Cook Yourself Thin_ Skinny Meals You Can Make In Minutes Part 1

Cook Yourself Thin.

Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes.

by Lifetime Television.

Potential results will vary. Consult with your healthcare professional for health and nutritional information and before undertaking any new diet.

Have your cake and eat it too!

This book will help you lose weight. But it's not a diet book. Think of it more as a guide to stop starving yourself and start loving food, because you really can lose the bulge and still indulge.

Cook Yourself Thin is for normal women, just like you. We know that you love to eat but we are realistic enough to know that you can't eat anything and everything and expect to look hot in a bikini. It was created for busy people, people like you, who are not prepared to give up social lives or favorite treats to become slaves to a strict diet. The CYT philosophy figures out the solutions, so you don't have to. is for normal women, just like you. We know that you love to eat but we are realistic enough to know that you can't eat anything and everything and expect to look hot in a bikini. It was created for busy people, people like you, who are not prepared to give up social lives or favorite treats to become slaves to a strict diet. The CYT philosophy figures out the solutions, so you don't have to.

You may have tried most of the diets out there-and failed. And you're not the only one. One major weight-loss study has found that up to two-thirds of dieters put all the weight they lost back on within five years-and most end up even heavier! No matter what the diet, the study found, it's unlikely to lead to lasting weight loss.

Sure, you will lose weight if you follow a diet to the letter. But how many of us stay on a diet-is that any way to enjoy life? Most diet food tastes awful and the portions are tiny, which means you fall off the wagon in spectacular style. Then follows the guilt, shame, feeling bad about yourself, and the almost inevitable overeating. It's a bad cycle. It's no good for your mind, body, or soul.

You've probably gone to all sorts of lengths to feel thinner. We've all subjected ourselves to the grapefruit diets, Weight Watchers-style clubs, and years of yo-yo dieting. Some even flit from feast to famine, never quite finding a happy balance. And yet denial is the fastest way to find yourself up to your eyeb.a.l.l.s in chocolate.

Quick fixes won't work and there's only one simple way to lose weight and keep it off without losing your mind: cook yourself thin.

Step Away from the Scales The fact is, most of us don't need to change our eating habits completely. We just need to make smart but simple changes. Dieticians and nutri-tionists agree that low-fat, low-calorie cooking skills, along with a basic knowledge of food labels and portion sizes, are the key to keeping slim. It has been suggested that consuming just 100 fewer calories a day (about one cookie's worth) will prevent the average yearly weight gain of 2 pounds. That's not exactly starving yourself.

Another study showed that most of us are used to eating just that little bit too much. It found that women who consumed 800 fewer calories a day than normal felt just as full and satisfied. They did it by making small small changes-for example, skim milk instead of whole, eating half as much cheese, more vegetables, and less fat overall. Small changes like these are easier to stick to and harder to go back on. But they add up to a significant drop in calories-and dress size. changes-for example, skim milk instead of whole, eating half as much cheese, more vegetables, and less fat overall. Small changes like these are easier to stick to and harder to go back on. But they add up to a significant drop in calories-and dress size.

The CYT approach takes a positive att.i.tude toward food. No denial or guilt-just the promise of mouthwatering delights instead of dull food. In this book, you'll be able to quickly and easily figure out how and why you're consuming a few too many calories, and learn the secret to cutting down without losing out. CYT takes up the challenge and does all the homework to make it easy for you. You don't have to become a culinary queen, you just need to cook more and cook smarter. smarter.

Here are tried, tested, and tasted favorite recipes with all the cheats, tips, tricks, and swaps worked out to make your calories vanish into thin air. At Cook Yourself Thin Cook Yourself Thin we have really high standards, so you won't find any recipe or suggestion that we're not convinced is better than the calorie-laden original. We all love a challenge, and we've created recipes that use flavors and ingredients that will leave you speechless. All it takes is a little effort and you can learn to re-create your beloved takeout food, comfort meals, snacks and desserts. And that's all there is to it: no weird foods or diet supplements, no denial, no sweaty exercise regime-just flavor, satisfaction, and no more clothes that just fit; they flaunt your better body. we have really high standards, so you won't find any recipe or suggestion that we're not convinced is better than the calorie-laden original. We all love a challenge, and we've created recipes that use flavors and ingredients that will leave you speechless. All it takes is a little effort and you can learn to re-create your beloved takeout food, comfort meals, snacks and desserts. And that's all there is to it: no weird foods or diet supplements, no denial, no sweaty exercise regime-just flavor, satisfaction, and no more clothes that just fit; they flaunt your better body.

> So get ready to Cook Yourself Thin!

Meet the Cook Yourself Thin Team Harry Eastwood

Harry has lived in Qatar, France, and London, as well as Sydney for a spell, and has been exposed to a colorful mix of cuisines and cultures. She loves making food from scratch and inventing new dishes. For the past seven years, she's worked as both a food stylist and writer, with a flair for sourcing the most beautiful ingredients around and interpreting every recipe under the sun. She is also a co-host of the original, British hit version of has lived in Qatar, France, and London, as well as Sydney for a spell, and has been exposed to a colorful mix of cuisines and cultures. She loves making food from scratch and inventing new dishes. For the past seven years, she's worked as both a food stylist and writer, with a flair for sourcing the most beautiful ingredients around and interpreting every recipe under the sun. She is also a co-host of the original, British hit version of Cook Yourself Thin Cook Yourself Thin.

Just to prove that appearances can be deceiving, Harry is into pink, sparkly earrings, all things pretty, and oh, butchery. That's right, she loves to prepare meat from field to plate so she knows exactly where her dishes have come from and what's gone into them. And forget fas.h.i.+on labels, Harry's into food labels-the higher quality the ingredients, the better. But censoring her ingredients is as far as food restrictions go. Her philosophy is that if you crave something, it usually means your body (and soul) deserves it. She genuinely considers chocolate to be good for the soul and feels that it completes a meal the way a period completes a sentence.

It'll come as no surprise, then, that Harry most definitely does not believe in restrictive diets. Food, she says, has been the joyful background to her life and learning to cook is the best weight-loss tool there is.

Candice k.u.mai

Candice is from San Diego and grew up living the life of a true California girl-surfing, suns.h.i.+ne, hanging at the beach, and having fun. As a teen, she became a fas.h.i.+on model and spent eight years traveling the nation and the world on a.s.signments. But despite the glamour of modeling, she always felt deep down that her true calling in life was cooking. is from San Diego and grew up living the life of a true California girl-surfing, suns.h.i.+ne, hanging at the beach, and having fun. As a teen, she became a fas.h.i.+on model and spent eight years traveling the nation and the world on a.s.signments. But despite the glamour of modeling, she always felt deep down that her true calling in life was cooking.

Her mother, a graduate of Tokyo Gakugei University, was born in southern j.a.pan and her father is a Naval veteran of Polish-American descent. She learned the essentials of those culinary traditions from her mother and grandmothers. After earning a bachelor's degree she decided to pursue cooking professionally and did so at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu California School of Culinary Arts Program, where she won honors as "Top of the Cla.s.s," President's List, and Dean's List.

Candice has since cooked at several well-respected restaurants in Los Angeles and Orange County, such as the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel, and she worked for Chef Wolfgang Puck. She has appeared on Bravo's Top Chef Top Chef, where her upbeat personality, charm, and cooking talents won her many fans. Her dream is to follow in the footsteps of her idols Julia Child and Martha Stewart and become the food/lifestyle guru of her generation. She brings as much pa.s.sion and flair to cooking as she does to everything in life-her ideal is to bring together all of the things she loves: fas.h.i.+on, friends, and great food.

Allison Fishman

Allison is pa.s.sionate about food-not just cooking and eating it, but also writing about and studying it. She understands the joy and pleasure of food from every angle-as an academic, writer, trained chef, and food lover. is pa.s.sionate about food-not just cooking and eating it, but also writing about and studying it. She understands the joy and pleasure of food from every angle-as an academic, writer, trained chef, and food lover.

To share this pa.s.sion she created a cooking school called The Wooden Spoon, where she and her team of instructors come to people's homes, demonstrating for them the techniques and deliciousness of home cooking. She loves being able to help people become excited about food and confident and creative in their own kitchens.

She has lent her talents as a recipe developer and food stylist to various magazines and television projects, including Martha Stewart, the Food Network, Real Simple Real Simple, and Glamour Glamour magazines. As a former co-host of TLC's magazines. As a former co-host of TLC's Home Made Simple Home Made Simple, Allison traveled the country showing families how to cook confidently in their own kitchens.

Allison has a B.S. in human development and family studies from Cornell University, and a culinary degree from the Inst.i.tute for Culinary Education. She's currently pursuing a master's degree in food studies from New York University, just a subway stop away from her home in Brooklyn.

Philosophy

What's Your Eater ID?

Take our fast quiz to identify the obstacles that trip you up when it comes to eating. Put this together with what you've learned from your food diary, and you'll know what kind of eater you are and where to cut the calories for super-fast results. Ready?

A Quick Quiz What are your dieting downfalls? Choose the answer that best matches you.

What's in your fridge right now?

A. Half a bottle of diet soda, a takeout container, and something unidentifiable with green stuff growing on it B. A half-eaten giant slab of chocolate, a slice of pie, and peanut b.u.t.ter C. Some smoked salmon, a few eggs, a chilled bottle of vodka D. Milk, cheese, leftover meatloaf What would your desert-island dish be?

A. General Tso's chicken B. Chocolate mousse cake C. Since I'd be near the ocean, oysters and champagne D. Pot roast with mashed potatoes Which of these diets have you tried?

A. Low-fat B. You name it C. Carb-free D. I've never dieted What's your ideal dinner date?

A. Ordering Asian and cozying up on the couch B. Having giant sundaes at an ice-cream parlor C. Going out to the hot new restaurant in town D. Hamburger and fries at a bar When was the last time you ordered takeout?

A. About 12 hours ago B. Besides taking the ice cream from the freezer?

C. When I had some friends over last night D. Rarely-I'd rather cook myself When's the last time you skipped a meal?

A. I skip breakfast but always eat at night, even if it's late B. Sometimes I go right to dessert C. If I'm out, I'll skip dinner D. When I had the stomach flu in 1998 Your favorite drink?

A. A double latte B. Hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows C. Champagne, what else?

D. Diet soda You've been dumped. What do you do?

A. Have my friends over for DVDs and popcorn B. Stay in bed with a tub of ice cream C. Hit the town and flirt up a storm D. Cook a big meal-it helps me relax What kind of exercise do you get?

A. Running out the door to work B. Hmm, exercise, yes, I should...

C. I'm a gym rat-I take pride in my muscles D. I love long walks.

Favorite veggies?

A. French fries B. Broccoli C. Corn on the cob D. b.u.t.ternut squash You and your kitchen-best friend or feared enemy?

A. I store my sweaters in the stove like Carrie B. We're like friends who have less in common these days C. We don't spend much time together D. We're soul mates What item defines your kitchen?

A. An overflowing garbage can B. My heart-shaped cookie cutters C. A wok-for quick meals before I go out D. A giant ca.s.serole dish What's the ideal way to end a meal?

A. Going to bed B. Ice cream, of course C. Dancing at my favorite club D. Cheese tray What's your meal to impress a new man?

A. I'd buy fancy prepared gourmet meals and hide the packages B. Love me, love my tiramisu C. As if! He's taking me to dinner!

D. A perfect steak and apple pie for dessert What do you eat when you're starving?

A. A bag of potato chips B. I'm never starving, I always keep chocolate nearby C. Fancy hors d'oeuvres D. Peanut b.u.t.ter and jelly How do you feel about diets?

A. I should eat less junk, but I don't have time to cook B. If I'm not supposed to eat it, I want it desperately C. If I've overeaten, I just eat less for a few days D. Everything in moderation-but moderation is tricky to stick with

How Did You Score?

Mostly A's You're an ON-THE-RUN EATER You have the local Chinese, fried chicken, and pizza places on speed dial. And they probably know your name and order before you've even said h.e.l.lo. Lunchtime consists of whatever salad bar the nearest deli has to offer, and just about everything else you eat is chow on the run. We get it-you're busy. But trust us, you'll feel a lot less frantic and stressed (and bloated) if you brave the kitchen every once in a while. Cooking doesn't have to be hard, as you'll see from our recipes. And you'll find that some of your favorite takeout meals can be created at a fraction of the cost, in the same amount of time it takes for them to be delivered. And-most important-with nothing close to the calories and fat you're currently consuming.

Mostly B's You're a SUGAR FIEND You were born with a spoonful of sugar in your mouth. You'd happily give up takeout food, frozen dinners, and all sorts of junk food as long as you didn't have to sacrifice your daily sweet treats. There's always something chocolaty in your cupboard, in your glove compartment, in your purse, and in your desk at work-just in case. And if you can't finish a meal with something sweet, you almost feel a panic attack coming on. Although you know you have an "issue" with sugary foods, you feel powerless to resist. And that's why we've worked out some super-rich decadent treats that will give you your sugar high, without the guilt-ridden low. With a teensy bit of effort, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Mostly C's You're a YO-YO DIETER Your appearance is important to you, so you make more effort than most not to totally pig out at mealtimes. Problem is, your self-restraint is so good you often skip meals altogether. Health aside, this ultimately has the effect of making your body think it's starving, so it'll hold onto any fat stores you have. Not a good idea. Time is also an issue for you. You often head out for drinks straight from work, and unless food is available, you'll forget all about it and fill up on alcoholic empty calories. And watch out-because alcohol is packed with calories. What, you didn't know that? We're not suggesting you stop your social life and stay in-heaven forbid! But try some of our smart calorie swaps and super-fast meal ideas and you'll soon find fitting into your skinny jeans is much easier.

Mostly D's You're a COMFORT FOOD CRAVER You love food and home-cooked meals. Some of your favorite recipes have been in your family for years, and just the smell of them makes you feel safe and happy. You're also a modern foodie and love to sample the latest bistro. You have a pretty good idea about nutrition and how to create a flavorful, satisfying meal, but your enthusiasm for eating means portion control doesn't enter your mind. Some of your cooking methods and ingredients are as antiquated as your recipes (it is is possible to make mashed potatoes without a stick of b.u.t.ter and cream, you know). Fortunately, while our recipes cut down on calories, they never compromise on taste or comfort. Open your mind to some new ingredients and techniques, and you can feel cozy without looking like a plush teddy bear. possible to make mashed potatoes without a stick of b.u.t.ter and cream, you know). Fortunately, while our recipes cut down on calories, they never compromise on taste or comfort. Open your mind to some new ingredients and techniques, and you can feel cozy without looking like a plush teddy bear.

So You Want to Drop a Dress Size?

Join the club! Most women say they'd be happier if they could buy their jeans a size smaller, spare the horror of suck-it-all-in spandex supports, and drop that extra 10 pounds they've been toting around since the beginning of the holidays-circa 2001.

Contrary to media reports we're not all obese. Nor, thank goodness, are we all a size 2. The average dress size in the United States is 12. Only 33 percent of women are cla.s.sified as obese, but 62 percent are overweight (ouch!), so we do need to control our eating. But despite the newspaper headlines, for most of us it's not about a total body transfor-mation-we'd just like to get a little closer to our "happy weight" and feel healthy and attractive. we're not all obese. Nor, thank goodness, are we all a size 2. The average dress size in the United States is 12. Only 33 percent of women are cla.s.sified as obese, but 62 percent are overweight (ouch!), so we do need to control our eating. But despite the newspaper headlines, for most of us it's not about a total body transfor-mation-we'd just like to get a little closer to our "happy weight" and feel healthy and attractive.

It's a reasonable goal, so why does it seem so hard to achieve? Because, girls, we're kidding ourselves. All too easily we buy into the diet industry propaganda that tells us all our problems will be solved if we just cut out X or supplement with Y. We want to believe that weight-loss success comes only in the form of denying ourselves all things pleasurable. And when the inevitable happens and we fall off the diet wagon, we have the perfect excuse to decide that losing weight is impossible for us, and just give up.

The fact is, whether you think you're super-healthy and restrained or you acknowledge that your dietary halo needs a good polish, you-like all of us in the past-have probably been deluding yourself. What you think of as an occasional habit may well have become a permanent fixture in your life. That large latte and blueberry m.u.f.fin you blithely scarf down most mornings? That's 765 calories every day. Read it and weep. The bacon sandwich and can of c.o.ke that never fails to cure your hang over-540 calories. The Friday night pizza-a whopping 1,000 calories. Fine from time to time, but if these are a regular part of your diet, it's no wonder you think those skinny jeans have shrunk.

You don't have to consume junk food around the clock to put on weight. There are certain foods that are just too darn delish and tempting to resist, and the truth is you probably give in to them just a little more often than you admit to yourself. Cook Yourself Thin Cook Yourself Thin doesn't want you to resist them either, just keep reading so you can cook or prepare many of them in a way that is far more delicious than the store-bought options, with a fraction of the calories. doesn't want you to resist them either, just keep reading so you can cook or prepare many of them in a way that is far more delicious than the store-bought options, with a fraction of the calories.

FactContrary to media reports, we're not all obese. Nor, thank goodness, a size 2. The average dress size in the United States is 12.

All we ask of you is a little effort in the kitchen and some good old-fas.h.i.+oned honesty. Brace yourself-you'll need to keep a food diary for a week. But don't panic. This is not going to be one of those boring, doc.u.ment-keeping diets. And it's the last bit of hard work you'll need to do. in the kitchen and some good old-fas.h.i.+oned honesty. Brace yourself-you'll need to keep a food diary for a week. But don't panic. This is not going to be one of those boring, doc.u.ment-keeping diets. And it's the last bit of hard work you'll need to do.

So grab a notebook that's small and stylish enough that you won't mind carrying it around with you all week. Ditto a cool pen. Give yourself a couple of pages for each day and write the name of the day across the top of the page. Then, from the moment you get up until the minute you hit the pillow at night, record every last morsel of food or sip of liquid that pa.s.ses your lips. This is super important-because, more often than not, it's our more unconscious habits that get us into trouble. So that handful of tortilla chips at a c.o.c.ktail party, the tiny slice of cake you had at a co worker's birthday party, the little pieces of cheese you slice off every time you go to the fridge-they all count, because the devil is in the details.

Be prepared to finish up with really long lists every day. This is normal. To help you get started, here's an example:

MORNING Gla.s.s of orange juice Black coffee 2 slices of thick white toast with b.u.t.ter Banana Large latte with a shot of syrup Half a bag of licoriceAFTERNOON Chicken burger on a bun with mayo, salad with French dressing, French fries and ketchup 2 Diet c.o.kes 2 small cookies A handful of chocolate chipsEVENING Half a large bag of tortilla chips Half a container of hummus One frozen lasagna dinner 2 gla.s.ses of white wine Cup of decaf espresso Cup of rice pudding Chocolate chip cookie