought provoking questions to prompt lifestyle changes. Her style of writing is easy to understand, and free of the heavy jargon that complicates many messages of good health.  Each chapter ends with a testimonial of one who has gone through the Skinny Life Program and also affirmations to daily speak oral words of wisdom to our being.